Mark these dates on your calendars for the return of two of the best series on the tube, both on FX: September 17 for season five of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Sept. 8 for season two of Sons of Anarchy.

The Sunny season sounds like it will be the best one yet. In coverage of the show’s Paley Festival night in April, IGN.com talked to star Rob McElhenney about season five plots, and he hinted at the gang’s special take on the bad economy. “(The Sunny characters have) been poor for years! We’re Old Poor, and now there’s all these people who are New Poor, and we feel like it’s just so tacky … so tacky,” McElhenney told IGN. “They don’t understand what it’s like and how to be poor.”

More season five plots that have been rumored, and some confirmed by the cast: The gang’s interaction with a fraternity and a beer pong tournament (someone tell Jimmy Fallon), a Ponzi scheme, a road trip, a possible pregnancy for Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson, McElhenney’s real-life wife), the Octomom and a flashback to the gang’s infant years (just the thought of what a baby Charlie was like is enough to make me giggle, a lot).

In other It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia news:

– The season four finale featured Charlie’s (Charlie Day) attempt to woo The Waitress (Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Day’s real-life wife) with his The Nightman Cometh rock opera, which the cast performed live in a pair of weekend shows at The Troubadour in Los Angeles in April.

According to THR.com, stars McElhenney, Day and Glenn Howerton are considering taking the stage version of the episode (which includes additional songs) to New York City and Philadelphia this fall. No ticket cost would be too high to be in the audience for that one.

– And in one more bit of Sunny news, everyone’s favorite Paddy’s Pub proprietor, Charlie Day, has signed on to star in Going the Distance, a big-screen romantic comedy with Christina Applegate, Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. The story revolves around a couple (real-life on-again, off-again couple Barrymore and Long) who try to keep a long-distance romance alive. Day plays Long’s best friend, and Applegate plays Barrymore’s sister (great casting, right? The two look like sisters).

Now, who else will be lining up to see The Nightman Cometh live?

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• Tags: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 5, Kaitlin Olson, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Rob McElhenney, Sons of Anarchy, Sons of Anarchy season 2, The Nightman Cometh

All the tube news that’s fit to surf …

– Tonight is the big 20/20 interview with Adam Lambert.

– The Real Housewives of New York, New Jersey, Atlanta and O.C. are guest-hosting the fourth hour of the Today Show next week. Monday, it’s Bethenny Frankel (Real Housewives of New York City), on Tuesday, Danielle Staub (Real Housewives of New Jersey), NeNe Leakes from Real Housewives of Atlanta on Wednesday and Tamra Barney from Real Housewives of Orange County on Thursday.

– MLB Network is debuting its first reality series, The Pen, on June 14 (8PM ET). The show covers the action in the Philadelphia Phillies bullpen.

– The Real World 23 will take place in Washington, D.C.

– Robert Rodriguez confirms his live-action boob tube-to-big screen Jetsons movie will begin filming next year. Moviehole thinks Danny DeVito may be too old to play Mr. Spacely, but it’s hard to picture anyone else in the role, no?

– My Name Is Earl is officially kaput, though EW.com’s Michael Ausiello says there is a cable network still interested in potentially picking up Samantha Who?.

– Heidi, of Heidi-n-Spencer infamy, will reportedly pose nekkid for Playboy. Curious how that fits in with her alleged religious beliefs …

– A line of Danny Gokey eyeglasses? Yup.

– While Stephen Baldwin is off in the jungle on I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, his foreclosed home is being auctioned off.

– And signs of life from one of my favorite comedies, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which shot some scenes on location in Philly this week, under the direction of Fred Savage (yes, Wonder Years Fred Savage). And how cool is Charlie Day? He’s definitely on my dream Emmy nomination list. The show, BTW, is scheduled to return to FX for its fifth season in September, and will include an episode in which Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson) tries to emulate Octomom.

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• Filed in American Idol, Boob Tube to Big Screen, TV News
• Tags: 20/20, Adam Lambert, Charlie Day, Danielle Staub, Danny DeVito, Danny Gokey, Danny Gokey eyeglasses, Fred Savage, Get Me Out of Here, Heidi and Spencer, Heidi Montag, Heidi Pratt, I'm a Celebrity, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 5, Kaitlin Olson, MLB Network, My Name Is Earl, NeNe Leakes, Octomom, Real Housewives, Real Housewives of Atlanta, Real Housewives of New Jersey, Real Housewives of New York City, Real Housewives of Orange County, Robert Rodriguez, Samantha Who?, Stephen Baldwin, Tamra Barney, The Jetsons, The Pen, The Real World, Today Show, Wonder Years