Where television meets comedy meets Philadelphia, exciting developments are happening for two beloved scripted comedy shows. According to Variety, the popular series Abbott Elementary will have a crossover episode with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. After months of speculation, new photos posted to social media seemed to confirm the exciting collaboration.
In a photo posted to X, co-creator and cast member of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Rob McElhenney (Mythic Quest, ME, WE) shared a snapshot of him crouching in front of the iconic Abbott Elementary school mural, with creator and star Quinta Brunson (A Black Lady Sketch Show, Big Mouth) of Abbott Elementary posing beside him and his co-star Charlie Day (Fist Fight, Mythic Quest) beside Brunson. The three are seen giving crouched poses and wearing sunglasses.
In a follow-up image posted to McElhenney’s Instagram story, more cast members were added to the crossover-posing-mix. As Brunson, McElhenney and Day pose standing up with their arms crossed, Abbott Elementary cast members William Stanford Davis (Snowpiercer, Ray Donovan) and Tyler James Williams (Dear White People, Everybody Hates Chris) stand beside them dressed as their on-screen characters Mr. Johnson and Mr. Eddie via Variety. Joining the show from the It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia cast is Danny DeVito (Matilda, Batman Returns), standing in the middle of the group.
According to Variety, speculation for crossover episode for Abbott Elementary started around February, but it was this summer that the rumors for that possibility started to look more real. Brunson confirmed during Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast that a crossover was indeed coming soon, saying, “Deals are made. I want you guys to know that. I’ll say I’m really excited for it…I love TV, everyone knows that, but I love TV moments, and I miss those big TV moments. I remember how exciting they were. Anything I can do with ‘Abbott’ to help keep that culture alive of fun TV, I will do. So I think this is going to be fun TV.”
Abbott Elementary returns on ABC on October 9, 2024, for its fourth season.