Television history is about to be made as the raucous bar owners of Paddy’s Pub prepare to meet the dedicated teachers of Abbott Elementary in an unprecedented two-episode crossover event. The first part of this unique television experiment debuts Jan. 8 at 8:30 pm ET on ABC, with Abbott Elementary Episode 409, directed by Randall Einhorn and written by Garrett Werner and now, we’re getting a tease of the epic crossover event. On social media the promotional campaign kicked off with a teaser poster featuring flags from both Paddy’s and Abbott Elementary, accompanied by the tagline “Two Legends. One Epic Class.”
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The crossover will bring together the full casts of both shows, including Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day, and Danny DeVito from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, and Sheryl Lee Ralph from Abbott Elementary.
Chris Perfetti recently revealed the innovative structure of the crossover. “I think I can say that they are in an episode of our show, and we are in an episode of their show, and the episode of their show is sort of the behind-the-scenes of what really happened when they were on our show,” he explained to TVInsider. Perfetti added that filming with the Sunny cast was “surreal,” noting they are “a highly trained ensemble that is so gifted, so generous.”
[RELATED: Abbott Elementary: Bradley Cooper Breaks Out Rocket Raccoon Voice in Special Post-Oscars Episode]
“It was kind of a joke at first that the two shows should cross over. On paper, it feels like they’d be a real tonal mishmash,” Abbott Elementary executive producers Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker elaborated on the development process. “But then Rob and Charlie came to our writers’ room, and we hashed out some real broad-stroke ideas. From there, we emailed back and forth beat sheets and then an outline. They were super game for everything.”
Schumacker added, “It just kind of works in a vacuum. They just feel like other guest stars on the show. Obviously, it’s going to have a much deeper meaning for ‘Sunny’ fans.”
Kaitlin Olson shared her enthusiasm about bringing the Abbott cast into the world of Paddy’s, telling Variety she had a “very fun” experience filming the crossover episode and was “just excited to get them to just get, like, nasty. They cannot do that at school; they can do that in the bar.” The collaboration has already produced memorable moments behind the scenes.
“It was such an honor to be with all of them,” Perfetti said. “They are grade-A comedians. I pride myself on not breaking or ruining takes, but Danny DeVito absolutely ruined me almost in every scene.”
The crossover announcement itself became a source of humor, with Brunson playfully calling out McElhenney in a promotional video. “It feels like we’ve been keeping this secret for so long,” McElhenney said, to which Brunson responded, “So long? Because you… posted a photo spoiling our crossover episode.”
While the air date for the It’s Always Sunny portion hasn’t been announced, Abbott Elementary’s installment promises to bring together two of television’s most beloved ensembles in what promotions are calling “The Greatest Moment in Television History Ever.”
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