This article is about the television director. For the British actor, see James Burrows (actor). For the New Zealand rugby player and soldier, see Jim Burrows (soldier). For the Queensland politician, see Jim Burrows (politician).
James Burrows
Burrows in 1970
Born
James Edward Burrows

(1940-12-30)December 30, 1940
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died June 19, 2026(2026-06-19) (aged 85)
Other names Jim Burrows
Jimmy Burrows
Education Oberlin College (BA)
Yale University (MFA)
Occupation Television director
Years active 1965–2026
Notable work Cheers
Friends
Frasier
Will & Grace
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Taxi
Spouses
Linda Solomon
​
​
(m. 1981; div. 1993)​
Debbie Easton
​
​
(m. 1997)​
Children 4
Father Abe Burrows
3 Sisters Entertainment
Type Joint venture
Industry Television production
Founded 1995
Founder James Burrows and NBC Productions
Divisions 3 Princesses and a P

James Edward Burrows (December 30, 1940 – June 19, 2026) was an American television director. He 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 the NBC special Must See TV: An All-Star Tribute to James Burrows in 2016.

Burrows started his career with The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1974.[1] Burrows directed over 50 television pilots and co-created the television series Cheers (1982–1993). He also formed 3 Sisters Entertainment, a joint venture with NBC. He is known for having directed numerous episodes of comedy shows such as The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and Mike & Molly.

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 of the revivals of the sitcoms Will & Grace (2017–2020) on NBC and Frasier (2023–2024) on Paramount+.

Early life and education

James Edward Burrows was born on December 30, 1940, to a Jewish family in Los Angeles, California, the son of Ruth (née Levinson) and Abe Burrows, a well-known composer, director, and writer.[2][3][4] He had one sister.[5] When Burrows was still a young child, his family moved to New York where Burrows attended New York's High School of Music & Art.[6][7] Burrows was a graduate of Oberlin College and the graduate program of the Yale School of Drama.[6]

Career

1965–1973: Early career

After Yale, Burrows returned to California in 1965 where he became employed as a dialogue coach on O.K. Crackerby!, a television series starring Burl Ives and created by Burrows's father, Abe.[8] 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.[9] The production was unsuccessful, but the job served as Burrows's introduction to its star, Mary Tyler Moore.[9] Early on, Burrows also worked for the road company of Cactus Flower and the Broadway production of Forty Carats.[10] 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.[11] Burrows directed traveling plays and a production at a Jacksonville, Florida, dinner theater.[11][12]

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.[9] 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.[9][13] 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.[14]

Burrows is best known for what was his comic timing, complex blocking for actors, and having incorporated more sophisticated lighting in television studio shoots. He is also credited as having been one of the first sitcom directors to increase the typical multi-camera television shoot from three to four cameras.[13] During this time Burrows 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.[9][13][15] Burrows and the Charles brothers wanted to create a show where they could have more control.[15] Cheers premiered on NBC on September 30, 1982.[15] Although Cheers initially struggled in the ratings, the series became a hit, running 275 episodes over eleven seasons.[15] Burrows directed all but 35 of those 275 episodes.[9] During his time on Cheers Burrows also directed episodes for shows such as the NBC sitcoms The Hogan Family,[16] Dear John,[16] and Night Court.[16]

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 consecutive Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series (for seasons 1–5). In 1998, Burrows directed a Chicago-based production of the 1939 comedy The Man Who Came to Dinner starring John Mahoney.[12]

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 Johnston, 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,[16] NewsRadio,[16] Caroline in the City,[16] and the CBS sitcoms Pearl[16], and George and Leo.[16]

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, both during its initial eight-year run[17] and its later three-year revival.

In 2007, he directed the pilot episode 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. In 2003 he had directed the pilot episode 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.

2010–2026: 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, and Beau Bridges. Burrows reunited with Matt LeBlanc with Man with a Plan (2016–2020). He also directed the sitcom B Positive (2020–2022) starring Annaleigh Ashford. Burrows also directed episodes of numerous other television series including the ABC sitcoms Romantically Challenged and 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 and Crowded, and the Netflix comedy series Disjointed.

By 2012, Burrows had directed over 50 pilots for television series.[18] Burrows directed over 1,000 episodes of television, a milestone he achieved in November 2015 with the NBC sitcom Crowded.[19][20] To celebrate Burrows's 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 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]

Burrows took part in two revivals of series he had worked on. He directed every episode of the revival of Will & Grace (2017–2020) with the original cast reunited,[16] receiving 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+.[16]

In front of the camera

Burrows had cameo appearances in several of the shows for which he 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".[23] He appears as a fictionalized version of himself directing the show-within-a-show in the 2005 HBO series The Comeback, as well as its subsequent seasons in 2014 and 2026.[24] 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,[13] 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.[25]

Personal life and death

Burrows was married to celebrity hairstylist Debbie Easton; the couple lived together in Manhattan.[26] Burrows had previously been married to Linda Solomon.[27][28] He had three daughters and one stepdaughter.[24]

James Burrows died on June 19, 2026, at the age of 85.[29][30]

Filmography

Acting

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1974 Rhoda Agent Episode: "The Lady in Red"[29]
1975 Phyllis Telephone Man Episode: "Up for Grabs"[29]
1977 The Bob Newhart Show Maintenance Man Episode: "Halls of Hartley"[29]
1989 Cheers Man Standing in the Bar[29]
  • Uncredited
  • Episode: "The Art of the Steal"
1994 Friends Director[29]
  • Uncredited
  • Episode: "The One with the Butt"
2005, 2014, 2026 The Comeback Himself[31]
  • Recurring, 8 episodes
2020 Will & Grace Himself Episode: "Filthy Phil, Part II"[29]

As a director

Film

Year Title Notes
1982 Partners Gay-themed buddy comedy film[32]

Television

Year Title Notes Refs.
1974–76 The Mary Tyler Moore Show 4 episodes [29]
1975 Paul Sand in Friends and Lovers Episode: "From Russia with Lust"
Fay 2 episodes [16]
1975–76 Phyllis 19 episodes [29]
1975–77 The Bob Newhart Show 11 episodes [29]
1976–77 The Tony Randall Show 4 episodes [16]
Laverne & Shirley 8 episodes [16]
1977 Bumpers Short comedy television film [33]
Roosevelt and Truman [34]
Calling Doctor Storm, M. D. [35]
Busting Loose 5 episodes [16]
Szysznyk [16]
Lou Grant Episode: "Christmas" [16]
We've Got Each Other 2 episodes [16]
1977–78 Rhoda 4 episodes [16]
The Betty White Show 2 episodes [16]
On Our Own [16]
1978 The Plant Family Short comedy television film [36]
Husbands, Wives & Lovers [16]
Free Country 2 episodes [16]
More Than Friends Comedy television film [37]
1978–82 Taxi 75 episodes [16]
1979 Butterflies Short comedy television film [38]
A New Kind of Family Episode: "I Do" [16]
1979–80 The Associates 4 episodes [16]
1980 The Stockard Channing Show 2 episodes [16]
Good Time Harry Episode: "The Wally Smith Story" [16]
1981 Every Stray Dog and Kid Short television film [39]
Best of the West 3 episodes
1982–93 Cheers
  • Co-creator of series
  • Producer from 1982–84
  • Executive producer from 1985–93
  • Directed 237 episodes from 1982–93
 [16]
1982 Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever Television film [40]
1984 Night Court Episode: "All You Need Is Love" [16]
At Your Service Television film [41]
1985 Big Shots in America Television film [42]
1986 Valerie Episode: "Old Enough"
All Is Forgiven 2 episodes; also executive producer [16]
1987 The Tortellis Episode: "Pilot"; also executive producer [16]
CBS Summer Playhouse Episode: "In the Lion's Den" [43]
1988 Channel 99 Television film [44]
Dear John 2 episodes [16]
1989 Out on the Edge Television film; Production manager [45]
1990 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Episode: "Disneyland's 35th Anniversary Celebration"
The Marshall Chronicles 2 episodes [16]
Wings Episode: "Legacy" [16]
The Earth Day Special Cheers segment
Down Home 2 episodes [16]
The Fanelli Boys Episode: "Pilot" [16]
1991 Roc Episode: "Pilot" [16]
Pacific Station Episode: "Pilot" [16]
Flesh 'n' Blood Episode: "Blood Is Thicker Than Arlo" [16]
1992 Flying Blind Episode: "Pilot" [16]
1993 Café Americain 3 episodes
1993–97 Frasier 32 episodes [16]
1994 Monty Episode: "Here Comes the Son" [16]
The Boys Are Back Episode: "Pilot" [16]
Madman of the People 2 episodes [16]
1994–98 Friends 15 episodes [16]
1995 The Preston Episodes Episode: "Pilot" [16]
Hudson Street Episode: "Pilot" [16]
1995–96 Partners 10 episodes [16]
NewsRadio 7 episodes [16]
1995–98 Caroline in the City [16]
1996 The Nerd Television film [46]
3rd Rock from the Sun 2 episodes [16]
Pearl Episode: "Pilot" [16]
1996–97 Men Behaving Badly 7 episodes [16]
1997 Chicago Sons Episode: "Pilot" [16]
Fired Up [16]
Veronica's Closet [16]
George and Leo [16]
1997–98 Dharma & Greg 2 episodes [16]
Union Square [16]
1998 Jesse [16]
Conrad Bloom [16]
The Secret Lives of Men Episode: "Pilot"; also executive producer [16]
1998–2006,
2017–20		 Will & Grace Director; also executive producer [29]
1999 Ladies Man [16]
Stark Raving Mad [16]
2000 Madigan Men [16]
2000–01 Cursed
2001 Tikiville Television film
Last Dance Television film
2002 Good Morning, Miami [16]
Bram & Alice [16]
2003 Two and a Half Men Episode: "Pilot" (and unaired pilot) [16]
2004 The Stones [16]
2006 Four Kings [16]
Teachers [16]
Courting Alex [16]
2006–07 The Class Also executive producer [16]
2007 The Big Bang Theory Episode: "The Pilot" (and unaired pilot) [29]
2007–08 Back to You Also executive producer [16]
2008–10 Gary Unmarried Also executive producer [16]
2010 Better with You [16]
$h*! My Dad Says Episode "Pilot" [16]
2010–11 Romantically Challenged Short-lived comedy; also executive producer [16]
2010–16 Mike & Molly 48 episodes (Season 1–2, 6); also executive producer [29]
2011 Up All Night [16]
2011–16 2 Broke Girls 4 episodes [16]
2012–13 Partners 13 episodes; also executive producer [16]
2013 Sean Saves the World [16]
2013–15 The Millers 32 episodes; also executive producer [16]
2014 Friends with Better Lives Episode: "Pilot" [16]
2016 Crowded 9 episodes; also executive producer [16]
2016–17 Man with a Plan 9 episodes; also executive producer [16]
2017 Superior Donuts 8 episodes; also executive producer [16]
Disjointed 2 episodes [16]
2018 The Neighborhood Episode: "Pilot" [16]
2019 Live in Front of a Studio Audience:
Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"		 Segment director; Television special [47]
Live in Front of a Studio Audience:
"All in the Family" and "Good Times"		 Executive producer; Television special [48]
2020 B Positive 3 episodes [16]
Raised by Wolves Executive producer
2021 Live in Front of a Studio Audience:
"The Facts of Life" and "Diff'rent Strokes"		 Executive producer; Television special [49]
2023–24 Frasier 4 episodes [29]
2025 Mid-Century Modern 10 episodes; also executive producer [16]

Pilots directed

Burrows became the most notable director of multi-camara sitcom pilots in television history.[50] Pilots he directed include:

Year Title Network Notes
1977 Bumpers ABC
Roosevelt and Truman CBS
Calling Doctor Storm, M. D. N/A
We've Got Each Other NBC
1978 Taxi ABC
The Plant Family CBS
1979 A New Kind of Family NBC
The Associates ABC
Butterflies NBC
1981 Best of the West ABC
1982 Cheers NBC
Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever NBC
1984 Night Court NBC
At Your Service NBC
1985 Big Shots in America NBC
1986 Valerie NBC
All Is Forgiven NBC
1987 The Tortellis NBC
Dear John NBC
1989 The Marshall Chronicles ABC
Wings NBC
Down Home NBC
The Fanelli Boys NBC
1991 Roc Fox
Pacific Station NBC
Flesh 'n' Blood NBC
1992 Flying Blind Fox
1993 Café Americain NBC
Frasier NBC Original series
1994 Monty Fox
The Boys Are Back CBS
Madman of the People NBC
Friends NBC
1995 The Preston Episodes Fox
Hudson Street ABC
Partners Fox
NewsRadio NBC
Caroline in the City NBC
1996 3rd Rock from the Sun NBC
Pearl CBS
Men Behaving Badly NBC
1997 Chicago Sons NBC
Fired Up NBC
Veronica's Closet NBC
George and Leo CBS
1997 Dharma & Greg ABC
Union Square NBC Original unaired pilot
Union Square NBC Second pilot
1998 Jesse NBC
Conrad Bloom NBC
The Secret Lives of Men ABC
Will & Grace NBC Original series
1999 Ladies Man CBS
Stark Raving Mad NBC
2000 Madigan Men ABC
Cursed NBC
2001 Tikiville NBC
Last Dance NBC
2002 Good Morning, Miami NBC
Bram & Alice CBS
2003 Two and a Half Men CBS Original unaired pilot
Two and a Half Men CBS Second pilot
2004 The Stones CBS
2006 Four Kings NBC
Teachers NBC
Courting Alex CBS Original unaired pilot
The Class CBS
The Big Bang Theory CBS Original unaired pilot
2007 The Big Bang Theory CBS Second pilot
Back to You ABC
2010 Better with You ABC
$h*! My Dad Says CBS
Romantically Challenged ABC
Mike & Molly CBS
2011 Up All Night NBC
2 Broke Girls CBS
2012 Partners CBS
2013 Sean Saves the World NBC
The Millers CBS
2014 Friends with Better Lives NBC
2016 Crowded NBC
Man with a Plan CBS
2017 Superior Donuts CBS
Will & Grace NBC Revival series
Disjointed Netflix
2018 The Neighborhood CBS
2020 B Positive CBS
Raised by Wolves CBS
2023 Frasier Paramount+ Revival series
2025 Mid-Century Modern Hulu

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by James Burrows

Over the course of his career, Burrows was nominated for fifteen Directors Guild of America awards, and for an Emmy Award every year between 1980 and 2005, excluding 1997.[51] Burrows won 11 Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards.[52] The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences celebrated Burrows's forty-year career by hosting a panel in his honor on October 7, 2013.[51]

Bibliography

  • Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and More (Ballantine Books, 2022)

References

  1. ^ Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio
  2. ^ Rifkin, Glenn (2026-06-19). "James Burrows, Master of the TV Sitcom, Dies at 85". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-20.
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  37. ^ "More Than Friends". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on April 25, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  38. ^ "Butterflies". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  39. ^ "Every Stray Dog and Kid". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  40. ^ "Goodbye Doesn't Mean Forever". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
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  43. ^ "In the Lion's Den". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  44. ^ "Channel 99". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on April 24, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  45. ^ "Out on the Edge". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  46. ^ "The Nerd". Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  47. ^ "How do All in the Family and The Jeffersons translate to 2019? Surprisingly well". Vox. 26 May 2019. Archived from the original on 13 January 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
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