I was recently sent the first and second season of the FX comedy “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and had it not been for Rope writer Laremy Legel there is no chance I ever would have watched it. Not for any other reason than I just hadn’t heard of it and when it comes to DVD watching during this time of the year it can get a bit slammed.
Anyway, I tossed it in and it is now on my list of best television sitcoms on television at this moment, right up there with “Scrubs” and “30 Rock”.
The story is about three friends, Mac, Dennis and Charlie, who own a bar and their bartender is Dennis’ sister Dee, or “Sweet” Dee as she is sometimes referred to as. The show is nothing more than foolishness where characters like Charlie fakes having cancer, Dennis and Dee get hooked on crack after quitting and going on welfare, a guy dies in the bar, the gang begins serving underage kids at their bar and a classic episode called “The Gang Goes Jihad”.
At the beginning of Season Two Danny DeVito joined the cast as Dennis and Dee’s estranged father, and while it may sound a little cliche for a sitcom to add a name like DeVito it really works in this case.
Since the show airs on FX it is amped up a bit in the crass department and there isn’t really anywhere the comedy doesn’t go and no one is safe. The first two seasons tackle race, religion, abortion, terrorism and sex with friends’ parents. Trust me, if you clicked on that headline this show is for you.
As a little treat check out a couple of promos for the third season which begins this Thursday the 13th at 10 PM on FX. The first preview is what inspired the headline and the second is just plain and simply funny. If you want to get the first two seasons on DVD click here.