James Burrows, the great television director and a major player for American sitcoms, died yesterday at the age of 85. His family confirmed the news in a statement to People saying he “passed away peacefully today surrounded by his family.” No cause of death or other details are known.
Burrows’ death will mark the end of an epoch in television comedy. In a career of more than five decades he developed the modern sitcom style and directed some of the most cherished shows in TV history.
He is most famous for his work on classic TV series like Cheers, Taxi, Frasier, Will & Grace, The Bob Newhart Show, Mike & Molly, and Friends. Burrows had a great impact on the pacing, tone and visual style of ensemble sitcoms that have defined American television for decades.
Burrows began his television career in 1974 with The Mary Tyler Moore Show, a series that revolutionized comedy writing and character development. From there, he quickly rose to prominence by directing more than 50 television pilots—which is a remarkable accomplishment that underlines his reputation as a trusted creative force in launching successful series.
And perhaps his most prominent contribution was Taxi, which won him consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in 1980 and 1981. His early successes made him one of the top directors in television comedy.
He later co-produced Cheers, now one of the best sitcoms of all time. The series became a cultural phenomenon as well as a launching pad for multiple spin-offs, including Frasier, cementing Burrows’ legacy in television history in the process.
Burrows won 11 Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards throughout his career. In 2015 he received the Directors Guild of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award and was awarded a lifetime achievement award for service to the entertainment industry.
Burrows is also known to have influenced the “golden era” of sitcom television with many of his colleagues and industry experts. His approach of managing ensemble casts, timing-driven humor and multi-camera production has influenced generations of directors and writers.
James Burrows has much more to offer to television than awards and big hits: he helped define how audiences watch comedy on screen and how we experience comedy on television. His death has left a void in the entertainment world; the series he created with millions of people worldwide are still here today.
