Directed By James Burrows

“Being directed by the Jimmy Burrows, while on Friends, was like hitting the jackpot. I’m delighted that everyone can now share in his incredible insight with this book.”—JENNIFER ANISTON From the director of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, and Will & Grace comes an insightful and nostalgic behind-the-scenes memoir that’s “as difficult to put down as a Friends marathon is to turn off” (The Washington Post). 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. Directed by James Burrows is a heart-and-soul master class in sitcom, revealing what it truly takes to get a laugh.

In Rose Eichenbaum’s latest book on the confluence of art making and human expression, she sits down with thirty-five modern day storytellers—the directors of theater, film, and television. Eichenbaum’s subjects speak with revealing clarity about the entertainment industry, the role and life of the director, and how theatrical and cinematic storytelling impacts our culture and our lives. The Director Within includes interviews with Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show), Julie Taymor (The Lion King), Mel Brooks (Blazing Saddles), Tim Van Patten (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire), Hal Prince (The Phantom of the Opera), Barry Levinson (Rain Man), and many others. The interviews are skillfully crafted, sensitively executed, and brimming with honesty and insight. The accompanying portraits demonstrate Eichenbaum’s mastery of photography and convey the truth, depth, and intimacy of their subjects. The Director Within is an inspirational, informative, and entertaining resource for anyone interested in creativity, art making, and artistic collaboration. The book includes a listing of works from each of the directors.

Cheers TV Show: A Comprehensive Reference is authored by a sitcom expert who penned the most comprehensive reference book that has ever been written about the show. This definitive guide is the best resource for any fan who is intrigued and enthralled by one of the all-time classic television situation comedies. The contents have been thoroughly researched and all 275 episodes meticulously analyzed to develop an unabridged, credible reference source. Individual chapters are devoted to biographies of the cast (Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Kirstie Alley, Kelsey Grammar, Woody Harrelson, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Bebe Neuwirth, Nicholas Colasanto) and narratives of their respective characters (Sam Malone, Diane Chambers, Rebecca Howe, Frasier Crane, Woody Boyd, Carla Tortelli-LeBec, Norm Peterson, Cliff Clavin, Lilith Sternin-Crane, Coach) to provide a thoughtful examination of their persona. Additional chapters are committed to a biography of the show from its inception through the series finale, and a narrative of the fictional Cheers bar, including bar regulars and memorable patrons (Robin Colcord, John Hill, Eddie LeBec, Nick Tortelli, Kelly Gaines, Melville’s, Gary’s Olde Towne Tavern, Bull & Finch Pub). Another section offers a detailed description of each Cheers episode in chronological order based on airing dates from 1982 to 1993. The summaries contain technical credits, episode writers, directors, and guest actors (with highlights of significant movie and television credits). The final chapter provides a listing of the Emmy nominations and awards earned over the show's eleven-year span of television dominance. In sum, this book is the most extensive analysis of Cheers available on the market. No other source is more complete, accurate, or extensive. Photos included.

This comprehensive reference work first presents an historical overview of the program. Biographies of the show s performers are followed by biographies of the characters. An exhaustive episode guide for all 295 shows includes cast and credits, guest stars, plot synopses, original air dates, featured subplots, and quotations."

**A New York Times Editor's Choice selection!** This outrageous and hilarious memoir follows a film and television director’s life, from his idiosyncratic upbringing to his unexpected career as the director behind such huge film franchises as The Addams Family and Men in Black. Barry Sonnenfeld's philosophy is, "Regret the Past. Fear the Present. Dread the Future." Told in his unmistakable voice, Barry Sonnenfeld, Call Your Mother is a laugh-out-loud memoir about coming of age. Constantly threatened with suicide by his over-protective mother, disillusioned by the father he worshiped, and abused by a demonic relative, Sonnenfeld somehow went on to become one of Hollywood's most successful producers and directors. Written with poignant insight and real-life irony, the book follows Sonnenfeld from childhood as a French horn player through graduate film school at NYU, where he developed his talent for cinematography. His first job after graduating was shooting nine feature length pornos in nine days. From that humble entrée, he went on to form a friendship with the Coen Brothers, launching his career shooting their first three films. Though Sonnenfeld had no ambition to direct, Scott Rudin convinced him to be the director of The Addams Family. It was a successful career move. He went on to direct many more films and television shows. Will Smith once joked that he wanted to take Sonnenfeld to Philadelphia public schools and say, "If this guy could end up as a successful film director on big budget films, anyone can." This book is a fascinating and hilarious roadmap for anyone who thinks they can't succeed in life because of a rough beginning.

The Encyclopedia of Television, second edtion is the first major reference work to provide description, history, analysis, and information on more than 1100 subjects related to television in its international context. For a full list of entries, contributors, and more, visit the Encyclo pedia of Television, 2nd edition website.