It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (B+)
The most successful 'Sit-coms' in recent history, like 'Seinfeld' and 'Arrested Development' worked because they're more comedies of manners than the traditional situation comedies. In the case of 'Philadelphia', the four main characters behave like proverbial bulls in china shops when it comes to violating the aforementioned manners. They blackmail one another, verbally and physically abuse one another, and screw each other over on a regular basis.
I guess if I had to sum it up, it's what 'outrageous' characters in a 'traditional' sit-com get up to in a regular basis, only these selfish, shallow, mean-spirited characters live in the real world.
So the question comes up: If it's a show about four losers who are trapped in the downward spiral of backstabbing, abuse, cruelty, and betrayal, why would anyone watch it?
Because it's funny. Scratch that, it's fuckin' funny. Their reactions to the misery that they've created of their own lives are so over the top, it fills me with a tremendous glee. Plus, as a bonus, you get Danny DeVito coming in season 2 in full-on sleaze ball-Louie-the dispatcher mode as two of the characters (step) dad. Which makes a lot of sense, if you think about it. I guess you'd describe it as "I'm alright, Jack" humour, as the viewer is so insulated from the characters, it's okay to laugh at their misery from a high place.
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