Sunny’s Sunset: Cast Debates Ending 20-Year Comedy Run
This feels like a cosmic joke—after two decades of relentless hijinks, the very crew that’s been cynically slinging jokes about the apocalypse is now wondering if it’s time to pull the plug. Glenn Howerton just admitted the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia gang has seriously considered wrapping their 20-year marathon. In a recent interview with the New York Post, he asked aloud, “Do we want to keep going?” as if that question hasn’t haunted every long-running sitcom since the DVD box-set boom. Of course they’ve talked about quitting—nothing lasts forever, especially when your star actors are busy building side empires.
Howerton’s admission came on the heels of Rob McElhenney’s press tour for his Wrexham takeover documentary (Deadline) and Kaitlin Olson’s whisper campaign about a potential spin-off (Entertainment Weekly). Charlie Day, meanwhile, has been popping up in back-to-back streaming specials, leaving fans to wonder if the gang’s chemistry might be better showcased in separate corners of Hollywood. They still rake in streaming numbers that would make lesser shows drool, but network execs are reportedly growing tired of shelling out premium fees for increasingly grizzled versions of Mac, Dennis, Charlie, Dee, and Frank. The fantasy of a graceful exit has morphed into a scramble to find the sweet spot between bankable nostalgia and fresh ideas.
And here’s the bitter twist: even if they decide to soldier on for a season 21, the writing room’s diminished mojo and the cast’s growing off-screen ambitions could turn any future episodes into stilted remixes. Ratings have slipped incrementally—nothing catastrophic, but enough to send the suits into panic mode. Throw in budget battles over salary demands, and you’ve got the perfect storm for a creative and financial meltdown. As one insider quipped to People Magazine, “They know when it’s time to leave the party before the music stops… but who’s actually brave enough to turn off the record?”
Of course, rumors of a grand finale have circulated before—remember the near-collapse in season 14 when McElhenney briefly pitched a reboot-style capstone? That didn’t happen either. So this latest end-of-road chatter could just be another round of PR theater. Or maybe, finally, the show that once gleefully mined the absurdity of decline is about to confront its own mortality. Either way, brace yourselves for bittersweet goodbyes, overpriced syndication reruns, and one last guaranteed dose of existential despair—served with a side of troll-worthy humor.
Anyway, can’t wait to see how this implosion unfolds.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, Deadline, Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
