It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a dark, wildly hilarious sitcom that premiered in 2005, centered around “The Gang”—a group of self-absorbed, morally bankrupt friends who run a dive bar called Paddy’s Pub. Mac (Rob McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day), Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and their unpredictable father figure Frank (Danny DeVito) constantly engage in outrageous, ill-conceived schemes that usually backfire in spectacular fashion. The show’s sharp, unapologetic humor has made it a cult classic and one of my all-time favorite shows.

Despite being set in Philadelphia, most of the show is filmed in Los Angeles. For instance, the exterior of Paddy’s Pub is located in downtown LA. The show has also used many Culver City locations for various scenes. I will attempt to chronical them all here, as I rewatch the series.

I happened to be downtown and took a shot of the exterior to Paddy’s Pub. This is not in Culver City, but is still really cool. The address is 544 Mateo Street in Los Angeles.

Season 2, Episode 8: "The Gang Runs for Office"

In “The Gang Runs for Office,” the gang decides to dive into politics, seeing it as an easy way to make money. Dennis, despite having no clue about politics, runs for Comptroller of Philadelphia, with Mac and Charlie serving as his completely unqualified campaign managers. Meanwhile, Dee and Frank take a different approach, trying to schmooze a wealthy political donor for contributions. As expected, their political ambitions quickly spiral into chaos, with disastrous and absurd results that showcase just how ill-equipped they are for anything resembling public office.

Dennis’s campaign brings him to the mall which is actually Culver City’s Fox Hills Mall.

Fun fact: Dona Hardy, who plays the old woman in this scene, also plays an old woman at Fox Hills Mall in the movie Superbad. The final scene of Superbad also takes place at the foot of this escalator. Additionally, she plays the elderly game show contestant in The Running Man. The exteriors for the game show were also shot in Culver City at One Culver (formerly known as Sony Pictures Plaza).

I found this great article about Dona Hardy and her background. She gave up her Hollywood dreams during the Great Depression, after briefly dating Anthony Quinn. She was married to a salesman for 33 years. When he suddenly died of a heart attack, she decided to give acting another try and landed the memorable role of Mrs. McArdle in 1987’s The Running Man at the age of 75. She continued acting until the age of 96, with her last credit in 2010. She died in 2011 at the age of 97.

Fun fact: Charlie Day can also be seen in Culver City in the 2011 comedy, Horrible Bosses. Many more episodes to come. Stay tuned!

Season 4, Episode 5: "Mac and Charlie Die"

In It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (“Mac and Charlie Die,” Season 4, Episodes 5 & 6), Mac and Charlie fake their own deaths after Mac’s father, recently released from prison, threatens to kill them. To make it convincing, they stage an elaborate and very sloppy suicide. The rest of the gang buys it, at least at first, but quickly moves on with their lives.

Meanwhile, Mac and Charlie hide out on the roof of the bar, spying on their friends and slowly losing their minds in isolation. The ruse spirals into chaos, with the guys eventually returning, only to realize no one really cared much that they were dead in the first place.

During the episode, Mac and Charlie visit a pawn shop to find an explosive to blow up Dee’s car. The pawn shop location is Culver City’s own Jack’s Jewelry and Loan.

Below are a few interior shots from the episode. I’ve dropped by a couple of times to take some interior shots, but the store seems to keep odd hours. It’s been closed on both of my visits.

Season 6, Episode 13: "A Very Sunny Christmas"

The Sunny crew are back at Westfield Culver City Mall (AKA Fox Hills Mall) in the exact location in the mall as “The Gang Runs For Office” in one of my all time favorite episodes, “A Very Sunny Christmas.” In this episode, Dennis and Dee decide to get even with Frank for past Christmas transgressions by giving him the “Christmas Carol” treatment. Meanwhile, Mac and Charlie try to relive their childhood Christmas memories only to realize they aren’t exactly as jolly as they remember.

To that end, Mac and Charlie visit the mall to pick up the season’s hottest toy. When the clerk informs Mac they are sold out, Mac does one of my all-time favorite routines asking the clerk if he’d have the toy if Mike Schmidt, Von Hayes, or Steve “Bedrock” Bedrosian were to ask.

A sliver of the Victoria’s Secret sign can be seen behind Mac and Charlie. I believe this scene was filmed inside the store that is now Rundown LA. From inside Rundown, you get approximately the same view of the Victoria’s Secret sign. As you can see, the mall has been substantially renovated since 2010, as has Victoria’s Secret’s signage.

After leaving the toy store, they guys happen across a mall Santa. Unfortunately for Santa, Charlie has recently discovered things about his mom and men dressed like Santa Claus that cause him to be very bitter towards the jolly old elf. Below you can see Mac and Charlie approaching Santa compared with today’s mall background.

Charlie approaches Santa at the base of the escalator towards the middle of the mall. This same escalator is featured prominently at the end of Superbad.

Charlie’s reaction to Santa can best be described as an overreaction. The scene ends in mayhem with a bloody and gnarled Santa, a cannibal Charlie and a panicked Mac.

Below are some screenshots from the show compared to the mall today.