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Legendary sitcom director James Burrows dies at 85

The Zioneer Intelligence Desk

Primary source Internal intake · 1 reviewed intake signal · Desk window 21:08

TL;DR

James Burrows, the co-creator of Cheers and the director of over 1,000 episodes of Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and Will & Grace, died on Sunday at age 85. Born into a Jewish family in Los Angeles, Burrows won 11 Emmy Awards over a five-decade career that shaped modern television comedy.

01 · THE DISPATCH

James Burrows, the television director and co-creator of Cheers, died on Sunday at age 85. Over a career spanning more than five decades, Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of hit sitcoms including Friends, The Big Bang Theory, and Will & Grace, and won 11 Emmy Awards.

Burrows was born on December 30, 1940, into a Jewish family in Los Angeles. Following news of his death, tributes were posted by Friends star Lisa Kudrow and Will & Grace actor Eric McCormack, who praised his influence on the industry and the generations of performers he mentored.

This is a breaking report; additional details regarding his family and funeral arrangements are not yet available.

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