It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

F/X has been setting the standard for television dramas the last few years between "The Shield," "Nip/Tuck," and "Rescue Me." Last summer they tested the comedy waters with 2 shows, "Starved" and "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia." I liked "Starved." Few shows could find the humor in bulimia but that one did. I dismissed "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" as a generic "Friends" clone with cussing. Well "Starved" is now a stain on the road of the basic cable highway and "Philadelphia" has returned with a new addition to the cast in the form of Rhea Pealman-fucker Danny DeVito.

After 2 weeks of new "Philadelphia" episodes I think F/X made the right call. The show has grown on me in a big way. The network has been hyping it as a more edgy "Seinfeld" and while it has a long way to go to for that type of comparison it's not as outlandish a claim as it would have been a year ago. Like "Seinfeld" you have 4 principal characters who find themselves in all sorts of humerous self-centered situations. Of course I don't recall George ever sleeping with Jerry's mother (though she was hot!) which is the type of premise that is tame by "Philadelphia's" standards.

As for the addition of DeVito, he's tremendous. He's always been one of those guys who could appear in 10 shitty movies but then pop up in something like L.A. CONFIDENTIAL and remind you how talented he is. I'm sure he's appearing on "Philadelphia" for cab fare but he seems to enjoy what's he's doing. Half his scenes involve him hitting on strippers which must be a welcome change from what he sees when he wakes up in the morning.