James Burrows

A familiar name to many a television viewer, writer/producer/director James Burrows has been associated with some of the most successful television sitcoms ever. From producing Cheers and Will & Grace to directing episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show, Frasier, Friends, and News Radio, it's impossible to deny Burrows' influence on modern television. A native of Los Angeles and the son of writer/director Abe Burrows, James graduated from Ohio's Oberlin College before getting his start in TV directing episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Bob Newhart Show; the remainder of the decade found him taking the helm of episodes of Rhoda, Laverne & Shirley, Lou Grant, and Taxi. As the '70s gave way to the '80s Burrows looked for ways to expand his resumé and exercise more creative control. Teaming with writer/director brothers Glen and Les Charles in 1982, the trio formed Charles Burrows Charles Productions and soon made television history with the beloved sitcom Cheers. Throughout the following two decades, Burrows directed numerous hits on the small screen, and even after Cheers went off the air in 1993, he remained extremely active as a TV director. His work on Cheers earned him numerous Emmys, and the 15-time Director's Guild of America nominee remains neck and neck with prolific television director George Schaefer as the man with the most nominations from the organization. - Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide