Remembering master of the TV sitcom, James Burrows
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What is the significance of James Burrows in television history?
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This is Fresh Air. I'm Dave Davies. Today we remember James Burroughs, one of the most respected and sought-after directors of TV comedies. In over five decades, he directed more than a thousand episodes. Episodes of Taxi, Cheers, Friends, Frasier, Will & Grace, and many other sitcoms. Burroughs 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, We're going to listen to Terry's 2006 interview with James Burroughs in a few minutes. But first, we have this appreciation by our TV critic, David Bianculli.
James Burroughs was born in L.A. in 1940, but didn't live there long. His family moved to New York when he was five. His father, Abe Burroughs, had written for radio and television, but found his biggest success on Broadway, as a director and especially as a writer. Abe Burroughs wrote the books for the musicals Guys and Dolls, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Can-Can. His son James became a director too, but went back to Los Angeles to do so. His big break was directing an episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, after which James Burroughs landed jobs directing multiple episodes of many popular sitcoms of the 1970s, including The Bob Newhart Show, The Tony Randall Show, Laverne and Shirley, and Taxi.
By the time he co-created Cheers with Glenn and Les Charles in 1982, James Burroughs was considered the best sitcom director in the business, a title he maintained for decades. The reasons were obvious. James Burroughs made one of the most significant improvements to the sitcom genre, since I Love Lucy popularized the three-camera format of shooting before a studio audience.
How did James Burrows revolutionize sitcom direction?
Burroughs added a fourth camera, which allowed him to capture more close-ups and frame the action as naturally as he could. Burroughs was a master at setting the tone for a new series, working with young actors to shape their characters and find just the right comic flow. Over his career, he won 11 Emmy Awards and directed a staggering number of TV pilots, specifically 75. But it isn't just the quantity of premiere episodes directed by James Burroughs that's so amazing. It's the quality. He directed the introductory episodes of Taxi, Cheers, and Frasier. Not just the original 1993 Frasier, but the 2023 remake as well, 30 years later. He also directed the first episodes of The Big Bang Theory, Night Court, Wings, News Radio, Third Rock from the Sun, Dharma and Greg, Two and a Half Men, Friends, and Will and Grace.
And sometimes, James Burroughs stuck around for quite a while, for more than 200 episodes of both Will and Grace and Cheers and 75 episodes of Taxi. For me, the absolute best example of Jim Burroughs' gifts as a TV director came in a 1979 episode of Taxi, written by Glenn and Les Charles. It was an episode written to showcase Christopher Lloyd, who had guest starred in a previous episode as Reverend Jim, a hippie preacher from the 60s who was laid back, confused, and dealing with a long history of recreational drug use. At the time, Reverend Jim was an outrageous character to introduce to a primetime TV show. But Taxi already had triumphed by mixing types of comic styles that shouldn't have worked.
Judd Hirsch, Tony Danza, Mary Lou Henner, Andy Kaufman, Jeff Conaway, Danny DeVito, all were part of the Brooklyn cab outfit that was eager for Reverend Jim to join its ranks. But to do that, he'd have to go to the DMV and pass a driver's exam. Not just behind the wheel, but on paper. It's in that DMV office where Burroughs helped shape what I consider the funniest scene in TV history.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the significance of James Burrows in television history?
0:00–2:30
2
How did James Burrows revolutionize sitcom direction?
2:30–4:45
3
What are some iconic shows directed by James Burrows?
4:45–11:50
4
How did Burrows shape characters in 'Cheers' and 'Frasier'?
11:50–14:58
5
What challenges did Burrows face while directing 'Taxi'?
14:58–17:06
6
How did Burrows contribute to the portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters in sitcoms?
17:06–17:21
7
What insights did James Burrows share about directing sitcoms?
17:21–19:45
8
What are the themes explored in the film 'The Invite' reviewed in this episode?
19:45–50:46
Speakers
7 identifiedMore from Fresh Air
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