Sitcom Titan Dies

TV comedy legend behind Cheers and Friends has died at 85.

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Legendary Director Of 'Cheers,' 'Friends,' 'Will And Grace' Dead At 85

James Burrows, legendary sitcom director, dies at 85

James Burrows, legendary director of Cheers and Friends, dies aged 85

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James Burrows, the prolific television director and co-creator of “Cheers,” died Friday at 85, his family confirmed in a statement saying he passed away peacefully surrounded by relatives. Across more than five decades, Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of landmark sitcoms including “Cheers,” “Taxi,” “Friends,” “Will & Grace,” “Frasier” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” He won 11 Emmy Awards, earned dozens of nominations and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2006, cementing his reputation as one of TV comedy’s defining creative forces. A cause of death was not immediately provided.

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Tributes and critical appreciations frame Burrows as a towering architect of modern sitcoms, emphasizing how his work shaped the rhythm, tone and popularity of American television comedy. Colleagues and observers describe him in near-mythic terms, with Lisa Kudrow calling him “the Zeus” of television comedy.