Abbott Elementary is one of the funniest shows on TV. It has been partially responsible for keeping the network sitcom alive in the era of streaming, and it has racked up numerous Emmys in the process. One of the funniest things the show has done was one of its most recent endeavors, where the Abbott Elementary cast teamed up with the cast of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia for a crossover. The result was hilarious, and Abbott Elementary’s Sheryl Lee Ralph recently got blunt about what it was like working with the hooligans over at It’s Always Sunny.
Ralph recently made an appearance with the rest of the Abbott actors at San Diego Comic-Con, where they chatted about the iconic crossover episodes. She hilariously admitted that working on the It’s Always Sunny set was a bit of a culture shock, considering how pristine and well-behaved the Abbott environment is. She revealed during the panel that CinemaBlend attended:
I had sort of a visceral reaction to that cast, as Barbara Howard…. It was rough because our set is so clean, it’s so nice, everybody behaves themselves. Their set? Is dirty!
Clearly, working on the dive bar set of It’s Always Sunny was completely different than working in a school environment. Quinta Brunson was quick to jump in and note that the set wasn’t actually dirty; it was dressed to look that way to match the tone of the show. Ralph relented her point, but clearly was shaken by the stark differences between the spaces that the television casts spend most of their time.
Her co-star, Lisa Ann Walter, also jumped in, explaining that Ralph had a little bit of an issue with how the It’s Always Sunny cast operated when it came to improvising. Apparently, Charlie Day went off the rails ad libbing lines, trying some wildly inappropriate takes that had Ralph comically beside herself. You can see the full video of the Emmy winner reliving this moment during the panel below (via CinemaBlend's Instagram):
Even if the whole thing was a complete departure from what the Abbott cast was used to, fans are loving the It’s Always Sunny crossover episodes. Both episodes do a great job of juxtaposing the tones of the shows while still emphasizing the Philadelphia setting that they share. The adlibbing may have been jarring, but it created a lot of great moments, even if some had to be cut in the end.
Even if Sheryl Lee Ralph was scandalized by some of the behavior on the much raunchier show they were collaborating with, it doesn’t seem like the entire cast felt that way. They were all laughing while recounting the crossover at the panel, and Brunson totally let loose during her scenes on the R-rated It’s Always Sunny episode that aired a few weeks ago.
Abbott is a very family-friendly show, so I think it’s fun that ABC was open to exploring a more hard-core version of these characters, and I hope both casts, including Sheryl Lee Ralph, will be open to doing something so daring and fresh in the future.
You can stream both crossover episodes of Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia now with a Hulu subscription. For more information on other exciting premiere episodes heading to streaming this year -- including the Season 5 premiere of Abbott -- make sure to check out our 2025 TV schedule.
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