It's (Almost) Always Sunny in Philadelphia: How Three Friends Spent $200 to Create the Longest-Running Live-Action Sitcom in History and Help Build a Network

In the bestselling traditions of Seinfeldia and Top of the Rock comes a fascinating and unauthorized deep dive into the longest-running live-action sitcom in television history, from its humble beginnings to its evolution as a critically acclaimed cult classic comedy. Charlie, Dennis, Mac, Sweet Dee, and Frank are deplorable characters.They will never mature, become more self-aware, or be less self-involved.That’s what the creators of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia are committed to-and that’s why the show’s millions of devoted fans have stuck with the cult comedy hit for seventeen seasons and counting. Back in 2004, frustrated and unemployed actors Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day drafted a homemade TV pilot.A few months and $200 later (the cost of videotapes, pizza for their friends who volunteered as extras, and a broomstick to tape their boom mic to), It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia was ready for its network debut.All major parties either passed or wanted creativ