Visiting the Set of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

So when I first found out I was doing a set visit for the hit show, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” I had to admit I was not incredibly professional.

It’s been my favorite show for quite some time now. I follow the “gang” on Twitter and I own every season on DVD. I even wrote my own episode for a final project in one of my classes. To say I’m a fan would be a minor understatement.

So when I heard I was going to get to visit the set, meet the actors whom I idolized and see how my favorite show was filmed, I’ll be honest in saying I had a fan-girl moment (you know, the screaming, the jumping up and down).

It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I was more than willing to accept it. I put aside my emotional giddiness and hoped for sunshine as I headed off to Philadelphia to meet the cast and see what went on at the set of my favorite show.

The show‘s production definitely exceeds the budget of $85 which made up the first season. The whole of Jewelers’ Row had been blocked off to make room for the actors and the rest of the crew which had to consist of a hundred people. Everyone was stuffed into one block, from make-up artists to camera men to body doubles all the way to the actors we know and love. There was a row of at least twenty cars wedged into one block meant to simulate moving traffic while the directors gathered in a tent on the corner and tried to decipher the best way to approach the scene.

Now, the premise of the scene was simple enough; Dennis was in his Range Rover going through a box of cassette tapes and pulling one out. However, it was inside the Range Rover that things got complicated. There were four cameras inside of the car with the actor, each portraying a different angle of his hand pulling out the cassette. The directors watched each different angle simultaneously on four separate television screens, trying to figure out what would be the most realistic yet appealing method to choosing a tape from a box, making their recommendations over headsets while the actor was at the other end of the block, taking in every word they said.

Everyone on set seemed set on making the shot the best it could possibly be, yet without ever being rude towards anyone on set. Never before had I been in an environment where everyone was not only professional, but simultaneously being welcoming and approachable. The director was more than willing to explain how they took a shot or why they wanted a shot to be a certain way, while other members of the crew were always willing to discuss an element of the show or just make small talk with someone who seemed to not know where to go. Or in simpler terms: me.

I guess you could say I was star struck; here I was on the set of my favorite show with a group of actors I consider to be the most talented people on television. And, to me, these actors were not only the epitome of talent, but some of the nicest, most welcoming people I have ever come across. Charlie Day, Rob McElhenney and Glenn Howerton could not have been more polite or approachable. For instance, my first interaction was me bumping into Charlie Day and him asking me if I was okay. Of course, I was completely willing to take the blame because he was Charlie Day, but I was even more willing to take the fall because he was just so nice about it!

All three of the actors could not have been nicer (or more understanding that I was obviously in awe I was even getting the chance to talk to them.) They willingly answered all of my questions and were able to make conversation as well and make me feel like I was welcome there on set. These are a group of people that you want to go beyond the understood meaning of success because they are not only talented, but deserve the fame: nice people who work hard at perfecting their show for their audience.

My love for “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” only deepened after my on-set visit, and I will definitely be tuning in for the new season in September! These good people deserve all the views they can get, especially when the actors promise me quite the surprising new season!

Not only did I get to spend the afternoon with my favorite cast, but I met a few other bloggers, Linda at www.yourentertainmentcorner.com and Amrie at www.mytakeontv.com, to share the experience with. I also wanted to extend a special thanks to Chloe and Roslyn from FX for not only being incredibly helpful and welcoming, but for being wonderful resources, wonderful hosts and, of course, keeping us bloggers company!