It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Without fail, a phrase that has been bandied about since the late 90’s is used by journalists and publicists. “The new Seinfeld”. Generally these shows are cancelled within the first few weeks of airing as they’re not very good. The thing is, Seinfeld was really the last great multi-camera sitcom to ever be produced. A genre of television that feels horribly outdated in today’s climate.

Welcome to the debut of new TV shows in 2005. And guess what? There’s a new television show being launched which has been labelled as The new Seinfeld. Unlike other shows given the same label in the past, this show has a single camera, and is actually pretty good.

So, what’s it about?
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia is a single camera comedy that focuses on the lives of three friends who own an Irish pub in Philly. They also have the token female in the form of their waitress who happens to be the sister of one of the guys. The three guys have all grown up together, are in their late twenties, and have a laid-back indie-movie-style slacker attitude towards life and the success of their bar. A bar they really only opened so they could meet women.

Who’s in the darn thing?
The unknown cast of actors are also responsible for writing the series. As it airs on US cable, it very much follows an auteur-based ethos.

What happens in that crucial first episode?
The token female, Dee, brings a fellow student from her acting class to the bar who she’s eager to date. The fellow student turns out to be an African American which causes the guys to question their attitudes towards racism. Yeah, that old chestnut of a storyline. As the plot progresses, they hire him as a bouncer to their bar as he claims he can increase attendance. What they don’t realize is that he’s gay and the clientele he’s bringing in makes their bar the hippest gay bar in Philadelphia. This is hardly the ticket to success in meeting women.

Is it actually any good?
Well, from the first episode, I was left a little curious. Bi-curious perhaps. It certainly has potential. The three guys all seem a little same-ish, but once you work out who’s who, all is swell and their charm begins to ooze. I was curious enough to watch the second episode that involves them joining anti-abortion rally’s to meet cute women. It was with the second episode that my love for the show blossomed.

The show has rated horribly on the US FX Network, so I hardly expect it to last beyond one season. So, expect to see it in the early hours of the morning here or on cable at some point in the future. Mentally, file it next to Austin Stories or Twitch City, that section of the brain where failed quirky one-camera sitcoms remain.