Book Review: Directed by James Burrows

Legendary sitcom director James Burrows has spent five decades making America laugh. Here readers 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.

Coming out on June 7 of 2022, I was given the opportunity to read an early galley of Directed by James Burrows from the publisher Random House in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of this book immediately connects with me as those words and that image calls forth some of the very sitcoms that were the foundation of my pop culture world from the 1970's, 1980's and 1990's. In this book, Burrows not only tells his own story as a director but also tells the story of American situation comedies. The actors with whom he has worked over the decades reads like a who's who of sitcom superstars.

I enjoyed the stories - many of which evoked classic episodes from classic shows. I also appreciated how he takes the time to educate the reader on the process behind the shows. From this book, I feel I have a better understanding of the world behind the lens, picking up on the terminology of the medium.

If one is looking to this book to find out some hidden details or salacious set stories, that is not what you'll find. Burrows genuinely has nothing but good things to say about everyone with whom he worked over five decades. While some might consider that a weak point, I would disagree. This book is more a fond trip down memory lane by a seasoned industry veteran. It would be the type of stories you'd hear if you were sitting with Burrows in Sam Malone's bar having drinks until closing time. Sometimes no-drama is just what we need. Me, I'll take the fond smiles any day.

For anyone who is a huge television fanatic like myself, this is a must-read.