In memory of the great James Borrows we rebroadcasting this episode of "Dont Be Alone with Jay Kogen". We talk with James Burrows about his reign as Hollywood's greatest sitcom director, being the son of Abe Burrows, the genetics of comedy, his book "Directed by James Burrows", "Cheers", "Will & Grace", "The Mary Tyler Moore Show", "Taxi", "Friends", the scripts that make him want to direct, the ones that don't, his amazing memory, his humble beginnings, the decade it took him to learn how to direct, working with geniuses like James L. Brooks, Chuck Lorre, and Kohan & Mutchnick, and Andy Kaufman. And Jimmy explains how his two best friends are Al Michaels and Bruce Springsteen. BIO: James Burrows was one of television's most respected and honored creative talents. Over his distinguished career, Burrows was the recipient of eleven Emmys, five Directors Guild of America Awards, the 1996 American Comedy Awards' Creative Achievement Award, the Television Critics Association's Career Achievement Award, and in 2006 he was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame and was honored by the US Comedy Arts Festival with their Career Tribute Award. He was the recipient of 22 nominations for the Directors Guild of America Award, thus bestowing him the honor of being the most nominated director in the history of television at the Guild. He was honored by the DGA with the Inaugural 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award in Television. In November of 2015 he directed his 1,000th episode, which was recognized by a TV Special on NBC in January of 2016. Burrows' success as the director of television pilots was legendary. He directed the first two episodes of the "Frasier" reboot's second season, and wrapped the pilot "Mid-Century Modern" for Fox, which went to series. In January of 2020, he received his fifth DGA Award for directing the Emmy Award-winning show "Live in Front of a Studio Audience #1: Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons." He was also asked back to direct "Live in Front of a Studio Audience #3: Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life" in December of 2021. In June of 2022, he published his autobiography, "Directed by James Burrows," which received considerable attention and praise from the industry. Burrows was probably best known as co-creator, executive producer and director of the critically acclaimed series "Cheers." The hit show, which aired for 11 seasons, is tied for the most nominated Comedy series in the Television Academy's history and is in third place for most Emmys received by a Comedy Series. Burrows also received numerous awards for his work on "Will & Grace," "Frasier," "Friends," "Wings," "Night Court," "Taxi," and "Dear John." For the first time in 25 years, he returned to the stage in the spring of 1998 to direct the highly acclaimed "The Man Who Came to Dinner" at the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago, starring John Mahoney. Burrows learned his trade from the very best, the legendary writer/director Abe Burrows, whose noted career included such classics as "Guys and Dolls," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," and "Cactus Flower." Born in Los Angeles and raised in New York, Burrows graduated from Oberlin College and continued his education at Yale, where he earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. Burrows relocated to Hollywood to work as a dialogue coach for "O.K. Crackerby!," a short-lived television series starring Burl Ives. When the show ended, he returned to New York and initially worked as a stage manager before directing several off-Broadway shows, such as "The Castro Complex," and stock productions of "The Odd Couple" and "Never Too Late." In 1974, Burrows moved back to the West Coast when he was invited to visit MTM Productions in Los Angeles and offered a job directing an episode of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Mr. Burrows and his wife, Debbie, resided in Los Angeles and between them they had four daughters. He passed away on June 19, 2026. He left an indelible mark on American television. He will be remembered and missed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
