Posted in: FX, Trailer, TV | Tagged: actor, always sunny, bleeding cool, cable, celebrity, Charlie, Charlie Day, comedy, dad, dance, danny devito, dee, dennis, eagles, father, frank, fx, FXX, gay pride, Glenn Howerton, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, kaitlin olsen, LGBTQ, luther mac, mac, Paddy's, Paddy's Pub, philadelphia, Philly, pride, rob mcelhenney, Season 14, sitcom, social media, television, tv

"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia": The Gang Gets a New "Guest Star" [VIDEO]

With season 14 set to premiere on Wednesday, September 25, FXX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is now tied with ABC's The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet as the longest-running live-action comedy series. Now that's a title Mac (Rob McElhenney), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Charlie (Charlie Day), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Danny DeVito) would be more than happy to hang behind the bar – and one they're expected to hold on their vey own very soon. Safe to say things are pretty good for The Gang from Paddy's Pub.

We reported back in June how The Gang had teamed up with Omaze for a contest where one lucky fan and a friend would visit the set in Los Angeles (hotel and airfare for two included), with the winner getting to be a background extra in a scene, and then share a toast with the cast on the bar set. While no donation or payment was necessary to enter or win, the monies raised went to a very worthy, Paddy's Pub-approved cause: The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which offers medically-supervised summer camps and programs free of charge to children with serious illnesses and their families throughout the Northeast (more below).

Well, a one-in-a-million opportunity has found it's winner in Tristan P. – stemming from a place not exactly known for being sunny: London, UK:

via GIPHY

Now listen as Tristan explains why it's such an honor to be on the show – as we seethe with jealous rage… I mean, Jersey Shore fist-bump with euphoria! 

Yeah…

Founded in 1988 by Paul Newman, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp is dedicated to providing "a different kind of healing" to more than 20,000 seriously ill children and their families throughout the Northeast, free of charge, annually. For many participants, they provide multiple Camp experiences throughout the year at the camp facility in Connecticut, in more than 40 hospitals and clinics, and through other regional outreach activities across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic region. It's a community that celebrates the fun, friendship and spirit of childhood, where every kid can "raise a little hell."

Earlier this week, The Gang from Paddy's opened up about the series and upcoming season during a Television Critics Association (TCA) summer set visit (more below) – and one of the episodes that was teased was a Waiting for Godot homage set in the middle of a laser tag game. As promising of a premise as that was on paper, its even more so when we see it start to take shape during production – which we get a chance to see thanks to McElhenney's Instagram post:

View this post on Instagram.

Here are some more highlights: from the show's TCA set visit:

● For McElhenney, one of the reasons the show has lasted this long is that the fanbase knows the series isn't a "how to" guide to life:

"Our audience knows where we're coming from. We very rarely get blowback because our audience is savvy enough to know we're not advocating bad behavior, we're satirizing it."

●While It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia isn't afraid to tackle some major social issues – Olson believes their approach to the topics creates a unique character for the television landscape: a woman who not only recognizes the misogyny around her but is willing to get angry – very angry: "We're showing how ridiculous is to talk to someone like that."

● So what can fans expect this season? Well, we know Dolph Lundgren… but as John Thundergun?!? We are getting a "film noir" episode – as well as episodes dealing with global warming, and The Gang putting up their apartments as AirBnB options to better their love lives (one of the two episodes Howerton is set to direct).

● As for Mac getting a boyfriend at some point next season, McElhenney only response? "Maybe." As for Mac being a changed, better person after last season? Don't hold your breath:

"He's pretty much exactly the same. Our characters might change — but they don't evolve. He's not a better person."

● One thing that bothers Day? That people still see the show as "dirty" – even after over a decade on the air:

"There's a fundamental misunderstanding of what our show is. I hate that our show is dismissed as filthy. I don't think we're dirty…We are trying to say something about us as Americans."

DeVito put it much more bluntly: "It's not a dirty f***ing show!"

Developed by McElhenney and Howerton, and written/executive produced by McElhenney, Howerton, and Day, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was FX's first comedy hit before moving over to FXX – a fact that FX CEO John Landgraf does not take lightly when he explained at the Television Critics Association (TCA) why the series has been so successful for so long – even after all this time: "It was the fist successful deconstruction and reconstruction of a sitcom," praising the leads as "five really hilarious degenerates who are most active schemers" as well as the main reason for the show's success – while also acknowledging the various "social issues" that the series addressed so effectively in the past.

With It's Always Sunny in Philadephia back in production, that means scripts are being written – which means spoilers. Of course, "The Spoiler Game" gets a whole lot easier when McElhenney posts on social media an image of Day tapping away on an upcoming scene. If you zoom in close enough, it becomes pretty clear it's not Dolph Lundgren's super-powered nose that Day's writing about…

Charlie's leaving?!? Dennis and Mac are in love?!?

Wow! I can't be-… hold on. Keep reading. "Frank" has the biggest revelation of them all:

View this post on Instagram.

I can't believe you zoomed in to see what was on this screen and actually think that we'd give away anything we're doing this season. Don't you have better things to do? Just kidding. Thanks for caring. Happy Fourth of July.

Gotta' admit – they have a point. Which is why your friends at Bleeding Cool are more than happy to do the zooming and squinting for you as we pick over ever single fiber of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia news possible.

Though wouldn't it be funny if it turned out to be true, and they got us with a double-swerve. Wild card!

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!