LOS ANGELES (AP) 鈥� James Burrows, who helped create volumes of laughter as director of more than a thousand episodes of such classic television comedies as 鈥淐heers,鈥� 鈥淭axi,” 鈥淔riends鈥� and 鈥淲ill and Grace,鈥� died Friday. He was 85.
His family confirmed his death in a statement to People, saying he 鈥減assed away peacefully today surrounded by his family.鈥� No location or cause of death was provided.
Burrows spent his career behind the camera specializing in situation comedies. Few viewers recognized him or knew his name, other than to see it flash quickly on the screen in the opening credits. But they knew his work.
Burrows got his start in television relatively late at age 35 in 1974, directing episodes of 鈥淭he Mary Tyler Moore Show,鈥� 鈥淭he Bob Newhart Show,鈥� and 鈥淟averne & Shirley.鈥�
He co-created 鈥淐heers,鈥� directing 243 of the 273 episodes, as well as all 246 episodes of 鈥淲ill and Grace.鈥�
He also helmed multiple episodes of such hits as 鈥淔rasier,鈥� 鈥淔riends鈥� and 鈥淢ike & Molly,鈥� and the pilots of 鈥淭wo and a Half Men鈥� and 鈥淭he Big Bang Theory.鈥�
鈥淲hen I direct a television show, I try to reach that sweet spot where the best script meets the best performance and the best chemistry between performers,鈥� Burrows wrote in his 2022 memoir 鈥淒irected by James Burrows.” 鈥滺itting that exact moment, where these factors land in combination, results in the sweetest and most enduring laugh.鈥�
His family said, “Burrows understood that great comedy was never simply about laughter. It was about humanity, connection, and truth. That understanding became the foundation of a career that forever changed television.
“But beyond his remarkable achievements, Burrows will be remembered for something even greater: his kindness, generosity, and unwavering belief in the people around him. He possessed a rare ability to make everyone better and was known for remembering every person he met by name, making colleagues at every level feel seen, valued, and appreciated,鈥� the family statement said.
The majority of Burrows’ shows aired on NBC, whose 鈥淢ust See TV鈥� slogan promoted its Thursday night lineup in the early 1990s that included 鈥淔riends鈥� and 鈥淔rasier.鈥�
鈥淛immy Burrows was the man behind the curtain. He knew how to make us laugh, what buttons to push and was the absolute master of getting the most out of every joke,鈥� NBC said in a statement. “His loss to the television comedy world is immeasurable. Every time you have a smile on your face watching 鈥楾he Mary Tyler Moore Show,鈥� 鈥橳axi, 鈥楥heers,鈥� 鈥榃ill & Grace,鈥� 鈥楩riends鈥� and countless others, think of Jimmy and know he made all our lives funnier.鈥�
Born James Edward Burrows on Dec. 30, 1940, in Los Angeles, he moved to New York when he was 5 years old. He spent five years in the Metropolitan Opera Children鈥檚 Chorus until his voice started to change. He attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Art.
His father was writer, director and producer Abe Burrows, whose Broadway hits included 鈥淕uys and Dolls鈥� and 鈥淐an-Can.鈥� The elder Burrows also mentored Larry Gelbart, future creator and producer of the TV show 鈥淢(asterisk)A(asterisk)S(asterisk)H.鈥�
The younger Burrows spent hours of his youth in theaters and studios watching his father work, dining with him at such famed New York haunts as Sardi鈥檚 and Gallagher鈥檚 and meeting celebrities who attended his father鈥檚 New Year鈥檚 Eve parties.
After earning a bachelor鈥檚 degree from Oberlin College, Burrows attended the graduate program of the Yale School of Drama, where his classmates included actor-comedian Robert Klein, playwright John Guare and film director John Badham.
At Yale, he was required to take directing classes and he got hooked.
Burrows鈥� first sitcom experience was as Burl Ives鈥� dialogue coach on 鈥淥.K. Crackerby!鈥� which was directed by his father and ran for one season on ABC in 1965.
From there, he was an assistant on 鈥淭he Patty Duke Show.鈥� He moved back to New York and worked for Broadway producers Lee Guber, Frank Ford and Shelly Gross. He first met actor Moore while working on the Broadway production of 鈥淗olly Golightly,鈥� an adaptation of 鈥淏reakfast at Tiffany鈥檚鈥� that was directed by his father.
Burrows eventually worked as a stage manager for various road productions, where he met such actors as Hugh O鈥橞rien, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Julie Harris.
By 1974, after working in dinner theater and summer stock, he turned on his television and saw Moore鈥檚 eponymous TV show. He wrote her a letter asking if there was any opening 鈥渟mall or smaller鈥� at her production company that he could fill, according to his memoir.
Moore鈥檚 husband and business partner, Grant Tinker, invited Burrows to Los Angeles to direct an episode of the comedy. He apprenticed for MTM Enterprises, which had four sitcoms on the air at the same time.
Burrows cited his theater background for learning how to give actors direction and block out scenes. He鈥檚 credited for being one of the first sitcom directors to increase the typical multi-camera television shoot from three to four cameras.
The common thread between Burrows鈥� shows were the bonds between friends and unrelated families, whether it was the motley crew of regulars meeting at the bar in 鈥淐heers鈥� or the drivers working toward a better life in 鈥淭axi鈥� or the 20-somethings sharing the same apartment building in 鈥淔riends.鈥�
鈥淭he best sitcoms transcend the screen and reach out and grab the audience by the throat and by the heart,鈥� Burrows wrote in his memoir.
He relished discovering new acting talent while directing more than 75 pilots that were picked up as series.
鈥淗aving directed over a thousand shows means that almost any night you can turn on your television or go online and find a show that I directed. I鈥檓 very proud of that,鈥� he wrote in his memoir.
In 2019, Burrows was an executive producer on live productions of 鈥淎ll in the Family鈥� and 鈥淭he Jeffersons鈥� with famous actors re-creating episodes of those 1970s comedies.
鈥淛immy was the greatest comedic television director in the history of the medium,鈥� his agent Rick Rosen said in a statement. 鈥淗e directed the most iconic, defining shows of generations. Always a gentleman, it was an absolute honor to represent him.鈥�
Burrows was married in 1997 to Debbie Easton, whom he met when she worked as a hairstylist on 鈥淔rasier.鈥� Daughters Kat Schatzow, Ellie Gluck and Maggie Burrows, who followed her father into directing, are from his first marriage to Linda Solomon, who died in 2004. His stepdaughter Paris is from his wife鈥檚 previous marriage. He has a sister, Laurie Burrows Grad, and seven grandchildren.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
