Twenty years is a long time to keep a show running on television, but that is exactly how long it’s been since It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia made its debut on FX in 2005. The show has since established itself as the longest-running sitcom on television with sixteen seasons under its belt and Season 17 only recently released. The show’s historic run has inspired a new book about itself, with pop-culture journalist Kimberly Potts releasing a book titled It’s (Almost) Always Sunny in Philadelphia: How Three Friends Spent $200 to Create the Longest-Running Live-Action Sitcom in History and Help Build a Network. The new book, which was released alongside the show’s seventeenth season, which arrived on July 9, looks to unravel the secrets of the show’s iconic run.
Potts delves into the sitcom’s origins, chronicles its rise, while dissecting what has propelled the FX comedy show to enduring popularity despite the passing years. Ultimately, the work helps us understand the show’s beating heart. In a conversation with ScreenRant, Potts explains exactly what makes the show work — and it’s simpler than you think. At the heart of the FX comedy, everyone is just having a good time. Potts echoed this sentiment in her comments which read:
“The thing that stands out most is overall is just how much everybody has a good time on the show. Going there as a guest star, one of the recurring actors, the crew, the writers, they all just like they tell me something and laugh as they were telling it, because they were clearly thinking back on some happy memory. The writers, especially, we’re talking a lot about what it’s like being in the room and how a lot of them were in college when they first saw the show and never really saw themselves or could even imagine themselves becoming writers in the room.”
Within the entertainment industry, it wouldn’t be entirely shocking if negative press surrounded certain projects or individuals after a while. However, Potts reveals that this hasn’t been the case with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. “But it becomes a job. Even if it’s your dream job, at some point,” Potts explains. “But no one ever had a bad thing to say. And that’s pretty unusual about a show that’s gone on that long… I think part of the reason we accept so much [the Gang’s] behavior and find it funny is we allow ourselves to because we have spent 20 years getting to know the real humans behind them, quite a bit — off and on and in other projects. And so we trust that they’re nothing like the characters. It’s okay to laugh at their hijinks on camera. I think there is complete positivity surrounding this show, and I think that’s a big part of its longevity.”
‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ Has No Plans to Slow Down
There is more to come as the show continues to make history and entertain its audience along the way. July 9 brought with it the first two episodes ofthe milestone-marking 17th Season. The show’s co-creators, Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney, and Glenn Howerton, who play Charlie, Mac, and Dennis, have remained main stays at the helm of the series, helping ensure its success. Joining them to help bring the show to audiences is the exceptionally talented Danny DeVito, who plays Frank Reynolds. Season 17 might have only just kicked off, but while speaking with us recently, the actor revealed that plans were already in motion regarding Season 18. “We start at the end of January,” the actor revealed.
The first two episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s seventeenth season are now streaming on Hulu.
Source: ScreenRant
