01What happened
The story, straight
James Burrows, the prolific television director who helmed episodes of Taxi, Friends, Will & Grace, and dozens of other sitcoms, died Friday at 85. Tony Danza, who worked with Burrows on 75 episodes of Taxi, posted on X: 'We have lost the greatest of all time. Jimmy Burrows.' Remembrances from across the television industry are pouring in following his death.
james burrows, the sitcom director behind taxi, friends, will & grace, and basically every comedy you've ever loved, died friday at 85. tony danza — who worked with him on 75 episodes of taxi — posted on X: 'we have lost the greatest of all time. jimmy burrows.' tributes are flooding in from across TV.
02Spread timeline
Where it actually started
03Source receipts
Every claim, linked
04What's solid, what isn't
What's solid and what isn't
- James Burrows died Friday at age 85.
- Tony Danza worked with Burrows on 75 episodes of Taxi.
- Danza posted a tribute on X calling Burrows 'the greatest of all time.'
- Additional tributes from other television figures are expected throughout the weekend.
05Why it matters
The editorial take
James Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of television across a career spanning five decades, making him arguably the most prolific sitcom director in American TV history. His body of work defined the multi-camera comedy format from the late 1970s through the 2010s.
burrows directed over 1,000 TV episodes across five decades — he basically invented the multi-camera sitcom as we know it. the list of shows he touched is absurd. this one's going to resonate for a while.