20 Things You Didn't Know About It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
7. The Average Episode's Budget Is Around $2 Million
Though the original pilot episode was filmed for $200 or less, the average cost of an episode in season one was $450,000.
That might seem like a princely sum for a show with few name cast members and limited locations, but it was actually less than one-third of the network standard for shows of a similar scale. FX were able to keep costs low by filming with "pro-sumer" grade camera equipment.
But by the show's seventh season, the per-episode budget was $2 million, as a result of both the recent switch to HD and the decision to incorporate a three-camera set-up for added coverage.
That's still incredibly low for a studio sitcom price tag, though, given that Friends episodes were costing a staggering $10 million each by the end of its run.
The crew saved additional money by largely using royalty-free stock music throughout, such as with the show's now-iconic theme tune "Temptation Sensation" by Heinz Kiessling.