Earlier this year, sitcom fans were treated to a special crossover event between two of the funniest shows on Hulu: Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Both series are set in Philadelphia, but that’s where the similarities end. The first part of the event aired in January amid the 2025 TV schedule, as an Abbott episode, while the second part takes place on Sunny. Abbott creator Quinta Brunson just made a point about how the teachers on her show will behave differently while on Sunny, and I hadn't thought about this.
The creators of Abbott Elementary, including Quinta Brunson, recently attended a panel for IndieWire’s “Pass The Remote” series in partnership with Disney. During the May 20th panel Q&A conversation, the show-runners were asked about the second crossover between the two Philly based shows during It’s Always Sunny’s upcoming Season 17. In a clip posted to TikTok, Brunson teased that Abbott fans should expect the unexpected from their favorite on-screen elementary teachers:
[You have to] realize our teachers act a certain way in front of our documentary, everyone does. You wanna be seen as your best when you’re in front of the camera. And, when they’re not in front of their documentary crew, you get to see a very different shade of every single person who’s at Abbott.
If you're a fan like me, then ahead of the TV event, you probably wondered how the crossover would balance the family friendly tone of Abbott Elementary with It’s Always Sunny’s NSFW content. Two episodes, one for each show but both containing all the characters together, is a good decision. However, it didn’t really occur to me that the Abbott crew might act completely differently without a documentary crew pointing a camera at them. It sounds like we might get the answer a question some kids have: what do teachers do outside of school?
Throughout Abbott’s four seasons, we’ve caught glimpses of some of the teachers’ alternative behavior. I’m most curious about Melissa, who clearly has some shady connections and a no-BS attitude. Fans know she could have had a similar background to the Sunny characters in the past and, in fact, she was the one to recognize them and expose their true intentions at the school. I can’t help but wonder if other Abbott characters ever crossed paths with Sunny characters.
However, those background details seem to be completely in the hands of the Sunny creators. Quinta Brunson mentioned that during the writing process, there were almost no edits between scripts. The Abbott Elementary team didn’t touch the It's Always Sunny script and vice versa. So Brunson and co. must have been in for a surprise when they got their lines and direction. The Big Mouth actress teased the experience, and I honestly can’t wait to see it after seeing this response:
I think it’s really fun. I was in it, I acted in it, and then when I saw it, I was like, ‘Oh my God, girl.’ So it’s really fun.
To leave my comedic queen somewhat speechless is no small feat but, if anyone can do it, it’s the Paddy’s Pub gang. Now, I’m really looking forward to seeing the Sunny crew and Abbott teachers interact, no holds barred. It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-creators and show leads Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton have been mercilessly ruining the lives of Sunny characters for nearly 17 Seasons, and I have no doubt they have some chaos in store for the staff of Abbott Elementary.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia Season 17 will premiere with the second part of the Abbott Elementary crossover on Wednesday, July 9 at 9 p.m. ET on FXX. You'll also be able to use a Hulu subscription to stream the episode the next day.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
