Monday night, the Television Academy presented An Evening Honoring James Burrows at the Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in the NoHo Arts District, CA.
Stars from Burrows’ best-loved shows such as Taxi, Cheers, Will & Grace, Mike & Molly and the new CBS series The Millers each went up on-stage to salute the iconic television director.
The sold-out evening was filled with laughter as cast members shared candid behind-the-scenes stories from their days on set with Burrows. Among the night’s many highlights were special surprise appearances starting with Friends alum Jennifer Aniston.
When asked by moderator Pete Hammond if there would ever be a Friends reunion, Aniston said “I’d honestly go back to it if we could I would,” but joked “I don’t think people would want to see us today.”
The second surprise guest of the night was television icon, Bob Newhart.
Fresh from his first-ever Emmy win (Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series, The Big Bang Theory), Newhart arrived on-stage with his Emmy and shared, “I never let it (Emmy) out my sight.
The evening featured the following panelists: Jennifer Aniston (Friends), Beau Bridges (The Millers), Danny DeVito (Taxi), Billy Gardell (Mike & Molly), Swoosie Kurtz (Mike & Molly), Warren Littlefield (Former President, NBC Entertainment), Christopher Lloyd (Taxi), Chuck Lorre (EP, The Big Bang Theory / Two and a Half Men / Mike & Molly), Margo Martindale (The Millers), Eric McCormack (Will & Grace), Debra Messing (Will & Grace), Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), Louis Mustillo (Mike & Molly), Bob Newhart (The Bob Newhart Show), Nyambi Nyambi (Mike & Molly), Rhea Perlman (Cheers), John Ratzenberger (Cheers), Jay Sandrich (Director, Mary Tyler Moore) and George Wendt (Cheers).