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Jack Burns

Jack Burns

Actor and writer, also producer · Died January 26, 2020, aged 86 · Boston, Massachusetts, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia John Francis Burns (November 15, 1933 – January 26, 2020) was an American comedian, actor, voice actor, writer, and producer. During the 1960s he was part of two stand-up comedy partnerships, first with George Carlin and later Avery Schreiber. By the 1970s he had transitioned to working behind the camera as a writer and producer on such comedy series as The Muppet Show and Hee Haw.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 15, 1933
Died
January 26, 2020 (aged 86)
From
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Works as
Actor and writer, also producer
Titles
17 on MovieCove · 37 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Down 32% in 30 days

What are Jack Burns' films like?

Across their 11 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Bonds.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
41%
Bonds
24%
Ideas
12%
Self
11%
Power
9%
Morality
4%
Community5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship3 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt3 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 8 · Serious 1 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 2 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 0

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 6 · Charged 2 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 5 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 2

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 8

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 5 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 9 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
8
Warm
5
Absurd
6
Tense
1
Hopeful
2

How their films linger

Feel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy7
  • Bittersweet1
  • Tragic1
  • Cyclical2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Jack Burns' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 8 of their 17 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Jack Burns' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

37 credits, 17 with a MovieCove page; 8 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Muppet Script (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Original Film Writer

  • The Pitts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Mystery Man #1

  • Sour Grapes(1998)

    as Eulogist

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Animaniacs(1993)

    Show 3 episodes · as Sid the Squid (voice)

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows

  • The Detectives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Bouncer

  • Double Vision (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Angry Cab Driver

  • Sunday Pursuit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

    as Taxi driver

  • RoboCop 2(1990)

    Stunts

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Happy Birthday, Bugs!: 50 Looney Years(1990)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 1 episode · as Edward Christian (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • CBS Summer Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Bud Stone

  • Golden Anniversary of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs(1987)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • It's Garry Shandling's Show.(1986)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • Muppet Video: Gonzo Presents Muppet Weird Stuff(1985)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Muppet Video: Muppet Treasures(1985)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Muppet Video: Rowlf's Rhapsodies with the Muppets(1985)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Duke

  • John Ritter: Being of Sound Mind and Body(1980)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Muppet Movie(1979)

    Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Peter Pan (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Teleplay · Writer

  • The Muppet Show(1976)

    Show 120 episodes · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Burns and Schreiber Comedy Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 10 episodes · Actor

  • Wait Till Your Father Gets Home(1972)

    Show 48 episodes · as Ralph Kane (voice)

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all shows

  • Getting Together (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 14 episodes · Actor

  • The Partridge Family(1970)

    Show 1 episode · as Stillman Kelly

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all shows

  • Nanny and the Professor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · as Deputy Sheriff Preston Steele · as Ralph Kane (voice)

  • Hee Haw (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer · as Parent in PTA meeting

  • The Night They Raided Minsky's(1968)

    as Candy Butcher

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • That's Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Show 1 episode · as Frank Donaldson

  • Occasional Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • The Dean Martin Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Goldstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    as Truck Driver / Policeman

  • The Andy Griffith Show(1960)

    Show 10 episodes · as Deputy Warren Ferguson · as Warren Ferguson

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Kraft Music Hall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer · as Self

Career shape

Star power in the 49th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 35 titles from 1958 to 2025; peak year 1998.

Biggest box office

The Muppet Movie (1979)

$66M worldwide

Highest rated

The Muppet Movie (1979)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

Fridays (1980)

Film career

19582025

Peak 1998 · steadily prominent in film for years. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting23 of 35: 22 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thWriting12 of 35: 10 only writing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score79thProducing1 of 35: 0 only producing, 1 with another roleOther crew1 of 35: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1950s1 · crew1960s10 · 9 acting · 2 crew1970s8 · 5 acting · 3 crew1980s7 · 3 acting · 4 crew1990s7 · 5 acting · 2 crew2000s1 · acting2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Jack Burns' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 10; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 79th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

79thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

23rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 17 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up9
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th4

Shape of the crowd

6 of their 17 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Loved with Detractors1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser3
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · writer, producer

Muppet Video: Muppet Treasures (1985)

98th percentile spread · 26% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

The Muppet Movie (1979)

Midcredits 95th · 82% liked

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 3 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Jack Burns work with?

People who share at least 2 of Jack Burns' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Jerry Juhl shares the most, 4.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers

Mixed roles