It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been on the air for 16 seasons, and for good reason! The show is really funny and the shenanigans the characters get up to are ridiculous but hilarious at the same time. With the amazing, and now iconic, Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover episode having premiered yesterday (and streaming on Hulu), there may be some of you who want to check Sunny out now. Especially since there's a Part 2 of the crossover which will air as a Sunny episode hopefully in May or June 2025 when season 17 premieres. Though, I would say be very cautious. It's rated TV-MA for a reason!
The cast and creatives know this, with Abbott creator and actress Quinta Brunson even warning her fans not to watch the FX series. There's many who are younger and the ABC sitcom is more of a family show and much tamer. Sunny is definitely not. The characters were very toned down for the crossover episode. That's definitely not them at their worst. Though if you really liked the characters in the crossover and want to start watching the sitcom, Kaitlin Olson, who plays Dee, has some recs for you!
In an interview with A.V. Club, the actress shared a note as well as some of the "just as hilarious but slightly tamer" episodes you can at least start with to ease yourself into the Sunny world and the unhinged gang. As a fan of both Sunny and Abbott, I can tell you the tones of both shows are definitely different. And though the FX comedy is much wilder, I can assure you it's definitely going to make you laugh! Here's what Olson said, per the A.V. Club:
"Hi! Are you a big Abbott Elementary fan excited for the crossover episode but have never seen Sunny and are excited to dive in? Great! Except…you might want to take some baby steps. It’s not on network television for a reason. (Or, instead of baby steps, maybe stop being a baby and enjoy the wilder ones? Your call!) But if you’d like to watch it with your (older) kids or your grandma, maybe check out these ones first. They’re just as hilarious but slightly tamer than others. (Please don’t watch “The Nightman Cometh” with your grandma).
- Season 5 episode 2: “The Gang Hits the Road”
- Season 6 episode 3: “The Gang Buys a Boat”
- Season 7 episode 4: “Sweet Dee Gets Audited”
- Season 10 episode 4: “Charlie Work”
- Season 10 episode 8: “The Gang Goes on Family Fight”
I will say that's a great list Olson shared! My personal favorite of those, and one of my favorites overall, is definitely It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 10 episode 4, "Charlie Work." It's such a well done episode that involves a 10-minute long shot! That means the actors did the scene/sequence all in one take and it wasn't edited together.
I don't know how actor Charlie Day managed to run around and say the amount of lines that he said, but it was incredible to see and one of the moments that still sticks in my mind from all 17 seasons. Charlie's working in overdrive when he learns a health inspector is stopping by. He takes great pride in taking care of the bar, and sometimes what's called Charlie Work is forced on him by the others like cleaning the bathrooms and taking care of rats. Because the bar really isn't the cleanest.
But he does always get a passing grade when the health inspector comes around, and this time won't be any different. How under stress he is and the fact that the rest of the gang listens to him for once is hilarious. I love this episode! Then in the same season episode 8, "The Gang Goes on Family Fight," is a play of Family Feud. And that's definitely another one you don't want to miss.
These are just a few to ease yourself in if you're watching It's Always Sunny for the first time. Though I will give you a couple of more recs that I love. Season 11 episode 5, "Mac & Dennis Move to the Suburbs" and the season 16 finale, "Dennis Takes a Mental Health Day," are both relatable and hilarious.
Stay tuned to Show Snob as we bring you updates about the next crossover and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 17 on FX!