James Burrows, the acclaimed television director and co-creator of the iconic sitcom Cheers, has died at the age of 85. Burrows passed away on Friday, with his family confirming the news in a statement to People magazine. "We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James 'Jimmy' Burrows, who passed away peacefully today, surrounded by his loving family. 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 in a statement.
Widely regarded as one of television's most influential sitcom directors, Burrows spent more than three decades at the forefront of the genre, helping define the modern TV comedy format. Over the course of his career, he won 11 Emmy Awards, including back-to-back directing honours in 1980 and 1981 for ABC's Taxi. Burrows was renowned for his ability to direct pilot episodes and nurture acting talent.
He earned particular praise for working with young and inexperienced performers, including the cast of NBC's Friends. He was also credited with expanding the traditional sitcom production style by introducing a fourth camera to the classic three-camera setup. His contributions to television extended beyond directing. Alongside brothers Glen and Les Charles, Burrows co-created NBC's beloved comedy Cheers, one of the most celebrated sitcoms in television history. He also directed every episode of NBC's Will and Grace during its original and revival runs from 1998 to 2020.
In 2016, NBC honoured James Burrows after he crossed the milestone of directing his 1,000th sitcom episode, achieved on November 24, 2015, while working on the comedy series Crowded. As per People magazine, the network celebrated the achievement with the special Must See TV: An All Star Salute to James Burrows, which brought together an extraordinary lineup of actors whose careers were shaped by his work. Among those who participated were Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, David Schwimmer, Tony Danza, Danny DeVito, Christopher Lloyd, Melissa McCarthy, Sean Hayes, Debra Messing, Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Jon Cryer and Charlie Sheen.
Although Burrows became synonymous with television success, his only feature film directing credit was the 1982 Paramount comedy Partners, starring Ryan O'Neal and John Hurt. Known for encouraging creative collaboration, Burrows shared his philosophy during a 2013 QandA at USC's Comedy @ SCA festival. Reflecting on the role of directors, he said, "Don't be a traffic cop, get in there and say what you wanna say. It'll only make things better," as quoted by People magazine.
Despite his extraordinary achievements, Burrows remained modest about the ingredients required to create a successful television series.
His influence on the medium was formally recognised in 2014 when he was selected to receive the Directors Guild of America's lifetime achievement award for distinguished achievement in television direction.
Burrows was married to Linda Solomon from 1981 to 1993. He is survived by his second wife, Debbie Easton, whom he married in 1997, and three children from his first marriage.