Legendary US sitcom director James Burrows dies aged 85

James Burrows, the acclaimed American television director and co-creator of the hit sitcom Cheers, has died at the age of 85, his attorney has confirmed.

Burrows was one of the most influential figures in U.S. television comedy, directing more than 1,000 episodes across some of the industry’s most successful sitcoms, including Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Will & Grace, BBC reports. 

In a statement provided to US magazine People, his family said: “We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James ‘Jimmy’ Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family.”

“For more than five decades, Burrows was one of the most influential and beloved directors in television history. As a legendary director, mentor, and creative force, he helped shape generations of comedy and brought immeasurable joy to audiences around the world.”

Born in Los Angeles in 1940 and raised partly in New York, Burrows studied at the Yale School of Drama, where he first developed his directing skills before beginning a career in television.

He later co-created Cheers with Glen and Les Charles, a series that became one of the defining American sitcoms of the 1980s and achieved international success.

Over his career, Burrows won 11 Emmy Awards and five Directors Guild of America Awards, and received 48 Emmy nominations in total.

The Directors Guild of America, which honoured him with a lifetime achievement award in 2015, described him as “an incredibly generous colleague” who shared his “wisdom, and warm humor with his fellow Guild members and all he worked with.”

By Sabina Mammadli