The amoral position they take has led many to compare the show to Seinfeld - but Seinfeld never had its characters get addicted to crack, file false police reports, threaten people at gunpoint, or intentionally sell alcohol to minors.īut Always Sunny transcends edgelord status by way of how strangely endearing its collection of miscreants have become over the years - no doubt due to the performances of Day (Charlie), Glenn Howerton (Dennis), Kaitlin Olson (Dee), Rob McElhenney (Mac), and most infamously, Danny DeVito (Frank), who has practically become the show’s unofficial avatar since being introduced in its second season. This achievement becomes even more incredible when considering the show’s conceit: Five of the most morally repugnant people on the face of the planet lie, cheat, steal, and behave with apathy toward the general world to their own consistent detriment. It’s come a long way: As it enters its 14th season on FXX, it will eventually become the longest-running live-action sitcom in terms of seasons in TV history. In a way, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the Little Show That Could, a sitcom whose pilot was shot on the ultracheap (the long-standing rumor has been that it cost $200, which star and writer Charlie Day has since disputed). Photo-Illustration: Emily Denniston/Vulture and photo by FXX
