The first episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia aired on FX on August 4, 2005. What else was happening in August 2005? “We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey was at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart; The Dukes of Hazzard was the highest-grossing movie at the box office; and The Gang didn’t include Danny DeVito (yet).
A lot has change over those 17 years (and a record-breaking 15 seasons), but Sunny has remained consistently excellent the entire time. Even star and co-creator Rob McElhenney seems impressed by how long his show has managed to remain relevant.
“This World Cup will be the 5th World Cup played since we started Sunny,” McElhenney tweeted. In a follow-up tweet, he added, “There have been 5 Presidential terms in the United States since we started Sunny.” The World Cups have been held in Germany, South Africa, Brazil, Russia, and this year’s in Qatar (this is important for a guy who owns a soccer team), while Sunny premiered during George W. Bush’s second term and continued through the presidencies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
Even if Biden wins a second term, Sunny will still probably outlast his administration.
This World Cup will be the 5th World Cup played since we started Sunny. 😮
— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) June 8, 2022
There have been 5 Presidential terms in the United States since we started Sunny. 😯 🇺🇸
— Rob McElhenney (@RMcElhenney) June 8, 2022
Meanwhile, The Simpsons premiered the same year that George H. W. Bush took office (and if you include the shorts, during the Ronald Reagan era). Sunny has catching up to do.
