TV legend James Burrows, co-creator of Cheers and director for hit show Will & Grace, dies at 85
Celebrated televisions director and producer James Burrows, who was behind the hit show Cheers and directed thousands of episodes of hit shows like Friends and Will & Grace, has died at the age of 85.
His family confirmed the 11-time Emmy winner's death in a statement to People.
"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," the family said of his legacy.
Burrows' agent Rick Rosen also confirmed the death to the New York Times. CBC News has reached out to Rosen but did not immediately hear back.
"But beyond his remarkable achievements, Burrows will be remembered for something even greater: his kindness, generosity, and unwavering belief in the people around him," read the family's statement to People. They added that he died "peacefully" on Friday while surrounded by loved ones.
"What a beautiful ending for a man who spent his life shepherding stories to a beautiful ending," Toronto-born actor Eric McCormack, who worked with Burrows over 11 seasons of the groundbreaking NBC sitcom Will & Grace, told CBC News in a phone interview.
Burrows worked on dozens of television shows throughout his career, but was perhaps best known as the co-creator of the NBC sitcom Cheers, which ran for 11 seasons on NBC between 1982 and 1993.
The series was a ratings bust its inaugural season, but went on to win that year's Emmys for best comedy series (which Burrows shared as executive producer), best actress in a comedy series (for star Shelley Long) and a best directing award (for Burrows, as well).
The show won a total of 28 Emmys over its run and grew to become one of the highest rated shows on television — and the most-watched show of the 1990-91 season.
Burrows accepted a lifetime achievement award from the Director's Guild of America in 2015, celebrating his already decade-spanning career as a television director.
Starting in 1975, he directed more than 1,000 episodes of television throughout his venerable career — a feat he achieved by 2015 — from 1970s hits like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, its spinoff Rhoda, Laverne & Shirley and Taxi to Friends, the Cheers spin-off Frasier and 3rd Rock From the Sun in the 1990s.
"When I direct a television show, I try to reach that sweet spot where the best script meets the best performance and the best chemistry between performers," Burrows wrote in his 2022 autobiography.
He occasionally appeared in front of the camera, recently portraying himself in four episodes of the HBO series The Comeback opposite Lisa Kudrow, whom he also directed in Friends.
McCormack says that Burrows was like a "father figure" to him, having worked together for so long.
Will & Grace was Burrows longest run on any series, directing all 246 episodes from the pilot in 1998 and the show's original eight-year run to the finale of its three-season-long reboot in 2020 — something that was the envy of all the other shows the famed director had worked on.
"Having his seal of approval and knowing that we were going to be partners on something was the absolute validation. I can't think of a better one," McCormack said, recalling his audition for the TV veteran for the titular character of Will alongside Debra Messing's Grace.
"I'd seen that credit directed by James Burrows a thousand times, every episode of Cheers, Taxi. That was a pedigree," he said.
But he also brought a "kind of magic," to the set, said McCormack. He added that Burrows created a sense of trust and family among the cast and crew.
And Burrows's presence was felt in every episode, he said.
"I think everyone would tell you that a laugh from Jimmy, you can hear it on every episode of Will & Grace. You can hear Jimmy's laugh."
Burrows cited his theatre background for learning how to give actors direction and block out scenes. He's credited for being one of the first sitcom directors to increase the typical multi-camera television shoot from three to four cameras.
The common thread between Burrows' shows were the bonds between friends and unrelated families, whether it was the motley crew of regulars meeting at the bar in Cheers, the drivers working toward a better life in Taxi or the 20-somethings sharing the same apartment building in Friends.
"The best sitcoms transcend the screen and reach out and grab the audience by the throat and by the heart," wrote Burrows in his memoir.
He relished discovering new acting talent while directing more than 75 pilots that were picked up as series.
Burrows was married in 1997 to Debbie Easton, whom he met when she worked as a hairstylist on Frasier. His stepdaughter Paris is from Easton's first marriage.
His first wife, Linda Solomon, died in 2004. They had three daughters: Kat Schatzow, Ellie Gluck and Maggie Burrows, who followed her father into directing.
He is also survived by his sister, Laurie Burrows Grad, and seven grandchildren.
cbc.ca
