LOS ANGELES: US director and television creator James Burrows, who worked behind the scenes on &quot;Friends,&quot; &quot;Cheers,&quot; &quot;Taxi,&quot; and many other beloved comedies, has died, People magazine reported on Friday. He was 85.&nbsp;&quot;We celebrate the extraordinary life and enduring legacy of James &#39;Jimmy&#39; Burrows, who passed away peacefully today surrounded by his loving family,&quot; his family said in a statement. The time and place of his death were not disclosed.&nbsp;Burrows won 11 Emmy awards for excellence in television and helmed more than 1,000 episodes of hit programs, working as a director, producer and writer.&nbsp;Burrows was among the early innovators of the multi-camera sitcom -- short for situation comedy -- when his prolific career began in the 1970s, directing episodes of &quot;The Mary Tyler Moore Show,&quot; &quot;Laverne &amp; Shirley&quot; and &quot;The Bob Newhart Show.&quot;&nbsp;His first Emmy came for directing &quot;Taxi,&quot; a groundbreaking comedy starring Danny DeVito, Andy Kaufman and Tony Danza, about the rough and tumble staff of a New York City taxicab company.&nbsp;He directed 236 episodes and also co-created &quot;Cheers&quot; with longtime collaborator James Brooks, as well as its spin-off &quot;Frasier.&quot; His other hit shows include &quot;The Big Bang Theory,&quot; &quot;Mike &amp; Molly,&quot; and &quot;3rd Rock from the Sun.&quot;&nbsp;Recently, Burrows took a rare step in front of the camera and starred as himself in &quot;The Comeback,&quot; reuniting with &quot;Friends&quot; star Lisa Kudrow for a show that pokes fun at life behind the scenes working on a sitcom in Hollywood.&nbsp;&quot;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,&quot; his family said.

Film & TV

US television director and producer James Burrows, known for hit sitcoms including Friends, Cheers and Taxi, died at 85. The Emmy-winning creator directed more than 1,000 television episodes during his five-decade career.

Articles tagged with "Emmy awards"

James Burrows, prolific innovator in US TV comedies, dead at 85

James Burrows, prolific innovator in US TV comedies, dead at 85