The series follows “The Gang”, a group of five depraved underachievers: siblings Dennis and Deandra “Sweet Dee” Reynolds, their friends Charlie Kelly and Mac, and Frank Reynolds, Dennis and Dee's adoptive father, who run Paddy's Pub, a run-down bar in South Philadelphia.

They are dishonest, egotistical, selfish, greedy, unethical, disloyal, lazy, manipulative, maniacal, diabolical, deceitful, hypocritical, vengeful, remorseless, overly competitive, immature, antagonistic, and arrogant, and are often engaged in controversial issues. Episodes usually find them hatching elaborate schemes, conspiring against one another and others for personal gain, vengeance, or simply for the entertainment of watching each other's downfall. Their tactics often rely on inflicting emotional and sometimes physical pain on individuals both deserving and undeserving. They regularly use blackmail and manipulate one another and others outside of the group