James Burrows, ‘Cheers’ Co-Creator And ‘Friends’ Director, Dies At 85

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 08: James Burrows attends a conversation David Schwimmer at The 92nd Street Y, New York on June 08, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

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James Burrows, who co-created the classic sitcom Cheers and directed several episodes of “Friends,” “Fraiser” and dozens of other hit series, has died.

Burrows died in his sleep early Friday after a brief illness, according to Deadline. He was 85.

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“Jimmy was the greatest comedic television director in the history of the medium,” Burrows’ longtime agent Rick Rosen told Deadline. “He directed the most iconic, defining shows of generations. Always a gentleman, it was an absolute honor to represent him.”

In addition to Cheers, Burrows was an executive producer on such hit series as Will & Grace and Mike & Molly.

Burrows also was a prolific director. He directed 236 episodes throught the 11 seasons of the series, which ran on NBC from 1982 to 1993. Burrows also directed 227 episodes over the 11 seasons Will & Grace on NBC, which included the revivial of the series from 2017 to 2019.

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