James Burrows, 'Cheers' co-creator, dies at 85

Also called the "Steven Spielberg of sitcoms" James Burrows, the creator of “Cheers” who directed more than 1,000 episodes of that show and other classics like “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” ”Will & Grace," “Friends,” and “The Big Bang Theory,” has died. He was 85. www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/...

Some people worked in an era of television. He *was* an era of television. (gift article) www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/a...

James Burrows was a giant of comedy directing, his dad was a giant of comedy writing. The amount of great entertainment coming out of that family is absolutely staggering. Rest In Peace.

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. n.pr/3SR5mla

I wrote about the genius of the late James Burrows, the greatest sitcom director of them all:

James Burrows, the director behind iconic TV comedies like "Cheers," "Taxi," "Friends" and "Will and Grace," has died.

Farewell to director James Burrows (1940-2026) — who didn’t invent the multi-camera sitcom, but perfected it. He started on MARY TYLER MOORE, went on to BOB NEWHART, LAVERNE & SHIRLEY, and TAXI, then CHEERS, FRASIER, WILL & GRACE + MIKE & MOLLY. 50 years, 1000+ episodes, 11 Emmys. A master. #TVSky

James Burrows, a major force in television comedy who co-created “Cheers” and directed every episode of the first run of “Will and Grace,” has died, his attorney tells NBC News.

James Burrows, who co-created "Cheers" and directed more than a thousand episodes of classic television comedies such as “Taxi,” “Friends,” and “Will and Grace,” has died.

I once asked the absurdly humble James Burrows what he did well… what his special contribution to a sitcom was. He paused a long time, then told me he guessed he was ok at coming up with little stuff for actors to do when they weren’t talking. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/a...

¡Ha muerto James Burrows! Si pasas de la treintena has visto más de 100 horas de TV dirigidas por él, seguro, y puede que más de 1000: Friends, Fraser, Cheers, Will & Grace, Big Bang Theory, Dos hombres y medio, Los líos de Caroline, Cosas de marcianos, Wings, Juzgado de Guardia, Taxi, Lou Grant.

RIP James Burrows. I think he directed the pilot of practically every beloved successful sitcom most Americans watched over a few decades.

RIP Jimmy Burrows. A sitcom pioneer! Thank you for years of laughs. 🙏 It was people like Burrows who helped to craft the all-American multi-cam sitcom. Over the course of a truly unparalleled career, the late Burrows directed over 1,000 episodes of some of the most beloved comedies.

The Mary Tyler Moore Show. The Bob Newhart Show. Phyllis. Rhoda. 3rd Rock from the Sun. NewsRadio. Two and a Half Men. The Big Bang Theory. Live in Front of a Studio Audience. Mike & Molly. Will & Grace. Taxi. Frasier. Cheers. What a career. What a legacy. Thank you, James Burrows.

I imagine there are many people in the television industry who are saddened today to learn of the loss of James Burrows, one of the most beloved sitcom directors from the golden age of that medium. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/19/a...