Across 16 seasons and 170 episodes, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia remains a show that fans eagerly await seeing on the upcoming TV schedule, despite some gaps being longer than others. The morally defunct and gleefully reprehensible series long ago cemented itself as one of the greatest TV sitcoms of all time, and it’s the rare show that’s maintained its quality into the double-digit years. (Check out our rankings.) And Season 17 is on the way!
It’s been over a year since audiences caught up with the Gang in Season 16, the second in a row to feature only eight episodes, as opposed to the ten-installment seasons in the years prior (Seasons 8-14). We probably shouldn’t hope for another 15-ep run like the FX and FXX comedy’s Season 3 production, but any time spent in Paddy’s Pub is quality time indeed. So let’s check out everything we know so far about It’s Always Sunny’s 17th outing.
When Does It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Season 17 Premiere?
At the time of writing, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has yet to lock down an exact release date amid FXX’s primetime lineup. That said, it’s expected to arrive on the cable channel at some point on the 2025 premiere schedule.
Assuming this season will follow others by way of not featuring any massive CGI-filled stunt spectaculars — potential Lethal Weapon sequels notwithstanding — then one wouldn’t be deemed loony for speculating that Season 17 could feasibly arrive in the fall, though it might be too optimistic to hope for anything dropping earlier than September.
The Cast
As fun and maddening as the plotlines are, the core joy of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia absolutely lies with its core quintet of hilarious actors and the depraved characters they portray: Charlie Day’s Charlie, Danny DeVito’s Frank, Glenn Howerton’s Dennis, Rob McElhenney’s Mac and Kaitlin Olson’s Dee. Per usual, all five series regulars are expected to return for the upcoming season, at least until further updates say otherwise.
Of course, the ever-growing ensemble of recurring characters also provides a major draw for viewers. As awful as it would be to actually know people like David Hornsby’s Rickety Cricket or Lance Barber’s Bill Ponderosa or Jimmi Simpson’s fan-fave Liam McPoyle, seeing them show up to aid and abet in the Gang’s worst schemes never gets old.
And every season manages to deliver at least one cameo that completely drops jaws, from “Rowdy” Roddy Piper to Saved by the Bell’s Dennis Haskins to Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranson and Aaron Paul. We can only assume Season 17 will follow suit, and will report on any such guest stars that are announced.
The Season 17 Storylines
As any longtime fans are aware, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s narrative choices and storylines are all over the map, and it’s akin to classic cartoons in that the universe basically resets between episodes, and plotline tangents only reemerge when the writers want them to. As such, it’s nearly impossible to gauge where the creative team will take the Gang from one year to the next.
There have been exceptions, of course, such as the various two-parters, as well as the eps focusing on Dennis and Mac’s aforementioned Lethal Weapon sequels, and follow-up eps for arcs like The D.E.N.N.I.S. System, the Waitress, various former relationships and so on. Not to mention half of Season 15 was devoted to the Gang’s trip to Ireland.
Here’s hoping the writers keep the bar raised high for the lowbrow comedy for Season 17, whether it’s all completely disparate stories or a fully serialized narrative from beginning to end.
It's Always Sunny's Writers Room Started Up In August 2024
On August 4, Charlie Day gave fans a big heads up on social media that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's new season was definitely on his mind, as he was celebrating the 19th anniversary of the premiere airing on FX (and making me feel old in the process). He also revealed that the writers room would be starting up within a week's time.
Thankfully, the co-creator and star wasn't just telling stories, and his fellow Sunny cohort shared proof of the creative bliss happening behind the scenes with the following Instagram post.
Gotta love how Rob McElhenney kept Glenn Howerton in the picture, so to speak, by posing with a lovely art piece of the Blackberry star's face while kneeling between Rickety Cricket himself, David Hornsby, and Nina Pedrad. It's unclear if Howerton will be involved in the writing at some point down the line, or if scheduling conflicts will be at play.
Filming For Season 17 Will Reportedly Start In October
With the Always Sunny writers room kicking off in early August, that means filming all those scripts can't be too far behind. While nothing has been officially announced by the network or those currently penning the episodes, co-star Kaitlin Olson (who's also married to Rob McElhenney) shared that Season 17's production will begin in October. Here's what she told The Playlist while promoting High Potential, her upcoming ABC series:
Yeah, so we wrap [High Potential] in October, and then I think three days later we start shooting Sunny, but it’s on the same lot, so I’ll be in the spring of things.
Olson also stated that she'll likely be done filming things for a while in March, though it's not clear if that timing is referring to the end of It's Always Sunny Season 17, or if that will be for another project.
Each Co-Star Has Worked On Other Projects In The Meantime
Even if 4/5 of the actors at the heart of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia may always be best remembered for this particular show, none of their careers are lacking in other projects outside of the FXX comedy. Below is a rundown of all the major projects that the stars have released and been working on since Season 16 aired in 2023.
- Rob McElhenney: co-writing Minecraft: The Movie (2025), producing the unscripted soccer club-focused series Bienvenidos a Necaxa and the next season of Welcome to Wrexham for FX and Disney+ (2025)
- Kaitlin Olson: co-starring in HBO's Hacks Season 3 (2024), Netflix's comedy feature Incoming (2024), and ABC's fall dramedy High Potential (2024)
- Charlie Day: co-starring in the documentaryThe Saint of Second Chances (2023), the stop-motion dark fantasy Wildwood (2025), Ethan Coen's detective comedy Honey Don't! (TBA), Jillian Bell's romantic comedy Summer of 69 (TBA), Peter Warren's murder-mystery comedy Kill Me (TBA)
- Glenn Howerton: co-starring in Max's raunchy Scooby-Doo prequel Velma (Season 2 debuted in 2024) and the upcoming Netflix miniseries Sirens (2025)
- Danny DeVito: co-starred in the animated comedy Migration (2023), Chris Pine's dramedy Poolman (2024), the upcoming sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice (2024), an episode of The Simpsons' new season (2024), and Peter Chelsom's upcoming holiday flick A Sudden Case of Christmas (TBA).
While not everything listed above is available just yet, fans could definitely make a point of watching everything that is already released in anticipation of Season 17 arriving one day.
Keep checking back for more details about the record-breaking 17th season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and keep an eye out for McElhenney to possibly pop up at Philadelphia Eagles games now that the NFL season is starting up.
