10 TV Shows That Were Saved By One Genius Tweak

10. Adding Danny DeVito In Season 2 - It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

Though It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was well-received by critics in its first season, that wasn't reflected in its ratings, and network FX effectively offered creator Rob McElhenney an ultimatum - add a name cast member for season two, or the show would be cancelled.

In a 2015 interview with The Nerdist podcast, McElhenney explained:

"So, John Landgraf, who's the president of FX, he called me in for a meeting and was like, 'Hey, no one's watching the show, but we love it, we wanna keep it on, but we don't have any money for marketing, and we need to add somebody with some panache that we can hopefully parlay into some public relations story, just so we can get people talking.'

It's not that we were reticent to the idea of adding Danny [DeVito] to the show... it's that we were reticent to add a name to the show. You know, because we kinda liked that we were no-names and it was this weird, small thing, you know."

McElhenney initially rejected the notion of adding a famous actor to the ensemble, but after it became clear the show wouldn't be returning without one, he relented.

And as great as the show's rough-around-the-edges first season was, bringing Danny DeVito aboard as Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee's (Kaitlin Olson) father Frank Reynolds was an absolute masterstroke.

DeVito remains responsible for many of the series' most hilarious and unforgettable moments, effectively serving as the glue that holds the main cast together, all while keeping the network happy.

Given that It's Always Sunny was recently renewed up to its 18th season, it was absolutely the right call.