Udisha
American television director James Edward Burrows passed away on June 19, 2026 at the age of 85. Throughout his career, he has been the creative force behind several beloved shows and characters that continue to be close to fans.
Friends: James Burrows was the mind behind some of our favourite episodes on the forever legendary American sitcom, Friends. He directed a total of 15 episodes of the show, including the pilot (first episode).
Cheers: James was the co-creator of the iconic 1980s sitcom, Cheers. He created this legendary show about a bar in Boston along with Glen and Les Charles and directed 237 out of the 275 episodes of the show. He won multiple Emmys for Outstanding Comedy Series for this show and bagged the Emmy for directing in 1991.
Frasier: This was was the spin-off to the popular sitcom Cheers. His work in this show brought out his wit and sophistication that marks most of his work. James directed 40 episodes of this 11-season long show.
Will & Grace: Another iconic sitcom, James Burrows was the main creative force behind this pathbreaking show. He directed every single episode, a total of 194 episodes during the original run of the show from 1998 to 2006. He returned to the director's chair to direct all the 52 episodes when the show was revived again in 2017.
Taxi: This iconic workplace comedy about a taxicab company in New York City was a critically acclaimed show. James directed 75 episodes of the show including the pilot. He won his first two Primetime Emmy Awards in 1980 and 1981 for his work as director on this show.