Over a 50+-year career, legendary sitcom director James Burrows has been honored with 28 Emmy nominations for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, winning five.
At age 84, his most recent nomination came Tuesday for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for Hulu’s Mid-Century Modern for the episode “Here’s To You, Mrs. Schneiderman.” It is the ninth episode of Season 1 in which Bunny (Nathan Lane), Jerry (Matt Bomer) and Arthur (Nathan Lee Graham) face the sudden tragedy of losing Bunny’s mom, Sybil Schneiderman, played by Linda Lavin, as they try to find how to move on. Lavin had died unexpectedly of lung cancer after filming seven of the 10 episodes in the season.
Burrows, who began his career with The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1974, has won 11 Primetime Emmy Awards over the course of his career, including for Outstanding Comedy Series. His first nomination and first win for directing in a comedy series came in 1980 for Taxi: “Louis and the Nice Girl”.
Burrows went on to direct numerous episodes of comedy shows such as The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and 3rd Rock from the Sun, among others. He also directed episodes for the revivals of Will & Grace (2017–2020), and Paramount+’s Frasier (2023–2024).
He co-created the iconic sitcom Cheers, which aired from 1982-1993. He also executive produced the Emmy-winning ABC specials Live in Front of a Studio Audience including Norman Lear’s “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” in 2019, “All in the Family” and “Good Times” in 2019, and “The Facts of Life” and “Diff’rent Strokes” in 2021.
