For Millennials. By Millennials.
One of the longest-running live-action comedy show just ended its 14th season. “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” found its way to success slowly, and now there seems to be no end to it. The fans love the show even today and keep wanting more of it. The stars Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day, are also the creators and developers of the show itself. But, how did the show take off from its ground to become what it is today? The answer lies with the FX television network and Danny DeVito.
Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s Kick-Off Story
The “Always Sunny” creator Rob McElhenney appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to talk about this. He told the story of the early days of the show, where stars only used to get $300 for each episode. This was the time when even the FX TV channel was new to the media world. When they decided to partner up with the TV network, there were no ads, no paid promotions, and no marketing to spread their word. Even so, it was one of the benchmark moments for McElhenney to release his show on the TV screens.
Unfortunately, McElhenney’s happiness did not last long. He got a call from the TV channel that they were cutting down the Always Sunny because “nobody watched it”. This was serious news for someone who was to run the show for 13 more seasons. Luckily, there was a solution to this: hire Danny DeVito.
Now, Rob and his friends wanted to build up “chemistry” in Always Sunny. As much as a huge star DeVito is, it would not have been possible to create one with him. Hence, it was a very obvious answer for McElhenney when he declined right away. The TV channel warned him that they are going to cancel the show without him, which ultimately led to his approval. Watch the video below to find out more:
So, there you have it, folks, Danny DeVito in “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia” was someone McElhenney did not want. However, he could not refuse either. Accepting him might be his greatest decision because of how the show progressed.