It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has yet to see its 12th season (which is coming in 2017), but it’s already been renewed for Seasons 13 and 14 on FXX, which means it’s poised to break a TV record. With its 14th season, It’s Always Sunny will be tied with The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet for longest-running live-action comedy series in TV history. According to a release from FXX, the show’s 11th season garnered the show’s highest ratings yet on the network, so when the seemingly inevitable Season 15 is eventually announced, it will presumably break that record.
Obviously, plenty of other shows—including scripted comedies like The Simpsons—have gone for much longer than 14 seasons. (The Simpsons is actually the longest-running scripted show on primetime, at 27 seasons and counting.) But Always Sunny’s potential distinction among live-action comedies is still noteworthy, as there doesn’t seem to be much competiton in the running: The show’s closest contender appears to be The Big Bang Theory, which is on Season 9 and so far has only renewed through Season 10. (Seasons 8-10 were all ordered together back when the show has in its seventh season, and it has not yet received another renewal.)
Whether or not Big Bang ends at Season 10 (which seems unlikely), since it’s a couple seasons behind Always Sunny, it’ll be a waiting game to see which lasts longer. In the meantime, it’s good to know Frank, Dee, and the whole dysfunctional gang will be gracing our screens for years to come.
