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Directed by James Burrows
Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and More
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From the director of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, and Will & Grace comes an insightful and nostalgic behind-the-scenes memoir that’s “as difficult to put down as a Friends marathon is to turn off” (The Washington Post).
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.
Directed by James Burrows is a heart-and-soul master class in sitcom, revealing what it truly takes to get a laugh.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
June 7, 2022 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593587706
- File size: 354558 KB
- Duration: 12:18:39
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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James "Jimmy' Burrows, the son of legendary playwright Abe Burrows, is the longtime king of situation comedy directing. In this audiobook he offers a sober, deliberately measured, entertaining, and remarkably casual glimpse of his professional life behind the scenes. The principal narration by Burrows is understated, unemotional, with a consistent tone and pace. While this detracts from the content, his directorial and production perspectives, along with his insights into series such as "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," "Cheers," "Friends," "Frasier," and "Will & Grace," are irresistible. Listeners will learn little of Burrows's personal life as an adult but will grow to understand his upbringing and the sophisticated atmosphere of his privileged adolescence. Danny Campbell provides a workmanlike delivery of the prologue. This listening is pure fun. W.A.G. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from March 28, 2022
In this dazzling tell-all, director Burrows takes readers on a rollicking tour through the hardworking world of sitcoms, “the best, most enduring, and most resilient form of comedy.” The son of Broadway director Abe Burrows, James tumbled onto the sitcom scene in his 30s in the 1970s, where he created stories that would become the pulsating plot of the next 50 years of his life. Offering a lively jaunt behind the scenes of his oeuvre, he unpacks the brilliance of Frasier, whose protagonist “loved fully, wholly, deeply”; reveals that Cheers was originally pitched as “a light-beer commercial” (“The network loved it”); and recounts producer Chuck Lorre’s astonishment upon being surprised by Bruce Springsteen backstage at Mike & Molly (“It was the only time I’d ever seen him speechless”). He’s also frank about his missteps, including his decision to leave Friends after the second season: “One of my few regrets in my career is that I didn’t stay with those six kids.” Fans will relish the intricate breakdowns of movements, lines, and characters (“The center is the least crazy person in the room”), as much as they will Burrows’s infectious passion for his craft: “Where in other workplaces familiarity may breed contempt, our familiarity bred even more affection.” This delivers on all counts.
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