'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Season 9 begins tomorrow night!

Season 9 of FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia premieres tomorrow night, and it caught me completely by surprise--kind of like finding a wadded up $20 in my pants pocket. Did I deserve it, or expect it? No, but it sure as hell made my day! The show has been a favorite of mine since a friend turned me on to it way back in season 4, but for whatever reason, it fell completely off my radar until just today. I had heard that the series was moving from FX to the newly relabeled FXX network. Thankfully, a quick search through my cable box's menu dispelled any fear that my Comcast package didn't carry the channel. The show will also air on Wednesdays rather than its traditional Thursday spot.

I'm excited for season 9 partly because the last couple of seasons have gotten darker (baby funerals) and even more ludicrous (creator and star Rob McElhenney purposely gained 50 lbs to make his character funnier), and also because of the premise of one particular episode, written by Game of Thrones scribes David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. A take on the beloved novel Flowers for Algernon, the aptly titled "Flowers for Charlie" finds lovable, illiterate janitor Charlie Kelly, played by Charlie Day, "taking a pill to be more smarter." I could care less about the episode's pedigree, (never watched or read GoT), but I actually almost died after reading this description. Reading the quote made me laugh so hard, I nearly choked. If the premise almost murdered me, I might need a respirator to make it through the episode. "Flowers" is also set to have a cameo by Day's Pacific Rim costar Burn Gorman. Maybe Gorman will play another scientist, maybe the one who experiments on good ol' Charlie?

Day is the clear break out star of the show, having hosted Saturday Night Live last season and appearing in Hollywood blockbusters like Horrible Bosses and the aforementioned Pacific Rim. I think the reason people have latched onto the Charlie character is that in a group like The Gang that is comprised of the most narcissistic, manipulative, greedy, and downright despicable characters to ever appear on television, Charlie is a (mostly) innocent participant in their schemes. How can you not instantly love someone who is so naïve that he confuses a "spa day" for a mispronunciation of a "spaghetti day?"

Looking at the tentative episode list, I'm tickled by two other titles. "The Gang Tries Desperately to Win an Award" seems like an obvious commentary on the fact that despite being the most consistently funny show on television for eight years, Sunny has never even been nominated for an Emmy. In a world where Sunny is ignored, and drivel like The Big Bang Theory is lauded, will The Gang ever find justice? Probably not, but that's also in keeping with the show's spirit, I guess.

"Mac Day" and its description also warranted a good chuckle. What's going to happen when The Gang has to do anything and everything Mac (played by creator Rob McElhenney) has to say? I'm not sure, but maybe Mac's idol Chase Utley will show up to set Mac straight.

Tomorrow night suddenly seems so far away now that I know I've got a new season of Sunny to look forward to. How will you pass the time until 10 PM tomorrow? Wash your Greenman costume? Play Chardee McDennis? I think I might go do some coloring, myself.