Episodes of FX comedy will air on broadcast sibling

LOS ANGELES -- FOX is lending a helping hand to little brother FX, giving the cable channel's comedy "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" some wider exposure next month.

Episodes of the show, about three guys and a girl who own a bar in Philly, will air on FOX for three consecutive Sundays starting June 11 -- likely with a few trims here and there to bring the show's cable sensibilities in line with broadcast standards. "It's Always Sunny" will follow "Family Guy" in the network's Sunday lineup.

The stunt will, FX undoubtedly hopes, gather some new viewers for the second season of "It's Always Sunny," which premieres Tuesday, June 29. Emmy winner Danny DeVito ("Taxi," "Be Cool") has joined the cast, playing Dennis (Glenn Howerton) and Dee's (Kaitlin Olson) dad.

FX has long been a home for repurposed FOX shows -- same-week reruns of "24" helped keep that show alive in its first season, and the cable channel has also aired episodes of "Arrested Development." The "Always Sunny" run on FOX will be the first time, though, that programming has flowed from the FX to its broadcast sibling.

It's not, however, an entirely new concept. NBC has aired episodes of Bravo's "Queer Eye" and Sci Fi's "Battlestar Galactica" in the past (both networks are part of NBC Universal), and last summer CBS aired a few episodes of UPN's "Veronica Mars" in an effort to bring more viewers to that show.