Kaitlin Olson’s New ABC Show Subverts Her It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia Role

Published Aug 30, 2024

Followed

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The actor is elemental to the series, starring in all 16 existing seasons, with seasons 17 and 18 on the way. Her return to the FX sitcom is one of two projects Kaitlin Olson has in the works for 2024, however. The other series will see Olson take on a new character that is the exact opposite of everything that comprises It's Always Sunny's Dee.

Since her role as Dee in the cast of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Kaitlin Olson has had a robust television presence and has featured in a few movies. She was in season 1 to season 3 of Hacks and in season 1 of Agent Elvis. That said, what's next for the actor is more prominent than those roles, and she will be the starring character. As such, Olson's new ABC project could redefine the actor's career.

15 Shows To Watch If You Like It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia

The FX comedy series It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia is one of the funniest shows on TV, and if you love it then you'll also love these 10 comedies.

Posts

Kaitlin Olson’s TV Comeback In High Potential Explained

Kaitlin Olson Will Play Morgan In ABC's High Potential

Olson will star in the new ABC series High Potential, debuting Tuesday, September 17, 2024. Olson will play Morgan, a cleaning lady and single mom of three kids designated as a "high potential intellectual" because she has an IQ of 160. The series' premise is that, after Morgan makes a breakthrough at work, she is recruited to the LAPD Major Crimes Unit to spot the things the other detectives miss. Created by Drew Goddard, the new show is based on a French-Belgian crime comedy series called Haut Potentiel Intellectuel (HPI).

High Potential is a combination of comedy and drama with a murder-of-the-week premise. The series will feature Scrubs' Judy Reyes as Selena Soto, who said in a High Potential preview in July 2024 that "the whole girl power of it all" attracted her to the role (via ABC.) Beyond her genius abilities that lend to the crimes she solves, Olson's Morgan distinguishes herself in the procedural genre as a mom. High Potential will also infuse more humor into its storytelling, allowing the characters to have fun despite solving murders.

Kaitlin Olson’s High Potential Character Is The Opposite Of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia's Dee

Olson Has Played Dee Reynolds Since 2005

Olson's character in High Potential is starkly opposite to Dee in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. While each player in the series has their moments, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia focuses on a group of friends and family running a bar together called Paddy's Pub, with a huge emphasis on their lack of basic intelligence. As such, Kaitlin Olson's Dee gets entangled in ridiculous and comedic schemes that define the show. Dee's lack of intelligence and basic common sense qualifies her to in on the hijinks of the other characters.

The High Potential series premiere is on ABC on September 17.

While Olson's "Sweet Dee" character in It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an iconic start to her career, she is known for lacking essential intelligence. As funny as she is in some of the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, it's exciting for Olson to take on a new role that could diversify and expand the actor's future. While she has had many roles, she began as Dee nearly 20 years ago, and the FX series remains her most widely known project. She can redefine her career as High Potential's Morgan, whose complete persona will be realized this fall.

Source: ABC