Remembering master of the TV sitcom, James Burrows

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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 and Grace, and many other sitcoms. Burroughs died june nineteenth, at the age of eighty five. 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, Burrows understood that great comedy was never simply about laughter it was about humanity, connection, and truth.

We're going to listen to Terry's 2006 interview with James Burrows in a few minutes, but first we have this appreciation by our TV critic David Biancoley. James Burroughs was born in LA 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.

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