About
"You have to achieve that moment, when it makes you laugh. You have to get to that moment and you have to work it until you get to that moment. You have to know why it's not working and you have to be able to give the actors, if they have suggestions for how to make it work, you have to listen to them, not dismiss them. It's like clay; you have to form it."
In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, James Burrows discusses his early years working as a stage manager under his father, playwright/director Abe Burrows, and outlines his years directing for the stage in regional theater. He recalls his break into television directing, working at MTM Productions on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and describes directing Fay, The Bob Newhart Show, Laverne & Shirley, and Phyllis. He details working with the cast and creative team behind Taxi, and directing the majority of the series' episodes. Burrows chronicles the eleven-year run of Cheers, which he co-created with Glen and Les Charles, and for which he directed nearly every episode. He shares what he looks for in selecting a pilot to direct and explains what drew him to directing the pilot episodes of Night Court, NewsRadio, and 3rd Rock From the Sun. He talks of working on the early seasons of Frasier, Friends, and Caroline in the City, and speaks of the joy of being the sole director of the hit series Will & Grace. Gary Rutkowski conducted the interview on December 17, 2003 in Studio City, CA.
Highlights
James Burrows on the series finale of Cheers
James Burrows on the theme song and titles to Cheers
James Burrows on getting hired to direct Taxi
James Burrows on one of the biggest laughs he's ever seen - on Friends
James Burrows on why Will & Grace can get away with some of the topics it covers; on being involved with a somehwat political show
James Burrows on how he'd like to be remembered
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his childhood and early influences; on the nickname Danny DeVito gave him; on his parents' divorce when he was five; on moving from LA to NY; on his father, playwright/director Abe Burrows; on being on Person to Person when he was a child; on meeting celebrities when he was young; on his mother and sister; on his father being called before the House Un-American Activities Committee
On his hobbies as a child; on not wanting to get into show business; on attending Oberlin College and the Yale School of Drama; on moving to LA to be the dialogue coach on a pilot his father had written; on meeting Mel Brooks; on interviewing and returning to the theater; on working on Holly Golightly
On doing dinner theater; on running a theater in San Diego; on getting his first job on The Mary Tyler Moore Show; on learning multi-camera directing from watching The Bob Newhart Show
Chapter 2
On watching The Bob Newhart Show and The Mary Tyler Moore Show; on learning from Jay Sandrich on The Mary Tyler Moore Show; on his first time directing The Mary Tyler Moore Show; on directing The Bob Newhart Show; on directing more episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
On directing Phyllis; on directing Lou Grant; on directing a pilot for Steven Bochco; on on directing Laverne & Shirley; on directing for the short-lived sitcom Fay and Rob Reiner's Free Country; on learning a lot about directing from Rob Reiner
Chapter 3
On getting hired to direct Taxi; on having the same agent for over 30 years; on the cast and opening sequence of Taxi; on the challenges of being the series director of Taxi; on meeting up again with Les and Glen Charles; on the writers and specific episodes of Taxi
On Andy Kaufman's "Latka" and "Tony Clifton" on Taxi; on Danny DeVito's "Louie De Palma"; on the four camera setup on Taxi; on the cancellation of Taxi; on forming a production company with Les and Glen Charles
Chapter 4
On the origin of Cheers; on casting the lead roles on Cheers; on NBC Executives being concerned about Cheers being set in a bar; on the look of the bar
On "Norm's" position in the bar; on casting George Wendt as "Norm"; on casting "Coach" and "Cliff Clavin" on Cheers; on the theme song and titles to Cheers; on a typical workweek on Cheers; on keeping the energy up; on the writers' room on Cheers; on the ratings the first season; on winning Emmys and feeling like the show was a hit
Chapter 5
On Cheers winning Emmys and gaining in popularity; on specific episodes of Cheers; on Kelsey Grammer as "Frasier Crane" on Cheers; on Shelley Long leaving and Kirstie Alley joining the cast of Cheers; on "Woody" getting maried
On casting Woody Harrelson as "Woody" on Cheers; on memorable guest stars on Cheers; on the series finale; on the legacy of Cheers; on Frasier; on working with Kelsey Grammer; on Frasier's farcical elements
Chapter 6
On guest stars on Frasier; on the popularity of the show; on directing Friends and knowing it would be a hit; on the ensemble cast of Friends; on one of the biggest laughs he's ever seen - on Friends; on bonding with the cast in Las Vegas
On leaving Friends for Caroline in the City - a show from his production company, Three Sisters; on Union Square and Will & Grace; on the humor and diversity on Will & Grace
Chapter 7
On the characters of "Jack" and "Karen" on Will & Grace; on guest stars on the show; on directing every episode of Will & Grace; on how Will & Grace has been perceived in the gay community; on where the show was headed at that time; on how he selects which pilots he will do; on working on the pilots of many successful series
On wishing The Goodbye Girl had become a successful series; on his proudest career achievement; on advice to aspiring directors; on making cameos in shows he directs; on how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
3rd Rock From the Sun
James Burrows on working on the pilot of 3rd Rock From the Sun
Bob Newhart Show, The (1961-62)
James Burrows on learning multicamera directing from watching The Bob Newhart Show
James Burrows on directing The Bob Newhart Show
Caroline in the City
James Burrows on leaving Friends for Caroline in the City
Cheers
James Burrows on the origin, casting, and typical workweek of Cheers
James Burrows on the rising popularity of Cheers and some memorable episodes
James Burrows on the "Showdown" episode of Cheers in which Sam's brother appears -- a two-part episode -- and "Sam" and "Diane" kiss at the end
James Burrows on Shelley Long's last episode of Cheers
James Burrows on his favorite epiosde of Cheers
James Burrows on Kirstie Alley joining the cast of Cheers
James Burrows on the series finale of Cheers
James Burrows on guest stars on Frasier and some crossover actors from Cheers
Cheers: "Diane's Perfect Date"
James Burrows on his favorite epiosde of Cheers
Cheers: "One for the Road"
James Burrows on the series finale of Cheers
Cheers: "Showdown"
James Burrows on the "Showdown" episode of Cheers in which Sam's brother appears -- a two-part episode -- and "Sam" and "Diane" kiss at the end
Dharma & Greg
James Burrows on working on the pilot of Dharma & Greg
Fay
Director James Burrows on directing for the short-lived sitcom Fay
Frasier
James Burrows on Cheers spin-offs: Frasier
James Burrows on guest stars on Frasier and some crossover actors from Cheers
James Burrows on "My Coffee With Niles" episode of Frasier
Frasier: "My Coffee with Niles"
James Burrows on "My Coffee With Niles" episode of Frasier
Free Country
James Burrows on directing Free Country
Friends
James Burrows on directing Friends and knowing it would be a hit; on the cast
George & Leo
James Burrows on working on the pilot of George & Leo
Goodbye Girl, The
James Burrows on wishing The Goodbye Girl had become a successful series
Hogan Family, The aka Valerie
James Burrows on working on the pilot of Valerie
Jesse
James Burrows on working on the pilot of Jesse
Laverne & Shirley
James Burrows on directing Laverne & Shirley
Lou Grant
James Burrows on directing Lou Grant
Mary Tyler Moore Show, The
James Burrows on getting his job on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
James Burrows on learning from Jay Sandrich on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
James Burrows on his first time directing The Mary Tyler Moore Show
James Burrows on directing more episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show
NewsRadio
James Burrows on working on the pilot of NewsRadio
Night Court
James Burrows on working on the pilot of Night Court
Person to Person
James Burrows on being on Person to Person when he was a child
Phyllis
James Burrows on directing Phyllis
Taxi
James Burrows on getting his nickname "Beads" from Danny DeVito
James Burrows on getting hired to direct Taxi; on the cast
James Burrows on the opening sequence of Taxi
James Burrows on the challenges of being the series director of Taxi
James Burrows on the writers of Taxi
James Burrows on "Latka" getting married on Taxi
James Burrows on directing Taxi
Two and a Half Men
James Burrows on working on the pilot of Two And a Half Men
Veronica's Closet
James Burrows on working on the pilot of Veronica's Closet
Will & Grace
James Burrows on directing and casting Will & Grace
James Burrows on the humor and jokes on Will & Grace
James Burrows on the cast of Will & Grace ; on how Will & Grace has been perceived in the gay community; on the then-future of the show
Wings
James Burrows on working on the pilot of Wings
Topics
Censorship / Standards & Practices
James Burrows on NBC Executives being concerned about Cheers being set in a bar
James Burrows on Standards and Practices having issues with some jokes on Will & Grace
Characters & Catchphrases
James Burrows on Andy Kaufman's "Latka" and "Tony Clifton" on Taxi
James Burrows on Danny DeVito's "Louie De Palma" on Taxi
James Burrows on casting George Wendt as "Norm" on Cheers
James Burrows on casting "Cliff Clavin" on Cheers
Emmy Awards
James Burrows on Cheers winning Emmys and feeling like the show was a hit
James Burrows on Cheers winning Emmys
Historic Events and Social Change
James Burrows on why Will & Grace can get away with some of the topics it covers; on being involved with a somewhat political show
James Burrows on Standards and Practices having issues with some jokes on Will & Grace
James Burrows on how Will & Grace has been perceived in the gay community
Hollywood Blacklist
James Burrows on his father being called before the House Un-American Activities Committee
Industry Crossroads
James Burrows on his father being called before the House Un-American Activities Committee
LGBTQIA+
James Burrows on why Will & Grace can get away with some of the topics it covers; on being involved with a somewhat political show
James Burrows on Standards and Practices having issues with some jokes on Will & Grace
James Burrows on how Will & Grace has been perceived in the gay community
Pop Culture
James Burrows on Andy Kaufman's "Latka" and "Tony Clifton" on Taxi
James Burrows on Danny DeVito's "Louie De Palma" on Taxi
James Burrows on casting "Cliff Clavin" on Cheers
James Burrows on casting George Wendt as "Norm" on Cheers
Representation on Television
James Burrows on why Will & Grace can get away with some of the topics it covers; on being involved with a somewhat political show
James Burrows on Standards and Practices having issues with some jokes on Will & Grace
James Burrows on how Will & Grace has been perceived in the gay community
Television Industry
James Burrows on his father being called before the House Un-American Activities Committee
James Burrows on NBC Executives being concerned about Cheers being set in a bar
James Burrows on Standards and Practices having issues with some jokes on Will & Grace
James Burrows on working on the pilot of NewsRadio
Professions
Directors
James Burrows on attending the Yale School of Drama and wanting to become a director
James Burrows on learning from Jay Sandrich on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
James Burrows on directing every episode of Will & Grace
Genres
Comedy Series
James Burrows on getting his job on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
James Burrows on his first time directing The Mary Tyler Moore Show
James Burrows on directing Laverne & Shirley
James Burrows on directing The Bob Newhart Show
James Burrows on the challenges of being the series director of Taxi
James Burrows on the origin, casting, and typical work week of Cheers
James Burrows on memorable episodes of Cheers; on Shelley Long leaving and Kirstie Alley joining the cast
James Burrows on the Cheers spin-off, Frasier
James Burrows on Will & Grace
James Burrows on directing Friends and knowing it would be a hit; on the cast
James Burrows on working with Lea Thompson on Caroline in the City
James Burrows on the cast of Will & Grace ; on how Will & Grace has been perceived in the gay community; on the then-future of the show
People
Christopher Lloyd (actor)
James Burrows on the cast of Taxi
James Burrows on "Latka" getting married on Taxi
James Burrows on Christopher Lloyd
Edward Albee
James Burrows on meeting celebrities when he was a child
James Burrows on working on Holly Golightly
Kirstie Alley
James Burrows on Kirstie Alley joining the cast of Cheers
Jennifer Aniston
James Burrows on the ensemble cast of Friends
James Burrows on Jennifer Aniston's hairstyle becoming a phenomenon
Lauren Bacall
James Burrows on meeting celebrities when he was a child
Steven Bochco
James Burrows on directing a pilot for Steven Bochco
Mel Brooks
James Burrows on meeting Mel Brooks
James L. Brooks
James Burrows on getting hired to direct Taxi
James Burrows on loving the script for Taxi
James Burrows on the writers of Taxi
Abe Burrows
James Burrows on his father, playwright/director Abe Burrows
James Burrows on his father being called before the House Un-American Activities Committee
James Burrows on learning from his father
Dick Cavett
James Burrows on memorable guest stars on Cheers
Richard Chamberlain
James Burrows on working on Holly Golightly
Glen Charles
James Burrows on forming a production company with Les and Glen Charles
James Burrows on meeting up again with Les and Glen Charles, co-creators of Cheers
James Burrows on the writers room on Cheers
James Burrows on the origin of Cheers and the characters "Sam Malone" and "Diane Chambers"
James Burrows on considering Bill Cosby to play "Sam Malone" on Cheers [Editor's note: According to Glen and Les Charles in their 2003 interviews, NBC suggested Bill Cosby, but they preferred to cast a less well-known actor]
James Burrows on the Cheers spin-off, Frasier
Les Charles
James Burrows on forming a production company with Les and Glen Charles
James Burrows on meeting up again with Les and Glen Charles, co-creators of Cheers
James Burrows on the writers room on Cheers
James Burrows on the origin of Cheers and the characters "Sam Malone" and "Diane Chambers"
James Burrows on considering Bill Cosby to play "Sam Malone" on Cheers [Editor's note: According to Glen and Les Charles in their 2003 interviews, NBC suggested Bill Cosby, but they preferred to cast a less well-known actor]
James Burrows on the Cheers spin-off, Frasier
John Cleese
James Burrows on memorable guest stars on Cheers
Nicholas Colasanto
James Burrows on casting "Coach" on Cheers
Jeff Conaway
James Burrows on the cast of Taxi
Bill Cosby
James Burrows on considering Bill Cosby to play "Sam Malone" on Cheers [Editor's note: According to Glen and Les Charles in their 2003 interviews, NBC suggested Bill Cosby, but they preferred to cast a less well-known actor]
Courteney Cox
James Burrows on the ensemble cast of Friends
David Crane
James Burrows on meeting Friends creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman
Matt Damon
James Burrows on guest stars on Will & Grace
Stan Daniels
James Burrows on loving the script for Taxi
Ted Danson
James Burrows on the origin of Cheers and the characters "Sam Malone" and "Diane Chambers"
James Burrows on casting Cheers
Tony Danza
James Burrows on the cast of Taxi
Dave Davis
James Burrows on loving the script for Taxi
James Burrows on Dave Davis wanting to shoot with four cameras on Taxi
Danny DeVito
James Burrows on getting his nickname "Beads" from Danny DeVito
James Burrows on Danny Devito on Taxi
James Burrows on "Latka" getting married on Taxi
James Burrows on Danny DeVito's "Louie De Palma" on Taxi
Joan Fontaine
James Burrows on first seeing The Mary Tyler Moore Show when directing Joan Fontaine
Kelsey Grammer
James Burrows on Kelsey Grammer as "Frasier Crane" on Cheers
James Burrows on the Cheers spin-off, Frasier
Woody Harrelson
James Burrows on casting Woody Harrelson as "Woody" on Cheers
Sean Hayes
James Burrows on casting Will & Grace
Marilu Henner
James Burrows on the cast of Taxi
Judd Hirsch
James Burrows on the cast of Taxi
James Burrows on working on the pilot of George & Leo
Marta Kauffman
James Burrows on meeting Friends creators David Crane and Marta Kauffman
Andy Kaufman
James Burrows on "Latka" getting married on Taxi
James Burrows on Andy Kaufman's "Latka" and "Tony Clifton" on Taxi
Lisa Kudrow
James Burrows on Lisa Kudrow being cast as the original "Roz" on Frasier
James Burrows on the ensemble cast of Friends
Cloris Leachman
James Burrows on directing Phyllis
John Lithgow
James Burrows on working on the pilot of 3rd Rock From the Sun
Shelley Long
James Burrows on casting Cheers
Chuck Lorre
James Burrows on working on the pilot of Dharma & Greg
James Burrows on working on the pilot of Two And a Half Men
Garry Marshall
James Burrows on directing Laverne & Shirley
Penny Marshall
James Burrows on directing Laverne & Shirley
Groucho Marx
James Burrows on meeting celebrities when he was a child
Eric McCormack
James Burrows on casting Will & Grace
Debra Messing
James Burrows on directing and casting Will & Grace
James Burrows on casting Will & Grace
Robert Moore
James Burrows on learning multicamera directing from watching The Bob Newhart Show
Mary Tyler Moore
James Burrows on working on Holly Golightly
James Burrows on getting his job on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
James Burrows on learning from Mary Tyler Moore on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
James Burrows on his first time directing The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Megan Mullally
James Burrows on directing and casting Will & Grace
Edward R. Murrow
James Burrows on being on Person to Person when he was a child
Bob Newhart
James Burrows on directing The Bob Newhart Show
James Burrows on working on the pilot of George & Leo
Tom Patchett
James Burrows on directing The Bob Newhart Show
Matthew Perry
James Burrows on the ensemble cast of Friends
David Hyde Pierce
James Burrows on working with David Hyde Pierce as "Niles Crane" on Frasier
Sydney Pollack
James Burrows on guest stars on Will & Grace
Tom Poston
James Burrows on directing The Bob Newhart Show
John Ratzenberger
James Burrows on casting "Cliff Clavin" on Cheers
Rob Reiner
James Burrows on directing Free Country and learning from Rob Reiner
James Burrows on getting hired to direct Taxi
Paul Sand
James Burrows on running lines with comic Paul Sand
Jay Sandrich
James Burrows on learning from Jay Sandrich on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
Jay Tarses
James Burrows on directing The Bob Newhart Show
Brandon Tartikoff
James Burrows on NBC Executives agreeing with his casting choices for Cheers
Lea Thompson
James Burrows on working with Lea Thompson on Caroline in the City
Grant Tinker
James Burrows on geting to know Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinker while working on Holly Golightly
James Burrows on getting his job on The Mary Tyler Moore Show
James Burrows on his first time directing The Mary Tyler Moore Show
James Burrows on NBC Executives agreeing with his casting choices for Cheers
Ed. Weinberger
James Burrows on loving the script for Taxi
George Wendt
James Burrows on casting George Wendt as "Norm" on Cheers
Cindy Williams
James Burrows on directing Laverne & Shirley