Sitcom Titan Dies

James Burrows, the prolific television director and co-creator of “Cheers,” died Friday at 85, his family confirmed in a statement saying he passed away peacefully surrounded by relatives. Across more than five decades, Burrows directed more than 1,000 episodes of landmark sitcoms including “Cheers,” “Taxi,” “Friends,” “Will & Grace,” “Frasier” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” He won 11 Emmy Awards, earned dozens of nominations and was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame in 2006, cementing his reputation as one of TV comedy’s defining creative forces. A cause of death was not immediately provided.