James Burrows, Cheers Co-Creator, Dies at 85
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- James Burrows died peacefully Friday at 85, his family confirmed to People, calling him 'one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history' across more than five decades
- Burrows co-created NBC's 'Cheers' with brothers Glen and Les Charles and directed every episode of 'Will & Grace' from its 1998 premiere through 2020
- Burrows won 11 Emmy Awards, beginning with back-to-back comedy directing trophies in 1980 and 1981 for ABC's 'Taxi,' and earned a record 22 Directors Guild of America nominations, winning five
- Burrows notched his 1,000th sitcom episode on Nov. 24, 2015, while directing NBC's 'Crowded'; NBC then devoted a two-hour special, 'Must See TV: An All Star Salute to James Burrows,' in February 2016, drawing stars from Ted Danson to Jennifer Aniston
- Burrows is credited with opening up the sitcom format by adding a fourth camera to the classic three-camera setup and directed more than 100 TV series including 'Friends,' 'Frasier,' 'The Big Bang Theory,' 'Night Court' and 'Two and a Half Men'
- Burrows was the son of Broadway writer-director Abe Burrows (who wrote the books for 'Guys and Dolls' and 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying'), attended Oberlin College and Yale School of Drama, and is survived by second wife Debbie Easton and three children from his first marriage to Linda Solomon
Why it matters: Burrows directed or launched pilots for 'Cheers,' 'Friends,' 'Will & Grace,' 'Frasier' and 'The Big Bang Theory' — shows the source credits with launching careers from Ted Danson to Jennifer Aniston and producing 'a steady stream of syndication payments' for their stars. His death removes the architect of the four-camera sitcom format that defined three decades of American network comedy.
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