PALEY CENTER FOR MEDIA, THE: AN EVENING WITH IT'S ALWAYS SUNNY IN PHILADELPHIA {LONG VERSION}
Summary
One in a series of evenings and special screenings presented at The Paley Center for Media in Los Angeles. This evening celebrates "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," the comedy series about friends who run Paddy's, an unsuccessful Irish bar in South Philadelphia. Host Rene Reyes (director of public programs and festivals, The Paley Center for Media) offers opening remarks and introduces the episode "The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award," which is then screened in its entirety. (For synopsis and credits, see ACCNUM 126004.)
After the screening, Matthew Weiner (creator and executive producer, "Mad Men") moderates the following panelists: executive producer/creator/writer/cast member Rob McElhenney (Ronald "Mac" McDonald); executive producers/writers/cast members Glenn Howerton (Dennis Reynolds) and Charlie Day (Charlie Kelly); and cast members Danny DeVito (Frank Reynolds) and Kaitlin Olson (Deandra "Sweet Dee" Reynolds).
The panelists touch on such topics as: the show's origins as a short film which McElhenney believed would amuse no one beyond the cast; the failed attempt to boost ratings in the early seasons by adding veteran performer DeVito to the cast; the collaborative writing style and lack of standard table reads; the writers as grammatically-strict "perfectionists," in contrast to their slacker characters; how dialogue occasionally dictates the stories; why Howerton's character does not share his own first name, unlike the other characters; Howerton's surprising use of NPR for story ideas; whether Dennis' self-titled seduction technique actually works; fans' dislike of the episode "Frank's Brother," in which Frank falls for a nightclub singer named ShaDynasty; the use of a seemingly unbroken long take in the episode "Charlie Work," interpreted by many as an homage to the Oscar-winning film "Birdman" (2014) despite predating it; the usefulness of their small production budget in aiding creativity; the "tremendous co-dependency" among the characters; and their interest in making the characters relatable rather than genuinely likable.
Questions from the audience then lead to a discussion of the following topics, among others: Day's "fun" use of a college friend's name in creating the creepy and incestuous McPoyle characters; inspiration from "Seinfeld," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and the original British version of "The Office"; the cast's excitement at getting a laugh from "Curb" creator Larry David at a screening; McElhenney's plans to write and direct a feature film; speculation about Frank's relationship with Artemis Dubois (Artemis Pebdani); Olson and McElhenney's highly unusual real-life wedding photos; Howerton's gift for languages and unmemorable role on the short-lived series "That '80s Show"; surprise at the success of certain bits and jokes, including Charlie's absurd musical "The Nightman Cometh," which the cast eventually performed live; Howerton's habit of reading fan feedback and reviews, both positive and negative; whether local references are ever "too Philly" for some fans; ideas for the show's eventual conclusion; the strange inspiration for "The Green Man," the Lycra-suited "mascot" created by Charlie; McElhenney's intentional weight gain, based on his sense that the hard-living characters would realistically be in terrible physical shape, and his failed attempt to engage the other actors to do the same; Day's real-life musical skills, as seen in several episodes; the challenge of writing for guest stars, given the show's short running time and five main characters; praise for writer, producer and occasional cast member David Hornsby, who portrays Rickety Cricket; their interest in hiring dramatic actors with surprising comedic talents, like Chad L. Coleman of "The Walking Dead," who portrays Z; a "Flowers for Algernon"-inspired episode and whether the writers are "bookworms"; DeVito's confusion over a fan campaign for him to voice a Pokémon video game; and the "stupid idea" of Olson and McElhenney's secret on-set romance and eventual marriage.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: November 30, 1999 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:32:12
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 125990
- GENRE: Seminars
- SUBJECT HEADING: N/A
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Rene Reyes … Host
- Matthew Weiner … Moderator
- Danny DeVito … Panelist
- Kaitlin Olson … Panelist
- Glenn Howerton … Panelist
- Charlie Day … Panelist
- Rob McElhenney … Panelist
- Chad L. Coleman
- Larry David
- David Hornsby
- Artemis Pebdani