NBC's James Burrows Special Is Going to Inspire a Lot of TV Crossover Fan Fiction

Your first look at the massive gathering of TV stars on hand to celebrate James Burrows

By Billy Nilles Feb 10, 2016 12:00 AMTags
James Burrows Special, Friends, Will & Grace, Taxi, NBCNBC

Have you ever wondered what it might look like if Monica Gellar and Karen Walker hung out? You're about to find out.

New photos from Must See TV: An All-Star Tribute to James Burrows have arrived and they're staggering. The amount of talent on hand to celebrate James Burrows, one of TV's most prolific directors, as he reaches a landmark 1,000 episodes directed just may take your breath away. Sure, five of the six Friends were there for the event, airing Sunday, Feb. 21, but also present are stars from Will & Grace, Frasier, The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Cheers, Taxi, Wings, Mike & Molly, and NBC's upcoming Crowded. They all filled up what must've been the funniest room in the history of rooms—and then they started mixing and matching for the cameras. Fan fiction writers, get your engines running!

"There is nobody with better TV comedy instincts than Jimmy Burrows, and because of his guiding hand these remarkable shows will be forever celebrated and stand the test of time," Paul Telegdy, president of alternative and late night programming at NBC Entertainment, said in statement. "The caliber of talent joining us to celebrate Jimmy's accomplishments is a testament to his imprint in television history."

We're all still bummed that Matthew Perry couldn't be among the talent in the room—though he and a majority of the missing actors from all the casts delivered pre-taped segments—and even David Schwimmer admitted to E! News that he was "sad" about his friend's absence, though he reminded us of the real reason everyone gathered. (Hint: Not to give us the Friends reunion we keep demanding.) "We're all going to be there honoring someone we love very much, Jimmy Burrows, the great director," he said. 

Must See TV: An All-Star Tribute to James Burrows airs Sunday, Feb. 21 at 9 p.m. on NBC. To see all the photos from the big night, be sure to click on our gallery below!

(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)