James Burrows

James Burrows studied at Yale School of Drama, Oberlin College and High School of Music & Art. The recorded working language is English. Works named in the authority record are Cheers, Mary Tyler Moore and Partners. Distinctions recorded are Primetime Emmy Award, Directors Guild of America Award and Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series.

• Name — James Burrows • Birth Name — James Edward Burrows • Born — 30 December 1940 • Birthplace — Los Angeles, California, U.S. • Died — 19 June 2026 • Place of death — Manhattan, New York City, New York, U.S. • Education — Oberlin College (BA) Yale University (MFA) • Occupation — Television director • Notable Works — Cheers Friends Frasier Will & Grace The Mary Tyler Moore Show Taxi • Father — Abe Burrows • Other Names — Jim Burrows Jimmy Burrows • Years Active — 1965–2026 • Children — 4

• Name — 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. 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+.

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. He had one sister. When Burrows was still a young child, his family moved to New York where Burrows attended New York's High School of Music & Art. Burrows was a graduate of Oberlin College and the graduate program of the Yale School of Drama.

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' father, Abe. 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. The production was unsuccessful, but the job served as Burrows' introduction to its star, Mary Tyler Moore. Early on, Burrows also worked for the road company of Cactus Flower and the Broadway production of Forty Carats. 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. Burrows directed traveling plays and a production at a Jacksonville, Florida, dinner theater.

While working in theater, Burrows wrote Moore and her then husband Grant Tinker seeking a job at their production company, MTM Enterprises. 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. 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. 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. 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.

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. Burrows and the Charles brothers wanted to create a show where they could have more control. Cheers premiered on NBC on September 30, 1982. Although Cheers initially struggled in the ratings, the series became a hit, running 275 episodes over eleven seasons. Burrows directed all but 35 of those 275 episodes. 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 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. 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, NewsRadio, Caroline in the City, and the CBS sitcoms Pearl, and George and Leo.

From 1998 to 2006, Burrows directed every episode 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 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.

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. Burrows directed over 1,000 episodes of television, a milestone he achieved in November 2015 with the NBC sitcom Crowded. 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 directed such as Cheers, Taxi, Friends, Frasier, The Big Bang Theory, Will & Grace, and Mike & Molly. 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. 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, 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+.

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". 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. 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, 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.

Burrows was married to celebrity hairstylist Debbie Easton; the couple lived together in Manhattan. Burrows had previously been married to Linda Solomon. He had three daughters and one stepdaughter. Burrows died on June 19, 2026, at the age of 85.

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

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

Burrows became the most notable director of multi-camera sitcom pilots in television history. 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