It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 17 only has eight episodes, and there are multiple reasons why. It’s Always Sunny season 17’s episodes have seen varying reviews case-by-case, but the show evidently maintains the core of its humor, proven by titles like “The Gang Gets Ready for Primetime.”
It’s Always Sunny season 17’s ending comes with a rather emotional note, honoring the late Lynne Marie Stewart, who played Bonnie Kelly in almost every season of the show. The season also ends with Frank’s marriage to Samantha, leaving questions about their future. Unfortunately, there won’t be any more episodes this season.
It’s Always Sunny Seasons 15–17 Have Only Had 8 Episodes Each
The shift in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s episode count happened years ago, beginning with season 15, which was released in 2021. The show has actually fluctuated its episode count fairly frequently over twenty years and seventeen seasons, for various reasons.
The longest, consistent stint of It’s Always Sunny was between seasons 8 and 14, where seven seasons in a row all had ten episodes. Before that, seasons 1 through 7 never had the same number twice in a row. That’s all to say that this series changing its format isn’t entirely unprecedented.
It’s Always Sunny’s eight-episode count does, of course, follow a recent trend with prestige TV shows. So many shows have taken to the eight-episode format, which has sparked a divisive response from audiences, particularly due to the often two-year gaps between seasons, which has been the case for It’s Always Sunny since season 15.
This is a trend that began during COVID and was perpetuated by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strikes, and it’s lingered in Hollywood TV productions. As for It’s Always Sunny, reasons could range from FX’s budget constraints to the cast wanting to pursue other projects.
The It’s Always Sunny crew have become massive stars over time. Rob McElhenney, in particular, has multiple business interests and is a writer, producer, and star on other TV shows. The rest of the cast have pursued other movies and shows, including Charlie Day’s directorial debut, Fool’s Paradise, and Glenn Howerton’s award-nominated role in Blackberry.
It’s Always Sunny Season 17 Is Still Longer Than Season 1
Despite being shortened to eight episodes, these recent seasons aren’t actually the shortest in the show’s history. Season 1 only had seven episodes back in 2005, although that was essentially a test-run for the series to see how it performed.
While I can certainly understand viewers wanting more of It’s Always Sunny, let’s try to remember that this is the longest-running live-action sitcom of all time. The fact that we’re still getting new episodes is unbelievable, and it’s totally fair that the cast wants to pursue other creative outlets.
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
10/10
- Release Date
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August 4, 2005
- Showrunner
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Rob McElhenney
- Directors
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Matt Shakman, Fred Savage, Todd Biermann, Daniel Attias, Richie Keen, Randall Einhorn, Heath Cullens, Pete Chatmon, Jerry Levine, Kat Coiro, Megan Ganz, Jamie Babbit, John Fortenberry, Maurice Marable, Kimberly McCullough, Imani Hakim, LP, Tim Roche
- Writers
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Scott Marder, Rob Rosell, Dave Chernin, John Chernin, Dannah Feinglass Phirman, Danielle Schneider, Conor Galvin, Becky Mann, Luvh Rakhe, Audra Sielaff, Eric Ledgin, Patrick Walsh, Lee Sung-jin, Mehar Sethi, Nina Pedrad, Keyonna Taylor, D. B. Weiss, David Benioff, Elijah Aron, Hunter Covington, Jordan Young, Adam Stein, Chris Romano, Eric Falconer
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Charlie Day
Charlie Kelly
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Glenn Howerton
Dennis Reynolds
