In the landscape of hit TV series, few have as long a title as the comedy series; It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. While the show’s name makes sense as it follows a bunch of morally questionable characters running a bar in Philly, it has always been a mouthful since the show was released in 2005. Many have wondered why a shorter version of its name was never adopted.
Now the series creator, Rob McElhenney, has revealed the origins behind Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s title. During an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, McElhenney was the guest host of the talk show and spoke with Kumail Nanjiani of Marvel fame. In the interview, Nanjiani revealed that the title of the upcoming Disney Plus series, Welcome to Chippendales, came about because the team couldn’t come up with a better name.
In response, McElhenney shared that he faced a similar dilemma with his hit TV series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. “Do you think It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia was something we had been mulling over for months?” He said. “No, it just sort of happened in the last minute.”
When Nanjiani asked why he actually named the show that title, McElhenney explained: “because we had no other idea what to call anything. We tried to find the most difficult name to pronounce and remember that we possibly could.”
Finding the most inconvenient title for the series actually makes sense, as the gang in the show often comes up with ineffective and strange schemes on a regular that rarely pan out. Having a difficult title is strangely perfect for the spirit of the show.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia released its 15th season in December 2021 and was renewed for season 16 in 2020. All eight episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 15 are available to watch on the streaming service Hulu for our US readers and on Netflix for all those in the UK. If you love to laugh check out our list of the best comedy movies.