Directed by James Burrows cover art

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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Directed by James Burrows

By: James Burrows, Eddy Friedfeld
Narrated by: James Burrows, Danny Campbell
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About this listen

“Being directed by the Jimmy Burrows, while on Friends, was like hitting the jackpot. I’m delighted that everyone can now share in his incredible insight with this book.”—JENNIFER ANISTON

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 listeners 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.

©2022 James Burrows and Eddy Friedfeld (P)2022 Random House Audio
Direction & Production Entertainment & Celebrities Celebrity Comedy Career Film Director

Critic Reviews

“Great binge reading for comedy buffs and aficionados of Must See TV. It’s as difficult to put down as a Friends marathon is to turn off.”The Washington Post

“If this book were a television show, it would fall squarely in the workplace-comedy category.…[Burrows is] a lucky, hard-working guy with some great stories to tell.”The Wall Street Journal

“A side-splittingly hilarious tell-all that is part memoir and part master class on working in television . . . A treasure trove of brilliant advice, stories and uproarious routings from classic TV shows.”Shelf Awareness (starred review)

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Wonderful

How I would love to meet Jim Burrows. Some fantastic tales here. What an amazing person

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A Director Dream Listen

I love that you're hearing new stories about his process from the man himself. Ever inspiring!

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