Here’s the Hilarious Inspiration Behind the ‘Abbott Elementary’/‘It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ Crossover

Come with me, and you’ll be, in a world of pure collaboration.

By now, everyone who watches both Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia knows that the two greatest sitcoms in the history of the Keystone State have joined forces on a very special episode of Abbott Elementary that will air later this year. Mac, Charlie, Dennis, Dee and Frank will all appear in the ninth episode of Abbott Elementary Season Four in a storyline that will heavily feature Charlie (as all the best moments from other members of the Paddy’s Pub gang would never get past the ABC censors), and the most requested guest stars in Abbott Elementary history will fulfill a dream that the show’s creator first had back in February following the most insane viral nightmare to ever come out of Glasgow, Scotland.

In a recent conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, Abbott Elementary creator and star Quinta Brunson revealed that she and It's Always Sunny head Rob McElhenney first began talks for the upcoming crossover episode after a Twitter user suggested that the disastrous and unlicensed Willy's Chocolate Experience that terrorized Glaswegian children and delighted internet assholes back at the beginning of 2024 would make for a great plot line on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. In response, McElhenney suggested that Abbott Elementary would be better at mocking the topical trainwreck, and once the two Philadelphians realized their mutual admiration, the wheels began to turn on the biggest sitcom event of the decade.

Critically, however, Brunson clarified that the actual plot line of the Abbott Elementary/Always Sunny crossover episode will have zero connection to the Willy Wonka warehouse disaster — Charlie must have been so sad to hear that he’ll never hunt ghouls with The Unknown.

“There was something online that he saw that someone sent him and said, ‘This would make a funny It’s Always Sunny episode,’ and he retweeted it and said, ‘I think it would be a great Abbott episode,’ and that kind of sparked us talking,” Brunson said of her earliest interactions with McElhenney, conspicuously omitting any mention of meth lab Oompa Loompas or the evil chocolate maker who lives inside your walls. “The episode has nothing to do with what was sent to him,” Brunson wisely clarified, “but it got us chatting and, honestly, I really like Rob.”

Brunson said that she and the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia creator “clicked right away,” and, since both their networks exist “under the Disney umbrella,” the logistics of merging their two shows for a crossover event were surprisingly manageable. And, of course, they had to do it for Philly.

“They represent a part of South Philly, and we represent a part of West Philly that is very real, and it wasn’t a long walk for these characters to interact. It just made sense immediately,” Brunson explained of the in-universe reasons for the mash-up. “And when it came to us that easy, we were like, ‘Yeah, we have to do this.’ So we start putting things in motion at the beginning of this Abbott season because Sunny, they just started writing their season.” 

Brunson added of the production process, “Charlie and Rob came into the room with us one day; they were wonderful, just excellent, excellent collaborators. I can’t say enough kind words about them. We had a ball.”

It’s too bad that Brunson and McElhenney couldn’t figure out a way to include those poor Scottish children whose suffering launched this whole crossover in the episode. But then again, there’s no way Willard R. Abbott Elementary School has the budget for any more trauma counselors.