James Burrows, 1940 – 2026

Sitcom king James Burrows, who directed (and sometimes produced) some of the all-time great shows, died on June 19. He was 85. Burrows started his career as a theater director and stage manager (he met Mary Tyler Moore during the disastrous Breakfast at Tiffany's run). From 1975 through last year, he became the go-to director for countless sitcoms, among them The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Phyllis, The Bob Newhart Show, Rhoda, Best of the West, Taxi, Night Court, Dear John, Wings, Cheers, NewsRadio, 3^rd Rock from the Sun, Caroline in the City, Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory, Mike & Molly, Will & Grace, and Frasier. More recently, Burrows produced reboots of All in the Family, The Jeffersons, Good Times, The Facts of Life, Diff'rent Strokes, Will & Grace, and Frasier. Burrows once said, “I'll tell you what I love about directing: the surprise. You never know what's going to happen with your piece until an audience weighs in. You may think that you know what will be funny as shit but then a group of bused-in Middle Americans says it is shit and you're shaking your head in dismay. This surprise I find exhilarating and scary—and I love it.”