Arts & Entertainment

Was 'It's Always Sunny' Too Adult for the 'Family Resort?'

The off-color sitcom "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" catches many off guard with an episode filmed in Ocean City.

Thursday's episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia started with characters sitting on syringes on the beach, moved quickly to buggery under the Boardwalk and got more off-color from there.

For fans of the FX Network sitcom, the adult "humor" was typical of the comedy, now in its seventh season. But for the uninitiated, who had tuned in for the first time to watch an episode that was filmed in Ocean City in June, "The Gang Goes to the Jersey Shore" was a bit too shocking for a city that takes pride in its squeaky-clean image as "America's Greatest Family Resort."

Amid the debauchery, unmistakable Ocean City icons served as props and backgrounds: the Double Down ride at , the beach at Fifth Street, the Boardwalk at 10th Street and other familiar places.

Find out what's happening in Ocean Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Ocean City Patch solicited comments after the show on Thursday, and a reader identified as "Ladybug" offered this:

"We turned off this awful show after watching it for 5 minutes. The horrible acting, horrendous and distasteful language, the disgusting under the Boardwalk scenes -- Is this the way we want Ocean City to be represented? What a great disservice to our wonderful community."

Find out what's happening in Ocean Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Her comment reflected several others submitted in story comments, on Facebook and by email.

Nobody in the show ever mentioned the words "Ocean City." As a user identified as "Colby" noted, the show took a swipe not at Ocean City but at the Jersey Shore in general:

"As a fan of 'It's Always Sunny,' I found tonight's show to be disappointing and completely unoriginal. They just took every tired Jersey Shore stereotype and made it the punchline of every joke. Look at me walking by a toxic waste sign! I just sat on a hypodermic needle! Guidos on a yacht! I'm surprised they didn't put a Turnpike exit sign on the beach and say 'Joisey' over and over."

But Facebook commenter Chris Sweeney seemed to speak for many fans of the show when he commented:

"The show is a raunchfest. Did not OCNJ know this?"

"It's classless, and I'm disappointed that we didn't look into what they were filming," Mayor Jay Gillian said. "It's definitely not what we want to do in the future."

Ocean City Public Relations Director Mark Soifer said his department did not work with the production crews in advance of the filming in Ocean City.

"The only thing I was watching was the Phillies," Soifer said.

"I thought it was going to be almost like Crazy Susan," said Michele Gillian, executive director of the Ocean City Regional Chamber of Commerce, referring to the Food Network show Tough Cookies that featured Ocean City's Crazy Susan's Cookies.

Gillian said film crews have approached the Chamber in the past. She said she directs them to the city's events person to fill out an application.

"Sometimes they provide a script," Gillian said. "Obviously, they didn't this time."

Stars and production crews were on the Ocean City beach and Boardwalk in late June filming scenes for the sitcom's seventh season. Some scenes included Playland's Castaway Cove, and much of the filming took place on the nearby 1000 and 1100 blocks of the Boardwalk.

The sitcom stars Danny DeVito, Kaitlin Olson, Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton as five warped friends who run an Irish pub in South Philadelphia.

In a story comment posted on Thursday before the Ocean City episode aired, "Bill A" left this note from the show's producers:

"As the new season of 'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' premieres this week, the producers, the locations staff and we wanted to remember to thank those that made this season possible.

It is rare indeed for a film production to have been given the tremendous support and outpouring a kindness that we found in Ocean City this summer.  From the aid the OC Police Department and the OC Beach Patrol and lifeguards, to the many business owners, neighbors and visitors on the boardwalk, everyone we came in contact with was friendly, helpful and remarkably enthusiastic about our production.

The entire staff of Playland’s Castaway Cove are to be especially commended for showing us the personal care, authenticity and good old fashioned showmanship that separate Ocean City from the other towns on the Jersey Shore defining why it has the moniker as ‘America’s Greatest Family Resort’.

We had a tremendous day with your town and we are immensely grateful for all you did helping make our show the success that it is. We cannot wait to come back soon, professionally and recreationally.

With all our gratitude,

Sincerely,

The Producers, Location Department, Cast & Crew of
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Like many summer house guests, "It's Always Sunny" may not get an invitation back—even with the gracious thank-you note.

 


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