‘Abbott Elementary’ and ‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ Team Up in Fresh TV Crossover Event

An exciting TV event happened on ABC on January 8, 2025, as two popular shows came together in a surprising crossover special. The first part brought total chaos to Philadelphia's beloved school.

Called "Volunteers," the episode dropped the crazy gang from Paddy's Pub into Abbott's hallways for required community service. Viewers will see the ending when part two shows up on FXX later in 2025.

For me, the highlight of the episode was the strange storyline for Danny DeVito's character, Frank Reynolds. His "quicky" character was perfectly paired with Tyler James William's character, Gregory Eddie, and William Stanford Davis, Mr. Johnson, as they hunted for a raccoon that was wreaking havoc on the school's garden.

The only thing this episode was missing was a cameo from Bradley Cooper, Jason Kelce, and a Wawa mention.

The idea for this Philly-centric team-up came from the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. A random meeting between Quinta Brunson and Rob McElhenney went from simple conversation to actual plans during network talks.

Making it happen wasn't easy with busy cast schedules. Stars were spread thin across projects - Kaitlin Olson was filming "High Potential" while Glenn Howerton juggled time with "Sirens" work.

The writers used the 'Abbott Elementary' documentary style as their ace in the hole. This clever approach let the bar's crazy crew jump into the school's world without messing up either show's feel.

After planning for months, networks gave the green light in October 2024. They split the special, giving ABC the first part and FXX the finale - no date for this at the time of publication.

The creators of both shows kept close watch to protect their characters. They wanted to mix the two worlds while keeping what made each show special.

McElhenney's group sailed through network discussions quicker than anyone thought. But combining two different TV styles without losing their edge was the real test.

You can stream the crossover episode (season 4, episode 9) on Hulu & Disney+.

Sources: theatlantic.com; cbr.com; newsweek.com