Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Sitcom Directors Recorded For Posterity

I keep meaning to write a piece about directors of three-camera sitcoms -- the heirs of the tradition of fast-paced, snappy stage comedy directors like George Abbott. I haven't had time yet, but I'll note that two of the "stars" of the sitcom-directing world have recently had a chance to do DVD commentaries, which sitcom directors don't usually get to do. Jay Sandrich (son of Astaire-Rogers director Mark Sandrich, principal director of "Mary Tyler Moore," "Soap," and "The Cosby Show," does a commentary on an episode of "The Cosby Show, Season 2" (which, unlike the first-season set, presents the episodes uncut). And on the new set of "The Bob Newhart Show," Season 3, Jim Burrows (the son of the writer/director of Broadway comedies and musicals, Abe Burrows), of "Taxi," "Cheers" and about seven jillion pilots, does a commentary on the episode "The Way We Weren't."

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