'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Finally Has an Update on Upcoming New Seasons

It's been a quite a while since we've heard from "The Gang" on It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The long-running FX black-comedy sitcom follows the misadventures of five narcissistic and sociopathic friends who ostensibly own and operate the fictional Philly-based bar Paddy's Pub. The Gang often finds themselves falling into absurd exploits as they attempt to keep their bar running, sabotage each other's lives, and navigate today's pressing social issues with almost no grace or tact.

Throughout its 15-season run, the show has garnered a cult following for its satirical commentary and dark humor. It currently stands as one of the longest-running American live-action sitcoms, having premiered in 2005 with its most recent season coming out in 2021.

With longevity like that, more seasons are all but guaranteed. But is Season 16 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia anywhere in sight? Here's what we know about the show's continuation.

Season 15 of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia both premiered and ended in December 2021, having aired only eight episodes on FXX. Reportedly, it is the first season to be distributed by Disney-ABC Domestic Television instead of 20th Television, following the infamous Disney-Fox Merger.

But a year before Season 15 even began airing, the series was renewed for more seasons. In December 2020, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Sunny was renewed through to its 18th season.

As of this writing, the show is still slated for three more seasons. While it still holds its title as the longest-running live-action sitcom in TV history with 15 seasons, it seeks to solidify its reign with additional entries.

While the entirety of 2022 went by with no substantial news on when those seasons would come out, 2023 essentially kicked off with some long-awaited news on the show's continuation.

In mid-January 2023, series co-creator and star Rob McElhenney confirmed via an Instagram story (reported by Bleeding Cool) that writing for Season 16 was officially underway. Co-creators and co-stars Glenn Howerton and Charlie Day, as well as producer Megan Ganz, elaborated in a recent episode of the Always Sunny Podcast, stating that they were "in the thick of it" within the writers' room. Filming is even expected to start in a matter of weeks.

As of this writing, there is no substantial news on a release date for the latest season of Sunny. The show previously went through a year-long delay between 2019 and 2021, largely caused by the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

While we're not quite sure when the new season will drop, fans can at least rest easy knowing that the latest installment is finally underway.

If you're looking to catch up before the new season comes out, you can stream all 15 seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia on services like Hulu.