Since 2021, the ABC sitcom “Abbott Elementary” has been a funny and heartwarming story about dedicated teachers in underfunded Philadelphia schools who work hard to inspire their students and make the world a better place. I've been telling you.
Since 2005, the FX (and FXX) sitcom “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia” has told… well, some funny stories. Loud, vulgar and funny. But is this comedy about a selfish and sleazy Philadelphia dive bar owner heartwarming? Hardly.
The casts of these two shows appeared together on Wednesday night's episode of “Abbott Elementary” (now available on Hulu), and have previously been joined by “Abbott” creator and star Quinta Brunson and “Sunny” was teased by creator and star Rob McElhenney. The current television season has begun. When a crossover was announced, anyone who had watched these two shows would wonder, “Will this pairing work?”
The answer is a conditional yes. What Branson and company have produced here feels like an “Abbott” episode featuring a rough-edged, sanded-down version of the “Sonny” character, perhaps to avoid seeming potentially harmful to schoolchildren. This is to make it.
This was when the characters from Mad About You joined the equally urbane New York worlds of Friends and Seinfeld, or when Thomas Magnum and Jessica Fletcher joined the equally urbane New York worlds of Friends and Seinfeld, or when Thomas Magnum and Jessica Fletcher joined Magnum P.I. ” or when they solved crimes together in “Murder, See.” I wrote it. “Abbott'' and “Sonny'' may share the same city and the corporate lordship of Disney, which owns ABC and FX, but they don't share a sense of humor or purpose.
In the episode, titled “Volunteer,” Abbott School principal Eva Coleman (Janelle James) asks the community for help around the school. The scoreboard in the gymnasium fell off the wall. Air ducts on the second floor do not distribute heat evenly. Raccoons are destroying community gardens. Even the ever-optimistic and talented second-grade teacher Janine Tiegs (Branson) lags behind in grading. (“It takes an incredible amount of effort to give everyone credit for their efforts,” she exclaims.)
Join the gang at Paddy's Pub. Mac (McElhenny) is a dark, boyish man. Charlie (Charlie Day) is an illiterate and easily confused handyman. Frank (Danny DeVito), a millionaire wanderer; Dee (Caitlin Olson), a self-absorbed schemer; and Dee's twin brother Dennis (Glenn Howerton), a handsome sociopath. True to its nature, “Sonny's” gang arrives at Abbott not because its members actually want to do good deeds. Rather, it is for court-ordered community service. (They were caught dumping 100 gallons of baby oil, 500 T-shirts, and a Cybertruck into the Schuylkill River.)
The episode is structured like a superhero comic book team-up, with characters from each show working together on various subplots. Eva appoints Mac, who is eager to please, as her personal assistant. Frank agrees to help first grade teacher Gregory Eddy (Tyler James Williams) and school custodian Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) with their yard work. Dee, who attended the same University of Pennsylvania as Janine, becomes a surprisingly capable second-grade classroom helper.
Meanwhile, Charlie responds to a call from sixth grade teacher Jacob Hill (Chris Perfetti) to fix a duct. However, Jacob is alarmed by Charlie's inability to read and hands Charlie over to teachers Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph) and Melissa Scimenti (Lisa Ann Walter), who take him to the library. I decided.
Dennis is noticeably absent from any of these storylines. He appears at the beginning of the episode, but quickly disappears due to wanting to avoid Abbott's ever-present documentary camera. (Sitcoms fall under the “mockumentary” subgenre.)
Perhaps Dennis's entire persona in Sunny, proudly playing an immoral, predatory womanizer, was too demanding for such a family-friendly series. Otherwise, it's surprising, and somewhat enlightening, how easily the characters in “Sunny” fit in.
Frank's overall weirdness pairs well with Mr. Johnson's eccentricities as he bickers about how to outsmart a raccoon. (When Frank hears that Gregory plans to sprinkle chili powder and garlic on the soil, he warns him that doing so will “make the soil tastier,” and eats the soil himself.) And Dee initially develops a sisterly bond with Janine. She had, but she kills people. He softens the atmosphere by repeatedly flirting with Janine's boyfriend, Gregory.
None of this is too off-brand for “Abbott,” where strange and annoying characters frequently appear and temporarily complicate the lives of the teachers. The two shows also share a Philadelphia bond, with this episode featuring references to UPenn hangout Smokey Joe's and a quick count of how many characters got into fights at Eagles games. it is clear. (Answer: Almost everything.)
The relatively seamless nature of this crossover may be due to a quality of the show that isn't often discussed. “Abbott” is often a bit meaner than his reputation suggests, and “Sonny” is sometimes unexpectedly gentle.
It's no surprise that the most proactive (rather than reactive) “Abbott” character in this episode is Eva, who tends towards evil. Writers often rely on Eva when they need someone to cuss and do dirty things for them, but here they're happy to use Mac, who wants to impress the principal and get home early. . Instead, Eva begins looking for ways to continue doing free labor longer.
No wonder the writers of “Abbott” are leaning towards the “Charlie learns to read” storyline. Charlie is a weirdo. (When asked what library books would interest him, he listed three of his favorite topics: beer, “milksteaks,” and bird law.) He also said: In his own quirky way, he's also charmingly childish.
That these two shows ultimately mesh so well is a testament to the actors' talent for getting laughs. What's the next test? When the cast of “Abbott Elementary School” appears in an episode of “It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia” scheduled for next season. It turns out that the cast of “Sunny” can be calm when they need to be. But just how edgy will the cast of “Abbott” get?
