On this week's Hollywood & Levine, Ken interviews 10-time Emmy winner, Jim Burrows, who has directed over 1000 episodes of sitcoms including the pilots of CHEERS, FRIENDS, FRASIER, and WILL & GRACE. They discuss his career, and focus primarily on his process. It’s a master class on TV directing.
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Quick Friday Question - Was the choice of the name Abe Simpson on The Simpsons a shoutout to Jim's father, Abe Burrows?
FRIDAY QUESTION: What are some of the silliest, oddest or coincidental reasons that a line you and/or David Isaacs has needed to be changed?
Wonderful!
'Without Shelley Long CHEERS doesn't get to year 2'. That is such a great moment. I loved Burrow's memories from the pre-broadway tryout of 'Breakfast at Tiffany's'. The troubles about that show are legendary.(Larry Gelbart's line regarding another out of town musical 'If Hitler is alive today I hope he's out of town with a musical' would have applied to Tiffany too.) Burrow's mentioned his dad's work on Cactus Flower, which Adam Sandler adapted into Just Go With It, which my one of my daughter's go to movies when wanting something to watch as she goes to sleep. I also appreciated that he will stop an actor from delivering a line badly because he doesn't want to ruin the line for the audience. That surprise is essential.
Superb interview, Ken. Not only is James Burrows a great director but a great recontour as well.
Great interview! Interesting questions, and thoughtful answers. He comes across as such a brilliant, yet humble man, with a message to his actors - "like each other....as that will be noticed by the viewers." (I paraphrase). Simple yet profound. Interesting comments about the character of Diane. My first job out of college, my assistant told me that I reminded her of Diane on Cheers....OUCH! I didn't agree. Looking forward to the part 2.
I really appreciate the nice comments about both Shelley and Diane. Even with Diane's difficult qualities I found myself pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up loving her. I only had seen her in her episodes of Frasier and a few stray episodes of season 5, neither of which is really a marker of great in-character writing for her :(but once I was finally watched from the first season on I was hooked...on both her AND Shelley. Always appreciate your perspective on her, Ken :)
Give it a year or so and bring Burrows back - his is a very deep well.
I'm sure you noticed how Burrows and you (and Isaacs) are very-much self-taught - lots of observation and note-taking (taping MTM for you two).
So good! He's indeed a legend and I think that your shared history brought out the best in this interview. Looking forward to part two! Thanks!
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