James Burrows and Future Islands

Episode 177

5th May 2015

Jesse sits down with Emmy-winning sitcom guru James Burrows, who co-created Cheers and has directed a whole heap of pilots for hugely successful sitcoms including Taxi, Friends, Will & Grace and The Big Bang Theory. He’ll talk about working with Andy Kaufman (and Andy’s alter-ego Tony Clifton) and the distinct challenges of directing sitcoms. Later, Samuel Herring of synth-pop band Future Islands shares the song that changed his life and Jesse pays tribute to the revolutionary afrobeat of Fela Kuti.

Episode notes

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Photo by Jesse Thorn

Sitcom Guru James Burrows on Andy Kaufman, Teaching Ted Danson to Tend Bar, and Why He’s Still Directing

Forty-one years ago, James Burrows stepped on the set of The Mary Tyler Moore Show to direct an episode. It was his very first gig as a TV director. Since then, he co-created Cheers and became known as the go-to guy to direct your sitcom pilot. He’s directed more than fifty pilot episodes, including those for Taxi, Frasier, Will & Grace, Friends, Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory, and he adds more to his resume every season.

Burrows is the son of the famous playwright Abe Burrows, who wrote the book for Broadway musicals like Guys and Dolls and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.

James Burrows will talk about creating his own career path on television, working with Andy Kaufman (and Andy’s alter-ego Tony Clifton), brainstorming the elements that would become Cheers, and why he continues to direct.

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Photo: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Samuel Herring of Future Islands Explains Why Joy Division’s “Digital” Changed His Life

Samuel Herring, the frontman for the synth-pop band Future Islands, grew up loving hip hop (as he still does).

But there’s a rock song that helped him put him on the path to forming the band Future Islands with bandmate William Cashion. And that song is Joy Division’s “Digital”. It’s the song that changed his life.

Future Islands just released two brand-new singles, and they’re out on tour this summer and fall to promote their newest album, titled Singles.

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The Outshot: The Revolutionary Afrobeat of Fela Kuti

Jesse pays tribute to the feeling of Fela.

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In this episode...

Senior Producer
Producer
Maximum Fun Producer
Maximum Fun Production Fellow

Guests

  • James Burrows
  • Samuel Herring

About the show

Bullseye is a celebration of the best of arts and culture in public radio form. Host Jesse Thorn sifts the wheat from the chaff to bring you in-depth interviews with the most revered and revolutionary minds in our culture.

Bullseye has been featured in Time, The New York Times, GQ and McSweeney’s, which called it “the kind of show people listen to in a more perfect world.” Since April 2013, the show has been distributed by NPR.

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Senior Producer

Producer

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Maximum Fun Production Fellow

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