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Featured Story, Television

It’s Always Sunny in Abbot Elementary: Crossover Episode Set for Two Iconic Philly Comedies

October 4, 2024
By The Credits

The City of Brotherly Love is about to show you that its motto can mean meaningful television. Two of the most beloved Philly-set comedies of all time officially have a crossover episode coming—It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Abbott Elementary are about to share a comedic universe.

The revelation came via some teasing social media posts from the two people who would have a say in such a decision—It’s Always Sunny creator and star Rob McElhenny and Abbott creator and star Quinta Brunson. McElhenney posted an image of himself, Sunny co-star Charlie Day, and Brunson outside of the Warner Bros. studio lot for Abbott. 

McElhenney wasn’t done there—on Instagram, he shared a shot (in Instagram stories) of Sunny‘s beloved Danny DeVito and Abbott‘s Tyler James Williams and William Stanford Davis.

While McElhenney has been teasing the possibility of a Sunny/Abbott crossover on social media before, Brunson wasn’t giving up anything until Variety‘s “Awards Circuit” podcast, where she revealed the crossover was actually happening. Pressed on whether her show was crossing over with that other, beloved Philadelphia-set comedy, she wouldn’t reveal any details, but she did explain the thinking behind the crossover:

“I’m excited to just shake things up in this way,” she told Variety. “I love TV, everyone knows that, but I love TV moments, and I miss those big TV moments. I remember how exciting they were. Anything I can do with Abbott to help keep that culture alive of fun TV, I will do. So I think this is going to be fun TV.”

The idea first hatched in February, when McElhenney was talking about the now infamous and massive fail of an event, “Willy’s Chocolate Experience,” which was an unlicensed “experience” held in Glasgow based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that was an experience in that it confused and ultimately angered paying customers—it was held in a thinly decorated warehouse that so disappointed visitors the police were eventually called in. It was this insane scenario that lots of Sunny fans thought was the type of lunacy that the Sunny gang at Paddy’s Pub would conceive of, but McElhenney had an even better idea.

Then Brunson delivered a proper tease at the perfect place to talk about crossing universes—Comic Con.

Abbott Elementary‘s fourth season is right around the corner, with the series returning on October 9 at 9:30 p.m. on ABC. As for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, McElhenney’s long-running, totally insane Philly-set show is currently working on the 17th season, with filming slated to start later in the fall.

Featured image: L-r: LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: Rob McElhenney, winner of Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program for “Welcome To Wrexham,” poses in the press room during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images); LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 15: Quinta Brunson, winner of the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series award for “Abbott Elementary,” poses in the press room during the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on January 15, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

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The Credits

The Credits is an online magazine that tells the story behind the story to celebrate our large and diverse creative community. Focusing on profiles of below-the-line filmmakers, The Credits celebrates the often uncelebrated individuals who are indispensable to the films and TV shows we love.