From Newsgroup: rec.arts.tv


There's a long, but not complete, list of sit-coms he was involved in
near the end of this article.


James Burrows, 'Cheers' Co-Creator and Prolific TV Director, Dies at 85
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James Burrows, the prolific director who reigned as television's
preeminent sitcom helmer for more than 30 years, died on Friday.
He wasa85.a

Burrows' family confirmed his death in a statement to People:
"We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James
'Jimmy' Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his
loving family. For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most
influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary
director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of
comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world."

Burrows won 11 Emmy Awards, starting with back-to-back comedy
directing trophies in 1980 and 1981 for his work on ABC's "Taxi."

He was renowned for his skill in directing pilots and working with
actors, particularly inexperienced thesps such as the stars of NBC's
"Friends." He was also credited for opening up the world of sitcoms by
adding a fourth camera to the classic three-camera setup.

Burrows was co-creator of NBC's indelible barroom comedy "Cheers," with
brothers Glen and Les Charles, and he directed every episode of NBC's
"Will & Grace," from 1998 to 2020.

In February 2016, NBC honored the director and producer as he notched
his 1,000th sitcom episode, an iron-man milestone he reached Nov. 24,
2015, while working on the NBC sitcom "Crowded," starring Carrie
Preston, Patrick Warburton and Stacy Keach. For the Feb. 21 special
"Must See TV: An All Star Salute to James Burrows," a gaggle of stars
from his shows over the years gathered at the Jan. 24 taping of the
tribute in Hollywood to sing his praises. Who else but the Burrows,
simply known as "Jimmy, could bring Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Jennifer
Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer,
Tony Danza, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Melissa McCarthy, Sean
Hayes, Debra Messing, Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Jon
Cryer and Charlie Sheen under one roof for a common goal: saluting the
man who was crucial in launching or furthering their careers - and in
many cases fattening their bank accounts with a steady stream of
syndication payments.

That NBC devoted two hours of Sunday real estate to saluting a director
reinforces Burrows' unique status in the industry. His influence
extends from the style he brought to his shows to the mentoring he's
offered a generation of helmers.

Burrows was remembered as a remarkably talented director and as a
friend to many of those that he worked with on and off for years.

"The entire DeVito family feels the loss of such an exceptional man,"
actors Rhea Perlman ("Cheers") and Danny DeVito ("Taxi") said in a
statement. "Jimmy guided Rhea and me through 16 seasons of television.
He was the very best at his craft. His positive spirit, boundless
energy and tireless work defined what it takes to run a show and keep
people laughing."

Disney Entertainment Television in a statement hailed Burrows as
"a legend in television and a brilliant director who was responsible
for many of the biggest comedy hits of our time."

Burrows was the son of writer-director Abe Burrows, who wrote the
book for such Broadway classics as "Guys and Dolls," "How to Succeed
in Business Without Really Trying" and "Can Can." James Burrows was
born in Los Angeles, where his father worked as a writer for top radio
comedies, but the family soon relocated to New York City. Burrows grew
up immersed in the world of writers, actors, directors and other
creative talent and was known as "Abe's kid" to family friends such as
John Steinbeck, Edward Albee and Truman Capote.

Burrows was born in Los Angeles but attended Gotham's High School of
Music & Arts and later Oberlin College and Yale University School of
Drama. He moved to Los Angeles after graduating and worked as a
dialogue coach on a short-lived Burl Ives comedy series created by
Abe Burrows, "O.K. Crackerby!"

James Burrows returned to New York and worked as a stage manager on
a Broadway run of "Breakfast at Tiffany's," produced by his father
and Albee. Burrows got his first experience directing during the
production. He went on to direct the touring play "40 Carats,"
followed by other touring productions of such plays as "Mr. Roberts"
and "The Odd Couple."

By 1974, Burrows' reputation as a theater director earned him an
offer from James L. Brooks and Allan Burns to direct an episode of
the pair's "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." From then on, Burrows worked
almost exclusively on the small screen. He directed more than 100 TV
series and was nommed for a record 22 Directors Guild Awards, taking
the plaque five times.

Among the dozens of other shows he worked on were "The Bob Newhart
Show," "Rhoda," "The Betty White Show," "Laverne & Shirley," "Lou
Grant," "The Tony Randall Show," "The Associates," "The Stockard
Channing Show," "The Hogan Family," "Night Court," "Dear John,"
"Ladies Man," "Wings," "Frasier," "NewsRadio," "Third Rock from the
Sun," "Pearl," "Dharma & Greg," "Caroline in the City," "George &
Leo," "The Class," "Courting Alex," "Back to You," "Two and a Half
Men," "The Big Bang Theory," "Hank," "Up All Night," "Better with
You," "$#*! My Dad Says," "2 Broke Girls," "Partners," "Mike & Molly"
and "The Millers."

Burrows' sole foray into movies was the 1982 flop "Partners," a
Paramount comedy starring Ryan O'Neal as a cop who goes undercover
with a gay police clerk played by John Hurt to solve a series of
murders.

In a 2013 Q&A held as part of USC's Comedy @ SCA festival, Burrows
said he always felt it important for directors to be part of the
creative process - even when they come into an existing operation for
a one-off episodic job.

"Don't be a traffic cop, get in there and say what you wanna say,"
Burrows said of talking to scribes. "It'll only make things better."

But the man who probably spent more time than anyone else calling the
shots on network TV sitcoms was humble about what it takes to generate
a hit show.

In 2014, he was selected to receive a lifetime achievement award for
distinguished achievement in television direction from the Directors
Guild of America.

Burrows was married to Linda Solomon from 1981-93.

He is survived by his second wife, Debbie Easton, whom he married in
1997, and three children by Solomon.



<https://variety.com/2026/tv/news/james-burrows-dead-cheers-taxi-will-and-grace-1236786130/>





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