Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and More
by James Burrows with Eddy Friedfeld
From the publisher's website:
Legendary sitcom director James Burrows has spent five decades making
America laugh. Here readers will find never-revealed stories behind the
casting of the dozens of great sitcoms he directed, as well as details
as to how these memorable shows were created, how they got on the air,
and how the cast and crew continued to develop and grow. Burrows also
examines his own challenges, career victories, and defeats, and provides
advice for aspiring directors, writers, and actors. All this from the
man who helped launch the careers of Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Woody
Harrelson, Jennifer Aniston, Debra Messing, and Melissa McCarthy, to
name a few.
Burrows talks fondly about the inspiration he found
during his childhood and young adult years, including his father,
legendary playwright and Broadway director Abe Burrows. From there he
goes on to explain his rigorous work ethic, forged in his early years in
theater, where he did everything from stage managing to building sets
to, finally, directing. Transitioning to television, Burrows locked into
a coveted job with The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where he first observed and then started to apply his craft. Directing most of the episodes of Taxi
came next, where he worked closely with writers/producers Glen and Les
Charles. The three formed a remarkable creative partnership that helped
Burrows achieve his much sought-after goal of ownership and agency over a
project, which came with the creating and directing of the seminal and
beloved hit Cheers. Burrows has directed more than seventy-five
pilots that have gone to series and over a thousand episodes, more than
any other director in history.
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