It’s (Almost) Always Sunny in Philadelphia: How Three Friends Spent $200 to Create the Longest-Running Live-Action Sitcom in History and Help Build a Network

Pop Literacy podcaster Potts (The Way We All Became the Brady Bunch) delivers an encyclopedic history of the FX comedy It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Star Rob McElhenney conceived the show as “a deconstruction of the classic sitcom” and filmed a pilot with friends Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day for less than $200. The trio had few credits and struggled to sell the show until FX president John Landgraf, harboring ambitions to transform the little-known cable channel into “a prime destination for comedy,” greenlit the series in 2005. Potts describes how during the penny-pinching production of the first season, McElhenney worked as a waiter after full days on set to make ends meet, and Day wrote scripts on a note pad because he didn’t have a computer. The show became a sleeper hit over its first five seasons and established itself as the cornerstone of FX’s comedy programming across the subsequent 11 seasons and counting. Though Potts leans heavily on episode summaries, she peppers in plenty of fun behind-the-scenes looks at the show’s most beloved moments, including how Day improvised the lyrics to the fan favorite song “Dayman.” This will satisfy the show’s many devotees. Agent: Laurie Abkemeier, DeFiore & Co. (July)