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James Edward Burrows (born December 30, 1940), sometimes known as Jim "Jimmy" Burrows, is an American
television director A television director is in charge of the activities involved in making a television program or section of a program. They are generally responsible for decisions about the editorial content and creative style of a program, and ensuring the pro ...
who has been working in television since the 1970s.Stated in interview on ''
Inside the Actors Studio ''Inside the Actors Studio'' is an American talk show that airs on Ovation. The series premiered in 1994 on Bravo where it aired for 22 seasons and was hosted by James Lipton from its premiere until 2018. It is taped at the Michael Schimmel C ...
''
Burrows has directed over 50 television pilots and co-created the long-running television series ''
Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
''. He has also formed 3 Sisters Entertainment, a joint venture with
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
that is known for ''
Will & Grace ''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman ( Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler ( Debra Mes ...
'' as well as the
CBS Productions CBS Productions, Inc. was a production arm of the CBS television network (an initialism of Columbia Broadcasting System, along with its parent company CBS Television Studios, Inc.; the radio network was founded in 1927), now a part of Paramount G ...
show '' Caroline in the City''. In 2016, Burrows directed his 1,000th TV episode, on
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
's ''
Crowded Crowded may refer to: *A place with a crowd * Crowded (song), 2006 song by Jeanie Ortega * "Crowded", a 1969 song by Nazz on Nazz (album) *Crowded (TV series), the 2016 television series *Crowded (comic book), 2018 comic book series See also *Cro ...
''.


Early life

Burrows was born to a
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...
, the son of Ruth (Levinson) and
Abe Burrows Abe Burrows (born Abram Solman Borowitz; December 18, 1910 – May 17, 1985) was an American humorist, author, and director for radio and the stage. He won a Tony Award and was selected for two Pulitzer Prizes, only one of which was awarded. Ea ...
, a well-known composer, director and writer. James has one sister, Laurie Burrows Grad. When James was still a young child, his family moved to New York where James attended New York’s
High School of Music & Art The High School of Music & Art, informally known as "Music & Art" (or "M&A"), was a public specialized high school located at 443-465 West 135th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York, from 1936 until 1984. In 1961, Music & Art and the High ...
. Burrows is a graduate of Oberlin College and the graduate program of the
Yale School of Drama The David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University is a graduate professional school of Yale University, located in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1924 as the Department of Drama in the School of Fine Arts, the school provides training in e ...
.


Career


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 Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives (June 14, 1909 – April 14, 1995) was an American musician, actor, and author with a career that spanned more than six decades. Ives began his career as an itinerant singer and guitarist, eventually launching his own rad ...
and created by Burrows' father, Abe. Burrows then took a job as an assistant stage manager on the 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 Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), which ...
. 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 ''The Castro Complex'' is a 1970 play written by Mel Arrighi. It opened on Broadway on November 18, 1970, and closed on November 22, 1970. Setting The show takes place at Betsy Kross' apartment in the West Village. Production The show premiered ...
''. 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 Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
dinner theater.


Television director

While working in theater, Burrows wrote Moore and her then husband
Grant Tinker Grant Almerin Tinker (January 11, 1926 – November 28, 2016) was an American television executive who served as chairman and CEO of NBC from 1981 to 1986. Additionally, he was a co-founder of MTM Enterprises and a television producer. L ...
seeking a job at their production company,
MTM Enterprises MTM Enterprises (also known as MTM Productions) was an American independent production company established in 1969 by Mary Tyler Moore and her then-husband Grant Tinker to produce ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' for CBS. The name for the producti ...
. In 1974, Tinker hired Burrows as a director for MTM Enterprises where he directed episodes of ''
The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. ...
'' and ''
The Bob Newhart Show ''The Bob Newhart Show'' is an American sitcom television series produced by MTM Enterprises that aired on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978, with a total of 142 half-hour episodes over six seasons. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a ...
''. Tinker asked director
Jay Sandrich A jay is a member of a number of species of medium-sized, usually colorful and noisy, passerine birds in the Crow family, Corvidae. The evolutionary relationships between the jays and the magpies are rather complex. For example, the Eurasian m ...
, known for his work directing ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' and later ''
The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom co-created by and starring Bill Cosby, which aired Thursday nights for eight seasons on NBC between September 20, 1984, until April 30, 1992. The show focuses on an upper middle-class Africa ...
'' and ''
The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Bea Arthur, Betty W ...
'', to serve as a mentor to Burrows. 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.


''Cheers''

Burrows co-created ''
Cheers ''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
'' with brothers
Glen and Les Charles Glen Gerald Charles (born February 18, 1943) and Les Charles (born March 25, 1948) are American screenwriters and television producers, best known for ''Taxi (TV series), Taxi'' and ''Cheers''. Early life and careers The Charles brothers atte ...
. The Charles brothers were also former employees of MTM Enterprises and served as producers on the series ''
Taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of their choic ...
'' 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 The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
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.


Other television series

Burrows has directed for many series, including: *1970s – ''
Phyllis Phyllis is a feminine given name which may refer to: People * Phyllis Bartholomew (1914–2002), English long jumper * Phyllis Drummond Bethune (née Sharpe, 1899–1982), New Zealand artist * Phyllis Calvert (1915–2002), British actress * Phyl ...
'', ''
Rhoda ''Rhoda'' is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns starring Valerie Harper that originally aired on CBS for five seasons from September 9, 1974, to December 9, 1978. It was the first spin-off of ''The Mary Tyle ...
'', ''
Laverne & Shirley ''Laverne & Shirley'' (originally ''Laverne DeFazio & Shirley Feeney'') is an American sitcom television series that played for eight seasons on ABC from January 27, 1976, to May 10, 1983. A spin-off of '' Happy Days'', ''Laverne & Shirley'' st ...
'', '' Busting Loose'', '' The Ted Knight Show'', '' The Associates'', '' On Our Own'' *1980s – ''
The Hogan Family ''The Hogan Family'' (originally titled ''Valerie'' and later ''Valerie's Family'') is an American sitcom television series that began airing on NBC on March 1, 1986, and finished its run on CBS on July 20, 1991, for a total of six seasons. It ...
'', '' Dear John'', ''
Night Court ''Night Court'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984 to May 31, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan municipal court presided over by a young, unorthodox judge, Harold "Harry" T. Stone (portra ...
'' *1990s – ''
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...
'', ''
Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...
'', '' Friends'', ''
NewsRadio ''NewsRadio'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from March 21, 1995 to May 4, 1999, focusing on the work lives of the staff of a New York City AM news radio station. It had an ensemble cast featuring Dave Foley, Stephen ...
'', ''
3rd Rock from the Sun ''3rd Rock from the Sun'' is an American television sitcom created by Bonnie and Terry Turner, which originally aired from January 9, 1996, to May 22, 2001, on NBC. The show is about four Extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrials who are on an e ...
'', ''
Pearl A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium ca ...
'', ''
Dharma & Greg ''Dharma & Greg'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from September 24, 1997, until April 30, 2002, for 119 episodes over five seasons. The show starred Jenna Elfman and Thomas Gibson as Dharma and Greg Montgomery, a ...
'', '' Caroline in the City'', ''
Will & Grace ''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman ( Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler ( Debra Mes ...
'', ''
George and Leo ''George and Leo'' is an American sitcom television series starring Bob Newhart and Judd Hirsch that aired on CBS from September 15, 1997 to March 16, 1998. Synopsis Newhart and Hirsch starred as the respective title characters, widely divergent ...
'' *2000s – '' The Class'', ''
Courting Alex ''Courting Alex'' is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from January 23 to March 29, 2006, and was a vehicle for Jenna Elfman of ''Dharma & Greg'' fame. The series was based on the British sitcom '' According to Bex''. Elfman portrays Alex Ros ...
'', ''
Two and a Half Men ''Two and a Half Men'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS for twelve seasons from September 22, 2003, to February 19, 2015. Originally starring Charlie Sheen in the lead role alongside Jon Cryer and Angus T. Jones, the ...
'', '' Back to You'', ''
The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, both of whom served as executive producers on the series, along with Steven Molaro, all of whom also served as head writers. It premiered on CBS ...
'', ''
Gary Unmarried ''Gary Unmarried'' is an American sitcom created by Ed Yeager, which ran on CBS from September 24, 2008, to March 17, 2010. The series focuses on a recently divorced couple (Jay Mohr and Paula Marshall) sharing custody of their kids while startin ...
'', '' Hank'' *2010s – ''
Romantically Challenged ''Romantically Challenged'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on ABC from April 19, 2010, to May 17, 2010. The series is set in Pittsburgh and was created by Ricky Blitt, who is also the show's head writer. It stars Alyssa Milano ...
'', ''
Mike & Molly ''Mike & Molly'' is an American television sitcom created by Mark Roberts on CBS. It premiered on September 20, 2010, and aired 127 episodes over six seasons. The series stars Billy Gardell and Melissa McCarthy as the eponymous Mike and Moll ...
'', ''
Better with You ''Better with You'' is an American television sitcom created by Shana Goldberg-Meehan that aired on ABC from September 22, 2010, to May 11, 2011. It stars JoAnna Garcia Swisher, Jennifer Finnigan, Josh Cooke, Jake Lacy, Kurt Fuller, and Deb ...
'', '' $#*! My Dad Says'', ''
2 Broke Girls ''2 Broke Girls'' (stylized ''2 Broke Girl$'') is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 19, 2011, to April 17, 2017. The series was produced for Warner Bros. Television and created by Michael Patrick King and Whitney Cumm ...
'', ''
Partners Partner, Partners, The Partner, or, The Partners may refer to: Books * ''The Partner'' (Grisham novel), by John Grisham, 1997 * ''The Partner'' (Jenaro Prieto novel), 1928 * ''The Partners'' (book), a 1983 book by James B. Stewart * ''Partner'' (m ...
'', ''
The Millers ''The Millers'' is an American sitcom television series that was created by Greg Garcia and stars Will Arnett as Nathan Miller and Margo Martindale as Carol Miller. The multi-camera series aired from October 3, 2013 to July 18, 2015 and ran 34 ...
'', ''
Sean Saves the World ''Sean Saves the World'' is an American sitcom television series created by Victor Fresco and starring Sean Hayes that aired on NBC from October 3, 2013, to March 24, 2014, as part of the 2013–14 American television season. It was announced on ...
'', ''
Friends with Better Lives ''Friends with Better Lives'' is an American sitcom television series created by Dana Klein. The multi-camera series premiered on CBS on March 31, 2014, as part of the 2013–14 American television season. On May 10, 2014, CBS canceled the ser ...
'', ''
Crowded Crowded may refer to: *A place with a crowd * Crowded (song), 2006 song by Jeanie Ortega * "Crowded", a 1969 song by Nazz on Nazz (album) *Crowded (TV series), the 2016 television series *Crowded (comic book), 2018 comic book series See also *Cro ...
'', '' Man with a Plan'', ''
Superior Donuts ''Superior Donuts'' is a play by American playwright Tracy Letts. Its world premiere was staged by the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago in 2008. It premiered on Broadway in 2009. Synopsis The play focuses on the relationship between desp ...
'', ''
Disjointed ''Disjointed'' is an American television sitcom created by David Javerbaum and Chuck Lorre and starring Kathy Bates. Twenty episodes of the series were ordered from Warner Bros. by Netflix, with the first 10 episodes premiering on August 25, 20 ...
'', ''
Will & Grace ''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman ( Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler ( Debra Mes ...
'' (revival) Burrows directed every episode of ''Will & Grace'' during its initial eight-year run. Additionally, by 2012 Burrows had directed over 50
pilots An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators, because they ar ...
for television series. Burrows has 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 has 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 The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Cate ...
for Variety/Talk/News/Sports - Specials for '' Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons''.


Other projects

In 1998, Burrows directed a Chicago-based production of the 1939 comedy ''
The Man Who Came to Dinner ''The Man Who Came to Dinner'' is a comedy play by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. It debuted on October 16, 1939, at the Music Box Theatre in New York City, where it ran until 1941, closing after 739 performances. It then enjoyed a number of ...
'' starring
John Mahoney Charles John Mahoney (June 20, 1940 – February 4, 2018) was an English-born American actor. He was known for playing Martin Crane on the NBC sitcom ''Frasier'' (1993–2004), and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for the role in 2000. Mahoney ...
.


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 Joseph Francis "Joey" Tribbiani Jr. is a fictional character, serving as one of the primary characters of the NBC sitcom '' Friends'' and the protagonist of its spin-off '' Joey''. He is portrayed by Matt LeBlanc in both series. He is an Italia ...
is cast as
Al Pacino Alfredo James Pacino (; ; born April 25, 1940) is an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Al Pacino, numerous accolades: including an Aca ...
's "butt double". He also appears as a television director named Jimmy in the 2005
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
series '' The Comeback''. Burrows played himself on the series. An episode of ''
Scrubs Scrub(s) may refer to: * Scrub, low shrub and grass characteristic of scrubland * Scrubs (clothing), worn by medical staff * ''Scrubs'' (TV series), an American television program * Scrubs (occupation), also called "scrub tech," "scrub nurse," o ...
'', "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.


Awards

Over the course of his career, Burrows has been nominated for fifteen
Directors Guild of America The Directors Guild of America (DGA) is an entertainment guild that represents the interests of film and television directors in the United States motion picture industry and abroad. Founded as the Screen Directors Guild in 1936, the group merg ...
awards, and for an
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
every year between 1980 and 2005, excluding 1997. Burrows has won ten
Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
and four
Directors Guild of America Award The Directors Guild of America Awards are issued annually by the Directors Guild of America. The first DGA Award was an "Honorary Life Member" award issued in 1938 to D. W. Griffith. The statues are made by New York firm, Society Awards. Cate ...
s. The
Academy of Television Arts and Sciences The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), also colloquially known as the Television Academy, is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the television industry in the United States. It is a 501(c)(6) non-prof ...
celebrated Burrows' forty-year career by hosting a panel in his honor on October 7, 2013.


Personal life

Burrows is married to celebrity hairstylist Debbie Easton; the couple lives in
Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...
. Burrows was previously married to Linda Solomon. He has three daughters and one stepdaughter.


Selected filmography


Acting


Television


Non-acting


Film


Television


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Burrows, James 1940 births Living people Oberlin College alumni Yale School of Drama alumni 20th-century American Jews American television directors American television writers Directors Guild of America Award winners Film directors from Los Angeles Primetime Emmy Award winners Showrunners The High School of Music & Art alumni Film directors from New York City Screenwriters from New York (state) Screenwriters from California 21st-century American Jews Jewish American television producers