The much-anticipated Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover finally premiered on the 2025 TV schedule. The first part of the crossover aired as an episode of the ABC sitcom, which saw Charlie, Dennis, Mac, Dee and Frank visiting the titular school to serve as volunteers. Those who have never seen It’s Always Sunny received their first taste of the long-running FX sitcom's characters, who greatly differ from Abbott's. Now IAS star Kaitlin Olson is offered some advice to those who may now feel compelled to check out FX's NSFW show.
While both of the sitcoms featured in this TV event are set in Philly, they are certainly not alike and cater to vastly different audiences. With one another crossover episode set for It’s Always Sunny amid its 17th season, some Abbott fans may surely been enticed to watch the installment and maybe previous ones. While speaking with AV Club, Kaitlin Olson, who plays Dee on Sunny, been a humorous but sincere warning of sorts:
Hi! Are you a big Abbott Elementary fan excited for the crossover episode but have never seen Sunny and are excited to dive in? Great! Except…you might want to take some baby steps. It’s not on network television for a reason. (Or, instead of baby steps, maybe stop being a baby and enjoy the wilder ones? Your call!) But if you’d like to watch it with your (older) kids or your grandma, maybe check out these ones first. They’re just as hilarious but slightly tamer than others. (Please don’t watch “The Nightman Cometh” with your grandma.)
Considering Abbott is more of a family sitcom, and It’s Always Sunny is basically the complete opposite, it may be jarring for fans of the former show to watch the other. With that, Olson’s sage advice is certainly helpful here. She's not the first star to speak out on this either. Even Abbott creator and star Quinta Brunson shared on Late Night with Seth Meyers that fans of the school-based romp may want to steer clear.
The It’s Always Sunny gang, were their usual eccentric selves on Abbott Elementary, but that was definitely the tamest they've ever been. As Kaitlin Olson said, there's a reason the show isn't on network TV.
As for how the Abbott/Sunny crossover came to be, Quinta Brunson previously shared that it was an idea that was discussed after she met Rob McElhenney and the It’s Always Sunny team at the Emmys years ago. On paper, the idea seems wild but, if the first part was any indication, it was a unique concept worth both teams' hard work. So I'm definitely curious to see how the second part plays out and, before you do, be sure to take note of Kaitlin Olson's wisdom.
Those wanting to check out It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to familiarize themselves with the show can do so with a Hulu subscription. (Seriously, be warned that it's quite wild.) Of course, you can also check out episodes of Abbott Elementary on the streaming platform if they're more your speed.
