‘Sunny’ keeps shining on FXNet brings back laffer for third season
By Denise Martin of Variety
FX is bringing back critically acclaimed laffer “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” for a third season.
Danny DeVito has committed to continue as a series regular for all subsequent seasons.
Renewal makes “Sunny” the most successful comedy on basic cable in recent years and one of the few scripted, live-action primetime laffers to make it to a third season on ad-supported cable.
FX has greenlit 15 new half-hours to begin production next spring for a premiere in summer.
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Second season averaged 1.3 million total viewers and 880,000 adults 18-49, up 15% and 18%, respectively, from the show’s first season. Over each episode’s four-run cume, skein delivered 3.1 million viewers overall on average and 2.1 million in the 18-49 demo.
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“Sunny,” which stars Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney, Glenn Howerton and Kaitlin Olson, centers on the misadventures of four friends who own a bar in Philadelphia.
DeVito joined the cast in the second season as the clingy dad of Dennis (Howerton) and Sweet Dee (Olson), who attempts to recapture his youth by hanging out with his kids. Role reps DeVito’s first regular TV series gig since “Taxi.”
Should “Sunny” last beyond next year, DeVito has agreed to remain as a cast member through season six. He’ll shoot his scenes for the upcoming season over a couple of two- to three-week periods this spring.
FX produces “Sunny.” Exec producers are McElhenney, Howerton, Day, Michael Rotenberg, Nick Frenkel and John Fortenberry.