TV on DVD: “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Complete 4th Season”

ItÁ¢€™s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is the twisted spawn of Seinfeld. Much like NBCÁ¢€™s beloved sitcom, the show centers around four friends (three males and a female). In this case, they run a bar in Philly while carrying on their egocentric lives. Although the set up is similar to Jerry and company, the tone is more like Larry DavidÁ¢€™s Curb Your Enthusiasm: The people are primarily out for themselves. The characters, Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Dee (Kaitlin Olson), Charlie (Charlie Day) and Mac (Rob McElhenney) are all close friends, but that doesnÁ¢€™t mean theyÁ¢€™re above abusing each other and double crossing one another to get what they want. I used to watch the show regularly in its first two seasons but my viewing habits changed and I got tired of the conniving and abuse that the four characters threw at each other. Moreover, when Danny DeVito joined the cast as Frank, I didnÁ¢€™t feel like it clicked.

Watching the few episodes provided for me from the ItÁ¢€™s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 4 DVD box set, I wish I had stuck with it. The show had me doubled over in laughter and I couldnÁ¢€™t get the damn songs from Á¢€Å“The Nightman ComethÁ¢€ episode out of my head. In that particular episode, Charlie writes a musical and casts the gang in his play. Á¢€Å“The Nightman ComethÁ¢€ was so popular among the ItÁ¢€™s Always Sunny in Philadelphia fanbase that when a live production of the play within the show was performed live at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, the two performances sold out in 10 minutes. Not bad for a cult show that airs on FX.

If you happen to love this show and are kicking yourself for missing those live performances, fear not; video cameras were on hand, and one of the performances is available on the season 4 box set as a bonus feature. To watch the cast in front of an adoring, and I do believe drunk, audience is a little touching. I donÁ¢€™t think they were quite ready for the response they got.Á‚  Still the show went on, with the fans singing along and cheering in all the right places. Made me want to have a beer and join in the fun.

IÁ¢€™m happy to find out that ItÁ¢€™s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is still going strong and that the five castmates gel so seamlessly. Next time a new episode airs, or the next time IÁ¢€™m on Hulu, IÁ¢€™ll probably catch up on the new season. Until then, I have some good, indecent fun to throw into my DVD player whenever I want a side-splitting laugh.

ItÁ¢€™s Always Sunny in Philadelphia Season 4 is available for a retail price of 39.98 (pretty much the standard price for any seasons worth of episodes these days) and can be purchased at any of your finer entertainment stores, or online at Amazon.