"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" Cast on Show's Future (TCA 2015)

[JamesG]

Rob McElhenney on "It's Always Sunny's" Future: "I Don't Know Why We Would Ever Stop"
1/18/15
by Aaron Couch


There's still plenty of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" left.

Season ten just premiered but FXX has ordered the series through season 12, which will make it the longest running live action comedy series in cable history.



Co-creator Rob McElhenney (Mac) is potentially up for even more.

"This was my dream. This is what I've always wanted to do. I get to work with my best friends and my family and I get to do a great show with my best friends and my family," McElhenney said Sunday at the Television Critics Association press tour.

"So I don't know why we would ever stop."







He was joined by his fellow stars and executive producers Charlie Day (Charlie) and Glenn Howerton (Dennis), as well as Danny DeVito (Frank) and Kaitlyn Olson (Dee).

The show's longevity means that young TV writers cutting their teeth in Hollywood have grown up watching the show. "We purposefully went out and found kids who are now writers but started watching Sunny when they were in high school," said McElhenney.





Day said hiring them helps keep the the show young and energetic.

He addressed the Sony hack and the backlash over The Interview, joking that he felt "depressed" that Sunny didn't get that kind of attention when it mocked North Korea.

"We did a North Korea episode in season three — and not even an angry phone call," Day said, before adding that terrorist groups attempting to censor free speech only made him want to tackle those issues more.






DeVito stole the show — falling out of his chair after pretending to fall asleep, and eliciting concerned looks from the crowd and his costars — until he looked up from the ground and said "wasn't that funny?" adding "They really thought I fell asleep!"

For a show about terrible people, the Paddy's Pub gang in real life appeared to plenty of affection for each other. "I remember the very first scene we did — the first time we worked together, it was amazing. You felt like you came into a group of people who all knew each other," DeVito said.

"We all had the same intentions and the same feelings for each other."





Olson spoke of the challenges of playing Sweet Dee ten years in, saying the fact that the characters don't grow and learn from their mistakes adds an extra layer of difficulty for keeping things fresh.

"I don't know how many ways I can say 'goddammit 'and still make it funny," she said. Finding those ways is one of the fun challenges of the show.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/liv...uture-i-764585