Summary

• The It's Always Sunny Podcast was discontinued due to the cast's busy schedules.
• The stars' increasing fame from other projects could affect It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's future.
• It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been consistently fantastic, and seeing it end would be heartbreaking.

I'm worried about the future of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been renewed for season 17, I'm curious about the future beyond that one.

Beyond Danny Devito's consistently busy schedule, the rest of the stars have been broadening their horizons over the years to tackle other kinds of films and shows. In the past, they've been able to juggle those commitments with It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and still deliver some of the funniest episodes of the show, even if this was one of the reasons years could between new seasons. However, the recent update about the It's Always Sunny Podcast and why it's been discontinued has me worried a similar reasoning could be used to justify the ending of the long-running comedy.

Why The It's Always Sunny Podcast Is Being Put On Hold

The confirmation that the It's Always Sunny Podcast has been discontinued due to the cast's increasingly busy schedule has me concerned that the same reasoning could doom the long-term future of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Even compared to other podcasts dedicated to reexamining TV shows, the It's Always Sunny Podcast earned a massive audience eager to watch every new episode. I was among them, with my long-time love for the series easily shifting over to the podcast. The natural rapport between Glenn Howerton, Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney, writer Megan Ganz, and their guests was often hilarious, enlightening, and interesting.

However, the podcast was increasingly impacted by the busy schedules of everyone involved. Some episodes of the podcast leaned into this with "replacements" for the missing cast . The podcast was formally put on hold in 2023. Although this was initially announced as a hiatus, Cracked reported how Howerton confirmed the podcast's ending Take Off Your Shoes podcast. According to Howerton, they've moved on from the podcast and even taken down the dedicated podcast space because "It just became logistically difficult to get the three of us in a room together and we didn’t want to do it on Zoom.”

What Else Has The It's Always Sunny Cast Been In Lately

The ending of the It's Always Sunny Podcast does make sense. Beyond Danny Devito, the stars of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia have grown increasingly famous as the show continued, with each of them taking lead roles in assorted projects over the years. Charlie Day had frequent appearances in big-budget movies like Horrible Bosses and Pacific Rim, while Glenn Howerton and Kaitlin Olsen earned acclaim for their lead roles in A.P. Bio and The Mick. However, all four stars have been seen more frequently in other projects, which seems to be leading them away from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Glenn Howerton earned rave reviews in BlackBerry and will star in the Netflix limited series, Sirens. Kaitlin Olsen earned an Emmy nomination for her performance in Hacks and is the star (and producer) of High Potential. Charlie Day made his directorial debut with 2023's comedy Fool's Paradise and is involved in films like Honey Don't! and The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2. Rob McElhenney stars in and executive produces Mythic Quest (along with Day), and co-owns the Welsh football club Wrexham A.F.C. alongside Ryan Reynolds — with the Emmy award-winning Welcome to Wrexham following the pair and the team.

Why I'm Worried It's Always Sunny Might Be Winding Down

All of these other projects have been interesting creative decisions for the stars of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and I'm ecstatic that they're getting to showcase their versatility. The entire cast is incredibly talented, and it's great to see them earning accolades elsewhere. However, I'm afraid the sheer time commitment needed to balance all those other projects might give the cast a reason to end It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia as they did the podcast. In theory, this could be like when Dennis was quietly given in-universe reasons to be absent for episodes while Howerton was on A.P. Bio.

However, if all of the show's cast has similar other commitments, production on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia might become much harder. Realistically, there's only so much they can each fit into their schedule. If the filming of a podcast where they just hung out and talked about the show was too hard to pull off, then actually producing a TV show under those circumstances will likely be even harder. It might ultimately give the cast a reason to end the show, giving everyone more time to shift their focus away from the Gang and to other shows and movies.

I Really Don't Want It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia To End

I love It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and I really don't want to see it end. The show has remained impressively consistent for sixteen seasons. If anything, the show has only improved with age, as episodes like season 13's "Mac Finds His Pride" and season 15's "The Gang Carries a Corpse Up a Mountain" highlight the dramatic elements the cast can bring to the series. While it's clear everyone involved in the production of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia loves the show, I'm afraid that the cast might have reached the point where the series can come to a close.

I'll still root for Devito, Howerton, Olsen, McElhenney, and Day's other projects to succeed because I've developed a strong appreciation for them. However, it'll still be sad to see the Gang close Paddy's Pub for the final time. I became a fan of the show in 2006 during the second season when I was a teenager, and the show has been a fixture for over half my life. While the rising successes of the cast are the best possible reason to end the show, I'll still be heartbroken if that's why It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia comes to a close.

Source: Cracked