I may as well start this by not beating around the bush and saying that 90% of television today is recycled crap. With all the shows pitched to networks each year, we still end up with the same sitcoms, dramas, and reality shows every time pilot season rolls around. Sure, every now and then something fresh and unique makes its way to the air, but for the most part you get shows so identical to what’s already on that you’d be better off just watching reruns.

But every once in a while, the stars align perfectly and we end up with a show that has a fresh, original concept, brilliant writing, and top notch acting. One of these is the comedy hit from the cable network FX, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. A show about five friends who run an Irish pub in - you guessed it – Philadelphia, this is a comedy that doesn’t just go over the line, it erases it completely.

Described as “Seinfeld on crack”, the show takes comedic controversy to a whole new level, with no topic off limits. Episodes take hilariously twisted approaches to issues such as the homeless, gun control, prostitution, and religion, just to name a few. The five main characters (including the always loveable Danny DeVito as a manipulative and wealthy old guy with sketchy ties to a whole bunch of weirdoes) are incredibly selfish and ignorant; these guys make the Seinfeld foursome look like saints. “The gang” has been known to fake life-threatening diseases to get with women, start smoking crack so they can go on welfare, and open their bar to high school students in order to make more money – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. All five characters do whatever they can for their own gain without a second thought to who gets caught up in their idiotic schemes, always ending with disastrous and hilarious results.

I wish a simple review could do the show justice, but I really can’t stress enough how clever, funny, and original It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is. Every episode outdoes the last in terms of just how far the limits of good taste are pushed; don’t kid yourself into thinking there’s a stopping point for these guys, because there isn’t. If you’re easily offended, then this show is definitely not for you, but if you think you can handle episodes with titles like “The Gang Finds a Dumpster Baby”, then tune in. The third season just wrapped up a few months ago, but it was recently confirmed that the gang would be back for a fourth this fall. Until then, you can find the first two seasons on DVD, and I highly suggest checking them out.

Dave the Droll