James Burrows

James Burrows
Born (1940-12-30) December 30, 1940 (age 83)
EducationOberlin College (BA)
Yale University (MFA)
OccupationTelevision director
Years active1965–present
Notable workCheers
Will & Grace
The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Taxi
Spouses
Linda Solomon
(m. 1981; div. 1993)
Debbie Easton
(m. 1997)
Children4
ParentAbe Burrows
3 Sisters Entertainment
Company typeJoint venture
IndustryTelevision production
Founded1995
FounderJames Burrows and NBC Productions
Divisions3 Princesses and a P

James Edward Burrows (born December 30, 1940),[1] sometimes known as Jim "Jimmy" Burrows,[2] is an American television director. Burrows has 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 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.[3] Burrows has directed over 50 television pilots and co-created the television series Cheers (1982–1993). He has also formed 3 Sisters Entertainment, a joint venture with NBC. He is known for directing numerous episodes of comedy shows such as The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, 3rd Rock from the Sun, and The Big Bang Theory.

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 for the revivals of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace (2017–2020), and the Paramount+ Frasier.

  1. ^ "MILESTONES: December 30 birthdays for LeBron James, Eliza Dushku, Sandy Koufax". 30 December 2020.
  2. ^ "Of course Matthew Perry can't go to the Friends reunion". RadioTimes. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  3. ^ Stated in interview on Inside the Actors Studio