Remembering master of the TV sitcom, James Burrows
6/26/202647 min
We remember one of the most sought-after directors in television, James Burrows. He died June 19 at age 85. Burrows worked on many classic sitcoms including ‘Taxi,’ ‘Frasier,’ ‘Friends,’ ‘Will and Grace’ and ‘Cheers.' He was known for his comedic instincts, his visual style, and for insisting the comedy be believable. Burrows spoke with Terry Gross in 2006. Also, we hear an appreciation from TV critic and historian David Bianculli.
Film critic Justin Chang reviews ‘The Invite,’ starring Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde.
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First 90 secondsSpeaker 10:00
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Dave Davies· Host0:15
This is Fresh Air. I'm Dave Davies. Today, we remember James Burrows, one of the most respected and sought-after directors of TV comedies. In over five decades, he directed more than 1,000 episodes, episodes of Taxi, Cheers, Friends, Frasier, Will & Grace, and many other sitcoms. Burrows died June 19th at the age of 85. A statement by the Directors Guild of America described him as an incredibly generous colleague, sharing his wisdom and warm humor with all he worked with. In a statement, his family said, "Burrows understood that great comedy was never simply about laughter. It was about humanity, connection, and truth." We're going to listen to Terry's 2006 interview with James Burrows in a few minutes, but first we have this appreciation by our TV critic, David Bianculli.
David Bianculli1:06
James Burrows was born in LA in 1940, but didn't live there long. His family moved to New York when he was five. His father, Abe Burrows, had written for radio and television, but found his biggest success on Broadway as a director and especially as a writer. Abe Burrows wrote the books for the musicals Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really