It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Infobox Television
show_name = It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia


caption = Season 1 & 2 DVD Box
rated =
format = Sitcom
runtime = approx. 21 min.
creator = Rob McElhenney
developer = Rob McElhenney
Glenn Howerton
starring = Charlie Day
Glenn Howerton
Rob McElhenney
Kaitlin Olson
Danny DeVito
country = Flagicon|USA United States
network = FX
opentheme = "Temptation Sensation" by Heinz Kiessling
first_aired = August 4, 2005
last_aired = present
num_seasons = 4
num_episodes = 39
list_episodes = List of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia episodes
imdb_id = 0472954
tv_com_id = 33928
website = http://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/sunny/|

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" is an American television sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton. It premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. The show is about four friends in their late 20s/early 30s who run an unsuccessful Irish bar, "Paddy's Pub", in South Philadelphia.

History

The show began as a pilot called "It's Always Sunny on TV" and was shot on a digital camcorder by Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney. After viewing the pilot, FX Network executives ordered the first season. Although it is often stated publicly that the pilot was shot for $200, [http://tv.ign.com/articles/715/715238p2.html IGN: "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Premiere ] ] the makers of the show have claimed that the cost was much lower because the only costs were videotapes. Danny DeVito, who joined the show in Season Two, said on "The Daily Show" (August 3, 2006) and on "The Late Show with David Letterman" (September 6, 2007) that the cost was only $85.

According to McElhenney, word of mouth on the show was that it was good enough during the first season for FX to renew it for a second, which premiered June 29, 2006. DeVito joined the cast, playing the father of Dennis (Howerton) and Dee Reynolds (Kaitlin Olson).

The first season finale aired September 13, 2005. Reruns of edited first season episodes began airing on FX's parent network, Fox Broadcasting, in 2006. In the UK and Ireland, Bravo broadcast the first season in early 2006, with the second season broadcast on Virgin 1 in late 2007 after a rerun of the first season. It is also shown on Channel 6 in Ireland and in Sweden, Israel and Canada where it airs on Showcase. The show premiered in Australia in 2007 on the Seven Network. Seven recently began airing season 2 at 11.30 pm Sundays. The first season aired in the Arab world on Showtime Arabia's Paramount Comedy Channel in November 2006. The third season premiered on September 13, 2007. [http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/07/13/television.fx.reut/index.html retrieved July 21, 2007; dead link as of at least Sept. 10, 2007] On August 18, 2007, a preview episode from a third-season episode "Mac is a Serial Killer" appeared on the group's MySpace page.

The third season ran from September 13 2007 to November 15 2007. On March 5 2008, FX renewed "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" for a fourth season. [cite web| url=http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2008/03/ew-exclusive-it.html| title='Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Gets Another Season|publisher=Entertainment Weekly|accessdate=2008-03-05]

On July 15th, 2008, it was reported that FX has ordered 39 additional episodes of the series, on top of the 13 being developed for Season 4. Which, according to IGN, means that the show will run until a sixth season at least. All five main cast members were secured for the entire scheduled run. [cite web| url=http://tv.ign.com/articles/889/889687p1.html| title='FX Shows Love for It's Always Sunny|publisher=IGN|accessdate=2008-07-15]

Cast and characters

Each character can be described as very dishonest and antagonistic. At varying times members have lied for the sake of personal gain. In most episodes these character flaws result in unhappy endings for the main characters as well as the innocent bystanders caught in their path. Conflicts that arise from their mutually competitive natures are the basis for many plots. This has ranged from the guys competing over women, Dee trying to prove she is as strong or competent as the others, the gang competing over who can steal more things, or even who in the gang can amass the most religious followers. In almost every episode, the entire gang, or most of the gang, gets into an arguing match in which they try to shout over each other. Notable instances include the fight in Paddy's bathroom between Charlie and Dennis and the entire gang arguing over who might have been responsible for their potential deaths in "Charlie Gets Crippled". The gang can also often be seen squabbling and generally acting rude and unprofessionally when seated in front of someone's desk in a professional environment, such as a lawyer ("Dennis and Dee's Mom is Dead") or a businessman ("The Gang Sells Out").

The gang tends to flee confrontations constantly throughout the show. In the episode "Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare", Mac and Charlie are unable to pay off their hired prostitutes, and are forced to "handle this situation the way we handle every situation"—by running away.

Characters and cast

*Glenn Howerton as Dennis R. Reynolds: Dennis is Paddy's co-owner and Dee's twin brother. He is a vain, self-absorbed prep and a self-described "ladies' man". Dennis' self-esteem is derived chiefly from his appearance, so he takes criticism of his looks very poorly. A running joke throughout season three showed Dennis constantly removing his shirt to display his physique. Dennis was popular in high school, but his prom date dumped him for another man. Despite making less than $400 a week at the bar, his family's wealth enables Dennis to wear stylish clothing and drive a Range Rover. He's the most educated of the gang, earning good grades at the University of Pennsylvania and minored in psychology, though his original ambition was to become a veterinarian. He listens to hair metal and Rick Astley.

*Kaitlin Olson as Diandra [ [http://www.buddytv.com/articles/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia/profile/kaitlin-olson.aspx Kaitlin Olson ] ] "Sweet Dee" Reynolds: Dee is Dennis's twin sister and a bartender at Paddy's. She dropped out of Penn (where she had majored in psychology but failed her classes) to become an actress, but has put little effort into realizing her ambition. Although she identifies herself as a compassionate liberal, she will always put herself first and often has the same prejudices as her friends and brother. She is highly sensitive about her appearance and her professional failings. She was unpopular in high school due to her severe scoliosis, which forced her to wear a back brace and earned her the nickname "The Aluminum Monster". Since high school, she has had a long string of failed relationships. Like the other members of the gang, she drinks heavily, especially to calm herself after meeting an attractive man. Diandra also harbors a phobia regarding the elderly. Despite her many insecurities, Dee is aggressively outspoken and prone to violence when angered. Dee was the only major character in the show to be conceived without an actor in mind. Although Deandra was originally written as a female voice of sanity to contrast with her ill-intentioned co-stars, the character became an equal participant in the gang's illicit and morally questionable activities after Olson was cast. [ [http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1347014.php/Its_Always_Sunny_screen_test_college_tour_ 'It's Always Sunny' screen test college tour - Smallscreen ] ]

*Rob McElhenney as Mac: Mac is Charlie's friend from childhood and Dennis' high school friend, later roommate. He is co-owner of Paddy's and generally the pub's most active manager. He comes from a broken home, as his father was an incarcerated meth dealer, and Mac sold drugs to popular students in high school to gain their friendship. Mac constantly seeks the acceptance of others, especially his parents, but his over-earnest efforts more often than not cause him to be considered an "asshole". Mac also makes frequent attempts to be "hard", usually to impress his criminal father, but he generally flees from confrontation and fares poorly in fights. Mac is Catholic and the only member of the group to profess a religious faith, but this has done little to affect his general lack of ethics. His first name has yet to be revealed (in the pilot, his cousin Brett refers to him as "Couz" - short for cousin - which has been mistaken for Kyle).

*Charlie Day as Charlie Kelly: Charlie is Mac's childhood friend and a co-owner of Paddy's. He is a volatile loser who displays little ability to cope with day-to-day problems. In addition, he lives in filth and frequently abuses inhalants. His apartment is often referred to by friends and acquaintances as a "shit hole." In the series premiere "The Gang Gets Racist", it is revealed that Charlie is extremely popular with the young African-American community. Throughout the show, Charlie shows signs of several learning disabilities, including dyslexia, and is often accused of being illiterate by other characters. All of the most tedious and disgusting tasks at the bar are called "Charlie Work", even when he is temporarily spared from performing them. He tends to squander the little money he earns from the bar on "bad investments." He has an extremely short fuse and is prone to Al Pacino-styled outbursts. Mac and Dennis frequently manipulate him into tests of his fortitude, and consider him to be almost impossible to injure. Charlie has no success in dating, and harbors an unrequited crush on a cafe waitress. Despite his apparent lack of intelligence, Charlie is the most skilled musician in the group, even going so far as to imply that he is a savant, and is surprisingly adept at concocting elaborate plans to achieve his desires. He has a passion for dressing up in costumes (such as Greenman) and assuming other personas, even when there is no clear reason to do so. He spent the majority of his life without a father figure until the final episode of season two, when he finds out his father is actually Frank Reynolds. In the season three premiere Charlie's mother Bonnie reveals that Charlie was born three months after a botched attempt at an abortion in a back alley.

*Danny DeVito as Frank Reynolds: Frank is the legal father of Dennis and Dee. He is a successful businessman and has a long history of shady business endeavors. He was introduced in the first episode of the second season as a man undergoing a midlife crisis. He divorced Dennis and Dee's mother and decided to join in his children's lazy, scheming lifestyle. Frank became co-owner of Paddy's by purchasing land underneath it, and then using this leverage to forcibly join the gang. Frank styles himself a master manipulator and frequently takes the lead in the group's schemes. Frank knows many sordid characters around town, including a ring of Asian gamblers whom the gang find creepy. He claims to have his children's best interests at heart but frequently exploits and insults them. During the second season finale he discovers that Dennis and Dee are not actually his children, but that he may be the biological father of Charlie following a one night stand with Charlie's mother 30 years ago.

Friends and Enemies

*Mary Elizabeth Ellis as The Waitress: A nameless, recovering alcoholic waitress at a cafe, with whom Charlie is madly in love. The Waitress has no interest in Charlie, but harbors her own unrequited crush on Dennis. Charlie goes to great lengths to woo her, and she goes to equally great lengths to attract Dennis' attention. This despite Dennis' constant taking advantage of her and poor treatment. She has slept with Dennis and once slept with Frank to get back at Dennis. Mary Elizabeth Ellis is Charlie Day's real-life wife.

*Nate Mooney and Jimmi Simpson as Ryan and Liam McPoyle, respectively: Creepy former elementary school classmates of Mac and Charlie. It is hinted that the two brothers have an incestuous relationship with each other and their mute sister Margaret (Thesy Surface). They have numerous other siblings (all noticeable from their unibrow, acne and eczema) numbering around 14 as seen in "The Gang Gets Invincible" including "Doyle McPoyle". They are enemies with Charlie since he foiled their plan to become rich through a false molestation lawsuit against the school district and with the rest of the gang for ruining Doyle's chance to play for the Philadelphia Eagles. They take revenge in the episode "The Gang Gets Held Hostage" by faking a raid on their bar.

*Artemis Pebdani as Artemis: Friend of Dee's from her acting classes. In the episode "Charlie Has Cancer" Artemis was hired to work at the bar in a move to make it more like the Coyote Ugly Saloon, but rejected when Dennis sees that she is fat. Also appeared in "Charlie Goes America All Over Everybody's Ass," now with a fondness for performing in the nude. In "The Gang Gets Invincible," during Frank's acid trip she appears to Frank in the toilet, while actually watching and making fun of him from nearby.

*Brittany Daniel as Carmen: The transsexual Mac dated in episode 4 ("Charlie Has Cancer") and the episode "Mac Is a Serial Killer".

*David Hornsby as Matthew Mara AKA Rickety Cricket: A high school classmate of the gang. After high school, he ended up becoming a priest. He first appears in "The Gang Exploits a Miracle", in which it is revealed that he had a crush on Dee in high school which persists to this day, shown in follow-up appearances in the two-part episode "The Gang Gets Whacked" and again in "The Gang Dances Their Asses Off". She used to exploit his feelings for her by getting him to do her math homework or even eat an entire horse turd in exchange for a kiss. After becoming homeless, he also develops a cocaine addiction due to Dee and Charlie, and consequently has his legs severely broken by the mob. David Hornsby is also a writer on the show. He appeared in the Season 4 premiere "Dennis and Mac: Manhunters" in which Dennis and Mac hunted him throughout the city.

Parents

*Anne Archer as Barbara Reynolds: Frank's gold-digging ex-wife and the mother of Dennis and Dee. She is a cold, cruel, and selfish woman with little affection for her family. The finale of season two revealed that Barbara tricked Frank into raising the twins because she thought he was wealthier than Dennis and Dee's biological father, Bruce Mathis (Stephen Collins). She has a vindictive streak, sleeping with Mac solely to make Frank jealous, and cutting her daughter out of her will and claiming she was a mistake (even though Dennis and Dee are twins). She passes away due to a botched neck-lift in the third season.

*Stephen Collins as Bruce Mathis. The antithesis of Frank Reynolds, Bruce is Dennis and Dee's biological father. Bruce devotes most of his time to helping suffering children in Africa, several of whom he has adopted. He first appears in Episode 210, "Dennis and Dee Get a New Dad." He later appears in Episode 303, "Dennis and Dee's Mom is Dead", where he inherits Barbara's fortune.

*Lynne Marie Stewart as Bonnie Kelly: Charlie's mom, a sweet and timid woman who is attracted to cruel men. She had a one-night stand with Frank Reynolds 30 years ago, making him the biological father of Charlie. She later reconnects with Frank through myspace.com, enjoying his harsh treatment and becoming his "bang-maid", but quickly transfers her affections to the malevolent Luther after meeting him at a dinner party.

*Gregory Scott Cummins as Luther: Mac's father and a convicted felon. In his first appearance in the episode "Dennis and Dee Get a New Dad," Mac and Charlie visit him in prison to bond with him, and he attempts to get them to smuggle heroin into the prison. He plays a larger role in "Dennis Looks Like a Registered Sex Offender," this time out on parole and convincing Mac to help him "take care of some people." He is tall, has numerous tattoos, and mentions that he rarely blinks, giving him a generally intimidating appearance. The warm and gentle Bonnie Kelly is attracted to Luther's aloof behavior and criminal past, and the two begin a relationship.

*Sandy Martin as Mac's Mom: Always seen smoking and watching TV. First appears in "Mac Bangs Dennis' Mom" when Dennis attempts to exact revenge against Mac by having sex with her, only to have his advances refused. She remains equally apathetic when Mac's dad returns from prison.

elected guest stars

*Autumn Reeser ("The O.C.") appears in Episode 102, "Charlie Wants An Abortion", as Megan, a pro-life activist that Mac meets at a pro-life center.
*Michael Rosenbaum ("Smallville") appears in Episode 105, "Gun Fever", as Colin, a gun-loving thief who steals from the neighboring bars in Philadelphia by manipulating their female bartenders.
*Dennis Haskins ("Saved by the Bell") appears in Episode 107, "Charlie Gets Molested", as Coach Murray, a coach being prosecuted by the McPoyle brothers, who falsely claimed that they were molested by him.
*Eddie Mekka ("Laverne and Shirley") appears in Episode 205, "Hundred Dollar Baby", as Bobby Thunderson, Frank's old boxing rival from the 1960s (and the father of Dee's new boxing rival).
*Stephen Collins ("7th Heaven") appears in Episode 210 & 303, "Dennis and Dee Get A New Dad" & "Dennis and Dee's Mom is Dead", as Bruce Mathis, the kind and selfless true father of Dennis and Dee.
*Faizon Love, the TV and movie actor, appears in Episode 302, "The Gang Gets Invincible", as the head trainer and coach of the Philadelphia Eagles development team.
*Geoffrey Owens ("The Cosby Show") appears in Episode 302, "The Gang Gets Invincible", as himself hired to play Donovan McNabb.
*Judy Greer ("Arrested Development") appears in Episode 305, "The Aluminum Monster vs. Fatty McGoo", as fashion designer/clothing store owner Ingrid Nelson (aka Fatty McGoo), as the former schoolmate Dee used to torment (which she used as inspiration to ultimately become far more successful than Dee).
*Brittany Daniel (Glenn Howerton's "That '80s Show" co-star) appears in Episode 104 and 310, "Charlie Has Cancer" & "Mac is a Serial Killer", as Carmen, a male-to-female transsexual with whom Mac has an on-again, off-again relationship (sometimes to his nervous embarrassment).
*Comedian Sinbad and lead-singer of Matchbox 20 Rob Thomas appear in an episode during Season 4. Sinbad and Thomas play rehab patients alongside Dennis.
*The Sklar Brothers, famous for their show "The Cheap Seats" on ESPN Classic appeared in the final episode of season 3, "The Gang Dances Their Asses Off" as the obnoxious, radio-duo DJ's hosting the Dance Marathon for the bar.

Episodes

Season 1
* 1.1 The Gang Gets Racist
* 1.2 Charlie Wants an Abortion
* 1.3 Underage Drinking: A National Concern
* 1.4 Charlie Has Cancer
* 1.5 Gun Fever
* 1.6 The Gang Finds a Dead Guy
* 1.7 Charlie Got Molested

Season 2
* 2.1 Charlie Gets Crippled
* 2.2 The Gang Goes Jihad
* 2.3 Dennis and Dee Go On Welfare
* 2.4 Mac Bangs Dennis' Mom
* 2.5 Hundred Dollar Baby
* 2.6 The Gang Gives Back
* 2.7 The Gang Exploits a Miracle
* 2.8 The Gang Runs for Office
* 2.9 Charlie Goes America All Over Everybody's Ass
* 2.10 Dennis and Dee Get a New Dad

Season 3
* 3.1 The Gang Finds a Dumpster Baby
* 3.2 The Gang Gets Invincible
* 3.3 Dennis and Dee's Mom Is Dead
* 3.4 The Gang Gets Held Hostage
* 3.5 The Aluminum Monster vs. Fatty McGoo
* 3.6 The Gang Solves the North Korea Situation
* 3.7 The Gang Sells Out
* 3.8 Frank Sets Sweet Dee on Fire
* 3.9 Sweet Dee Is Dating a Retarded Person
* 3.10 Mac Is a Serial Killer
* 3.11 Dennis Looks Like a Registered Sex Offender
* 3.12 The Gang Gets Whacked Part I
* 3.13 The Gang Gets Whacked Part II
* 3.14 Bums: Making a Mess All Over the City
* 3.15 The Gang Dances Their Asses Off

Season 4

The TV Guide website [http://www.tvguide.com/detail/tv-show.aspx?tvobjectid=191585&more=ucepisodelist] confirms that the episode titles for season 4 are:

* 4.1 Mac and Dennis: Manhunters
* 4.2 The Gang Solves the Gas Crisis
* 4.3 America's Next Top Paddy's Billboard Model Contest
* 4.4 Mac's Banging the Waitress
* 4.5 Mac and Charlie Die: Part One
* 4.6 Mac and Charlie Die: Part Two
* 4.7 Who Pooped the Bed?
* 4.8 Paddy’s Pub: The Worst Bar in Philadelphia
* 4.9 Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life

According to the FX website, the following are titles of additional episodes that will air during season 4:
* The Gang Gets Extreme: Home Makeover Edition
* The Nightman Cometh
* The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell
* Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack

New show

A new television show, "Boldly Going Nowhere", is being developed by the creators of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia". It is rumored to be a mix of sci-fi and comedy. [ [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i2db2b6662428870c2ce5d3ff31566291 The Hollywood Reporter ] ]

Locales

Opening titles locales

In order of appearance:
# Benjamin Franklin Bridge
# Penn's Landing (Market Street)
# Lincoln Financial Field
# Swann Memorial Fountain (Logan Circle)
# Boathouse Row
# 30th Street Station
# South Street

Other locales

* Pat's Steaks
* Geno's Steaks
* Philadelphia Java Company
* Willow Grove Mall

References

External links

* [http://fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/sunny/ Official website]
* [http://paddyspub.blogs.fxnetworks.com/ Official show blog]
* [http://www.myspace.com/sunnyfx Official MySpace page]
* [http://www.charlieday.net Charlie Day (Dot) Net]
* [http://www.hobotrashcan.com/2008/09/18/one-on-one-with-kaitlin-olson/"One on one with Kaitlin Olson"] , HoboTrashcan.com.
* [http://www.hobotrashcan.com/2008/09/09/one-on-one-with-the-guys-from-its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia/"One on one with the guys from Always Sunny in Philadelphia"] , HoboTrashcan.com.
* [http://www.tvsquad.com/category/its-always-sunny-in-philadelphia/ "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"] on TV Squad
*
* [http://www.maxim.com/Adrinkwithitsalwayssunnyinphiladelphia/video/40797.aspx Cast interviews and outtakes at Maxim.com]
* [http://monsterfresh.com/2007/10/04/the-days-of-disco-interview-with-charlie-day-mary-elizabeth-ellis-2/ "Days of Disco" interview with Charlie Day & Mary Elizabeth Ellis] on MonsterFresh.com

Navbox
name = Always Sunny
title="It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia"
group1=Episodes
list1= • •
group2= Cast & Characters
list2= Glenn Howerton as Dennis Reynolds • Kaitlin Olson as Deandra Reynolds • Rob McElhenney as Mac • Charlie Day as Charlie Kelly • Danny DeVito as Frank Reynolds • Minor characters • Guest stars