On May 13, 2004, “Frasier” concluded one of the most-watched episodes in television history. That leaves 11 seasons, 265 episodes and several records, including being the comedy with the most Emmy awards in history, 37 (until Game of Thrones, it was the most awarded series, drama or comedy). Derived from the also very successful film “Cheers”, it is about the adventures of Dr. an even more uptight psychiatrist.
Like almost everything on television, Frasier is returning. This happens on Friday the 3rd on SkyShowtime and with many changes. Now Frasier (Kelsey Grammer returns) moves to Boston to repair his relationship with his son, a young firefighter who had little contact with his father. The generational and class conflict is addressed once again.
Television has changed in the nearly 20 years that Frasier has been gone, the audience has changed, even the humor has changed. But there are things that don’t change. “Frasier” is still an old sitcom, recorded in a studio in front of an audience and with live laughter. James Burrows (Los Angeles, 82 years old), a true television legend, knows more about it than anyone. He has directed more than 1,000 episodes and was responsible for more than 30 pilot episodes. An institution on American television, Burrows began directing episodes of The Mary Moore Tyler Show in 1974. Half a century later, he considers himself semi-retired, but still returns to the medium from time to time, as he did to direct the first two chapters of this resurrection, directing his friend Kelsey Grammer. “We have known each other for 40 years, we love each other very much,” he says about his collaboration with the actor.
The cast of the new “Frasier” with James Burrows. From top left: Nicholas Lyndhurst, James Burrows and Anders Keith. Below: Jess Salgueiro, Kelsey Grammer, Jack Cutmore-Scott and Toks Olagundoye. Chris Haston/Paramount+
“I initially went back to directing because I wanted to protect the character of Frasier and make sure Kelsey came up with a good script. And Chris [Harris] and Joe [Cristalli, los guionistas del regreso de la serie] You did a great job. The word semi comes before retired because I like to work two or three times a year. “I don’t know if I could shoot all the episodes of a series again, but shooting these two episodes in February was a wonderful and invigorating experience,” Burrows said in an interview with EL PAÍS via video call in late September.
“The character of Frasier remains the same, he has not evolved over these years. “You don’t want to rewrite the Bible, you want to make sure the character stays the same,” he explains of this return. “He is a universal character and the man who plays him is an incredible actor. He’s pompous, but he makes him vulnerable so the audience can relate to him, and that’s an actor’s gift. “Now the writers have written a new series with him surrounded by new people that puts this pompous guy in new situations and it’s really fun,” says Burrows about the return of Frasier.
Nicholas Lyndhurst and Kelsey Grammer, in the first episode of Frasier’s return. Chris Haston/Paramount+
Although nearly half a century has passed since he started television, he still remembers how he got into the medium and what made him fall in love with it. “I was lucky because what I do in this medium is actually theater. I record a work with my cameras. I come from the theater, my father worked in the theater [Abe Burrows, humorista, escritor y director de radio y teatro que ganó un premio Tony y un Pulitzer]. He took me with him and saw how he worked. Then I had the opportunity to do a sitcom, The Girl on TV, which was the first show I did. I knew Mary [Tyler Moore]. My theater training helped me a lot. The cameras, all the technical stuff, I was able to learn that. But you can’t learn how to talk to actors, which is funny, how to deal with situations in the theater world.” He also remembers his first day on television. “Of course I remember, I was very careful. [lo dice en español]. I was really scared that day. I was a guy coming from New York, I had no credibility for them other than I knew Mary. But I worked very hard on this series and in the end they were very happy with my work. And the rest is history.”
Specifically, the rest is television history. Winner of 11 Emmy Awards, he was nominated for these awards every year from 1980 to 2005, with the sole exception of 1997. He has been behind the camera of virtually every major American television comedy. He was responsible for 75 episodes of Taxi, he is co-creator of Cheers (he directed 237 of the 271 episodes), he is responsible for 32 episodes of the original Frasier, 15 episodes of Friends (including the first) and the 246 episodes of Will & Grace, the entire series from start to finish, including its resurrection five years ago.
This theater boy found that sitcoms recorded with a live audience allowed him to stay in touch with people. “Throughout my career, I have always made series that were recorded in front of a live audience. When you do a series in front of the audience, you get their reaction. His laughter fills the place with energy. That’s where I grew up and I still do. And I love it, for me it’s the best way to make television.”
Director James Burrows, in an image from SkyShowtime.Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank
In the end, Burrows became the person comedies turned to to get off to a good start. When asked how he chose the series he worked on, he thinks for a few seconds before answering. “The script is the main thing, I have to like it. It’s not necessarily the idea that matters, but rather the implementation of the idea. A bar in Boston isn’t a fascinating idea, but the execution was incredible. “Six friends sitting in a café isn’t a great idea, but what’s important is how it was implemented.”
In addition to the script, other factors play a role in the success of a series, according to James Burrows’ experience. “You have to be lucky with the actors because you don’t know if they’re going to be stars or not, they have to be available… And then they have to put the series in a good place in the starting lineup” so that it doesn’t get canceled. Since there were no stars in the series I made, we turned them into stars so there is no reason for viewers to watch them. It is a compendium of all of this. Before the first episode is recorded, an audience is selected to watch the series, and if that test audience likes the series, it will be a success.”
Of all the titles he’s worked on, Burrows doesn’t hesitate to highlight the ones he’s most proud of. “Cheers is without a doubt number 1. The Charles Brothers [Glen y Les Charles], who created the series, were so kind that they also gave me credit for authorship, so for me it’s like a baby that I gave birth to. And then Will & Grace, it was a lot of fun and made me very happy, I loved that show and also Frasier because I love Kelsey very much.”
From his semi-retired position, we asked James Burrows for advice for anyone wanting to get into television, something he’s learned throughout his career. “I always say: Try to be on a show in some way. As a job, as a screenwriter’s assistant, as a driver… be part of the production because eventually someone will see you and maybe give you a chance. But when that opportunity comes, you have to be ready because it only happens once. You have to be ready to take advantage of the opportunity when it presents itself.” Words from a television legend.
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