When It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 18 arrives, Rob Mac has assured fans the new outing will avoid a divisive change to recent seasons’ episode counts.
On February 11, creator and star Rob Mac confirmed that filming on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 18 has officially begun. He then followed up the announcement on Instagram with a set photo of himself, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton in tuxedos, comparing Mac, Charlie, and Dennis’ look in the upcoming episode to a scene from season 1 in 2005. In the comments, one fan asked whether It’s Always Sunny season 18 would have more than eight episodes, to which Rob Mac replied with an affirmative “yep” and a smiley face.
The fan who inquired about season 18’s episode count elaborated, “It’s always over so fast & I’m sad,” echoing a common sentiment among audiences regarding recent seasons’ episode counts being much shorter compared to the series’ early outings. Since It’s Always Sunny season 15, which debuted in December 2021, the FX series has only included eight half-hour episodes per season.
Meanwhile, seasons 8-14 each boasted 10 episodes, with the episode counts for seasons 2 through 7 ranging from 10 to 15 installments each. Though eight episodes per season has been a significant decrease, it still surpasses the series-low seven-episode count from It’s Always Sunny season 1.
Charlie Day sitting in Paddy’s Pub with his hands outstretched and a beer on the table in It’s Always Sunny in PhiladelphiaCredit: MovieStillsDB
Rob Mac has now confirmed that It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 18 will have more than eight entries, but the creator has yet to clarify exactly how many episodes the next outing will contain. Since there’s been no official confirmation about why the series went down to eight episodes per season in 2019, the reason for season 18’s upcoming increase is also still unclear.
In 2020, FX renewed It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia through season 18, with no further updates being given about whether the series will extend beyond its most recent order. Though there are now questions about whether this will be the final season of It’s Always Sunny, no such announcement has been made by FX or creator Rob Mac.
Filming has now commenced, but FX has also yet to confirm a release window for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 18. Seasons 16 and 17 aired in summer 2023 and summer 2025, respectively, which could potentially indicate a late summer or early fall 2026 return for the long-running comedy.
The returning cast for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s upcoming episodes is still largely under wraps, but set photos have already confirmed Rob Mac, Charlie Day, and Glenn Howerton reprising their respective roles of Mac, Charlie, and Dennis. Rounding out the main cast are Sweet Dee actress Kaitlyn Olson and Frank Reynolds actor Danny DeVito, who are also set to return for the longer 18th season.
A potential overarching story for the next season remains a mystery, though It’s Always Sunny season 17 ended with Frank finding love and intending to marry Sam (Carol Kane) after his stint on The Golden Bachelor. It’s unclear whether Kane will reprise her role in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 18, but the extended episode count may allow for a deeper exploration of Frank’s new romance amid the typical shenanigans of the Paddy’s Pub crew.
Release Date
August 4, 2005
Showrunner
Rob McElhenney
Charlie Day
Charlie Kelly
Glenn Howerton
Dennis Reynolds