The Writer Files: Writing, Productivity, Creativity, and Neuroscience

How 'It's Always Sunny' Creator and Star Rob McElhenney Writes: Redux

Nov 8, 2024

39:29

Note: I revisited a chat with multi-hyphenate Rob McElhenney from 2020.

The writer, producer, and actor best known for It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Rob McElhenney, took a timeout during the apocalypse to rap with me about how he runs his writer's room, his humble beginnings and admiration for the great TV comedies, and his advice for aspiring TV producers.

"Everyone is going through the same things. At least, people who respect science are. That sense of loneliness and despair ... needs to be addressed in some way, but ultimately we want to leave people with a sense of optimism." – Rob McElhenney

FX recently renewed his irreverent "It’s Always Sunny..." for a 15th season, making it officially the longest-running live-action sitcom in US history.

The multihyphenate's latest, Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet, is a comedy series "...that follows a team of video game developers as they navigate the challenges of running a popular video game,"

The Apple TV+ show was co-created with "Sunny" alums Charlie Day and Megan Ganz (executive produced by McElhenney and Day), and has been described as "... the travails of a boisterous video game studio – think Silicon Valley meets Veep."

*Note: Though I was lucky enough to catch Rob in his natural LA habitat, sadly the interview was cut short due to technical difficulties, our apologies for the abrupt ending.

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In this file Rob McElhenney and I discussed:

How It's Alway Sunny in Philadelphia almost didn't make it to the fourth season

The inner-workings of a perpetual creativity engine

How little episodic and streaming models of TV differ from a sitcom producer's perspective

His relationships with Danny DeVito and F. Murray Abraham

The evolution of "It's Always Sunny..." and why it stays culturally relevant

And how the greatest indie production tool you own is in your pocket

Show Notes:

Rob McElhenney on IMDb

Mythic Quest: Raven’s Banquet – Apple TV+