From 2005 to 2025: This sitcom has been at it for 2 decades (and still going!)

Created by Rob McElhenney, the beloved sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has been airing since 2005 and does not see any signs of stopping. Developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton, the popular sitcom was developed for FX and features Charlie Day, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito, and others. Since its premiere on August 4, 2005, the show has focused on a group of morally gray, narcissistic, and sociopathic friends, who run the Irish dive bar called Paddy’s Pub in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The show revolves around the group’s adventures and misadventures as they spend most of their time drinking, arguing amongst themselves, and plotting elaborate cons with each other. The sitcom has aired for more seasons than any other American live-action sitcom and has become a part of the pop cultural landscape. With a large cult following and rave reviews for its humor and premise, the show’s 17th seasons premiered recently on July 9, 2025.

Why the sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been going on for 2 decades

Even though the cult classic sitcom focuses on a group of less-than-admirable group of people—who are misfits, self-centered, and narcissistic—It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has managed to amass a loyal fan following. As the various characters of the show run a dirty and unsuccessful Irish bar, viewers get to see the complete depravity of the group as they plan bizarre plots to con each other and even get the funding of their owner Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito), who not only helps them financially, but also becomes a part of their quirky plans.

Interestingly, the show uses a variety of socio-political and economic issues to create satire and dark humor. Even amidst the progressive landscape of today, the show’s characters often engage in anti-social behavior like racism, homophobia, physical aggression, and manipulative tactics. There are no redeeming characters on the sitcom as everyone in the group shows a lack of remorse, even when they end up in a tricky situation.

The thought-process behind the creation of the sitcom

In an interview with The Guardian, the show’s creator Rob McElhenney spoke about how he began working on the show along with Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton. Along with Kaitlin Olson, the show took roots and the entry of Danny DeVito in the second season, made the show a cult hit. He states that he always wanted the subversive sitcom to be an antithesis of Friends, where everything was happy and all the characters were morally good.

“Everybody is narcissistic to a certain extent, but we have governors in our brains and hearts that don’t allow us to act that way,” he says. “What happens if five people who don’t have that find each other? You create the confluence of narcissism, evil and sociopathic behavior that is Sunny.”

Even after two decades, the show has the capacity to shock viewers as fan favorite characters like Charlie Kelly, Mac and Dee, and Dennis Reynolds, indulge in extreme behavior and lack any social norms. Even though the characters are ruthless and apathetic towards one another, they display codependency and enabling behavior amongst themselves, which leads to dark and absurd situations. Apart from that, the show also satirizes topics like class, religion, gun violence, abortion, and many more serious social issues.

In an interview with Los Angeles Times, Danny De Vito states that he loves playing the character of Frank as it allows him “the wonderful opportunity to be naughty…I can go where the other characters cannot go.”

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Perhaps, this abandonment and absurdity is the reason why viewers can’t get enough of the depraved shenanigans of the characters on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The show is available on Disney+ and Hulu.

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