Rob McElhenney Drops First Look at 'It's Always Sunny' and 'Abbott Elementary' Crossover

Buckle up, TV lovers, because things are about to get a whole lot brighter! On Oct. 17, 2024, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia co-creator and star Rob McElhenney dropped a teaser photo on Instagram that has sitcom fans jumping for joy. The photo features the It’s Always Sunny crew and the Abbott Elementary cast together, gracing the halls of Willard R. Abbott Elementary, with the playful caption, "School's out y'all."

While fans were thrilled to see the two groups together, it’s left many wondering when to expect the It’s Always Sunny and Abbott Elementary crossover. Though few details have been revealed, bits and pieces have been dropped, and we've gathered them all to help you make sense of what this crossover could be about.

Although an official release date for the Abbott Elementary and It’s Always Sunny crossover episode hasn’t been confirmed, it’s safe to assume it could be coming soon, especially after Rob’s teaser photo.

In an interview with TV Insider, Tyler James Williams hinted that the episode is still in production, revealing, "We're still here ... we're still shooting that episode." In the Oct. 8 article, he also shared, "We're right in the middle of it, and it’s surprising just how well it all comes together."

The next episode of Abbott Elementary is scheduled to air on Oct. 23, and according to the synopsis, part of it will focus on an IT rep from the school district. And with no mention of anything "big," producers might be saving the crossover for the following episode, or perhaps the one after that. The Oct. 30 episode, airing just before Halloween, seems like an ideal time for the big crossover surprise, so viewers might want to consider marking that date as well!

While speaking with TV Insider, Tyler shared some exciting details about the crossover episode. He acknowledged that, despite the different plots and humor of both shows, they surprisingly mesh well together.

He explained, “I know most people [think] these are two totally different shows, and they are, but there’s something about two casts that have worked together for so long." He added, "[We’ve] come together and can just find that comedic language together. It’s really crazy how well the pairings work … There’s some really interesting ones here. And that’s what’s been really fun."

Tyler also described the Sunny cast as "warm, collaborative, and funny as hell." If this episode is any indication of the laughs to come, he remarked, "It’s one of those episodes that it feels like it should be illegal to be able to be this funny. We already average a joke [every] three seconds or something like that. This is just going up that count even more.”

While the teaser photo shows both casts together in the halls of Abbott Elementary, Tyler dropped another hint about the episode's twists and turns: “I’ll say this, the worlds exist in the same universe. And there’s definitely people in Abbott who have seen and possibly been to their bar.” So, could Team Abbott Elementary pay a visit to Sunny's pub? Possibly!

Fans of both shows are buzzing with excitement for the episode! In the comments section of Rob's teaser photo on Instagram, one fan declared, "The primary demographic for this crossover is me, and I’m thrilled!" Another chimed in, "This is THE best crossover of all time."