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Network: FX
Premiere: Thursday, September 18, 10pm

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has the most unlikable cast of characters television has ever seen.  It's like Seinfeld, only if the characters were a lot dumber and a lot meaner.  When It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia premiered a few years back, I thought little of it, didn't give it much of a chance.  On a recommendation from a friend last year, I picked up season one on DVD.  How was I not aware of this cable gem?  Furthermore, why aren't more people talking about it?  It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is probably the funniest show on television, a mean-spirited laugh riot on which nothing is sacred. 

Rob McElhenny, Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day created It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia initially as “It's Always Sunny on TV” a pilot the three shot themselves on a digital camcorder.  It cost them about $85, making it perhaps the cheapest pilot in the history of television.  It tells you something about the series.  It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia could be a play – it's all about the dialogue.  Yeah, there are changes of scenery and oftentimes multiple new characters, but the show earns its living with the dialogue.  It makes sense that Howerton, McElhenny and Day write most of the episodes themselves – the characters' voices are assuredly their own.  The dialogue is distinctive, kind of a dumbed down Kevin Smith, with a dash of Larry David, only more mean-spirited and off the wall. 

Season two of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia saw the addition of Danny DeVito as the father of Dennis (Howerton) and Dee (the wonderful Kaitlin Olsen).  What at first may have been considered stunt casting solely for the sake of ratings, quickly proved to be genius.  DeVito's character might even be more evil than the younger four, more insane, and more willing to do completely ridiculous things (like drop acid while tailgating for an open tryout for the Philadelphia Eagles). 

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is rapid-fire, often with diverging story lines coming together in the end (another similarity to Larry David and Seinfeld), but it's difficult to explain the greatness of the series.  The humor isn't what you would call dirty.  It's somehow smart while also being dumb, willfully un-politically correct, while savagely satirizing the beliefs of the general public. 

Mostly, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia makes you laugh.  If you haven't discovered the series yet, no worries.  Season 4 starts next month, and F/X has ordered 39 additional episodes.  You have all the time in the world.


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-Oscar Dahl, BuddyTV Senior Writer
(Image Courtesy of F/X)