It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
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 With friends like these… you're screwed.
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It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American adult sitcom created by Rob McElhenney. It first debuted on FX in August of 2005 and ran for 8 seasons, but in 2013, it moved to FXX, still airing new episodes.
Plot
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia follows the Gang, a group of amoral friends who own and work at Paddy's Pub, a relatively unsuccessful Irish bar in South Philadelphia.
Why It's Always Sunny
- The main cast of characters ("the Gang") are often portrayed as malicious and narcissistic, but the writers don't make the audience sympathize with them, making their unpleasantness comedic yet not overwhelming.
- Since the Gang are all so extreme with their awful and bizarre traits, it's made funnier when they interact with regular people.
- While their behavior could not be excused in a real world setting, they all have different reasons for being the way they are. This makes the awfulness unique for each character. For example, Mac will often go extreme lengths for his father's attention, leading other characters to get caught in the crossfire, while Dee will try to sabotage someone who ended up better than her because of her lack of positive validation from the rest of the Gang.
- Good use of public domain music, like Heinz Kiessling's "Temptation Sensation" as the opening theme.
- Cast has remarkable chemistry with each other. The casting is considered notable especially after the inclusion of Danny DeVito in season 2.
- Aside from the Gang, there are plenty of memorable reoccurring characters. The most beloved being Rickety Cricket, the Waitress, Artemis, and the McPoyles.
- Most episodes foreshadow the ending. While random gags aren't uncommon, a lot of plot elements stay consistent and feel deserved, making the extremeness of the schemes not only funny but also comprehensible.
- Episodes that have been acclaimed by fans include:
- "The D.E.N.N.I.S. System"
- "The Gang Wrestles for the Troops"
- "Dee Raynolds: Shaping America's Youth"
- "Paddy's Pub: Home of the Original Kitten Mittens"
- "Bums: Making a Mess All Over the City"
- "Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack"
- "The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis"
- "The Gang Hits the Slopes"
- "The Gang Buys a Boat"
- "The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore"
- "The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition"
- "The Nightman Cometh"
- "Who Pooped the Bed?"
- "The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award"
- "Mac Day"
- "Frank Reynolds' Little Beauties"
- "Being Frank"
- "The Gang Saves the Day"
- "The Gang Goes to a Water Park"
- "Gun Fever"
- "Gun Fever Too: Still Hot"
- "Thunder Gun Express"
- "The Gang Wins the Big Game"
- Many consistently humorous running gags, such as Charlie's fondness for weird food. I.e.: "Milksteak".
- Though most episodes are unpolitical, the writers don't ever particularly lean to one political perspective.
- "Charlie Wants an Abortion"
- "Dee Reynolds: Shaping America's Youth"
- "Fun Fever Too: Still Hot"
- "The Gang Makes Lethal Weapon 7"
- The following cast members such as Rob McElhenney (Mac McDonald who also created and co-developed the series and serving as executive producer, co-writer, and occasional director) and Sandy Martin (Mrs. McDonald) are Philadelphia natives.
Bad Qualities
- Season 1 is a bit slow for the start of the series.
- Some of the humor hasn't aged well and can be considered poor taste nowadays, like the episode titled "Sweet Dee's Dating a Retarded Person".
- Rob McElhenny himself regrets how Carmen's storyline went.
- In season 15, their trip to Ireland didn't sit well with fans. Especially with Charlie's 'true' father's identity revealed.
Trivia
- The first working title for the show was Jerks.
- The original pilot for the show was titled It's Always Sunny on TV, and took place in Los Angeles, featuring Rob, Glenn, and Charlie as struggling actors trying to pitch a TV show.
- Sweet Dee was originally portrayed by McElhenney's then-girlfriend, Jordan Reid.
- Sweet Dee was supposed to be the voice of reason, but Kaitlin Olson argued that the character was 'too boring' and 'a kind person wouldn’t associate with bad people' so her character was rewritten.
- Olson suggested writing the character like they would a man.
Videos
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