Sitcom Master Directs Michael Urie in PARTNERS

Tonight on CBS, the new sitcom PARTNERS debuts. It's from the creators of WILL AND GRACE and stars Michael Urie, who was in my second feature WTC VIEW (which he did right after graduating from Juilliard). It's about two best friends, one gay and one straight, who run an architecture firm and it's inspired by the real life friend between creators Max Mutchnick and David Kohan.

I found an interesting story on NPR today about the director of tonight's pilot episode, James Burrows. He's directed more than 50 TV pilots over the last 20 some years, starting with TAXI and including other hits like CHEERS, FRIENDS and THE BIG BANG THEORY.  He has an interesting theory about directing sitcoms too--he often does it with his eyes closed. Literally. He says it's more important to hear the show, like radio. Which I guess why NPR did a feature on him :)