THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

James Burrows, prolific comedy director behind ‘Cheers’ and ‘Friends,’ dies at 85 <p>LOS ANGELES &#8212; Comedy director James Burrows, the 11-time Emmy-&#0173;winning director who co-&#0173;created &#8220;Cheers&#8221; and helped turn such long-running sitcoms as &#8220;Taxi,&#8221; &#8220;Friends,&#8221; &#8220;Will &#38;Grace&#8221; and &#8220;The Big Bang Theory&#8221; into fan favorites, has died, his family confirmed to People. He was 85.</p>

James Burrows Dead: 'Will & Grace,' 'Cheers' Director Was 85 James Burrows Gilbert Flores/Variety via Getty Images Share on Facebook Share on X Google Preferred Share to Flipboard Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Send an Email Print the Article Post a Comment James Burrows, the 11-time Emmy Award winner and prolific television director known for his Midas touch when it came to sitcoms, has died. He was 85. Burrows, who co-created Cheers and helmed all 246 episodes of Will & Grace during its two runs, died on Friday, his family confirmed in a statement to People : “We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James ‘Jimmy’ Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family. For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world.” A master of comic timing, Burrows was an expert at getting big laughs out of his performers and the material on the page. For more…

James Burrows, director of classic shows 'Cheers' and 'Friends,' dies at 85 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.

BREAKING 🚨 🚨 🚨 James Burrows, co-creator of ‘Cheers’ and director of ‘Will & Grace,’ dies at 85 Burrows won multiple Emmy awards and also directed episodes of “Friends,” “Frasier” and “The Mary Tyler Moore” show. www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/...

'Cheers' co-creator and legendary sitcom director James Burrows ... Now 77° Sat 88° Sun 92° byKevin Zelman James Burrows, the legendary director who also co-created “Cheers,” has died at age 85. "We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James 'Jimmy' Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family," the Burrows family shared in a statement toPeople. "For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world." The statement continued, "Over the course of his unparalleled career, Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of television and was instrumental in creating some of the most iconic series ever produced, including ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ ‘Taxi,’ ‘Cheers,’ ‘Frasier,’ ‘Friends,’ ‘Will&Grace,’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ among many others.” Burrows was born in Los Angeles in 1940. His father, Abe Burrows, was a writer and composer known for co-writing the books for the musicals “Guys and Dolls” and “How to Succeed in Bu…

James Burrows wife and children: Family in focus after Cheers co ... Television legend James Burrows, the Emmy-winning director and co-creator of Cheers, has died at the age of 85. His attorney, Tom Hoberman, confirmed the news to USA TODAY on June 19. Burrows' family later announced that he died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones. In a statement shared withPeople magazine, Burrows' family celebrated his extraordinary contributions to television. They described him as a legendary director, mentor and creative force who helped shape generations of comedy and brought joy to audiences worldwide. Burrows built a remarkable career directing some of television's most successful sitcoms, including Cheers, Taxi, Frasier,Friends, Will & Grace, The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Laverne & Shirley. His work influenced the modern sitcom format Read more:What are Barack Obama's daughters doing now? Inside Malia and Sasha's lives and careers James Burrows is survived by his wife, Debbie Easton Burrows, whom he married in 1997. Debbie, a former hairstylist, remained largely out of the public spotlight despite her husband's prominence in Hollywood. The couple frequently appeared together at indu…

'Cheers' co-creator and legendary sitcom director James Burrows ... Now 100° Sat 101° Sun 103° Strong winds combined with low relative humidity levels are creating dangerous fire conditions Friday and Saturday. byKevin Zelman James Burrows, the legendary director who also co-created “Cheers,” has died at age 85. "We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James 'Jimmy' Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family," the Burrows family shared in a statement toPeople. "For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world." The statement continued, "Over the course of his unparalleled career, Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of television and was instrumental in creating some of the most iconic series ever produced, including ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ ‘Taxi,’ ‘Cheers,’ ‘Frasier,’ ‘Friends,’ ‘Will&Grace,’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ among many others.” Burrows was born in Los Angeles in 1940. His father, Abe Burro…

James Burrows, 'Cheers' co-creator, 'Friends' director, dies at 85 CELEBRITIES Celebrity Deaths Add Topic James Burrows, 'Cheers' co-creator, 'Friends' director, dies at 85 Liza Esquibias USA TODAY June 19, 2026, 4:20 p.m. ET Hear this story "Cheers" co-creator James Burrows has died at the age of 85. Burrows' attorney, Tom Hoberman, confirmed his death to USA TODAY on Friday, June 19. In addition to co-creating "Cheers," Burrows is known for working on some of the most famous sitcoms, including directing "Laverne & Shirley," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," the original "Will & Grace" and many more. His family also addressed the loss in a statement to People , in which they paid tribute to his lasting legacy: "We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James 'Jimmy' Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family. For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world." "Over the course of his unparalleled career, Burrows directed more th…

James Burrows, legendary director of Cheers and Friends, dies aged 85 Best-known as co-creator of sitcom Cheers, Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of other classics including the Big Bang Theory and Will and Grace.

'Cheers' co-creator and legendary sitcom director James Burrows ... Now 94° Sat 88° Sun 87° byKevin Zelman James Burrows, the legendary director who also co-created “Cheers,” has died at age 85. "We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James 'Jimmy' Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family," the Burrows family shared in a statement toPeople. "For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world." The statement continued, "Over the course of his unparalleled career, Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of television and was instrumental in creating some of the most iconic series ever produced, including ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ ‘Taxi,’ ‘Cheers,’ ‘Frasier,’ ‘Friends,’ ‘Will&Grace,’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ among many others.” Burrows was born in Los Angeles in 1940. His father, Abe Burrows, was a writer and composer known for co-writing the books for the musicals “Guys and Dolls” and “How to Succeed in Bu…

James Burrows Dies: Legendary TV Comedy Director & 'Cheers' Co-Creator ... James Burrows Amy Sussman/Getty Images Television has lost one its biggest comedy names — James Burrows , the most decorated multi-camera director in the history of the medium, passed away in his sleep this morning, June 19, after a brief illness. He was 85. His 50+-year career will remain unmatched — both in longevity and influence as he played a crucial role in some of television’s biggest hits, including Cheers , which he also co-created, Taxi, Friends , Frasier , Will & Grace, Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory. Related Stories Obituaries 2026 Deaths Photo Gallery: Hollywood & Media Obituaries Obituaries Howard Storm Dies: Veteran TV Director Of ‘Mork & Mindy,’ ‘Valerie’ And More Was 94 “Jimmy was the greatest comedic television director in the history of the medium,” Burrows’ longtime agent Rick Rosen said. “He directed the most iconic, defining shows of generations. Always a gentleman, it was an absolute honor to represent him.” Burrows ran a small theater in San Diego before switching to TV directing. He began his career with The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1974 and directed a slew of episodes o…

James Burrows wife and children: Family in focus after Cheers co-creator and sitcom legend dies at 85 James Burrows is survived by his wife, Debbie Easton Burrows, whom he married in 1997. Burrows' family includes four daughters and seven grandchildren.

James Burrows, co-creator of "Cheers" and prolific director, dies at 85 James Burrows, the co-creator of "Cheers" and prolific television director who worked on hits including "Will & Grace," "Frasier" and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," has died. He was 85 years old. Attorney Tom Hoberman confirmed Burrows' death, "with great sadness." A cause of death was not immediately available. Burrows was born in California and raised in New York, where he began working in the city's theater scene. His first job on television was directing episodes of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show." Burrows would go on to direct more than 1,000 episodes of TV, including every episode of the original "Will & Grace," and is credited with having helped create shows including "Friends," "Taxi" and "Frasier." Other shows he directed included "The Big Bang Theory" and "Two and a Half Men," both of which aired on CBS. He also directed episodes of the recent Paramount+ revival of "Frasier." Burrows was an 11-time Emmy Award winner. He received dozens of Emmy nominations, including a streak from 1980 to 1996, during which he was nominated every year. His most recent Emmy win was in 2020, when he was awarded the Emmy Award…

James Burrows, director of classic TV comedies including ‘Cheers’ and ‘Friends,’ dies at 85 <p>Jewish director grew up in New York City, helmed more than 75 pilots that were picked up as series; he quipped that his Jewish heritage 'certainly helped with the humor'</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/james-burrows-director-of-classic-tv-comedies-including-cheers-and-friends-dies-at-85/">James Burrows, director of classic TV comedies including &#8216;Cheers&#8217; and &#8216;Friends,&#8217; dies at 85</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com">The Times of Israel</a>.</p> <figure><img src="https://static-cdn.toi-media.com/www/uploads/2026/06/AP26170708460790-1024x640.jpg" title="James Burrows, director of classic TV comedies including &#8216;Cheers&#8217; and &#8216;Friends,&#8217; dies at 85" border="0" width="160" height="100" class="type:primaryImage"></figure>

James Burrows, 'Cheers' co-creator and TV director, dies at 85 <p>James Burrows, who was a co-creator of the iconic sitcom "Cheers" and directed several hit TV shows, has died at 85.</p>