FX announced that season 14 of hit the hit American sitcom It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is on the way.

Dennis, Sweet Dee, Charlie, Mac and Frank will be returning to our screens later this year with FX setting the premiere date for Season 14 of the show for Wednesday, September 25th.

Created and written by Rob McElhenney, who plays the role of Mac in the show, the gang will return to Los Angeles for filming this summer. The show, which is also developed by Glenn Howerton—who plays the role of Dennis—have yet to release any details about the upcoming plot lines. While it was in doubt whether or not Howerton would be involved in series 13, we still don’t know if the same scheduling issues exist for season 14.

With a whole new season in the offing, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is now competing with The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet to become the longest-running live-action sitcom in American TV history.

In other related It’s Always Sunny news, Mac finally managed to fulfil a lifelong dream of playing catch with baseball player Chase Utley.

A decade after the 2009 episode It’s Always Sunny titled: ‘Mac’s Love Letter to Chase’, Rob McElhenney—who plays the role of Mac and also co-created the show—was given the opportunity to toss the ball around with former Philadelphia Phillies second baseman after he had his jersey retired at Citizen’s Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Mac’s letter to Chase Utley:



“Dear Chase, I feel like I can call you Chase because you and me are so much alike.” Really? “I would love to meet you someday, it would be great to have a catch. I know I can’t throw as fast as you but I think you would be impressed with my speed. I love your hair. You run fast.



“Did you have a good relationship with your father? Me neither. These are all things we can talk about and more. I know you have not been getting my letters because I know you would write back if you did, and I hope you write back this time and we get to be good friends. I am sure our relationship would be a real ‘home run.’”

The longstanding joke took another turn in 2013 when Utley responded to Mac’s letter, by writing his own reply: “Dear Mac, I feel like I can call you Mac because you called me Chase. ‘Sorry it took me five years to write back but I am really busy playing a lot of baseball for the Phillies. Thank you for the compliment on my hair. It is my fourth favourite thing after baseball, running fast, and my dad.

“I’m sorry your dad doesn’t like you. Maybe you could try being a better son. Meeting you and having a game of catch sounds like a lot of fun but like I said I am really busy playing a lot of baseball for the Phillies.”

Now though, the joke has gone full circle and a lifelong dream has been realised.

Setting the stage on this momentous occasion, the Phillies played the classic clip of Kaitlin Olson [Dee] – who was also in attendance – reading Mac’s touching love letter to Utley.

THen the moment came, Mac comes out and, as in a moment of pure magic, caught the first pitch from Utley, fulfilling a lifelong ambition to have a catch with his Phillies hero.

Here it is: