James Burrows

Last updated
James Burrows
Born (1940-12-30) December 30, 1940 (age 83)
Education Oberlin College (BA)
Yale University (MFA)
OccupationTelevision director
Years active1965–present
Notable work Cheers
Will & Grace
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Taxi
Spouses
Linda Solomon
(m. 1981;div. 1993)
Debbie Easton
(m. 1997)
Children4
Parent Abe Burrows
3 Sisters Entertainment
Company typeJoint venture
IndustryTelevision production
Founded1995
FounderJames Burrows and NBC Productions
Divisions 3 Princesses and a P

James Edward Burrows (born December 30, 1940), [1] sometimes known as Jim "Jimmy" Burrows, [2] is an American television director. Burrows has received numerous accolades including 11 Primetime Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards. He was honored with the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015 and NBC special Must See TV: An All-Star Tribute to James Burrows in 2016.

Contents

Burrows started his career with The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1974. [3] Burrows has directed over 50 television pilots and co-created the television series Cheers (1982–1993). He has also formed 3 Sisters Entertainment, a joint venture with NBC. He is known for directing numerous episodes of comedy shows such as The Bob Newhart Show , Taxi , Frasier , Friends , Will & Grace , 3rd Rock from the Sun , and The Big Bang Theory .

He executive produced the Emmy Award-winning ABC specials Live in Front of a Studio Audience including Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" in 2019, "All in the Family" and "Good Times" in 2019, and "The Facts of Life" and "Diff'rent Strokes" in 2021. He directed episodes for the revivals of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace (2017-2020), and the Paramount+ Frasier .

Early life and education

Burrows was born to a Jewish family [4] [5] in Los Angeles, California, the son of Ruth (Levinson) and Abe Burrows, a well-known composer, director and writer. [6] James has one sister, Laurie Burrows Grad. [7] When James was still a young child, his family moved to New York where James attended New York’s High School of Music & Art. [8] [9] Burrows is a graduate of Oberlin College and the graduate program of the Yale School of Drama. [8]

Career

1967–1973: Early career

After Yale, Burrows returned to California where he became employed as a dialogue coach on O.K. Crackerby!, a television series starring Burl Ives and created by Burrows' father, Abe. [10] Burrows then took a job as an assistant stage manager for the 1967 play Holly Golightly, an adaptation of the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's. [11] The production was unsuccessful, but the job served as Burrows' introduction to its star, Mary Tyler Moore. [11] Early on, Burrows also worked for the road company of Cactus Flower and the Broadway production of Forty Carats. [12] He also went to direct the short lived Broadway play The Castro Complex . Burrows continued working in theater as a stage manager and transitioned into directing plays. [13] Burrows directed traveling plays and a production at a Jacksonville, Florida dinner theater. [13] [14]

1974–1981: Television director

While working in theater, Burrows wrote Moore and her then husband Grant Tinker seeking a job at their production company, MTM Enterprises. [11] In 1974, Tinker hired Burrows as a director for MTM Enterprises where he directed episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show . [11] [15] Tinker asked director Jay Sandrich, known for his work directing The Mary Tyler Moore Show and later The Cosby Show and The Golden Girls , to serve as a mentor to Burrows. [16]

Burrows is best known for his comic timing, complex blocking for actors, and incorporating more sophisticated lighting in television studio shoots. He is also credited as being one of the first sitcom directors to increase the typical multi-camera television shoot from three to four cameras. [15] During this time Burrow directed for numerous shows such as Phyllis , Rhoda , Laverne & Shirley , Busting Loose , The Ted Knight Show , The Associates , and On Our Own .

1982–1997: Cheers, Frasier, and Friends

Burrows co-created Cheers with brothers Glen and Les Charles. The Charles brothers were also former employees of MTM Enterprises and served as producers on the series Taxi where Burrows worked as in-house director for 76 episodes. [11] [15] [17] Burrows and the Charles brothers wanted to create a show where they could have more control. [17] Cheers premiered on NBC on September 30, 1982. [17] Although Cheers initially struggled in the ratings, the series became a hit, running 275 episodes over eleven seasons. [17] Burrows directed all but 35 of those 275 episodes. [11] During his time on Cheers Burrows also directed episodes for shows such as the NBC sitcoms The Hogan Family , Dear John , and Night Court .

Burrows then gained acclaim for directing the NBC sitcom Frasier . He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the pilot, The Good Son in 1993. Burrows directed in total 32 episodes from 1993 to 1997. The series was a spinoff of Cheers focusing on the character of Dr. Frasier Crane portrayed by Kelsey Grammer. The series also starred David Hyde Pierce, John Mahoney, Peri Gilpin, and Jane Leeves. It received critical acclaim for its writing, directing and performances. It won five Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. In 1998, Burrows directed a Chicago-based production of the 1939 comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner starring John Mahoney. [14]

Burrows also directed 15 episodes of another NBC sitcom Friends starring Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Matt LeBlanc, and Lisa Kudrow. The series follows six friends living in New York City. He received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the 1994 episode The One with the Blackout from Season 1. During this time he also received Emmy nominations for directing the pilot episodes of both the NBC sitcom 3rd Rock from the Sun starring John Lithgow, Kristen Johnson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Jane Curtin, and the ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg starring Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson. He also directed episodes of the NBC sitcoms Wings , NewsRadio , Caroline in the City , and the CBS sitcoms Pearl and George and Leo .

1998–2009: Established director

From 1998 to 2006 Burrows directed numerous episodes of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace starring Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally, and Sean Hayes. Burrows received twelve Primetime Emmy Award nominations for the series winning for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2000. He was nominated for directing the episodes, "Pilot" (1998), "Homo for the Holidays" (2000), "Lows in the Mid-Eighties" (2001), "A Chorus Lie" (2002), "24" (2003), and "It's a Dad, Dad, Dad, Dad World" (2005). Burrows directed every episode of Will & Grace during its initial eight-year run. [18]

From 2006 to 2007 he directed episodes of the Chuck Lorre created CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory starring Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Sara Gilbert, and Mayim Bialik. From 2003 to 2006 he directed numerous episodes of another Chuck Lorre created CBS sitcom Two and a Half Men starring Charlie Sheen and Jon Cryer. During this time he also directed episodes of shows such as the CBS sitcoms The Class , Courting Alex , and Gary Unmarried ,, the Fox sitcom Back to You , and the ABC sitcom Hank .

2010–present: Revivals and recognition

Burrows directed high profile sitcoms during the 2010s including the CBS sitcoms Mike & Molly (2010-2016) starring Billy Gardell, and Melissa McCarthy, and The Millers (2013-2015) starring Will Arnett, Margo Martindale, Beau Bridges. Burrows reunited with Matt LeBlanc with Man with a Plan (2016-2020). He also directed the acclaimed sitcom B Positive (2020-2022) starring Annaleigh Ashford. Burrows directed episodes of numerous television series including the ABC sitcoms Romantically Challenged , Better with You , the CBS sitcoms $#*! My Dad Says , 2 Broke Girls , Partners , Friends with Better Lives , Superior Donuts , and The Neighborhood , the NBC sitcoms Sean Saves the World , Crowded , and the Netflix comedy series Disjointed .

By 2012 Burrows had directed over 50 pilots for television series. [19] Burrows has directed over 1,000 episodes of television, a milestone he achieved in November 2015 with the NBC sitcom Crowded. [20] To celebrate Burrows' achievement, NBC aired a special tribute on February 21, 2016, titled Must See TV: An All-Star Tribute to James Burrows featuring cast reunions from many of the series Burrows has directed such as Cheers, Taxi, Friends, Frasier, The Big Bang Theory, Will & Grace and Mike & Molly. [21] In January 2020, Andy Fisher and Burrows won the Directors Guild of America Award for Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials for Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons . [22]

In 2016, Burrows directed his 1,000th TV episode, on NBC's Crowded . [23] Burrows took part in two revivals, Will & Grace (2017-2020) with the original cast reunited. He received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for the episode, "We Love Lucy". In 2023 he directed the first two episodes of the revival of Frasier on Paramount+.

In front of the camera

Burrows has had cameo appearances in several of the shows for which he has directed. In the first season of Friends, Burrows appeared in the episode "The One with the Butt" as the director of the film in which the character Joey Tribbiani is cast as Al Pacino's "butt double". [24] He also appears as a television director named Jimmy in the 2005 HBO series The Comeback . [25] Burrows played himself on the series. An episode of Scrubs , "My Life in Four Cameras", had a character named Charles James in honor of Cheers creators Burrows and Glen and Les Charles. It was previously asserted in Sitcoms: the 101 Greatest TV Comedies of All Time (2007) that Burrows served as the silhouette of the customer who knocks on the door in the final scene of Cheers, [15] but Burrows himself refuted this claim on episode 9 of the NewsRadio-themed podcast Dispatches from Fort Awesome, revealing that the actual "Man Who Knocks" was agent Bob Broder. [26]

Personal life

Burrows is married to celebrity hairstylist Debbie Easton; the couple lives in Manhattan. [27] Burrows was previously married to Linda Solomon. [28] [29] He has three daughters and one stepdaughter. [25]

Filmography

Acting

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1974 Rhoda AgentEpisode: "The Lady in Red"
1975 Phyllis Telephone ManEpisode: "Up for Grabs"
1977 The Bob Newhart Show Maintenance ManEpisode: "Halls of Hartley"
1989 Cheers Man Standing in the Bar
1994 Friends Director
  • Uncredited
  • Episode: "The One with the Butt"
2005, 2014 The Comeback Himself
2020 Will & Grace HimselfEpisode: “Filthy Phil, Part II”

As a Director

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1978More Than Friends Director Comedy film [30]
1982 Partners Gay-themed buddy comedy film [31]

Television

YearTitleNotesRefs.
1974 The Mary Tyler Moore Show 4 episodes from 1974–76
1975 Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers Episode: "From Russia with Lust"
Fay 2 episodes
Phyllis 19 episodes from 1975–76
The Bob Newhart Show 11 episodes from 1975–77
1976 The Tony Randall Show 4 episodes from 1976–77
Laverne & Shirley 8 episodes from 1976–77
1977Bumpers Short comedy television film [32]
Roosevelt and Truman [33]
Calling Doctor Storm, M. D. [34]
Busting Loose 5 episodes
Lou Grant Episode: "Christmas"
We've Got Each Other 2 episodes
The Betty White Show Episode: "John's Mother"
Rhoda 4 episodes from 1977–78
1978The Plant FamilyShort comedy television film [35]
The Betty White ShowEpisode: "Play Misty for John"
Free Country 2 episodes
Taxi 75 episodes from 1978–82
1979ButterfliesShort comedy television film [36]
A New Kind of Family Episode: "I Do"
The Associates 4 episodes from 1979–80
1980 The Stockard Channing Show 2 episodes
Good Time Harry Episode: "The Wally Smith Story"
1981Every Stray Dog and KidShort television film [37]
Best of the West 3 episodes
1982 Cheers
  • Co-Creator of series
  • Producer from 1982–84
  • Executive producer from 1985–93
  • Directed 237 episodes from 1982–93
Goodbye Doesn't Mean ForeverTelevision film [38]
1984 Night Court Episode: "All You Need Is Love"
At Your ServiceTelevision film [39]
1985Big Shots in AmericaTelevision film [40]
1986 Valerie Episode: "Old Enough"
All Is Forgiven 2 episodes
1987 The Tortellis Short-lived comedy; Executive Producer
Episode: "Pilot"
CBS Summer Playhouse Episode: "In the Lion's Den" [41]
1988Channel 99Television film [42]
Dear John 2 episodes
1989Out on the EdgeTelevision film; Production manager [43]
1990 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Episode: "Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration"
The Marshall Chronicles2 episodes
Wings Episode: "Legacy"
The Earth Day Special Cheers segment
Down Home 2 episodes
The Fanelli Boys Episode: "Pilot"
1991 Roc Episode: "Pilot"
Pacific Station Episode: "Pilot"
Flesh 'n' Blood Episode: "Blood Is Thicker Than Arlo"
1992 Flying Blind Episode: "Pilot"
1993 Café Americain 3 episodes
Frasier 32 episodes from 1993–97
1994 Monty Episode: "Here Comes the Son"
The Boys Are Back Episode: "Pilot"
Madman of the People 2 episodes
1995 The Preston Episodes Episode: "Pilot"
Hudson Street Episode: "Pilot"
Partners 10 episodes from 1995–96
NewsRadio 7 episodes from 1995–96
1996The NerdTelevision film [44]
3rd Rock from the Sun 2 episodes
Pearl Episode: "Pilot"
Men Behaving Badly 7 episodes from 1996–97
1997 Chicago Sons Episode: "Pilot"
1998 The Secret Lives of Men "Pilot"
Will & Grace 1998–2006, 2017–20; also executive producer
2001TikivilleTelevision film
Last DanceTelevision film
2006 The Class 2006–07
2007 The Big Bang Theory 2 episodes: "The Pilot" & the Unaired Pilot
Back to You 2007–08
2008 Gary Unmarried 2008–10
2010 Romantically Challenged Short-lived comedy
Mike & Molly 2010–16
2013 The Millers 16 episodes from 2013–15
2016 Crowded 9 episodes
Man with a Plan 9 episodes; Also executive Producer
2017 Superior Donuts 8 episodes
Disjointed 2 episodes
2018 The Neighborhood Episode: "Pilot"
2019 Live in Front of a Studio Audience:
Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
Segment director; Television special [45]
Live in Front of a Studio Audience:
"All in the Family" and "Good Times"
Executive producer; Television special [46]
2020 B Positive 3 episodes
Raised by WolvesExecutive producer
2021 Live in Front of a Studio Audience:
"The Facts of Life" and "Diff'rent Strokes"
Executive producer; Television special [47]

Awards and nominations

Over the course of his career, Burrows has been nominated for fifteen Directors Guild of America awards, and for an Emmy Award every year between 1980 and 2005, excluding 1997. [48] Burrows has won eleven Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards. [49] The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences celebrated Burrows' forty-year career by hosting a panel in his honor on October 7, 2013. [48]

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<i>Cheers</i> American television sitcom (1982–1993)

Cheers is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982 to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 episodes across eleven seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association with Paramount Network Television and was created by the team of James Burrows and Glen and Les Charles. The show is set in the titular bar in Boston, where a group of locals meet to drink, relax, socialize, and escape from their day to day issues.

<i>Frasier</i> American television sitcom (1993–2004)

Frasier is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It aired from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee, in association with Grammnet (2004) and Paramount Network Television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelsey Grammer</span> American actor (born 1955)

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The Good Son (<i>Frasier</i>) Pilot episode of Frasier

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"Give Me a Ring Sometime" is the first episode of the American situation comedy Cheers. Written by Glen and Les Charles and directed by James Burrows, the episode first aired September 30, 1982, on NBC in the contiguous United States and on October 14, 1982 in Alaska. The pilot episode introduces the characters at the Cheers bar in Boston: employees Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, Coach Ernie Pantusso, and Carla Tortelli; and regular customers Norm Peterson and Cliff Clavin. In this episode, Diane, brought in by her fiancé, meets the employees and patrons of the bar. When she realizes that her fiancé has left her alone in the bar, Diane accepts Sam's offer to be the bar's waitress to start over.

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"Woody Interruptus" is the twelfth episode of Cheers's ninth season. It first aired on NBC in the United States on December 13, 1990. In the episode, Kelly returns from France with a male friend who says he's going to steal her from Woody. Woody deals with this by deciding to sleep with Kelly. This episode earned its director James Burrows accolades for Best Directing in 1991 and gained high viewership at its first airing.

"Showdown" is the two-part first-season finale of the American television sitcom Cheers, written by Glen and Les Charles and directed by James Burrows. It originally aired on NBC on March 24 and 31, 1983. In the Cheers pilot, college-educated Diane Chambers was neglected by her previous lover and then hired as a waitress by bartender Sam Malone. Since then, they flirted and resisted each other throughout the season. In this two-part episode Sam's more-successful brother Derek becomes Diane's love interest, leaving Diane torn between Derek and Sam. In the end, Sam and Diane passionately embrace in the office.

<i>Cheers</i> (season 8) Season of television series

The eighth season of Cheers, an American television sitcom, originally aired on NBC in the United States between September 21, 1989, and May 3, 1990. The show was created by director James Burrows and writers Glen and Les Charles under production team Charles Burrows Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Television.

<i>Cheers</i> (season 9) Season of television series

The ninth season of Cheers, an American television sitcom, originally aired on NBC in the United States between September 20, 1990, and May 3, 1991. The show was created by director James Burrows and writers Glen and Les Charles under production team Charles Burrows Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Television.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sitcoms in the United States</span> Broadcast genre; recurring cast comedy

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