Hollywood Week: James Burrows, Penske Buying Spree, Nick Reiner, Knicks Parade

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Category: Entertainment News

Published on Saturday, 20 June 2026 10:18

Written by Janet Walker

James Burrows, the eleven times Emmy award winning television director and legendary creative mastermind behind such 1990s situation comedies as "Friends," "Will & Grace," "Cheers," "Taxi," and "The Big Bang Theory," died peacefully Friday, in Los Angeles. He was 85.

James Burrows, Celebrated Sitcom Creator, Director, Dies

James Burrows, the celebrated producer and director of many of the sitcoms that dominated the 1990s television lineup, died peacefully, Friday of natural causes, surrounded by his family.

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His career spanned six decades and began directing episodes of "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," after he sent her a letter asking to work for her company. He moved to Los Angeles, and eventually was hired by Moore's husband, Grant Tinker.

"After "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," he directed episodes of the spinoffs "Rhoda" and "Phyllis" and later "The Bob Newhart Show," "Laverne & Shirley" and "Taxi." In 1982, he teamed up with the writer-producer brothers Glen and Les Charles, whom he knew from "Taxi," to create "Cheers," which changed the trajectory of his career and eventually brought him vast wealth through syndication and residuals," The New York Times reported.

With an innate ability to find the laugh, and in his words, "build families," he continued building situation comedies, where groups of people, chosen families bound together by work, life, friendship, become a cohesive unit delivering 30 minutes of feel good moments once a week. His shows delivered to audiences a sense of belonging, which is partly the reason behind the success.

His successes including directing 1000 episodes over 100 different shows, directing all but 35 episodes of the 275 episodes of "Cheers," directing 243 episodes of "Will & Grace," directing 75 pilot episodes that became television series, earning 48 lifetime Primetime Emmy nominations, Burrows won 11 split into two categories, five for directing and six for producing,

"Our Guild has lost a legend," Directors Guild of America President Christopher Nolan said in a statement Friday. "With more than 40 years directing more than 1,000 episodes of the most critically acclaimed and audience-beloved sitcoms of all time, James Burrows was the modern master of the sophisticated comedy and a beloved member of the DGA," The Los Angeles Times reported.

He is survived by his wife, four daughters, and seven grandchildren.

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Penske Picks Up Vox Leftovers

Jay Penske, the son of automotive giant Roger Penske, has slowly posited himself as a major media player in the landscape of digital magazines and this week expanded his media holdings picking up the remainder of Vox Media's assets.

"Penske is buying Eater, which focuses on food and dining; The Verge, known for its coverage of technology; The Dodo, which publishes animal videos; Popsugar, a health and wellness site; Punch, which specializes in drinks and cocktails; SB Nation, for sports fans; and Thrillist, a travel site," The New York Times reported.

Penske, who already owns Deadline Hollywood, Fairchild Fashion Media, IndieWire, Variety, GoldDerby, Robb Report, Rolling Stone, ARTNews, also owns the Golden Globes and South by Southwest Film Festival.

The breakup of Vox Media, one of the last independent media brands built in the digital magazine bubble of the early 2000, was facilitated by the recent deal that sold James Murdoch, 50% of the Vox empire including New York Magazine, and the Vox podcasting library.

The remaining assets were ripe for acquiring and further solidifies Penske Media Corporation as a major media company.

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NBA Champion New York Knicks Parade

The NBA Champions New York Knicks were lauded with a ticker tape parade, through lower Manhattan's Canyon of Hero's, treating the more than 2million people, who lined the streets to help celebrate the magical moment of the first New York Knicks championship in 53 years.

New York Knicks fans, some who lined up early in the predawn hours, others paid enterprising place holders, who were charging up to $600, to secure the front row or bird's eye view as the New York Knick's along with many of the front row celebrities who cheered them on throughout the series, rolled through on double-decker open buses.

Determined New York Knick fans descended upon lower Manhattan in surprising numbers, forcing some stations to close at 4:30AM, and every station south of Canal Street, closed by 7:30AM. Only nine arrests were made during the entire parade, which in a crowd of this size, is shocking.

Blue, orange and white confetti, the colors of the New York Knicks, rained down throughout the parade route capping a magical season. Mayor Zohran Mamdani hosted the parade, and rode the float earlier with the Knicks players, down through lower Manhattan to City Hall, where the mayor presented the team with keys to the city. some who waited a lifetime to witness the unbelievable, were lauded with a ticker tape parade through the Canyon of Hero's that became one of the rare New York moments.

Celebrities attending included John Turturro, Mary J. Blige, Jadakiss, Fabolous, the Wu-Tang Clan and, Fat Joe. Other celebrities celebrating the new York Knicks included "Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Timothée Chalamet, Tracy Morgan, Chris Rock, Mariska Hargitay, Edie Falco, Jon Stewart, Martha Stewart, Steve Schirripa, Matthew Modine, Teyana Taylor and Ja Rule," YahooEntertainment.com reported. Alicia Keys provided the entertainment. Also helping the Knicks celebrate were former New York Knicks players, Patrick Ewing, Carmelo Anthony, Latrell Sprewell, Larry Johnson, Amar'e Stoudemire, Allan Houston, Stephon Marbury, John Starks and Walt Frazier. 

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Nick Reiner Update

Jodi Montgomery, the trustee of Nick Reiner's trust fund, has agreed to file the paperwork in Los Angeles Superior Court, to have funds Reiner was supposed to receive two years ago, on his 30th birthday, released.

The petition, agreeing to the release of funds, will be the second received by the Judge Theresa McGonigle assigned in the case of The People of the State of California versus Nick Reiner, for the murder of his parents, Rob Reiner, 70, and Michelle Singer Reiner, 70, in December 2025.

Defense attorney Alan Jackson, the one-time attorney for the accused, also supported the petition to have the monies released in order to fund his defense. Jackson has repeatedly told the media that Reiner is not guilty under California law for the crimes he has been accused of committing.

Reiner is seeking the release of the funds in order to rehire Jackson as his attorney.

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Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade.  A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five award-winning screenplays "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She has also published "Unholy Alliances: A True Crime Story," a non-fiction narrative, "Days, Times, Seasons, and Events: A Collection of Poetry & Prose," and "Songs of Freedom: A Collection of Biblical Teachings," which can be purchased here. She is a member of the Authors Guild, the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and a member of the International Federation of Journalists.