the nbc comedy Health it ran for 11 seasons, but it took until season 6 to make the show as originally conceived. James Burrows co-created Health with Les and Glen Charles. Their first season strayed away from their original idea, but season 6 gave them a chance to get back to it, as Burrows explained in a recent interview.
Burrows was a guest on the Conan O’Brien needs a friend podcast on September 4 to discuss his book, Directed by James Burrows. He told O’Brien about the creation Healthand how season 6 returned to the original tone.
The original idea of ’Cheers’
Before HealthBurrows and the Charles brothers worked together on Cab. The Charles were producers and writers on the James L. Brooks show directed by Burrows. Towards the end, they started talking about creating their own show that would become Health
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“We had the same agent say, ‘You guys should do your own show,’” Burrows said in Conan O’Brien needs a friend. “We love fawlty towers so we thought of a hotel. Then we think of the bar and then we think of a bar in Barstow. We’re all sports fans, so let’s go do something in Boston or Philly. We chose Boston, we formulated these characters. The original conception of the show, believe it or not, was Sam Malone, the lothario who works for a woman.”
‘Cheers’ season 6 finally had Sam working for a woman
the pilot for Health He showed Diane Chambers (Shelley Long) reach Health after her fiancé leaves her. She becomes a waitress and the love interest of the bartender and owner. Sam (Ted Danson). After five seasons, Long left Health. Season 6 introduced Rebecca Howe (Kirstie Alley), who works for the corporation that bought the bar from Sam. When Sam must go back to work as a bartender, he now works for Rebecca.
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“When Shelley decided she didn’t want to do the show anymore, we had to break them up and go back to the original conception of the show when we sat down to talk about it, which is Sam working for a woman.” Burrows said.
James Burrows and the Charles brothers go back further than ‘Taxi’
Les and Glen Charles also wrote for Phillies Y The Bob Newhart Show, which Burrows directed. So Health it was a long time coming for them.
It was a wonderful experience. I met the boys, I call them the boys, the brothers in Phillies. They were story editors and I was the permanent editor the first year. I met them then and we reconnected in Cab. They were the producers and I was the director of Cab which was a wonderfully funny show but it was really difficult. It was my first time using four cameras and I had this cast that was interplanetary. We went through a lot. At the time, Jim Brooks, who is one of the great minds in comedy, was also making a movie, so he wasn’t there some days. There were other producers who had certain ideas. The show went well, but it was very difficult.
James Burrows, Conan O’Brien needs a friend9/4/22
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