Jan. 8, 2025 is not very far away now, and that means the highly-anticipated Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover episode (part 1) is going to be on our screens soon when the episode airs on ABC! As a fan of both shows, I am super psyched and absolutely can't wait. To help tide us over, the network has shared quite a number of first-look photos, a promo, and some teasers. Let's take a look at them all!
First up though is the synopsis and episode title. Abbott Elementary season 4 episode 9 is called "Volunteers." It serves as the midseason premiere for the sitcom on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 starting at 8:30 p.m. ET. If you miss the broadcast of the first part of the crossover, you'll be able to stream it the next day on Hulu. Part 2 of the special will air on FX as an It's Always Sunny episode sometime in 2025 when the show returns. Check out the synopsis of the one coming up below:
"Ava announces the school district is sending a group of volunteers to help out at Abbott; however, when they arrive, things don’t go as planned."
Of course even though the description doesn't flat out say it, it's safe to assume those volunteers are the Sunny gang. And the poor students and teachers at Abbott really don't know what's coming. Charlie, Mac, Dennis, Dee, and Frank are about to bring their group's special charm to a place full of kids. Hmm. However were they let in?
The promo for the crossover special has also been released, though it doesn't give much away. I'm not surprised that the series is keeping things as vague as possible. Did I catch some flirting on Dee's part though? Excuse you, Gregory is taken! There might be some vibes coming from Mac towards Ava. Though she looks very unimpressed. I also love the back and forth between Mr. Johnson and Frank. I already know we're in for some great laughs. Check out the video below:
Along with the promo, so far ABC has also released two teasers. The first one is pretty straightforward with the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia gang getting their volunteer ID cards printed. Though Mr. Johnson announces they're trash and gets rid of them. You can see us talking more about this teaser in detail here.
The second one has me very intrigued. While it's been teased that Charlie will sort of be in the center of the episode, which for us makes sense because he's illetrate. Perhaps he'll finally be able to read and write in Barbara's kindergarten class? Though it looks like Mr. Johnson is also going to have a big part to play as well. He's been central in all the teasers. The second one references Pepe Silvia.
Even if you've never watched It's Always Sunny, if you've been on the Internet, you'll know the scene and name this is referencing because of the infamous meme (check it out here). We know that the gang is usually up to no good, and Mr. Johnson seems to want to get to the bottom of whatever they may have planned. There's no way they're volunteering at a school out of the kindness of their hearts. We shared the teaser below:
Finally is the wonderful array of promotional images that have been released that we can get excited about! I'm telling you guys, when I saw these, I was fangirling so hard. It's so fun that the two shows are coming together. Check out more Abbott Elementary / It's Always Sunny crossover episode photos below!
The Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover episode airs Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC. Stream the episode the next day on Hulu.