The two hit comedy series Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are set to have a crossover episode later in the season.
Fans have been wondering how it will all play out considering the distinct tone and style of each show despite both being set in Philadelphia and owned by the same corporate umbrella (Disney).
Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Crossover Announcement
During Abbott Elementary's panel at San Diego Comic-Con last summer, showrunner and star Quinta Brunson announced that they will have a crossover with another series. At that time, she didn't unveil the title.
"I’m not gonna tell you with who or with what, or where or when. But it’s really exciting and I think it’ll change television as we know it," she teased.
Last week, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star Rob McElhenney officially revealed on X that his series will be crossing over with Abbott Elementary.
He and his co-stars will guest star in an episode of the ABC sitcom as their respective It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia characters. He also shared a behind-the-scenes photo of the cast of both shows on the set.
What to Expect in Abbott Elementary and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Crossover
In a recent interview, Abbott Elementary executive producers Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker teased what they have in store for their crossover episode with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.
They revealed that it will be the ninth episode of the current fourth season and the storyline will take up the entire half-hour runtime.
"We got the whole gang. The ‘A’ story, ‘B’ story... it’s all them. Charlie Day’s character has a pretty significant storyline in our episode. It was kind of a joke at first, that the two shows should cross over," Schumacker said.
"On paper, it feels like they’d be a real tonal mishmash. But then Rob and Charlie came to our writers room and we hashed out some real broad stroke ideas. From there, we emailed back and forth beat sheets and then an outline."
He continued, "They were super game for everything. All those concerns that we had about the tones of the shows butting against each other were alleviated the second we started filming with Charlie."
Schumacker also assured that fans who have not seen It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia can still enjoy the crossover when they watch the episode.
"It just kind of works in a vacuum. They just feel like other guest stars on the show. Obviously, it’s going to have a much deeper meaning for Sunny fans," he said.
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