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It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Wiki Information

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (also known as It's Always Sunny , Always Sunny , or just Sunny ) is an American television sitcom created and developed by Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day. It premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. The series follows the exploits of "The Gang", a group of self-centered friends who run Paddy's Pub, an unsuccessful Irish bar in South Philadelphia.

IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA TICKETS

History

The show began as a pilot called "It's Always Sunny on TV" and was shot on a digital camcorder by Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton and Rob McElhenney. After viewing the pilot, FX Network executives ordered the first season. Although it is often stated publicly that the pilot was shot for $200, [1] the makers of the show have claimed that the cost was much lower because the only costs were videotapes. Danny DeVito, who joined the show in Season Two, said on The Daily Show (August 3, 2006) and on The Late Show with David Letterman (September 6, 2007) that the cost was only $85.

The first season ran for seven episodes with the season finale airing September 13, 2005. According to McElhenney, word of mouth on the show was that it was good enough for FX to renew it for a second, which ran from June 29 to August 17 2006. DeVito joined the cast, playing the father of Dennis (Howerton) and Dee (played by Kaitlin Olson). Reruns of edited first season episodes began airing on FX's parent network, Fox Broadcasting, in 2006.

On August 18, 2007, a preview episode from a third-season episode "Mac is a Serial Killer" appeared on the group's MySpace page. The third season ran from September 13 2007 to November 15 2007. On March 5 2008, FX renewed It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia for a fourth season. [2]

On July 15, 2008, it was reported that FX has ordered 39 additional episodes of the series which means that the show will run until at least a seventh season. All remaining seasons will consist of 13 episodes. All five main cast members were secured for the entire scheduled run. [3]

As of August 24, 2009, FXNetworks.com is advertising the return of the series for the fifth season on Thursday, September 17 2009. [4] The scheduled release date for the fourth season on DVD is Tuesday, September 15, 2009.

International Broadcast

  • In the and , Bravo broadcast the first season in early 2006, with the second season broadcast on Virgin 1 in late 2007 after a rerun of the first season.
    • It is also shown in on channel 3e Wednesdays at 9pm.
    • In ,
and , it airs on Showcase.
  • The show premiered in in 2007 on the Seven Network. But as of August 2009 Season 1 has began broadcasting on The Comedy Channel
  • The first season aired in on Showtime Arabia's Paramount Comedy Channel in November 2006.
    • Airing of the show began on Comedy Central autocollapse on January 7, 2009.
    • The show also began airing on Subtv in under the title Elämää Philadelphiassa ("Life in Philadelphia") in March 2009.
    • STAR World airs episodes in . * FX (TV channel)|FX airs episodes in
      The Portuguese Republic
       Capital   Lisbon
       Districts   Lisbon | Leiria | Santarém | Setúbal | Beja | Faro | Évora | Portalegre | Castelo Branco | Guarda | Coimbra | Aveiro | Viseu | Bragança | Vila Real | Oporto | Braga | Viana do Castelo
       Subdivisions   Mainland Portugal | Azores | Madeira Islands
       Regions
      &
      Subregions               		Alentejo: (Alentejo Central, Alentejo Litoral, Alto Alentejo, Baixo Alentejo, Lezíria do Tejo)  | Algrave: (Algarve)  | Centro: (Baixo Mondego, Baixo Vouga, Beira Interior Norte, Beira Interior Sul, Cova da Beira, Dão-Lafões, Médio Tejo, Oeste, Pinhal Interior Norte, Pinhal Interior Sul, Pinhal Litoral, Serra da Estrela)  | Lisboa: (Grande Lisboa, Península de Setúbal)  | Norte: (Alto Trás-os-Montes, Ave, Cávado, Douro, Entre Douro e Vouga, Grande Porto, Minho-Lima, Tâmega)  | Autonomous Region of Azores: (Autonomous Region of Azores)  | Autonomous Region of Madeira: (Autonomous Region of Madeira)
       Municipalities   For the complete list of the 308 municipalities, see: List of municipalities in Portugal.
       History   Politics   Geography   Economy   Culture 
      and .
      • Canal%2B airs the show in collapsed.
      • Comedy Central Germany airs the show in

      Synopsis

      The series follows The Gang , of which in the first season consisted of four young white under-achieving alcoholics named Dennis, Sweet Dee, Mac, and Charlie, none of whom could be called a good person. Each character is at some point dishonest, selfish, egotistical, and/or antagonistic and often relies on controversial issues. Episodes usually find them hatching elaborate schemes, conspiring against each other or other unfortunates for personal gain or the pleasure in watching one's downfall. Their tactics in doing so often rely on inflicting emotional and sometimes physical pain on deserving individuals. The gang regularly uses sex as a weapon of blackmail, or as a manipulative tool in the persuasion of others. Their unity is never solid, any one of them will quickly dump the others for quick profit or personal benefit, giving little consideration as to what might happen to the rest. Almost everything The Gang does will eventually result into a competition between them. The Gang hangs out almost exclusively at their bar/base of operations, Paddy's Pub. In the second season, Frank is added as the fifth member of The Gang , becomes the sole owner of Paddy's, and is appointed "Captain of The Gang". It is revealed that Frank, Dennis and Dee are the only members of The Gang who referred to the gang as "The Gang", to which Mac and Charlie had no idea what they were talking about. However, since overhearing the concept of The Gang , Mac and Charlie have referred to the gang as "The Gang".

      Many episodes revolve around Paddy's, attempting different angles to bring business their way, as they are all (with the exception of Frank) financially supported by the bar. Such ways include selling their "delicious microbrew" consisting of skunk beer they pour out and mix together in a trash can, presenting concerts featuring themselves and other locals and their musical talents, hosting radical events, being the last stop in the annual Philadelphia Pub-Crawl, and showcasing water stains that bear an uncanny resemblance to the Virgin Mary. Paddy's Pub is considered by some to be "the worst bar in America". The Gang seem to have a fierce pride in their heritage as Americans. If anyone so much as bad-mouths America (other than themselves), The Gang takes it very personally, and have been known to make threats of a physical nature.

      Other ways of financial gain applied by The Gang are usually highly illegal, including childish vandalism, sabotage, arson, extortion, blackmail, bribery, kidnapping, assault, torture, impersonation of an authority figure, grifting, perjury, drug dealing, drug smuggling, drugging, bet fixing, petty theft, grand theft, robbery, grave robbing, breaking and entering, home invasion, and working with the Mob.

      Running Gags

      • The title of each episode is presented as a punchline tying in with the gag in the opening sequence. For example, in one opening sequence, Dee protests that whenever Frank hangs out with The Gang, someone gets hurt. Frank disagrees and asks "I'm just hanging out with the guys. How's anyone going to get hurt?" Immediately the title card appears, reading "Frank Sets Sweet Dee on Fire." The title appears as the theme song starts, directly before the credits roll. The title is almost always a complete sentence, which describes the main action of the episode. The wording usually containing either "The Gang" or one of the five by name as the subject of the sentence, for example, "The Gang Solves the North Korea Situation", or "Sweet Dee is Dating a Retarded Person".
      • A signature gag in the series is the manner in which conversations between The Gang are carried out, all talking at the same time and yelling over each other until one of them gets frustrated and breaks it up.
      • The Gang tends to flee confrontations constantly throughout the series. In the episode "Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare", Mac and Charlie are unable to pay off their hired prostitutes, and are forced to "handle this situation the way we handle every situation", by running away.
      • Sexual innuendo is used as a common premise. Words like "cream", "peak", "feel it", "hard", and "explode" are often mistaken for sexual meanings. In "The Nightman Cometh", the line "boy's soul", is pronounced, "boy's hole" by Frank, obviously regarding sodomy.
      • Another running gag in the show, The Gang strictly refers to the act of sex as "banging", having the verb "bang" used in this context in nearly every episode.
      • In multiple episodes, "popping" off one's shirt has become a Sunny staple, where as the act of removing the shirt from one's body is strictly referred to as "popping" it off. For example, lines like, "let's pop off that shirt", and "I really should have popped that shirt off" can be heard throughout the series.
      • Referring to people as "bitch" is a device widely used throughout the series by each member of The Gang, especially Mac.
      • The Gang also frequently offer to "throw down a life-lesson" or "crack an egg of knowledge". These almost never contain life-lessons or wisdom.
      • The show takes a Seinfeldian approach in structure, where the main characters' individual subplots will usually intersect and twist together before the end of the episode.
      • The episodes usually end with what should be amazing long term life changing events that one would expect to carry on in future episodes, but the audience will almost always find no sign of drastic change the next week.
      • The Green Man. In more than one episode Charlie dons his former high school mascot uniform (a full length green lycra suit) before performing some form of stunt - often an act of violence.
      • The Night Man Cometh. Charlie, with help from the rest of the Gang, performs his song 'The Night Man' in either 1980's electronic/techno fashion (with Dennis), or in a musical (with the whole gang)

      Cast & Characters

      The Gang

      Dennis R. Reynolds

      Played by Glenn Howerton, Dennis is a co-owner of Paddy's and is Dee's twin brother. He is narcissistic, selfish and vain. A stereotypical loser who achieved the peak of his life in high school, during which he was popular (before his prom date dumped him for, and slept with, someone else). Dennis' sense of self-worth is entirely dependent on the perceptions others hold of his looks and sex appeal. He frequently obsesses about the possibility that he may have some sort of visible physical flaw (usually presented by Sweet Dee as a form of malice), and spends the remainder of the episode trying to correct it. Dennis needs constant reassurance that he is attractive, often going to shocking, sometimes self-harming lengths to gain attention and approval. At one point in the series, Dennis admits he had even undergone laser hair removal on his genitals. Throughout the series, Dennis has used illicit drugs such as "kind bud", crack cocaine, obscene amounts of alcohol, LSD, and ecstacy. He also appears to be the only member of The Gang who regularly smokes cigarettes.

      Dennis has a superiority complex. Having almost zero concept of empathy, Dennis has been known to openly critique women with any flaw he may find, destroy others' property, and regularly kick down people's doors. He puts down his friends often and reminds them about their shortcomings and failures, especially Dee and Charlie. His friends and enemies alike refer to him as "a piece of shit" constantly throughout the series. Dennis has never disagreed with this, and will usually smile and even laugh as if he knows and is perfectly comfortable with being "a piece of shit". Insults from others about his personality and nonphysical features seem to almost please him, whereas even the most trivial comments about his physical appearance will send him to extreme behavior. In the episode "The Gang Exploits A Miracle", Sweet Dee mentioned Dennis has a "fat face" in retaliation for derogatory comments Dennis made about her. The episode ended with Dennis collapsing off a bar stool at Paddy's from self-inflicted starvation.

      Exceedingly promiscuous, Dennis does very well with women attributed to his good looks and shallow charm. However, this superficiality prevents him from ever entering into a relationship. Dennis claims, when dealing with women, the words "No", "Don't", or "Stop" have never had an effect on his intentions. It has been revealed that he was sent home from a summer camp where he was a counselor for the statutory rape of a teenage girl. His attraction to younger girls has been mentioned by Mac and Charlie in "Underage Drinking: A National Concern", although he tries to resist the temptations of an eighteen-year-old high school senior in the same episode. Dennis has a fascination with anonymous sex, even going as far as installing a glory hole in the men's room at Paddy's (with disastrous results). Dennis even had a brief stint as a sex worker (Frank being his pimp), though he referred to his title as being, a "handsome companion".

      He also had a disturbing gay experience at the beginning of the first season when Mac got him black-out drunk on Cabo Wabo shots to help Sweet Dee in a bid for revenge. Dennis seems to have an extensive knowledge of the physics in gay relationships. He is aware of the difference in bears and twinks, and understands the meaning behind being a "top" or a "bottom", and when being a "power bottom", that "speed is the name of the game" in terms of which partner is dominant. The possibly ambiguous nature of his sexuality and even gender identity has been explored in other episodes, usually connected to his vanity and need for approval.

      Dennis' taste in music includes what Mac calls "early eighties glam-rock femme-shit", and is seen listening to (and singing along with) songs of Rick Astley on multiple occasions. Despite making less than $400 a week at the bar, his family's wealth enables Dennis to wear stylish clothing and drive a Range Rover. He's purportedly the most educated of The Gang, having graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and minored in psychology, although he failed to achieve his original ambition to become a veterinarian. He also has some artistic talent, drawing cartoonish, large-breasted women which Charlie finds enticing.

      "Popping off" his shirt has become one of Dennis' main cliches, no matter how inappropriate, ill-timed or absurd the situation may be. Dennis' delusional self image allows him to believe that anyone would want to see him without his shirt, and would be just as pleased as he is with what they see.

      Deandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds

      Portrayed by Kaitlin Olson, Dee is Dennis's twin sister and a bartender at Paddy's, and is considered the female "voice" for the program. [5] Sweet Dee was unpopular in high school due to her severe scoliosis, which forced her to wear a back brace and earned her the nickname "The Aluminum Monster". She dropped out of Penn, where she had majored in psychology but failed her classes, to become an actress. However, she has put little effort into realizing her ambition and others in The Gang comment on her lack of talent. Despite identifying herself as a compassionate liberal, she is characterized as being selfish, greedy and just as prejudiced as the rest of The Gang. Sweet Dee battles with The Gang's view that "females are inferior" and constantly tries to prove to others she is as capable as they are. In "The Gang Gets Invincible", Dee tries out for the Philadelphia Eagles with Mac and Dennis as her male alter ego, "Cole". In fact, Frank is the only member of The Gang that considers Dee as a member of The Gang. Whenever there is a decision, or a vote amongst members of The Gang, Dennis, Mac and Charlie immediately exclude her.

      Since high school, Dee has had a long string of failed relationships. At the beginning of the series, she was shown dating, but this facet has since been removed from the show. Like the other members of The Gang, she drinks heavily, especially to calm herself after meeting an attractive man. When held hostage by the McPoyles in the episode "The Gang Gets Held Hostage", Sweet Dee is overcome by an extreme case of Stockholm syndrome. She also harbors a phobia regarding the elderly. Despite her many insecurities, Dee is aggressively outspoken and prone to violence when angered. At one point, she has beaten a masturbating bum behind Paddy's. Like Charlie, her anger is greatly amplified by use of anabolic steroids in "Hundred Dollar Baby." Other substances she has used include inhalants, cocaine in both powder and rock form, copious amounts of alcohol, and ecstacy. Dee is probably seen drinking or more drunk than anyone else in The Gang. In "The Gang Solves The North Korea Situation", she is seen along with Frank and Mac on an American Idol-like panel where she portrays a drunken spoof of Paula Abdul, slurring her words and judging hopefuls in a talent contest, drinking heavily from a cup full of "rum and cokes".

      She is consistently criticized and belittled by The Gang for her looks (often comparing her to a giant bird), lack of talent, and the fact that she is a woman. Dee's ideas will often be ridiculed by the rest of The Gang, but they enthusiastically agree if the exact same idea is presented immediately after by someone else. In her mother's will, Dee was told that she was a disappointment and a mistake, even though she was Dennis's twin. There is a subtle, running gag throughout the show in which Sweet Dee will exaggeratedly kick into the air, usually when she is angered or frustrated. [6]

      Sweet Dee's aspiration for acting has inspired her to create several characters, many of which she performs in the episode "America's Next Top Paddy's Billboard Model Contest", as she attempts to be discovered by talent agencies through putting videos of herself performing on a YouTube-like website. However, her presence in the videos are overlapped by Charlie's idiotic performances of Green Man. Performing in front of a camera does not seem to affect her at all, whereas she displays severe glossophobia to the point of nearly vomiting when she performs her stand-up comedy routines for live audiences at local comedy club open mics.

      Dee was the only major character in the show to be conceived without an actor in mind. Although Dee was originally written to be the female voice of sanity to contrast with her ill-intentioned co-stars, the character quickly became an equal participant in the gang's illicit and morally questionable activities when Olson was cast.

      Charlie Kelly

      Charlie Day plays the role of Charlie Kelly, a childhood friend of both Mac and Dennis and co-owner of Paddy's Pub. He is also Frank's roommate, and possibly his biological son. Charlie is an angry underachiever prone to Al Pacino-styled outbursts. He displays poor hygiene, lives in squalor, and frequently abuses inhalants such as glue and spray paint. In addition, Charlie has had addictions to and/or abused, anabolic steroids, copious amounts of alcohol, LSD, poppers as well as both rock and powder forms of cocaine. Throughout the show, Charlie often exhibits difficulty reading and writing, and is often accused of being illiterate and "retarded" by other characters. Mac even went as far as claiming "No one understands the subtleties of Charlie's retardation better than me."

      Charlie has intricately memorized and even mapped out the air ducts and vents throughout Paddy's Pub. It is realized that Charlie sometimes seeks refuge and solitude there. It is the only access to "Charlie's bad room", in which Charlie likes to go to "be alone and break bottles".

      Like the rest of The Gang, he has a poor grasp of history and current events, and sometimes ignores the topic of a simple conversation altogether to maintain his dignity. Despite this, he is very capable of devising extremely complex plans to achieve his goals and successfully manipulate other characters in the show. Despite such displays of intelligence and Machiavellian aptitude at manipulation, his lack of common sense, anger issues, substance abuse, and poor grasp of contemporary reality altogether conspire to prevent him from ever achieving anything whatsoever in life. It is made clear that he is convinced that he was a centaur in a past life. Charlie is an acclaimed "great referee", and has a renowned method of cleaning toilets and urinals.

      Charlie seems to be the most artistically talented member of The Gang. In the episode "The Nightman Cometh", he is observed as a playwright, musical composer, and director. Like Dee, however, he becomes nauseous when performing in front of live audiences. He exhibits a flair for dressing in costumes and assuming other personae, including (but certainly not limited to) the enigmatic and iconic "Green Man", a disabled Vietnam War veteran, a Texan Oil Baron, and the film character Serpico. He also has displayed skill in playing electric keyboard as seen in "Sweet Dee Is Dating A Retarded Person", and sewing in "The Aluminum Monster vs. Fatty McGoo", which he claims allows him to maintain the few pieces of clothing that he owns. Charlie's signature attire throughout the series is seen whenever he is at home: a black t-shirt with holes in it depicting a shiny black horse, and an old pair of long thermal underwear, which Mac claims are "covered in piss". Even though he's a co-owner of Paddy's, he never has enough money, and frequently asks for loans from his friends. His financial problems are exacerbated by his tendency to makes "bad investments" and to give up his shares in the business whenever he needs a favor. At one point he gave "a shit load" of shares of Paddy's to Mac for half of a sandwich. He is extremely prone to electrocution, having been electrocuted over 500 times. He has also professed a dislike for lizards.

      Many of the tedious and disgusting tasks at the bar are referred to as "Charlie work", even when he is temporarily spared from performing them. Charlie's least favorite task is killing rats in Paddy's, as he claims "it takes an emotional toll" on him. He seems almost inhumanly tough and resilient to injury. Mac and Dennis, who believe him to be nearly indestructible, frequently manipulate him into tests of his fortitude, like hitting him over the head with beer bottles and chairs, and having him tow a Ford F-150 through the streets of Philadelphia. In the season three premiere, Charlie's mother reveals that he was the survivor of a failed abortion attempt. Charlie has little to no success in dating, and harbors an unrequited crush on The Waitress, a recurring character in the show, He goes to great lengths to win her over, in spite of her declarations that she will never be interested in him. Charlie repeatedly shows more empathy for people than the rest of The Gang, and operates on a higher ethical level than them, often demonstrating a deeper understanding of right and wrong, perhaps due to a lifetime of mistreatment by other people. In spite of this, he is not above selfishly manipulating, deceiving and harming others (particularly members of The Gang who have wronged him) for personal gain or vengeance. He enjoys seeing the other members of The Gang embarrassed. In "Dennis And Dee's Mom Is Dead", he is eager to have someone read to him from Dee's middle school diary, and laughs at her difficulties as a physically handicapped adolescent.

      There is a possibility that Frank Reynolds is his real father. It is not explicitly stated in the show, but in the season 2 finale and season 3 premiere, Charlie finds out that Frank had a one night stand with his mother 30 years ago. Charlie tries to persuade Frank to take a paternity test, but Frank adamantly refuses. Charlie and Frank's issue ends there, though they still live together in Charlie's "shit-hole apartment" and share a futon where they sleep. Charlie and Frank's apartment appears to be a one-room studio, where they sleep, cook on Charlie's hot plate, and defecate in bedpans and brimming coffee cans. There is evidence to support the hunch that Charlie was sexually abused as a child. The most compelling, is the fact that he repeatedly writes music about the "Nightman", a spirit-like being who crawled into his room at night when he was young and takes hold of him with his "strong hands", and "fills him up". The words Charlie uses to describe his transformation into the Nightman undoubtedly describes a violent rape by a man. This is obvious to every character on the show but Charlie himself.

      Mac

      Played by Rob McElhenney, the character of Mac is Charlie's friend from childhood and Dennis' high school friend and later roommate. He is co-owner of Paddy's and generally the pub's most active manager. He comes from a broken home. His father is former meth dealer, and was once incarcerated for it, and his mother is extremely apathetic. Mac constantly seeks the acceptance of others, especially his parents, but his over-earnest efforts make him come off as an "asshole". Dennis notes that the only reason Mac hung out with the popular kids in high school was because he sold them pot, and even then was considered a "jerk". Mac also makes frequent attempts to be "hard", sometimes to impress his criminal father, but he generally flees from confrontation and fares poorly in fights. Mac aspires to be a gangster, posing as a member of Frank's street gang, the "Yellow Jacket Boys", as well as a prospect in the local Italian Mob, where he has earned the moniker "Pussy Hands". He has an ongoing sexual relationship (which he tries to keep secret from The Gang) with a pre-op transsexual named Carmen, for whom he claims he is just "putting in time" for when she gets the operation. There is more than enough evidence to support that Mac is harboring one or more STDs, though it is yet to be revealed as to which specific disease he carries.

      He is original owner of "the duster", a long black coat that, as he claims, "makes him look like Lorenzo Lamas, and women find it irresistible". Since it's inception into the series, Mac has stopped wearing it because Dennis wears it all the time with no shirt underneath and with lots of cologne. Mac considers the duster ruined, and this is why Mac wanted it burned in his "list of demands" in the episode "Mac and Charlie Die". Charlie is also seen wearing it to help break open a door marked "Private", as Dennis used Charlie as a human battering ram in "The Gang Solves The North Korea Situation".

      Mac's jealousy towards the success of others is apparent throughout the series. When he learns Charlie and the McPoyle brothers possibly got molested in elementary school (of which he too was a student), he went out to do extensive research as to why he didn't get molested, stating "If the McPoyles got blown, and Charlie got blown...then why didn't I get blown!?", expressing how he feels rejected by the molester. Like Dennis, Mac sees himself as superior to the rest of The Gang, aside from Frank whom he obviously idolizes, and will attempt to prove this to them often. For instance, he videotapes himself performing idiotic stunts and calls them his "Project Badass" tapes and shows them to Charlie and Dennis. Though, the two are convinced Mac is only interested in impressing them in order to "bang" them. He especially takes pleasure in undermining Sweet Dee, physically harming her, contradicting her, and publicly belittling her at every possible opportunity. Mac professes an extreme hatred for Tom Brady.

      Mac believes he is an adept martial artist with "cat-like reflexes", usually wearing sleeveless shirts (of which upon his death, he wants "retired" and hung up around Paddy's) in order to prove his physical prowess and to show off his tribal tattoos. Even while attending formal events, he is never seen wearing a shirt with sleeves below the elbow (aside from when he dons the duster). Mac is Catholic and the only member of The Gang to profess a religious faith. While he feels a certain sense of social responsibility on issues such as abortion, community activism and parenting, he has equally large moral voids. Like others in The Gang, he has been known to abuse substances at times, such as poppers, and glue, though the glue Charlie and Mac are seen huffing together through a paper bag throughout the series is revealed to be non-toxic Elmer's Glue. Mac drinks alcohol like the rest of The Gang, but nowhere near as much or as often as Charlie, Sweet Dee and Dennis is seen drinking. He is even called by Dennis and Charlie "a slow drinker" after losing a race in chugging down their beers.

      His full name is rather ambiguous. In the season four episode "The Gang Cracks the Liberty Bell," the Colonial-era Mac character is referred to as "MacDonald". This is dismissed as his real name though, because in the same episode, the Colonial-era Frank is referred to as "Franklin", to reflect the time-period of the episode. It can be seen however, on the parole papers in part 1 of the episode "Mac & Charlie Die", that Mac's father's name is "Luther Mac". The assumption that this is Mac's last name is accepted.

      Mac's signature line, "What's up, bitches?", can often be heard. In many episodes, upon entering the bar, Mac will say the line (or a similar variation of) "I've got news!", as a pretext to a subplot about to ensue. The Gang usually doesn't get as excited as he is about any of his news, but will usually get one of them to reluctantly follow him. Throughout the series, Mac is seen regaling his signature "puppy dog look", usually at times when he is ashamed, or proposing something reprehensibly shameful.

      Frank Reynolds

      Frank Reynolds, played by Danny DeVito, is the legal father of Dennis and Dee, and allegedly, the biological father of Charlie. He first appears in the season two premier, "Charlie Gets Crippled", and becomes the owner of Paddy's and "Captain of The Gang" in the episode "The Gang Goes Jihad". He is also Charlie's roommate. He was a successful businessman and has a long history of illegal operations and dealings with sordid characters throughout his life, some of which vow to "skin him alive". He was introduced in the first episode of the second season as a man undergoing a midlife crisis. Frank became co-owner of Paddy's Pub by purchasing the land underneath it, and used this leverage to forcibly join The Gang after learning that The Gang blew up the building next to Paddy's to scare off an Israeli businessman who had previously purchased the land. Frank is a member of a street gang called the "Yellow Jacket Boys". They appear to be leather jacket wearing thugs (the main reason Mac wants initiation), but in reality, the most menacing thing they are seen doing is enchanting the streets of Philadelphia with their doowop singing. Frank styles himself as a master manipulator and frequently takes the lead in The Gang's schemes. He sometimes applies Naziesque tactics to accomplish his goals, usually employing Mac for gestapo-like support.

      Frank claims to have his children's best interests at heart but frequently exploits and insults them. Over the course of the series, he has pimped out his son Dennis for "no rules" sexual favors, and trained his daughter Sweet Dee to be a boxer so she could fight the daughter of his long time nemesis. He is especially cruel to Dee, constantly remarking on her age and looks as a negative. Frank personally waterboards Dee in the men's room at Paddy's to gain a confession, and he even sets Sweet Dee on fire in the episode "Frank Sets Sweet Dee On Fire". As the series goes along, he ceases to be a father figure to Dennis and Dee and is instead merely part of The Gang. Frank seems to take Mac under his wing, subjecting him to his teachings in how to succeed in life applying shady, unethical and sometimes illegal methods. It is observed that Mac looks up to Frank, more so than the rest of The Gang, though Charlie takes extreme measures to ensure Frank remains his roommate. It is revealed that Frank is possibly Charlie's long-lost father, due to Frank's one-night stand with Charlie's mom 30 years before. Frank claims he was never told of Charlie's birth, and pushed for Charlie's mom to have an abortion, which Charlie somehow survived.

      He says he went to Vietnam, leading people to believe he fought in the Vietnam War, but Dennis and Dee both remind him that he went to Vietnam in 1993 to open a sweatshop. Though he clearly teaches life lessons, mentors, and his sometimes valuable insight sheds wisdom on The Gang, Frank's view of the world is often very skewed, possibly a sign of dementia. In the episode "Mac and Dennis: Manhunters", Dennis has remarked that some of the stories Frank tells of his life, are in fact directly out of John Rambo's life. In the episode "The Gang Gets Held Hostage", Frank emulates John McClane from the Die Hard film series. In the episode "Mac Is A Serial Killer", Dennis says Frank "makes less sense every day". Frank has a tendency to trip on LSD, where he has manifested traumatizing experiences being trapped in the bathrooms of recreational vehicles. Like Mac, he drinks alcohol, but not in the excessive amounts we see his children and Charlie subject themselves to.

      Frank also appears to be very wealthy, as he usually pays for props, costumes, and other equipment for many of The Gang's misadventures. However, this is in direct contrast to his living conditions, preferring to live in filth and squalor as Charlie's roommate in an apartment exclusively referred to by anyone who steps foot in it as, "a shit-hole", where they spend time "eating chicken scraps" and attempting to "break records". Though Frank is egotistical, diabolical, and maniacal, he appears to have some good in him, for instance, caring very greatly for Charlie, possibly even more so than he did for Dennis and Dee. His love for Charlie is apparent in "Mac and Charlie Die", when Frank becomes grief struck after Charlie fakes his death, seen carrying around a plastic likeness of Charlie, professing his love for him at high volume in the streets. He also appears to be the only member of The Gang who has genuinely complimented Charlie, as seen in the episode "The Nightman Cometh". This display makes him the only member of The Gang who seems to actually care about someone other than himself.

      He is a severe compulsive gambler, seen betting on everything from grade school basketball to Russian roulette, usually with his chain smoking and high-stakes betting ring of Vietnamese friends. Sweet Dee once told Frank, "You can't just come in here and start running our lives like this, it's not fair!", to which Frank replies, "Wanna bet?". Dee is confused as to what exactly he wants to bet on, saying "Bet on what? Whether or not it's fair?", before Frank utters the line, "Sure. Bet on whatever." a testament to his boundless addiction to gambling, no matter how ridiculous the circumstances. "What's the action?" is Frank's signature line. Frank is never without his handgun, producing it whenever and wherever he or others in The Gang feels it is necessary, pointing it around and even firing it at incredibly inappropriate times. Whether or not it is licensed or illegal is unknown.

      Friends and enemies

      • Mary Elizabeth Ellis as The Waitress: The most frequently recurring character outside of the gang, The Waitress works at a coffee shop not far from Paddy's. She is a recovering alcoholic with whom Charlie is madly in love. The Waitress has absolutely no interest in Charlie, but harbors an unrequited crush on Dennis. Charlie goes to great lengths to woo her, while she goes to great lengths to attract Dennis' attention. In attempt to make Dennis jealous, she "banged" Frank, almost "banged" Mac, and grind-danced with a dirty old homeless man in the episode "The Gang Dances Their Asses Off". Because of her obsession with Dennis, she is often the victim of The Gang's manipulative schemes. As a running gag, none of the characters seems to know her real name, and she is simply referred to as "The Waitress". One of the only clues to her real name is that it doesn't start with "W". Actress Mary Elizabeth Ellis is Charlie Day's actual wife.
      • Nate Mooney and Jimmi Simpson as Ryan and Liam McPoyle: Creepy former elementary school classmates of Mac and Charlie. It is strongly implied that the two brothers have an incestuous relationship with each other and with their deaf mute sister, Margaret played by Thesy Surface. Liam seems to have a sexual attraction for Dennis as well. They have numerous other siblings and family members (all noticeable from their unmistakable features such as unibrow, acne and eczema) numbering around 14 as seen in "The Gang Gets Invincible", most notably, "Doyle McPoyle", aspiring football player. They are enemies with Charlie for foiling their plan to become rich through a false molestation lawsuit against the school district, and with the rest of The Gang for ruining Doyle's chance to play for the Philadelphia Eagles when Frank accidentally shoots him in the leg. They take revenge in the episode "The Gang Gets Held Hostage" by faking a raid on their bar. The McPoyles also have a strange obsession with milk.
      • Artemis Pebdani as Artemis: A friend of Dee's from her acting classes (her first episode acts out scenes from Coyote Ugly, of which actress Kaitlin Olson plays a small part), Artemis is overly serious about her craft and displays bizarre habits and outbursts. Despite being overweight and unattractive in the traditional sense, Artemis is very open about her sexuality. Artemis often offers to perform in the nude, even when extremely unnecessary. She is one of the only characters that is Dee's friend, the other being Gary, Dee's neighbor who turned out to be a serial killer with a crush on Dee. Artemis takes great interest in many of The Gang's doings. She hangs around whether she is actually concerned about their objectives, or just entertained by their absurd antics. She purportedly smokes hashish, and has tried (though unsuccessfully) to smoke it with Sweet Dee. Artemis has a notable appearance in the episode "Who Pooped the Bed," in which she announces in a crowded nightclub that she has a "bleached asshole" and that she is going to attract men by taking off her bra in order to, as she says, "blast my nips".
      • David Hornsby as Matthew Mara/Rickety Cricket: A former man of the cloth, and classmate of The Gang who was forced to wear humiliating giant leg braces in high school. He first appears in "The Gang Exploits a Miracle" and reveals that he continues to harbor his high school crush on Sweet Dee. He admits he was convinced to eat horse feces for a chance to kiss Dee, which he was denied since, as she said, "his breath smelled like shit." Thanks to The Gang, he becomes homeless and develops an addiction to cocaine. He carries a vendetta against The Gang after having his legs broken. Mac and Dennis have a penchant for teabagging Cricket, and have been doing this to him, off and on, since high school. Dennis claims to have a shoebox full of pictures of him and Mac doing this, as well as claiming there are pictures of it surfacing on the internet. One recurring theme in the series is the progressive downward spiral of Cricket. In his first appearance, he is a priest. After quitting this job, it is revealed he is living on the streets begging. He is used by the gang to sell cocaine for the Mob, where after being scapegoated by Dennis, has his legs broken. He was even killed (as Colonial-era Cricket, in the episode "The Gang Crack The Liberty Bell") accidentally by Frank and Charlie in one of the series' more violent moments. His most recent appearance as Rickety Cricket was "Mac & Dennis: Manhunters" in which he appeared as dirty, disheveled, and still clinging to a thread of hope that Dee would give him a chance. At the end of that episode, he believes he will get a chance to teabag Dennis (a feat he did accomplish once in "The Gang Exploits A Miracle"), but after Frank is chased out of the apartment by Charlie and Dee, he is left alone with Mac and Dennis and presumably teabagged. Cricket is supposedly world renown for his re-creation of individual's bowel movements, though this is purely speculation.
      • Brittany Daniel as Carmen: The male-to-female transsexual who Mac is dating, much to his nervous embarrassment. She first appears in the episode "Charlie Has Cancer", then reappears two seasons later in the episode "Mac Is a Serial Killer". She is gorgeous but displays an obvious bulge in her pants. She manages to keep Mac interested in her with promises of undergoing sexual reassignment surgery. Carmen also applies flattery, constantly complimenting Mac on his body, to which he easily succumbs.

      Parents

      • Anne Archer as Barbara Reynolds: Frank's gold-digging ex-wife and the mother of Dennis and Dee. She is a cold, cruel, and selfish woman with little affection for her family. Frank exclusively refers to her as his "whore wife". The finale of season two revealed that Barbara tricked Frank into raising the twins because she thought he was wealthier than Dennis and Dee's biological father, Bruce Mathis (played by Stephen Collins). She has a vindictive streak, sleeping with Mac solely to make Frank jealous, and cutting her daughter out of her will and claiming she was a mistake (even though Dennis and Dee are twins). She dies due to a botched neck-lift in the third season, to which Frank celebrated at Paddy's with champagne while delivering the news to The Gang.
      • Stephen Collins as Bruce Mathis. The antithesis of Frank Reynolds, Bruce is Dennis and Dee's biological father. Bruce devotes his time and money to charities and philanthropic efforts, including adopting several suffering children in Africa. Because of his good nature, Dennis and Dee are unable to have a successful relationship with him. He reconnects with his children through Sweet Dee's Myspace page on the episode "Dennis and Dee Get a New Dad". He later appears in the episode, "Dennis and Dee's Mom is Dead", in which he inherits Barbara's fortune. In the same episode, he refers to The Gang as "the most horrible people alive".
      • Lynne Marie Stewart as Bonnie Kelly: Charlie's mom, a sweet and timid woman who is attracted to cruel men, and not to men like Dennis. She had a one-night stand with Frank Reynolds 30 years ago, possibly making him the biological father of Charlie. She later reconnects with Frank, enjoying his harsh treatment and becoming his "bang-maid", but quickly transfers her affections to the intimidating Luther Mac, after meeting him at a dinner party thrown by Mac and Charlie. She is quite neurotic and emotional, prone to dramatic episodes.
      • Gregory Scott Cummins as Luther Mac: Mac's father and a convicted felon. In his first appearance in the episode "Dennis and Dee Get a New Dad", Mac and Charlie visit him in prison to bond with him, and he attempts to get them to smuggle heroin into the prison. He plays a larger role in "Dennis Looks Like a Registered Sex Offender", this time out on parole and convincing Mac to help him "take care of some people." He is tall, has numerous tattoos, and he never blinks. This gives him a generally intimidating appearance. The warm and gentle Bonnie Kelly is attracted to Luther's aloof behavior and criminal past. Charlie and Mac later try (and fail) to sabotage Luther's parole. Luther forgives Mac for this in a note, while also telling Mac to stay far away from him and now spends his days sunning on a Mexican beach.
      • Sandy Martin as Mac's Mom or Mrs. Mac: Mac's mom first appears in "Mac Bangs Dennis' Mom". She is always seen smoking and watching television at her home on the front porch. She, like Bonnie, finds Dennis unattractive. She remains equally apathetic when Mac's dad returns from prison, and falls asleep during her son's funeral after he and Charlie fake their deaths to escape from Luther.

      Selected guest stars

      • Autumn Reeser - appears in "Charlie Wants An Abortion", as Megan, a pro-life activist that Mac meets at a pro-life center.
      • Jaimie Alexander - appears in "Underage Drinking: A National Concern", as Tammy, a high school student who blackmails Dennis into going to the prom with her.
      • Michael Rosenbaum - appears in "Gun Fever", as Colin, a gun-loving thief who steals from the neighboring bars in Philadelphia by manipulating their female bartenders.
      • Dennis Haskins - appears in "Charlie Got Molested", as Coach Murray, a coach being prosecuted by the McPoyle brothers, who falsely claimed that they were molested by him. Mac makes a notable pass at him in order to see if he is desirable among pedophiles.
      • Eddie Mekka - appears in "Hundred Dollar Baby", as Bobby Thunderson, Frank's old boxing rival from the 1960s (and the father of Dee's new boxing rival).
      • Faizon Love - appears in "The Gang Gets Invincible", as the head trainer and coach of the Philadelphia Eagles development team.
      • Geoffrey Owens - also appears in "The Gang Gets Invincible", as himself hired to play Donovan McNabb, immediately identified by The Gang as "the guy from The Cosby Show".
      • Richard Ruccolo - appears as a corporate rep in "The Gang Sells Out".
      • Judy Greer - appears in "The Aluminum Monster vs. Fatty McGoo", as fashion designer/clothing store owner Ingrid Nelson (aka Fatty McGoo). She is a former schoolmate Dee used to torment (which she used as inspiration to ultimately become far more successful than Dee).
      • The Sklar Brothers - appeared in the episode "The Gang Dances Their Asses Off" as the obnoxious radio DJs hosting the Dance Marathon for the bar.
      • Fisher Stevens - appears as Lyle Korman, a reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer who is kidnapped by The Gang after he gives Paddy's Bar a negative review.
      • Sinbad and Rob Thomas - both appear in "Dennis Reynolds: An Erotic Life". Sinbad and Thomas play fictionalized versions of themselves as fellow patients Dennis encounters after being dumped outside a rehab hospital by Frank and Mac. Sinbad playing a dominant Deebo-like bully, whereas Rob Thomas plays his bitch.
      • Jon Runyan - appears as a construction worker interviewed by Sweet Dee in "America's Next Top Paddy's Billboard Contest".
      • Preston Elliot and Steve Morrison also make appearances as construction workers in "America's Next Top Paddy's Billboard Contest". Preston and Steve perform as radio disk jockeys on 93.3 WMMR in Philadelphia.

      Episodes

      Music

      The music used on the show is usually classical or easy listening, such as "Flute Thing", in order to strike an ironic contrast with the show's chaotic nature. Other music has included songs by the "Orange Marsupials".

      The series does not have a soundtrack of its own. The show's theme song is a piece of production music called "Temptation Sensation" by Heinz Kiessling. This was originally because of the show's extremely low budget but has since become a trademark of the aforementioned thematic contrast.

      References

      1. IGN: ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' Premiere
      2. 'Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Gets Another Season
      3. 'FX Shows Love for It's Always Sunny
      4. FX Networks
      5. Kaitlin Olson
      6. 'It's Always Sunny' screen test college tour - Smallscreen
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