Producers Reveal Nearly Shared Backstory of Characters from It’s Always Sunny and Abbott Elementary in Crossover Episode

Abbott Elementary executive producer Patrick Schumaker recently unveiled an intriguing detail about a potential crossover with It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The ABC sitcom, which navigates the challenges faced by teachers at a Philadelphia public school, premiered its fourth season in October 2024. This season features an exciting crossover with the infamous characters from It’s Always Sunny, highlighting their arrival at Abbott as volunteer teaching aides to complete community service.

In the aftermath of the episode titled Volunteers, Schumaker shared insights with IndieWire regarding an earlier concept for the crossover. Initially, there were plans for a backstory linking two pivotal characters: Mr. Johnson (William Stanford Davis) and Frank Reynolds (Danny DeVito). The original storyline suggested that they were high school rivals vying for the affection of Shadynasty, a character introduced in It’s Always Sunny during its seventh season.

We did at one point have a whole backstory between Frank and Mr. Johnson that they did know each other. It was that they went to high school together. They dated the same woman who was a canonical character in ‘Sunny,’ this character Shadynasty. That ended up falling away just as a function of, ‘Hey, we can’t tell that story. Maybe let’s save it for another time.’ 21 and a half minutes is not a lot of time to tell a story.

We were pretty judicious, but we still were able to put in some things that were maybe a little bit more out there for a typical ‘Abbott’ episode. Mr. Johnson, Gregory, and Frank’s story, for instance, is not something that you would see on a typical episode of ‘Abbott’ with Frank getting caught in the trap covered in piss-soaked pelts. We were able to do it lightly.

Potential Implications of the Cut Backstory for Both Series

Contradicting Timelines Across the Series

While the shared backstory could have injected humor into the crossover episode, the existing character timelines complicate its feasibility. Observations from Abbott Elementary unveil numerous hilarious and often disparate anecdotes relating to Mr. Johnson’s past, suggesting that he and Frank are likely not contemporaries. This discrepancy indicates that Mr. Johnson would not have attended school at the same time as Frank’s romantic entanglement with Shadynasty in the 1960s—a time preceding Frank’s notorious descent into criminal shenanigans.

Moreover, integrating a connection between these characters would have necessitated a significant retcon of one character’s narrative. Nevertheless, given that these ideas were early-stage concepts, the writing team could have revised the history to make it compatible. As Schumaker noted the concept was ultimately shelved, it remains outside the canon of both series. This situation underscores the dedication of the creative teams behind both Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia to develop interconnected narratives.

Our Perspective on the Abandoned Backstory

Thoughtful Integration of Both Series

While a shared backstory could have provided a clever nod to It’s Always Sunny’s history, it might have left fans feeling perplexed due to its specificity. Instead, the crossover episode successfully emphasized the comedic rivalry between Mr. Johnson and Frank through their raccoon encounter, sidestepping potential confusion.

Furthermore, it’s evident that both shows’ writers took exceptional care to maintain character integrity, despite the stark tonal differences. By focusing on both Charlie’s (Charlie Day) struggles with literacy and Dennis’s (Glen Howerton) hesitance towards the documentary-style format, the creative team minimized chances for narrative inconsistencies. Although the filming crew of Abbott Elementary did not participate in the upcoming crossover for It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s season 17, there may still be potential for revisiting character dynamics in an engaging new context.

Source: IndieWire

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