Television Legend James Burrows Dies at 85

If you've ever laughed at a sitcom over the past 50 years, there's a good chance you were watching something shaped by television legend James Burrows.

Burrows, one of the most influential figures in TV comedy history, has died at the age of 85.

Over a remarkable career spanning more than five decades, Burrows directed, produced and wrote some of the most beloved sitcoms ever made. Along the way, he won 11 Emmy Awards and directed more than 1,000 television episodes.

His fingerprints are all over the golden age of television comedy.

Burrows helped pioneer the modern multi-camera sitcom format and got his start directing episodes of classic shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Laverne & Shirley and The Bob Newhart Show.

His first Emmy Award came for directing Taxi, the groundbreaking comedy that launched and elevated the careers of stars including Danny DeVito, Andy Kaufman and Tony Danza.

Burrows went on to direct an astonishing 236 episodes of Cheers and helped create one of television's most successful comedy universes.

RELATED: Cheers Star George Wendt Has Passed Away at 76

He later worked on the hit spin-off Frasier and became a guiding force behind countless other successful series.

His résumé also included iconic shows such as Friends, 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Big Bang Theory and Mike & Molly.

More recently, Burrows stepped in front of the camera for a rare acting appearance in The Comeback, reuniting with Lisa Kudrow in a self-deprecating look at life behind the scenes of sitcom television.

While most viewers never saw his face, they certainly felt his impact.

James Burrows helped create the soundtrack of countless living rooms, giving audiences some of the funniest moments in television history and influencing generations of comedy writers, actors and directors.