It's (Almost) Always Sunny in Philadelphia Audiobook By Kimberly Potts cover art

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

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It's (Almost) Always Sunny in Philadelphia

By: Kimberly Potts
Narrated by: Brian Unger
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In the bestselling traditions of Seinfeldia and Top of the Rock comes a fascinating 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 less self-involved. That is 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 over sixteen seasons and counting.

Created in 2005 by stars Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton, and Charlie Day, unemployed actors with a pair of Law & Order guest appearances as the highlights of their collective resume, the frustrated trio 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 were interested but wanted creative control. And then came FX looking to shake up cable TV. Willing to allow McElhenney, Howerton, and Day complete freedom to deconstruct the traditional sitcom, new president John Landgraf agreed to take a chance. No one had any idea how big of a success it would be. With FX’s one creative note—the hiring of Danny DeVito—adding the final piece of the puzzle, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has enjoyed a steady climb to high ratings, critical acclaim, and a place in the cultural zeitgeist. Now, how the show and its creators have accomplished this is revealed with this in-depth, behind-the-scenes celebration.

As thoughtful, provocative, and engaging as the show itself, this book also explores how the show has pushed the envelope and used absurdist comedy to explore major societal issues, including the #MeToo movement, LGBTQ+ rights, racism, and more. It also asks, what does the future hold for The Gang? It certainly won’t include the characters’ personal growth, but the show itself continues to move forward, adding to its dynamic history with each season. Entertainment & Performing Arts Celebrity Comedy Entertainment History & Criticism Film & TV Popular Culture Inspiring Biographies & Memoirs Entertainment & Celebrities Social Sciences
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This book was fun, and there were some great stories at the beginning about how Sunny got started. Brian Unger's narration was excellent. However, I was disappointed by how much of book was filled with plot summary of various episodes. I was hoping for more behind-the-scenes stories and new interviews with the cast, but the only interviews quoted have already been released by other outlets. The structure of the book was a bit confusing, especially when hopping from talking about earlier episodes and then suddenly bringing up new ones (or vice versa). The chapter titles often didn't match the content of the chapter as a whole. The "Nightman" chapter didn't really talk about Nightman until halfway through. Despite these issues, I still enjoyed the book and learned new things about Sunny and the cast. The author did a good job spotlighting guest actors and directors. Specific writers got recognition too. For Sunny fans, the plot summaries may annoy you, since you already know the plots, but the rest of the book is an interesting read. I'm glad I listened to it.

Worth reading, but not what I expected

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As a big fan of the show, it’s great to listen to how this show came to be. The challenges and the successes of the show and each individual.

Insight on how this show came to be

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It’s amazing to me. They all became millionaires, have more money they or eight generations can ever spend, are so uptight about not getting a stupid award. Please. Just shut up and do the show.

Good

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