'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQH/8QAHBAAAgIDAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIAAwQRMWES/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/xAAYEQEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAAIREv/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8Axqq3BrD4zUMK7Vd8hgqlvkFSgTfDvvkmNGMDo1A68iI1s9MpDCf/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
FX's It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is one of the longest-running American sitcoms in the USA. The show debuted with season 1 in 2005 and is still going strong with season 17 set to premiere on July 9, 2025.
Created by Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton, the sitcom follows a group (called 'the Gang') of self-centred and heavy-drinking misfits who run a dingy and unsuccessful Irish bar in Philadelphia.
Trending
Glenn Howerton, who plays the character of Dennis Reynolds, the main bartender and the co-owner of the pub, recently revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he was about to leave the show after season 12:
“I was worried that maybe, we had sort of peaked or something, and I just was like, we’ve been doing this for a long time and I think I was also anxious.''
Here's why Glenn Howerton almost left It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in season 12.
Glenn Howerton almost left It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in season 12
Since It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is one of the longest-running live comedies in the US, co-creator Glenn Howerton naturally had his fears about the sitcom.
In addition to worrying that the sitcom might have peaked after Season 12, Howerton wanted to explore other things outside the show, as he discussed:
“I had not figured out yet how to stretch myself and be able to do other things that I wanted to do with my career outside of the show. I just hadn’t figured out how to do that yet, and I was aching to do other things and so I was starting to feel a little boxed in, frankly.”
While It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia would continue to go many seasons even after season 12, Glenn Howerton was cast in another show, as he added:
''I never lost any appreciation for the show. I just thought like maybe we should—and then they were like, ‘We don’t want to end it,’ and I was like, ‘Oh okay, well I can’t stop you.’ And then after that, I booked A.P. Bio.”
Glenn Howerton was cast as the lead actor in A.P. Bio in 2018, where he played the role of a biology professor, Dr. Jack Griffin. However, this NBC comedy series was canceled after four seasons.
Even while Howerton appeared in A.P. Bio, he continued appearing in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia as a cast member. However, he was not a part of the writer's room after season 12.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia will return with season 17
The sitcom aired its season 16 finale in July 2023 and is finally returning with season 17 on July 9, 2025.
The season 17 premiere, titled "The Gang F*cks Up Abbott Elementary," is the second half of the show's two-part crossover event with ABC's hit sitcom Abbott Elementary.
The first half was released as part of Abbott Elementary Season 4 Episode 9. Volunteers and fans will finally get to see the second half in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia's Season 17 premiere.
The idea for this crossover was conceived when Quinta Brunson and Rob McElhenney, the respective writers of their shows, met at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards and joked about a crossover event. The joke finally came around, and a crossover event was born.
The crossover event follows 'the Gang', who are given a court order to volunteer in an underprivileged elementary school.
Catch the season 17 premiere on July 9, 2025.
For the latest scoops on your favorite TV shows and movies, follow SoapCentral.
Reply
