‘It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ Season 12 Filming in Center City; Danny DeVito Proud of High Ratings

‘It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ season 12 is filming in Center City, Philadelphia. Cast and crew expressed their excitement on filming on-location. Danny DeVito, who plays series regular Frank, admitted that he was proud of season 11’s highest ratings.

According to Phillymag.com, production for the incoming season has taken cast and crew to Philadelphia’s Center City even if it primarily shoots in Los Angeles. A flier distributed among residents in the area announced that although businesses and homes will continue to be accessible, some streets will be blocked off from cars. However, this didn’t stop fans from turning the filming set into an interactive spectacle.

Charlie Day, who plays series regular Charlie Kelly, expressed his excitement over the incoming season. According to Philly Voice, he said, “It’s great to be back… We’ve missed it because we weren’t here the past two years… It’s crazy to film on the streets and having so many people stopping to take pictures. It’s really fun to connect with the fans in that way because we really don’t get that direct experience, especially with the Philadelphia fans, in Los Angeles.”

Danny DeVito, who plays Frank Reynolds in the series, admitted that on-location shoots are more challenging than working in a studio. He said, “It’s hard on the camera people because the background has to be clear, but if you’re going into a city to shoot, you gotta be ready for the people… We do it for us, and we also do it for the fans. I wish we did it more. I love coming back here to shoot. They’re very nice fans.”

According to Metro.us, DeVito revealed that season 11 was the series’ highest-rated run since it premiered on FX on August 2005. He said, “It’s hard to stop a show like this. Our ratings have been higher than they’ve ever been… [When we started] it was a blip on the radar. Our niche of fans responds really well to the show. [Now] we know them, they know us."

The popular sitcom was recently renewed for an additional 13th and 14th season. Show creator Rob McElhenney, who grew up in Philadelphia, said that returning to the area was akin to a homecoming. He also admitted that season 12, 13, and 14 will be the series’ real challenge.

McElhenney said, “We’ll keep doing it if people keep watching it. One of the things we try to do is continually surprise the audience, which is a challenge in season 12. And in 13 and 14, it will be… But, we’ll also continue to give them what they have grown to love. That’s a challenge we accept and when we jump into the writer’s room every year, we try to achieve that with every episode.”

‘It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia’ is a long-running American sitcom that premiered on FX on August 2005 and moved to FXX from season 9. Season 12 is expected to premiere sometime in early 2017. An official release date is yet to be announced.