FX
Disney may have stolen the show when it came to announcements on Thursday, but FX made a bit of its own history thanks to The Gang. The network announced it’s already record-setting comedy It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia is getting a bit closer to the “forever” one of its creators was shooting for, renewing the series for an additional three more seasons.
This comes after FX renewed Sunny for a single season in early 2020, which at a potential Season 15 already made it the longest-running live action comedy in TV history. But now FX made it official: Sunny will run at least 18 seasons thanks to Thursday’s news.
can I offer you four more seasons in this trying time? it’s always sunny in philadelphia has been renewed through season 18, making it the longest-running live action sitcom in TV history. pic.twitter.com/EtIbGBljrO
— FX Networks (@FXNetworks) December 10, 2020
It’s a truly remarkable run in modern television, as comedies rarely last as long as Sunny has, let alone manage to stay as funny as it has over now nearly two decades. A streaming show can barely last four seasons on Netflix these days, so a Sunny inching closer to being of legal age to drink in Paddy’s Pub is really something.
One of the many reasons it has endured, of course, is that the show has been uniquely able to examine its own mistakes and own up to them on air. That’s involved seeing some characters change from their original intentions, and even admitting in hindsight that some episodes simply don’t hold up very well in the present.
And according to Variety, the show’s ratings have also managed to grow while it makes those changes.
The show has remained a significant ratings draw even this late in its run. The 13th season averaged just over 3 million viewers per episode in multiplatform viewing. That’s up from 2.2 million multiplatform viewers in Season 10.
Considering the show’s ability to grow and change, though, the news that more Sunny is on the way is very good all around. No matter what life looks like in 2023, somehow it’s tough to imagine It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia struggling to shine bright.
