Biography
Burrows brought a quick-witted, theatrical pace to half-hour comedies that elevated them beyond the standard gags and banter to short plays that resonated with audiences beyond their weekly time slot. As a result, he became the go-to guy for both new and established shows to bring an element of style, wit and class to their seasonal lineup. In doing so, Burrows was among the most honored television directors in the medium's history and one of …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
| Co-created, served as executive producer and directed nearly every episode of the hugely successful NBC sitcom, "Cheers" | ||
| Debut as a principal director on a series, "Taxi"; assignments included the pilot, three subsequent season openers on ABC and many other episodes; did not remain with the show for its 1982-83 season on NBC | ||
| Directed 10 episodes of "Laverne and Shirley" | ||
| Directed episodes of "Lou Grant", a dramatic MTM spinoff | ||
| Directed episodes of "Phyllis", an MTM spinoff (dates approximate) | ||
| Directed episodes of "Rhoda", a spinoff from "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" | ||
| Directed episodes of "The Betty White Show" | ||
| Directed episodes of "The Tony Randall Show" | ||
| Directed for off-Broadway dinner theater | ||
| Earliest directing assignments, helming episodes of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" beginning with the fifth season | ||
| Helmed episodes of "The Bob Newhart Show" beginning with the third season | ||
| Hired by Grant Tinker, Moore's husband, to direct episodic TV for MTM Television in the mid-1970s | ||
| Served as stage manager on the Broadway production of "Forty Carats" | ||
| Served as stage manager on the road company of "Cactus Flower" | ||
| Spent about five years working as a stage manager for his father, playwright-director Abe Burrows | ||
| Wrote a congratulatory letter to Moore after she returned to TV in the hit CBS sitcom, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" | ||
1967 | First theater job, assistant stage manager on "Holly Golightly", an unsuccessful Broadway production based on Truman Capote's "Breakfast at Tiffany's", starring Mary Tyler Moore and Richard Chamberlain; first met Moore | |
1975 | Directed episodes of the CBS sitcom, "Friends and Lovers" | |
1977 | Directed his first sitcom pilot, "Bumpers", starring Richard Masur; series was not picked up | |
1978 | Helmed episodes of "The Ted Knight Show" | |
1979 | Helmed episodes of "The Associates", an acclaimed but short-lived ABC sitcom | |
1982 | Feature directing debut, "Partners", a police comedy-drama starring Ryan O'Neal and John Hurt | |
1986 | Helmed the premiere of "Valerie", starring Valerie Harper (show later renamed "Valerie's Family" and still later "The Hogan Family") | |
1987 | Executive produced and helmed the premiere episode of "The Tortellis", a short-lived "Cheers" spinoff | |
1988 | Directed the premiere of the NBC sitcom, "Dear John", starring Judd Hirsch | |
1990 | Helmed the pilot/premiere episode of the hit NBC sitcom, "Wings" (NBC) | |
1991 | Directed the pilot outing of the Fox TV sitcom, "Roc" starring Charles Dutton | |
1993 | Helmed the pilot/premiere installment of "Frasier" (NBC) | |
1994 | Helmed the pilot/premiere of the popular sitcom "Friends" (NBC) | |
1995 | Directed the pilot/premiere and several episodes of the Fox sitcom "Partners" | |
1995 | Directed the pilot/premiere and several episodes of the NBC sitcom "Caroline in the City" | |
1995 | Directed the pilot/premiere of ABC sitcom "Hudson Street" starring Tony Danza | |
1995 | Directed the pilot/premiere of the sitcom "NewsRadio" (NBC) | |
1996 | Directed the premiere episode of "3rd Rock from the Sun" (NBC) starring Jane Curtin and John Lithgow | |
1998 | Helmed episodes of the NBC sitcom "Will & Grace"; earned Emmy nomination for the pilot; as of 1999-2000 season, became an executive producer | |
1998 | Staged a revival of the play "The Man Who Came to Dinner", starring John Mahoney at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago; production transferred to Barbicon Theatre in London for brief run in July | |
1999 | Directed the pilot of the NBC sitcom "Stark Raving Mad" | |
2000 | Directed the pilot for the NBC sitcom "The Weber Show/Cursed", starring Steven Weber | |
2000 | Helmed the pilot for the ABC sitcom "Madigan Men" | |
2002 | Directed the Dexter Prep pilot | |
Awards
1980 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Taxi |
1981 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Taxi |
1982 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Taxi |
1983 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Cheers |
1983 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Cheers |
1984 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Cheers |
1984 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Cheers |
1985 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Cheers |
1985 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Cheers |
1986 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Cheers |
1986 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Cheers |
1987 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Cheers |
1987 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Cheers |
1988 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Cheers |
1988 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Cheers |
1989 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Cheers |
1989 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Cheers |
1990 | Directors Guild of America Award for Comedy Series in Cheers |
1990 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Cheers |
1990 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Cheers |
1991 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Cheers |
1991 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing In a Comedy Series in Cheers |
1991 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Informational Special in Cheers: Special 200th Episode Celebration |
1992 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Cheers |
1992 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement In Directing In a Comedy Series in Cheers |
1993 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Cheers |
1993 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement In Directing In a Comedy Series in Cheers |
1994 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement In Directing In a Comedy Series in Frasier |
1995 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement In Directing In a Comedy Series in Friends |
1996 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in 3rd Rock From the Sun |
1997 | Directors Guild of America Award for Comedy Series in Dharma & Greg |
1998 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in Dharma & Greg |
1999 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2000 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2000 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2001 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2001 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2002 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2002 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2003 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2003 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2004 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2005 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series in Will & Grace |
2005 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series in Will & Grace |