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{{Infobox Television
{{Infobox Television
| show_name = Phineas and Ferb
| show_name = Phineas and Ferb
| image = [[Image:P and F Logo.jpg|230px]]
| image = [[Image:P and F Logo.jpg|230px|alt=Three cartoon characters, one female and two boys, in front of a gray triangular background. The green-haired boy has a guitar and the red-haired boy does not. The girl also has red hair and is pointing off screen.]]
| caption = The series' title screen, displaying (from left to right) Candace, [[Phineas Flynn|Phineas]] and [[Ferb Fletcher|Ferb]].
| caption = Candace Flynn, [[Phineas Flynn]] and [[Ferb Fletcher]]. Where has been there that was an it's sucessfully with but so Disney's Phineas and Ferb logo.
| format = [[Animated television series]], [[Comedy]], [[musical film|Musical]]
| format = [[Animated television series]], [[Comedy]], [[musical film|Musical]]
| runtime = avg. 22 min, 35 sec (11 min. per episode)
| runtime = avg. 22 min, 35 sec (11 min. per episode)
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}}
}}


'''''Phineas and Ferb''''' is a [[Disney Channel]] [[Cartoon series|animated television series]] that centers on two stepbrothers and their beyond-the-impossible adventures in their backyard during summer vacation. The series premiered on February 1, 2008, as the first Disney Channel Original Series to premiere simultaneously worldwide. The show's official U.S. premieres were marketed as ''Phineas and Ferb-uary'', due to new episodes being shown every day during the month of February. A sneak peek of the second season was shown January 23, 2009, as the episode "Tip of the Day" on Toon Disney (now [[Disney XD]]). Subsequently starting on February 20, 2009, first-run episodes of the series now air on Disney XD, with the episodes repeating on Disney Channel afterward, making it the first Disney Channel series to transfer new episodes to another Disney-branded network.
'''''Phineas and Ferb''''' (also known as '''''Disney's Phineas and Ferb''''') is an American [[animated television series]]. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007 on [[Disney Channel]], the series follows two suburban<ref>{{cite episode|title=Leave the Busting to Us!| Season= 1|number= 26|credits=Writers: Bobby Gaylor, Martin Olson; Director: Zac Moncrief|channel=Disney Channel|series=Phineas and Ferb}}</ref> stepbrothers<ref name="AM1">{{cite web|url=http://www.awn.com/articles/production/swampy-dan-emerges-iphineas-and-ferbi/page/1|title= From Swampy & Dan Emerges Phineas and Ferb", Page 1.|author=Strike, Joe|work=Animation World Magazine|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> on summer vacation. Each day the pair devise ambitious, involved plans and inventions to stave off boredom, often bringing them into conflict with their snoopy sister. The series follows a standard plot system; running gags occur every episode, and the [[B-Plot]] almost always features the boys' pet [[platypus]] acting as a [[Espionage|secret agent]] to fight an evil scientist named Heinz Doofenshmirtz.


The series is the fifth Disney Channel Original series to have more than 65 episodes; after ''[[That's So Raven]]'', ''[[Kim Possible]]'', ''[[The Suite Life of Zack and Cody]]'' and ''[[Hannah Montana]]''. The series is currently the second longest-running Disney Channel original animated series, after ''Kim Possible''. The series uses a classic-Disney formula by putting musical numbers in each episode. The series is usually comprised of two 11-minute episodes, in which one may be aired as filler in the event that a movie airing on Disney Channel ends 15-20 minutes before the start of the next program.
Creators [[Dan Povenmire]] and [[Jeff "Swampy" Marsh]] worked together on the [[Nickelodeon (TV network)|Nickelodeon]] series ''[[Rocko's Modern Life]]''. ''Phineas and Ferb'' was conceived after Povenmire sketched a triangular boy&nbsp;— the blueprint for the titular Phineas&nbsp;— in a restaurant. Povenmire and Marsh developed the series concept together and pitched to networks for 16 years before securing a run on [[Disney Channel]].<ref name="AM1"/>


==Origins==
The series is also known for its musical numbers, which have appeared in every episode since the first-season "[[Flop Starz]]". Disney's managers particularly enjoyed the episode's song, "Gitchee, Gitchee Goo", and requested that a song appear in each subsequent episode.<ref name="AM2">{{cite web|url= http://www.awn.com/articles/production/swampy-dan-emerges-iphineas-and-ferbi/page/2|title= From Swampy & Dan Emerges Phineas and Ferb", Page 2.|author=Strike, Joe.|work=Animation World Magazine|date=February 1, 2008|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> The show's creators write and record each number, and vary musical tempo depending on each song's dramatic use.<ref name="MSN"/> The music has gotten the series two [[Emmy]] nods for songwriting in 2008.<ref name="Media">{{cite web|url=http://disneychannelmedianet.com/web/showpage/showpage.aspx?program_id=3113788&type=factsheet|title=Phineas and Ferb&nbsp;— Show description|work=Disney Channel Medianet|author=Yoo, Jean|accessdate=July 9, 2009}}</ref>
[[File:Flop Starz.jpg|225px]]
Creators [[Dan Povenmire]] and [[Jeff "Swampy" Marsh]] met while working on ''[[The Simpsons]]'' in the mid-1990s, where they sat across from each other as layout artists on that series. They bonded over a shared sense of humor and were eventually paired as a writing team on ''Rocko's Modern Life'' for Nickelodeon, where they learned more and more aspects of the animation production business.<ref name="Animation World Page 1">''Animation World Magazine''. Strike, Joe. [http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&category2=&article_no=3534&page=1 "From Swampy & Dan Emerges Phineas and Ferb", Page 1.]"</ref>
It was during this time that the pair started to develop a show that would allow them to continue working together as writers.<ref name="Animation World Page 1"/> At the Wild Thyme restaurant in South Pasadena, California, where they have butcher paper over the tables and crayons for you to draw with, Povenmire was sharing a meal with his wife when he drew the first sketch of a triangle-headed kid. Povenmire called Marsh that evening and told him the news: he had Phineas.<ref name="Animation World Page 3"/>


All the other characters grew from that simple triangle-headed kid. Phineas is a triangle, Ferb is a rectangle, and Candace is a half-circle. Then they decided to work geometric shapes into the background to tie the whole thing together. Marsh describes this homage to legendary [[Looney Tunes]] animator/director [[Tex Avery]]. "There's a little bit of Tex Avery in there — he had that very graphic style [in his later cartoons]. A lot of what I see now is borrowed from Tex."<ref name="Animation World Page 3">''Animation World Magazine''. Strike, Joe. [http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&category2=&article_no=3534&page=3 "From Swampy & Dan Emerges Phineas and Ferb", Page 3.]</ref>
==Plot and humor==
{{See also|List of Phineas and Ferb episodes}}
[[File:Downtown Mobile 2008 01.jpg|thumb|left|Povenmire drew inspiration for the show from his boyhood in [[Mobile, Alabama]].<ref name="OSP"/>]]
The show follows the adventures of stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, who live in the town of Danville and are determined to pursue an active summer vacation and defeat boredom.<ref name="AM1"/> Their sister, Candace, is obsessed with "busting" their schemes and ideas, and usually calls their mother to report the boys' activities.<ref name="AM2"/> The boys' pet [[platypus]], Perry, meanwhile, acts as a secret agent for an all-animal [[government]] organization<ref name="TCC">{{cite episode|title=Traffic Cam Caper|series=Phineas and Ferb|season= 1|credits=Writers: Kim Roberson, Marc Ceccarelli|date= July 12, 2008|channel=Disney Channel}}</ref><ref name="OL">{{cite episode|title=Out to Launch|series=Phineas and Ferb|season= 1|credits=Writers: Kim Roberson, Piero Piluso, Ken Osborne|date=December 5, 2008|channel=Disney Channel}}</ref> called the "O.W.C.A." (Organization Without a Cool Acronym), fighting the evil Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. <ref name="ex">{{cite web|url=http://www.examiner.com/x-14391-Long-Island-Television-Examiner~y2009m6d18-Disneys-Phineas-and-Ferb-do-it-all|title=Disney's Phineas and Ferb do it all|work=The Examiner|author=Ciborowski, Marc|date=2009-06-18|accessdate=2009-07-15}}</ref>


===Povenmire and Marsh===
Much of the series' humor relies on running gags used in every episode with slight variation.<ref name="wired">{{cite web|url=http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2008/07/phineas-and-fer/|title=Phineas and Ferb: Kid Inventors and a Secret Agent Platypus|work=Wired|date=July 9, 2008|author=Blum, Matt}}</ref> For example, several episodes feature an adult asking Phineas if he is too young to be performing some complex activity, to which he responds "Yes, yes I am."<ref name="AM1"/> Perry and Doofenshmirtz's confrontations generally lead to the destruction or disappearance of whatever Phineas and Ferb are constructing or taking part in that day.<ref name="ex"/><ref name="wired"/> Other running gags include [[catchphrase]]s, such as Phineas' line "Ferb, I know what we're gonna do today!", Phineas' "Oh, there you are, Perry.", "Hey, where's Perry?", Isabella saying "Hey Phineas, watcha doooin'?", Candace's "You guys are so busted", and Doofenshmirtz's "Curse you, Perry the Platypus! & Perry's Platupus noise"<ref name="trails">{{cite web|url= http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/culturesurfing/2009/05/14/phineas-ferb-trails-after-the-boys-of-summer/|title=“Phineas and Ferb” trails after the boys of summer|work=Creating Loafing|date=May 14, 2009|author=Holman, Curt|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref>
[[Image:Coasterfalls.jpg|250px]]
Povenmire and Marsh were no longer working together. Marsh had moved to London to work on an assortment of films and series, including ''[[Postman Pat]]'' and ''[[Bounty Hamster]]''. Povenmire had started animating and directing ''[[Family Guy]]'' episodes but continued to shop the show around to Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Fox.<ref name="Animation World Page 1"/>


Studios were worried about the complexity of the plots for the time allowed. At Fox, there were a few meetings, but negotiations fizzled out. Nickelodeon kept sending it up higher and higher in the production personnel ranks, but it was eventually deemed too complicated to pull off. Their stubbornness and persistence paid off when Povenmire finally got a meeting with Disney.<ref name="Animation World Page 1"/> According to Povenmire, "Disney was the first to say, 'Let's see if you can do it in 11 minutes.' We did it in the pilot and they said, 'Let's see if you can do it for 26 episodes.'"<ref name="Animation World Page 2">''Animation World Magazine''. Strike, Joe. [http://mag.awn.com/index.php?ltype=pageone&category2=&article_no=3534&page=2 "From Swampy & Dan Emerges Phineas and Ferb", Page 2.]</ref>
Aspects of the show's humor are aimed at adults,<ref name="411 news"/> including its frequent pop-cultural references.<ref name="NYT"/> Co-creator [[Dan Povenmire]], having previously written for ''[[Family Guy]]'', sought to create a show less raunchy but with the same use of comic timing, employing humorous blank stares, expressionless faces, and clever wording.<ref name="AM3"/> Povenmire describes the show as a combination of ''Family Guy'' and ''[[Spongebob Squarepants]].''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/phineas-and-ferb/family-guy-helped-inspire-phin-16407.aspx|title='Family Guy' Helped Inspire 'Phineas and Ferb'|date=February 8, 2008|author=Santiago, Rosario|work=[[BuddyTV]]|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> [[Jeff "Swampy" Marsh]], the other co-creator, said the show was not created just for kids, but simply did not exclude them as an audience.<ref name="411 news"/>


Disney Channel's Senior VP of Original Series Adam Bonnet was a fan of ''Family Guy'' and wasn't scared off by Povenmire's work on the series. In fact, it was because of his connections to the primetime Fox animated sitcom known for its gross-out gags and raunchy humor that Bonnet wanted to see whatever Povenmire was working on. Povenmire recalls about Bonnet, "He called me for a meeting when I was working on a different pilot for them just to tell me how much he liked Family Guy. When I came back to pitch my own show, I think he was more open to it."<ref name="Animation World Page 2"/>
==Characters==
{{Main|List of characters in Phineas and Ferb|Phineas Flynn}}
[[File:Platypus.jpg|thumb|left|A platypus was included in the series due to its interesting appearance.<ref name="QA"/>]]
The series' main characters live in a [[blended family]], a premise the creators considered underused in children's programming and which reflected Marsh's own upbringing. Marsh considers explaining the family background "not important to the kid's lives. They are a great blended family and that's all we need to know."<ref name="Tampa">{{cite web|url=http://www.tampabay.com/features/parenting/article993119.ece|title=Quick wit, funny characters drive ''Phineas and Ferb''|author=Robinson, Sherry|date=2009-04-18|accessdate=2009-08-16|work=[[St. Petersburg Times]]|location=[[St. Petersburg, Florida]]}}</ref> The choice of a [[platypus]] as the boys' pet was similarly inspired by media underuse, as well as to exploit its striking appearance.<ref name="QA">{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0bc78baf8235f8b4159fd786ff9f8736|title= Q&A: Dan Povenmire|archiveurl= http://74.125.93.132/search?q=cache:h-TlYnF0OCMJ:www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i0bc78baf8235f8b4159fd786ff9f8736+Emmy+nominee+Dan+Povenmire&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a|archivedate=2009-07-31|author= Bond, Paul.|date= 7 June, 2009|work=Hollywood Reporter|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> The platypus also gives them freedom to "make stuff up" since "no one knows very much about [them]."<ref name="Tampa"/>


Povenmire brought "some of that primetime animation timing without any of the raunch" to ''Phineas and Ferb''. In fact, many of the blank stares and sight gags have a primetime and Tex Avery charm to them. "People think Family Guy is a success because of how raunchy the gags are. I don't think it would have been a success at all if the timing wasn't absolutely crystal pitch perfect -- if there wasn't just the right amount of pause before or after the line. Comedy is all about timing and I think that's what people are responding to."<ref name="Animation World Page 2"/>
The creators sought to distinguish the show by characterizing its cast as fun-loving, not spiteful or cruel. Marsh called the characters "cool, edgy and clever without [...] being mean-spirited." According to Povenmire, their animation director, Rob Hughes, agreed: "in all the other shows every character is either stupid or a jerk, but there are no stupid characters or jerks in this one."<ref name="AM2"/>


Unlike non-animated series, Povenmire and Marsh didn't pitch a script, they pitched a storyboard. When it came time to present it to the executives overseas, Povenmire edited the storyboards together into a film, adding music, sound effects and providing the voices for all the characters. This animatic can be found on the ''Phineas and Ferb: The Fast and the Phineas DVD''.
==Music==
{{Main|List of Phineas and Ferb songs}}
{{Quote box
| quote = "Every episode since [Flop Starz] has a song in it. It's not always the characters singing onscreen&nbsp;— they don't break into song just to advance the plot. The music doesn't come out of nowhere, sometimes it's just a montage over action. We've done every genre known to man: ABBA, Broadway show tunes, 16th-century madrigals[...]"
| source = [[Dan Povenmire]] on the songs.<ref name="AM2" />
| width = 200px
| align = right
}}


==Plot==
''Phineas and Ferb'' follows structural conventions Povenmire and Marsh developed while writing ''Rocko's Modern Life'', whereby each episode features "a song or a musical number, plus a big action/chase scene".<ref name="AM2"/> Both creators had musical backgrounds, as Povenmire performed [[rock'n'roll]] in his college years<ref name="USC"/> and Marsh's grandfather was the bandleader [[Les Brown (bandleader)|Les Brown]].<ref name="411 news"/>
[[File:PaFbusted.jpg|250px]]
The main plot focuses on Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, two young kids bent on making their summer vacation a "roller coaster" (as seen in the first episode). A minor scenario involves Candace attempting to bust her brothers and get them in trouble, which always fails. The other major element involves [[Perry the Platypus|Secret Agent P (Perry the Platypus)]] and [[Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz]].


Phineas Flynn ([[Vincent Martella]]) and Ferb Fletcher ([[Thomas Sangster]]) are two [[stepbrother]]s who live with their older sister [[Candace Flynn]] ([[Ashley Tisdale]]) and their parents Linda Flynn ([[Caroline Rhea]]) and Lawrence Fletcher ([[Richard O'Brien]]). The brothers find themselves wondering what to do with their summer vacation, so they pull off unbelievable and often outlandish stunts (e.g., making a movie, getting a band back together, racing cars, making a space observatory, time- traveling, etc.), in order to add excitement to their summer. Their sister Candace is aware of their unusual activities and is often pictured attempting to reveal their activities to their mother.
The creators' original pitch to Disney emphasized Perry's signature "secret agent theme" and the song "Gitchee Gitchee Goo" from the episode "[[Flop Starz]]". Disney's managers enjoyed the songs and asked Povenmire and Marsh to write one for each episode.<ref name="AM2"/>


===Agent P side-plot===
The songs span many genres, from [[16th-century]] [[Madrigal (music)|madrigals]] to [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] [[show tunes]].<ref name="AM2"/> Each is written in an intensive session during episode production: a concept, score, and lyrics are developed quite quickly.<ref name="MSN">{{cite video|url= http://tv.msn.com/phineas-and-ferb/?gt1=28137&silentchk=1&|title= A Day With 'Phineas and Ferb' |archiveurl=http://entertainment.msn.com/news/article.aspx?news=352619|publisher=MSN TV.|accessdate=July 2, 2009|archivedate=2009-07-31}}</ref> Together, Marsh and Povenmire can "write a song about almost anything" and in only one hour at most.<ref name="Tampa"/> After they finish writing the song, Povenmire and Marsh sing it over the [[answering machine]] of series composer Danny Jacob on Friday nights. By the Monday the song is fully produced.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/90186-_Ferb_Goes_Global_at_Premiere.php|title='Ferb’ Goes Global at Premiere|author=Haugsted, Linda|date=2007-11-18|accessdate=2009-09-26|work=Multichannel News}}</ref>


Phineas and Ferb's pet, Perry the Platypus goes through a daily mission as a secret agent, "Agent P". This is touched off by one of the characters wondering where he is, at which point the scene cuts to Perry receiving his assignment from his superior, Major Monogram. His assignment usually includes an investigation of, and a comedic battle with, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. These battles act as a covering up or destroying the evidence of Phineas and Ferb's daily activity at the end of the episode, ensuring their mother remains unaware (and making Candace look foolish). Until one episode that ended up being a dream.
The title sequence music, performed by American band [[Bowling for Soup]],<ref name="ex"/> was nominated for an [[Emmy]] award in 2008.<ref name="Media"/> The creators originally wrote a slower number, more like a "classic Disney song", but the network felt changes were needed to appeal to modern children and commissioned a rock/alternative version which made the final cut.<ref name="OSP"/>


===Candace side-plot===
A season 2 [[clip show]] to be broadcast in October 2009 will focus on the music of ''Phineas and Ferb'', featuring a viewer-voted top-10 of songs from the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/316427-Disney_Preps_Phineas_And_Ferb_Fall_Event.php|title=Disney Preps 'Phineas And Ferb' Fall Event|date=July 26, 2009|publisher=Multichannel News|accessdate=2009-09-22}}</ref>


Occasionally, there are subplots relating to Candace during the stories. They generally involve either Candace (voiced by [[Ashley Tisdale]]) speaking to or spending time with her friend Stacy (voiced by [[Kelly Hu]]), or attempting to win the attention of Jeremy (voiced by [[Mitchel Musso]]) with whom she is in love. These subplots take place intermittently with Candace's many attempts to disable Phineas and Ferb's activities, which are always unsuccessful since all the proof is either removed or destroyed (mostly done by Perry the Platypus, albeit unintentionally). Despite this, the story usually ends on a happy note for Candace, with Jeremy confirming in some way or another that he likes her. Phineas and Ferb seem to bear no ill-will towards their sister, often attempting to include her in their adventures; in one instance they even carved her profile into [[Mount Rushmore]] as a birthday present; and another when the boys remodel Candace's [[tree house]] as well as their own.
==Origins==
===Early inspirations===
Co-creator Dan Povenmire attributes the show's genesis to growing up in [[Mobile, Alabama]], where his mother told him never to waste a day of summer. To occupy himself Povenmire undertook projects like hole-digging and home movie-making. Povenmire recalled, "My mom let me drape black material all the way across one end of our living room to use as a space field. I would hang little models of spaceships for these little movies I made with a Super 8 camera."<ref name="AM1"/><ref name="OSP">{{cite video|title=Original Pitch By Dan Povenmire|medium=DVD|people=Dan Povenmire, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh|publisher=[[Disney DVD]]|year=2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://blog.al.com/entertainment-press-register/2008/05/disney_animator_sees_summers_i.html#more|title= Disney animator sees summers in Mobile as inspiration|author=Brantley, Mark|work= Alabama press|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref> He was an artistic [[prodigy]] and displayed his very detailed drawings at art shows.<ref name="USC"/> Meanwhile, Marsh grew up in a large, blended family.<ref name="411 news"/> As with Povenmire, Marsh spent his summers exploring and taking part in several different activities in order to have fun.<ref name="AM2"/>


===Conception===
==Characters==
[[File:Phineas original sketch.jpg|thumb|Drawn on [[butcher paper]], this first drawing of Phineas began a rapid growth of characters and the outline of the artistic style.<ref name="AM2"/>]]
[[File:Phineas and Ferb characters.jpg|thumb|300px]] List of characters of behind..
{{Main|List of Phineas and Ferb characters}}
When Povenmire grew up, he went to the [[University of Southern California]] and started a daily comic strip called ''Life is a Fish'', getting money from the merchandise that was designed based on his series. Povenmire eventually dropped out and started drawing people on street corners to make a living, until he was finally called by [[Tommy Chong]] to work on a short bit of animation in the film ''[[Far Out Man]].'' Povenmire began to take up animation professionally, working on shows such as ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 TV series)|Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]''.<ref name="USC">{{cite web|archiveurl=http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:CdA_4QDEdOcJ:www.dailytrojan.com/2.1792/usc-dropout-makes-it-big-in-animation-1.201942+basically+brushed+me+off+Dan+povenmire&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a|archivedate=2009-09-24 |title= USC dropout makes it big in animation|author=Perez, Lauren|date=May 12, 2008|work=[[Daily Trojan]]|url=http://www.dailytrojan.com/2.1792/usc-dropout-makes-it-big-in-animation-1.201942|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> Marsh had become a vice president of sales and marketing for a computer company, until he "freaked out" and decided to quit. His friend helped him put together a portfolio and go into the animation business.<ref name="411 news"/>
* '''[[Phineas Flynn]]''' - Phineas is a friendly and creative boy, inspired to make the summer as great as it can be by coming up with ideas for unusual, exciting, huge, and sometimes impossible activities from things of his everyday life: from TV commercials to random conversation topic. Phineas is also shown to have a wide array of musical abilities such as singing and songwriting and can play many different instruments. His stepbrother, Ferb, is his partner in their activities. He loves his sister Candace, and often tries to please or help her, by putting her face on Mount Rushmore for her birthday, making her tree house better, or helping her learn how to drive. However, he usually accidentally upsets her with his schemes. He has a normal relationship with his mom and his step-dad. He often wonders about the whereabouts of his pet [[platypus]] Perry, unaware of his pet's double life. He is very nice to his friends, and met Isabella in the past (how they met is unknown). She has a distinct crush on him, but whether or not he returns her feelings is unknown. It is sure that he does not know of the crush. A recurring theme is when people ask if he is too young to be working on his current project, to which he almost always responds, "Yes, yes I am." with pure honesty.


* '''[[Ferb Fletcher]]''' - Ferb is Phineas's intelligent but [[laconic]] stepbrother from Britain. Ferb is a very quiet boy, but he is not exactly shy. He is brilliant and has a great sense of mechanics and electronics. He built a roller coaster and a giant track, a real radio-controlled race car, several arenas and stadiums, a space ray, a monster truck, a rocket ship, and a time machine almost single-handedly. He is always willing to make Phineas´s incredible plans a reality, no matter what the circumstances are. In the series, Ferb almost always speaks at the end of each episode for a few seconds. Whenever the usually reticent Ferb talks, it is most often a one-liner. Ferb is talented at changing his voice, usually using a deep voice while singing. Like Phineas, Ferb is also talented and can play a large variety of instruments, which include [[trumpet]], [[guitar]], [[keyboards]], bagpipes, rock 'n' roll drums, [[harmonica]], and [[Jamaican drums]]. Ferb is also shown to have a knack for [[rollerskating]]. He also has a crush on Vanessa Doofenshmirtz, as seen in "I scream you scream" and "The Chronicles of Meap".
Povenmire and Marsh eventually started working across from each other as [[layout artist]]s on ''[[The Simpsons]]''. The two bonded over mutual tastes in humor and music, becoming fast friends. They continued their working relationship as a writing team on the Nickelodeon series ''Rocko's Modern Life,''<ref name="AM1"/> where they conceived the idea for their own series<ref name="AM1"/> Whilst eating dinner at a Wild Thyme restaurant in [[South Pasadena, California]], Povenmire drew a quick sketch of a "triangle kid" on [[butcher paper]]<ref name="AM3">{{cite web|url=http://www.awn.com/articles/production/swampy-dan-emerges-iphineas-and-ferbi/page/3|title= From Swampy & Dan Emerges Phineas and Ferb", Page 3.|author=Strike, Joe|work=Animation World Magazine|date=February 1, 2008|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref>. He tore it out and called Marsh that night to report, "Hey, I think we have our show."<ref name="QA"/>


* '''Candace Flynn''' - Candace is 15 years old, entering the 10th grade and the main antagonist. She is always aware of the boys' plans. She is generally a spoil-sport and always attempts to get the boys in trouble with their mom by "busting" them, but when she finally gets her mother's attention to see what they are doing, they appear innocent and normal on account of the unaccounted doings of Perry the Platypus and Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Candace nurtures a permanent crush on Jeremy Johnson. In a sense, she is the exact opposite of her brothers, being terribly afraid of heights and easily getting sick or dizzy. She has a "Panic Room" in their basement to hide in when she freaks out on account of her brothers' tricks, as seen in "i Brobot". While Candace is constantly angry at her brothers, there are indications that underneath she loves them. In "Traffic Cam Caper" she saves Phineas at the expense of losing the evidence (though that was only after she had lost the evidence anyway), and in the episode "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together", she gives Phineas a big smile and a hug. In "It's A Mud, Mud, Mud World" she cannot tell on her brothers, presumably because they were helping her, maybe because her stepfather was present. Candace is good at singing, as seen in "flop stars" (even when her voice changes due to an allergic reaction to wild parsnips) and numerous other episodes. She can play a number of instruments, all of which begin with the letter "B" (bass, bongos, basoon, etc). She is also the only character that has seen Perry as a secret agent but at the time believed to be under the effect of wild moss. In "Phineas And Ferb Get Busted" she finally succeeds in busting her brothers, but misses her brothers and decides to rescue them from reform school which was actually her dream, then shown it was Perry's dream. She has a very long neck, which is pointed out many times during the series, and is allergic to dairy despite her favorite food being grilled cheese and wild parsnips (stated in "Jerk De Soleil"). Candace has her own little theme song, reminiscent of that of the [[Wicked Witch of the West]] and is often seen riding a bicycle. She is sometimes called Kevin by a talking Hallucinatory Zebra.
The triangle [[doodle]] sparked rapid development of characters and designs.<ref name="AM3"/> Povenmire decided that his sketch "looked like a Phineas", and named Ferb after a friend who "owns more tools than anyone in the world."<ref name="CC"/> The creators based their character designs on angular shapes in homage to the famous ''[[Looney Tunes]]'' animator/director [[Tex Avery]], adding geometric shapes to the backgrounds for continuity.<ref name="AM3"/>


* '''Linda Flynn''' - Mother to Phineas and Candace, stepmother to Ferb. She is married to Lawrence Fletcher, but she seems not to use his last name as most other characters call her "Ms. Flynn", except for one time when she was referred to as "Mrs. Fletcher" by Isabella in "Candace Loses Her Head". Linda is portrayed as a regular American mother, although she plays in a free-form jazz band with Isabella and Jeremy's mothers, and was once a one-hit wonder pop star under the name 'Lindanna' as seen in "flop stars". She is generally busy or trying to relax, when her daughter tries to get her to see that the boys are up to some crazy plan. She seems to think Candace is crazy and needs professional help. When the boys reveal their schemes and accomplishments, she thinks they have an "overactive", yet "adorable", imagination.
===Pitching and pickup===
[[File:Disneychannelheadquarters.jpg|thumb|168px|right|[[Disney Channel]] was the first network to give the series a chance, though initially declined when [[Dan Povenmire]] originally pitched it to them.]]
Their early attempts to pitch the show failed and, though they remained committed to the concept, Povenmire and Marsh began to drift apart after their work on ''Rocko's''. Marsh moved to [[London, England|London]] and worked on shows including ''[[Postman Pat]]'' and ''[[Bounty Hamster]].'' Povenmire began working on the primetime FOX show ''[[Family Guy]],''<ref name="AM1"/> always carrying a ''Phineas and Ferb'' portfolio<ref name="QA"/> for convenient pitching to networks like [[Cartoon Network]] and [[Fox Kids]]. These networks passed on the show, believing the series' premise was too complex to succeed.<ref name="AM1"/>


* '''Lawrence Fletcher''' - The father of Ferb, stepfather of Phineas and Candace. He has the last name Fletcher, though he was once called "Mr. Flynn" by Isabella. Lawrence is an archaeologist from the United Kingdom. He keeps his treasured memories in a toolbox. It has been shown how he agrees to follow Phineas's instructions and even forces Candace to cooperate, as if he considers Phineas's and Ferb's skills normal.
Povenmire persisted and later pitched the series to Nickelodeon, where it was considered by high-level executives but rejected again as too complicated.<ref name="AM1"/> Then, after 16 years of trying, Povenmire landed a pitch with Disney. The network did not immediately accept the show, but told Povenmire they would keep the packet. Povenmire assumed this meant an end to negotiations, aware that the phrase usually "means they throw it in the trash later." Disney then surprised him by accepting.<ref name="USC"/> Said Povenmire, "Disney was the first to say, 'Let's see if you can do it in 11 minutes.' We did it in the pilot and they said, 'Let's see if you can do it for 26 episodes.'"<ref name="AM2"/>


* '''Perry the [[Platypus]]/Agent P''' - Phineas's and Ferb's pet, who lives a double life as a [[secret agent]] under the codename of Agent P. Agent P works under Major Monogram, and combats Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. He often makes a purring noise during significant moments. The Flynn-Fletcher family are not aware of Perry's double life, thinking of him as a mindless, domestic pet.(The secret agency where Perry 'works' is run by Major Monogram, who uses animals as secret agents. The animals use the first letter of their species as their code name [a dog would be Agent D, a chicken would be Agent C, ect.]. Perry is shown to care quite a lot for his family, demonstrated when Phineas and Ferb stumbled upon his secret base and set off on a secret mission, and he watched out for them, or when Candace believed she had gone mad and Perry rescued her. Another notable moment is in the episode "Journey to the Center of Candace", where Dr. Doofenshmirtz reveals his evil plan as a giant vacuum that destroys anyone who can't make up their minds, at which Perry remembers Phineas stating that morning that he and Ferb couldn't make up their minds on what to build. This causes him to immediately capture Dr. Doofenshmirtz, instead of the whole capture, escape, and stop routine.
Povenmire worried that his work on ''Family Guy'' &mdash; an adult show known for its lowbrow humor &mdash; would concern Disney, which markets primarily to children. However, the Disney Channel's Senior Vice President of Original Series, Adam Bonnett, was a ''Family Guy'' fan who appreciated Povenmire's connection to the show and received his pitch well.<ref name="AM2"/>


* '''Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz''' - Doofenshmirtz is (usually) an unhappy man, also a [[mad scientist]]. He is the head of his own single-person company, Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated. All his evil plans tend to be thwarted by Perry the Platypus. The Doctor has turned evil because of his unhappy, unprovided and sad childhood in an unknown European town named "Druselstein," perhaps the place he lived in, where his family were poor farmers and he was forced to be a lawn gnome. Coming from this background, presently he attempts to wreak havoc across "The entire tri-state area!". His ex-wife, Charlene, pays him [[alimony]]. He has a teenage daughter named Vanessa who is less-than-thrilled with him or his schemes. She sometimes tries to "bust" her father, like Candace tries to bust her brothers. His elder brother Roger—the favorite of their mother—is a respected politician in Danville and holds the mayoral post. Heinz is not really a doctor, as pointed out by his daughter, as his Doctorate Degree has a $15 price tag on it. When Perry the Platypus defeats Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Doofenshmirtz usually says "Curse you, Perry the Platypus!" Almost all of Dr. Doofenshmirtz's inventions have the suffix "-inator." His first invention as a child was simply "Inator" that he entered into a science fair. He has a tattoo of the word EVIL on his upper arm as seen in "Chez Platypus".
After the Disney Channel accepted the show, Povenmire and Marsh turned their attention to the company's overseas executives. Instead of a normal script, the two drew out storyboards and played them in a reel. Povenmire voiced over the reel with his dialogue and added sound effects. This novel approach secured the executives' support.<ref name="OSP"/>


*'''Major Monogram''' - He is Perry the Platypus's boss and gives him missions to stop Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz's endless reign of terror upon the Tri-State Area. Major Monogram usually appears on a giant screen giving Perry instructions for his next mission, but it is revealed that he never wanted to be a major. He usually isn't wearing pants when he gives Perry his missions, but hides it by using close-ups. In "Unfair Science Fair", he was seen without his wig on. Phineas, Ferb, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Lawrence Fletcher and Candace Flynn are the only people who have accidentally seen Major Monogram.
==Production==
===Writing style===
The show uses four major writers to devise story ideas according to "strict guidelines", such as that the boys' schemes never appear to be "magical". Stories are reviewed at weekly sessions on a Monday, then simultaneously scripted and storyboarded. A very rough design is built before the storyboard, featuring little more than suggested scenes and dialogue, is drafted; the writers then gather for a "play-by-play" walkthrough of the storyboard in front of the whole crew, whose reactions to the jokes are assessed before rewrites are made.<ref name="Rocko">{{cite web|url=http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=134287|title='Rocko' writers return to TV with 'Phineas and Ferb'|work=Reading Eagle|date=April 18, 2009|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> The writers as well include running gags in every episode, which are generally lines spoken by characters.<ref name="AM1"/><ref name="trails"/> Almost every episode is set into two eleven-minute segments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/10314|title=''Phineas and Ferb'' Creators Talk About Emmy Nom!|author=Zahed, Ramin|work=[[Animation Magazine]]|date=2009-07-16|accessdate=2009-08-18}}</ref>


* '''Isabella Garcia-Shapiro''' - Best friend of Phineas and Ferb. She's also the leader of the Fireside Girls. She can change her voice as Ferb can, usually higher, not lower and often assists the boys in their plans, enlisting the whole troop of girls in the process (often to obtain new badges or other credits related to the girl scouts). In the episode 'One Good Scare Ought to Do It!' it is revealed that her biggest fear is losing Phineas (not surprisingly). She has a really big crush on him, which can be seen in the very first episode. The one time she was finally able to ask Phineas out ("Out to Launch"), he said that both him and Ferb would be there, defeating the purpose of them going alone together. She always enters into the scene with the catchphrase "What'cha doin'?" and usually offers help from the Fireside Girls. She sings well, as demonstrated in the episodes "Flop Starz". She can do a very loud finger whistle, as seen in S'winter. She also has a swimming pool in her backyard.
===Visual aspects and animation===
[[File:PhineasFerbPaint designs.jpg|thumb|right|The stages of development for a scene during the opening theme, from the original draft (top) to the final design (bottom).]]
[[Rough Draft Studios]] in [[South Korea]] animates the series in [[traditional animation|traditional 2-D]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.justpressplay.net/movie-reviews/929-dvd-reviews/4835-Phineas-and-Ferb-The-Daze-of-Summer.html|title=Phineas and Ferb: The Daze of Summer|work=Just Press Play|author=Walker, Lex|date=February 14, 2009|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> Povenmire undertakes the bulk of production direction, along with [[Zac Moncrief]] and Robert Hughes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/phineas-ferb/cast/289680|title=Phineas and Ferb: Cast & Details|work=TV Guide|accessdate=July 12, 2009}}</ref> The series adopts artistic features from animator Tex Avery, such as geometric shapes integrated into characters, objects, and backgrounds. Dan Povenmire said of this inclusion, "There's a little bit of Tex Avery in there&nbsp;— he had that very graphic style [in his later cartoons]."<ref name="AM3"/> Triangles are featured as an [[easter egg]] in the background of every episode, sometimes in trees or buildings.<ref name="411 news"/>


*'''Jeremy Johnson''' - Candace's crush. Jeremy has an affection for Candace but every time he sees her, something embarrassing happens to Candace. Jeremy works at "Mr. Slushy Burger", sometimes called "Mr. Shlushy Dawg" at the mall. Jeremy does like Candace, obvious to everyone but her, who always jumps to worst case scenarios, such as the world exploding.
Bright colors are also a prominent element of the animation. Marsh elaborates, "The idea at the end of the day was candy. One of the things that I think works so well is that the characters are so bright and candy-colored and our backgrounds are a much more realistic depiction of the world: the soft green of the grass, the natural woods for the fence. In order for all of the stuff {{sic}} that they do to work, their world needs to be grounded in reality." The designers sought to keep their characters visually simple, so that kids "would easily be able to draw [them] themselves." Characters were also crafted to be recognizable from a distance, a technique the creators say is based on [[Matt Groening]]'s goal of making characters recognizable by silhouette.<ref name="411 news">{{cite web|url=http://www.resource411.com/411Update/Issue/Articles/Story.cfm?StoryID=1020|title=Phineas and Ferb: Music, Mischief, And The Endless Summer Vacation|work=411 News|author=Galas, Marjorie|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref>


*'''Stacy Hirano''' - Candace's very enthusiastic best friend. She rarely appears in person in the series, since most of the time she's talking by phone, but is usually Candace's companion when something very exciting happens. She is one of the few persons who knows the truth about the boys, although is never concerned about it. She usually convinces Candace to participate and enjoy the moment instead of trying to bust her brothers; in fact, in "Put That Putter Away" she was dispatched by an bed-ridden Candace to bust Phineas & Ferb, but wound up having so much fun with them that she forgot her mission and joined the boys.
===Cast===
Phineas and Ferb are voiced by [[Vincent Martella]] and [[Thomas Sangster]], respectively.<ref name="DCrenews">{{cite web|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/8176#|title=Disney Renews ''Phineas and Ferb''|author=Ball, Ryan|work=[[Animation Magazine]]|date=2009-04-10|accessdate=2009-08-20}}</ref> Sangster was one of many [[British people|British]] actors cast; Marsh lived in the [[United Kingdom]] for seven years, and developed a fondness for its people.<ref name="PFG">{{cite web|url= http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/entertainment/entertainment-catch-all/2008/02/04/love-actually-star-thomas-sangster-s-cartoon-alter-ego-86908-20308884/|author=Kuttner, Julia|date=4 February, 2008|title=New Cartoon Role For Love Actually Star Thomas Sangster|work=Daily Record|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> The rest of the cast includes [[Ashley Tisdale]] as the sister, Candace, [[Dee Bradley Baker]] as the secret agent platypus, Perry, and [[Caroline Rhea]] as the mother, Linda.<ref name="DCrenews"/> The co-creators also voice two regular characters, Dr. Doofenshmirtz and [[Major]] Monogram.<ref name="PFG"/>


*'''Vanessa Doofenshmirtz''' - Vanessa is Dr. Doofenshmirtz's 16 year old teenage daughter. She is very sarcastic and mild-mannered. Her dad and mom are divorced. Vanessa is aware that Doofenshmirtz is an evil scientist and knows her father's enemy, Perry The Platypus. Her character's relationship to Dr. Doofenshmirtz is like that of Candace's relationship to Phineas and Ferb as they both want "bust" their brothers/father. Vanessa is shown not to care for Perry's presence in any way. By coincidence, Candace often crashes, lands, yells or even travels next to Vanessa, but have only met twice. Though she does try to reveal her father, she still loves him deep down. Vanessa has a close friend named Lacey (coincidentally rhyming with Stacy, Candace's friend). In the episode "Dude, We're Getting The Band Back Together" Vanessa thanks Perry the Platypus for fixing her 16th birthday by having Doofensmirtz shoot all the decorations with a ray gun. Ferb appears to have a crush on Vanessa, as revealed in the episode "I Scream, You Scream".
The show's casting organization is responsible for selecting most of the [[voice actors]] and actresses, choosing actors such as [[Vincent Martella]] and [[Mitchel Musso]] for major roles based on perceived popularity with target demographics. Povenmire and Marsh select guest stars, casting people that they "really want to work with". They also solicit guest roles from actors they feel would lend an interesting presence to the show.<ref name="CC">{{cite video|url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2s8uUwQK9c|title= Vincent @ Comic Con 2008 ''(1:56)''|publisher=MSN TV News|date2=2008-08-09|accessdate=2009-08-23}}</ref>


*'''Buford Van Stomm''' - He has a noticeable Mid-Atlantic accent. He likes tough stuff, but is afraid of the most trivial things, as shown in "Raging Bully," in which ice-cream falls on his pants and he screams. It is frequently mentioned that everybody is afraid of him, but he really does not hurt anyone "on-screen". He is present in the series more often as a good guy than as a bully, and for this reason receives frequent invitations from Phineas to join them in the fun. Buford owns a fish named Biff, named after his mother.
Guest stars have included [[pop culture]] figures like [[Damian Lewis]] and film star [[Cloris Leachman]]. Povenmire and Marsh have also solicited several stars of ''[[The Rocky Horror Picture Show]]'' to make guest appearances, including [[Richard O'Brien]], [[Tim Curry]], and [[Barry Bostwick]].<ref name="Media"/><ref name="CC2">{{cite video|url= http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2s8uUwQK9c|title= Vincent @ Comic Con 2008 ''(2:00)''|publisher=MSN TV News|date2=2008-08-09|accessdate=2009-08-23}}</ref> O'Brien's participation eventually became regular, as he was cast to play Lawrence Fletcher, the boys' father, who appears in a majority of episodes.<ref name="Media"/>


*'''Baljeet Patel''' - A boy of Indian decent, he and his family moved to America as said in "Get that bigfoot out of my face". He is often portrayed as an insecure kid, especially around Buford. For some reason, he usually ends up teaming with him, which increases his constant nervous shakes. He's very smart, but most of his personality is eclipsed by the extreme terror he feels when Buford is around. He stated in "Unfair Science Fair" that his worst grade would be an A- if he failed on his Portal to Mars. In "Phineas and Ferb get Busted", he states that he was kicked out of summer school because his grades were too high, went to the Smile Away Reform School, and said, "Sure, they break you down and strip you of your identity but, school is good!".

*'''Django Brown''' is one of Phineas's friends and occasionally helps Phineas and Ferb with their plans. His [[father]] is a sculptor of huge misceallaneous objects.

*'''Grandma Betty Jo Flynn and Grandpa Clyde Flynn''' - They are Phineas and Candace Flynn's maternal grandparents and Ferb Fletcher's step-grandparents and they invite them, along with the neighborhood kids, to a lake house every summer. Though they are old, they sometimes like to get the best of the kids and often participate in their capers. Betty Jo has an identical twin sister, called Lauren, who lives in a wardrobe and only comes out once. Grandpa Clide, like Phineas and Ferb, has a great sense of mechanics as seen in the "Crack That Whip!"

*'''Karl''' - Major Monogram's Intern. Karl is usually unseen in person in most episodes, however his voice or face (somewhat like Major Monogram) is frequently seen. He is known for 'messing things up' in most episodes.

*'''Jenny''' - Candace's second best friend. She has only made three notable appearances, (on Phineas and Ferb's 'Backyard Beach', making gelatin models with Stacy, Candace and with Jeremy, and a person who avoids Candace on the sidewalk in "Unfair Science Fair").

*'''Suzy Johnson''' - Suzy Johnson is Jeremy's little sister. She is evil and attacks Candace when she is anywhere near Jeremy. She is similar to Devon's little sister on ''[[That's So Raven]]''. She acts sweet around adults and Buford is scared of her like Candace. Whenever she appears and Jeremy is away, she will remind Candace that "She'll always be Jeremy's favorite girl".

*'''Fireside Girls''' - Isabella's scout troop, they appear in Phineas and Ferb's adventures as a helping hand. They always seem to be looking for an opportunity to get badges, usually relevant to the subject of Phineas and Ferb's schemes. It seems like absolutely everything is in their Fireside Girls Handbook, from car maintenance ("The Fast and the Phineas") to giant robots ("Out to Launch"), including time travel ("please refer to the 'time travel' section of your handbook").

==Episodes==
[[File:Phineas Flynn.jpg|200px]]
{{Main|List of Phineas and Ferb episodes}}
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
!Season!!Ep #!!First Airdate!!Last Airdate
|-
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of Phineas and Ferb episodes#Season 1|Season 1]]
!colspan=6|Main cast members
| 47
| style="text-align: center; top" | August 17, 2007
| style="text-align: center; top" | December 5, 2008
| style="text-align: center; top" |<ref>http://www.nationalledger.com/artman/publish/article_272621812.shtml</ref>
|-
|-
| style="text-align: left; top" | [[List of Phineas and Ferb episodes#Season2|Season 2]]
|align=center| [[File:No free image man (en).svg|150x150px]]
| style="text-align: center; topless" | 39<ref>http://www.dcmedianet.com/DNR/2008/doc/PhineasandFerb_SeasonII_Full_Order_Announced.doc</ref>
|align=center| [[File:ThomasSangsterJuly06.jpg|150x150px]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | January 23, 2009
|align=center| [[File:Emmazcamera187-2.jpg|150x150px]]
| style="text-align: center; top" | 2010
|align=center| [[File:Dee Bradley Baker by Gage Skidmore 2009.jpg|150x150px]]
|}
|align=center| [[File:No free image man (en).svg|150x150px]]

==Cast==
{| class="wikitable"
! Character !! Actor/Actress
|-
|-
| Phineas Flynn
| style="text-align:center; width:16%;"| [[Vincent Martella]]
| [[Vincent Martella]]
| style="text-align:center; width:16%;"| [[Thomas Sangster]]
| style="text-align:center; width:16%;"| [[Ashley Tisdale]]
| style="text-align:center; width:16%;"| [[Dee Bradley Baker]]
| style="text-align:center; width:16%;"| [[Dan Povenmire]]
|-
|-
| Ferb Fletcher
|width=16%| [[Phineas Flynn]], Dr. Phineastein
| [[Thomas Sangster]]
|width=16%| Ferb Fletcher
|width=16%| Candace Flynn, Constance
|width=16%| Perry the Platypus, others...
|width=16%| Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Dr. Jekyll Doofenshmirtz, others...
|-
|-
| Candace Flynn
!colspan=6|
| [[Ashley Tisdale]]
|-
|-
| Linda Flynn, Grandma Betty-Joe Flynn and Lorraine Flynn
|align=center| [[File:Alyson Stoner.jpg|150x150px]]
| [[Caroline Rhea]]
|align=center| [[File:No free image woman (en).svg|150x150px]]
|align=center| [[File:Richard O Brien by Stuart Mentiply.jpg|150x150px]]
|align=center| [[File:Academy Awards afterparty CUN Mitchell Musso.jpg|150x150px]]
|align=center| [[File:No free image man (en).svg|150x150px]]
|-
|-
| Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
| style="text-align:center; width:16%;"| [[Alyson Stoner]]
| [[Dan Povenmire]]
| style="text-align:center; width:16%;"| [[Caroline Rhea]]
| style="text-align:center; width:16%;"| [[Richard O'Brien]]
| style="text-align:center; width:16%;"| [[Mitchel Musso]]
| style="text-align:center; width:16%;"| [[Jeff "Swampy" Marsh]]
|-
|-
| Perry the Platypus
|width=16%| Isabella Garcia-Shapiro
| [[Dee Bradley Baker]]
|width=16%| Linda Flynn, Grandma Betty-Jo, Loraine
|width=16%| Lawrence Fletcher
|width=16%| Jeremy Johnson, Jeremiah
|width=16%| Major Francis Monogram
|}
{{hidden end}}

==Reception and achievements==
===Reviews===
''Phineas and Ferb'' has received generally very positive reviews. The ''[[New York Times]]'' commented favorably, describing the show as "''[[Family Guy]]'' with an espionage subplot and a big dose of [[magical realism]]". It considered the pop-culture references ubiquitous "but [placed] with such skill that it seems smart, not cheap."<ref name="NYT">{{cite web|url= http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/arts/television/01phin.html?_r=2&ref=television&oref=slogin|title= Bored Stepbrothers, Intrepid Platypus |date=February 1, 2008|author=Stewart, Susan|accessdate=July 3, 2009|work=New York Times}}</ref> [[Whitney Matheson]] wrote in her ''[[USA Today]]'' blog "[[Pop Candy]]" that the series was an achievement in children's programming. Matheson applauded the writing and called it "an animated version of ''[[Parker Lewis Can't Lose]].''"<ref name="TV Taste">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.usatoday.com/popcandy/2009/06/tv-taste-test-.html?csp=34|title=TV Taste Test: I sample 'Phineas,' 'That Metal Show' and more|author=Matheson, Whitney|date=June 6, 2009|work=[[USA Today]]|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media praised the show's humor and plot, giving it three out of five stars.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/phineas-and-ferb/details|title= Phineas and Ferb television review|author=Ashby, Emily|work=Common Sense Media|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' wrote that the story of the show was "valiant" and that the main characters of ''Phineas and Ferb'' were "young heroes".<ref>{{cite news|title=Disney summer, oil, Globetrotters, TV Lookout|publisher=[[The Seattle Times]]|location=[[Seattle, Washington]]|date=2008-01-27|accessdate=2009-09-27}}</ref>

[[Variety (magazine)|''Variety'']] noted the show's appeal to all ages with its "sense of wit and irreverence."<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117935998.html?categoryid=32&cs=1|title=Phineas and Ferb Review|author=Lowry, Brian|date=January 31, 2008|work=Variety|accessdate=2009-08-20}}</ref> Similar reviews have emphasized the series' popularity with adults; ''Elastic Pop'''s Rebecca Wright wrote, in a review for the volume one DVD, "As an adult, I really enjoyed watching this Phineas and Ferb [[DVD]], and I think it is one that the whole family can enjoy." Wright also called the series' "irreverent style" reminiscent of ''[[The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show|The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle]].''<ref name="EP">{{cite web|archiveurl=http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:rFTOlDTLJdsJ:www.elasticpop.com/2008/08/dvd-review-phineas-and-ferb-th.htm+As+an+adult,+I+really+enjoyed+watching+this+Phineas+and+Ferb+DVD,+and+I+think+it+is+one+that+the+whole+family+can+enjoy&cd=2&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a|archivedate=2009-09-24|url=http://www.elasticpop.com/2008/08/dvd-review-phineas-and-ferb-th.htm|title=DVD Review: Phineas and Ferb&nbsp;— The Fast and the Phineas|author=Wright, Rebecca|date=August 5, 2008|work=Elastic Pop|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> [[Wired (magazine)|''Wired'']]'s Matt Blum has stated in reviews on the series that he "can stand to watch just about anything with <nowiki>[his]</nowiki> kids, but <nowiki>[he]</nowiki> actually look<nowiki>[s]</nowiki> forward to watching ''Phineas and Ferb'' with them."<ref name="wired"/>

Among the negative reviews is one that charges the series with a lack of originality. Maxie Zeus of Toon Zone argued that the show is "derivative, but obviously so, and shorn of even the best features of what has been stolen." Zeus took issue with the writing, feeling that certain jokes and conventions were "ripped-off" from other shows.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.toonzone.net/articles/21300/phineas-and-ferb-spawn-of-frankenstein|title="Phineas and Ferb": Spawn of Frankenstein|work=Toon Zone|author=Zeus, Maxie|date=February 1, 2008|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> Kevin McDonough of ''Sun Coast Today'' criticized the show for its plot complexity, constant action, and "characters [that] can do just about anything." McDonough stated that "it's never clear whether P&F are intended to entertain children or are merely a reflection of grown-up animators engaged in a juvenile lark."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080201/LIFE/802010340|title='Phineas and Ferb' is frantic from start to finish|work=Sun Coast Today|author=McDonough, Kevin|date=2008-02-01|accessdate=2009-08-20}}</ref> Marylin Moss of ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' described ''Phineas and Ferb'' as "Pretty mindless but kids of all ages might find a humorous moment in it." Moss called the plot lines redundant but did praise the music styles and guest stars.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/television/reviews/article_display.jsp?rid=10571|title= Phineas and Ferb&nbsp;— Bottom Line: Mindless but fast-moving animated characters and events should make kids stay tuned|author=Moss, Marylin|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=2009-02-01|accessdate=2009-08-20}}</ref>

===Ratings===
The first episode, "[[Rollercoaster (Phineas and Ferb)|Rollercoaster]]," garnered a total of 10.8 million viewers when aired as a preview on August 17, 2007.<ref name="HM2">{{cite web|url= http://weblogs.variety.com/on_the_air/2007/08/high-school-m-2.html/|title= "High School Musical 2" : OMG! It's a cable ratings record|work=Variety|author=Littleton, Cynthia|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> When ''Phineas and Ferb'' officially debuted in February the next year, it proved cable's number one watched animated series premiere by "[[Preadolescence|tweens]]". Throughout the first quarter that followed, it peaked as the top-rated animated series for ages 6–10 and 9-14, also becoming number three animated series for all of cable television for viewers age 6-10.<ref name="DCrenews"/> By the time the commissioning of the second season was announced in May 2008, the series had become a top-rated program in the 6-11 and 9-14 age groups.<ref name="SF">{{cite web|url=http://www.animationinsider.net/article.php?articleID=1725|title=Phineas, Ferb and Springtime Fun|work=Animation Insider|author=Bynum, Aaron H.|date=May 9, 2009}|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref>

The Disney Channel's airing of "[[Phineas and Ferb Get Busted]]" was the show's second most watched telecast, peaking at 3.7 million viewers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/03/16/disney-channels-phineas-ferb-is-fridays-1-tv-telecast-in-key-kids/14646|title=Disney Channel’s “Phineas & Ferb” is Friday’s #1 TV telecast in Key Kids|work=TV By the Numbers|author=Seidman, Robert|date=March 16, 2009|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> Episodes "Perry Lays an Egg/Gaming the System" on the Disney Channel achieved the most views by ages 6–11 and 9-14 of any channel in that night's time slot. This achievement propelled the series to the number one animated telecast that week for the target demographics.<ref name="TBN ratings">{{cite web|url= http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/27/disney-channel-is-tvs-no-1-network-in-total-day-among-tweens-9-14-for-the-sixth-time-in-7-weeks/19459|title=Disney Channel is TV’s No. 1 Network in Total Day Among Tweens 9-14 for the Sixth Time in 7 Weeks|author=Seidman, Robert|work=TV By the Numbers|date=27 May, 2009|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> On June 7, 2009, Disney announced that the show had become the number one primetime animated television show for the demographics 6-10 and 9-14.<ref name="QA"/>.

===Marketing and merchandise===
Disney has licensed a number of products from the show, including plush toys of characters Perry, Ferb, and Phineas.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=Phineas%20and%20Ferb&rh=i%3Atoys-and-games%2Ck%3APhineas%20and%20Ferb&page=1|title= Amazon.com: ''Phineas and Ferb'' toys|accessdate=July 9, 2009}}</ref> Disney released several T-shirts for the show and launched a "Make your own T-shirt" program on its Disney website.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.stylinonline.com/youth-t-shirt-disney-phineas-ferb.html|title=''Phineas and Ferb'' shirts|work=Stylinonline.com|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref> Authors have novelized several episodes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&initialSearch=1&field-keywords=Phineas%20and%20Ferb&page=1&url=search-alias%3Daps|title=Amazon.com: Phineas and Ferb|accessdate=July 3, 2009|work=Amazon.com}}</ref> Two season one DVDs, entitled ''The Fast and the Phineas'' and ''The Daze of Summer'', have been released; the discs include episodes never broadcast in America.<ref name="Talk fast"/><ref name="UD Daze">{{cite web|url=http://www.ultimatedisney.com/phineasandferb-daze.html|title=Phineas and Ferb: The Daze of Summer DVD Review|work=[[Ultimate Disney]]|accessdate=June 24, 2009}}</ref> Some reviewers were displeased that the discs covered selected episodes rather than providing box sets of whole series, but noted that Disney does not generally release full-season DVD sets.<ref name="Talk fast">{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/34365/phineas-and-ferb-the-fast-and-the-phineas/?___rd=1|title=Phineas and Ferb: The Fast and the Phineas: DVD Talk Review of the DVD Video|author=Cornelius, David|work=[[DVD Talk]]|date=August 21, 2008|accessdate=July 3, 2009}}</ref>

In 2009 Disney licensed a [[Nintendo DS]] game, simply titled ''[[Phineas and Ferb (video game)|Phineas and Ferb]]''. The game's story follows the title characters as they try to build a roller coaster to alleviate boredom over the summer. The player controls Phineas, Ferb, and occasionally Agent P. Phineas scavenges for spare parts for the roller coaster while Ferb fixes various objects around town, gaining access to new areas as a result. Ferb can also construct new parts of the roller coaster and its vehicle-themed carts. Each activity features a short mini-game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kidzworld.com/article/16586-phineas-and-ferb-ds-game-review |title=Phineas and Ferb :: DS Game Review |publisher=Kidzworld |date= |accessdate=2009-05-02}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ds.gamespy.com/nintendo-ds/phineas-and-ferb|title=Phineas and Ferb&nbsp;— Nintendo DS|work=GameSpy|accessdate=June 23, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gametrailers.com/game/phineas-and-ferb/11032|title=Phineas and Ferb Video Game|work=Game Trailers|accessdate=June 23, 2009}}</ref> The game was well received and garners a 76.67% on [[GameRankings]].<ref name="GR">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/DS/955460-phineas-and-ferb/index.html|title=Phineas and Ferb for the DS|work=Game Rankings|accessdate=2009-09-21}}</ref> Povenmire and Marsh have announced that there is a ''Phineas and Ferb'' [[Wii]] game in development.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/09/phineas-and-ferb-interview/|title=''Phineas and Ferb:'' A Sci-Fi Episode, a Soundtrack Album, and an Interview!|work=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]|date=2009-09-18|accessdate=2009-09-20|author=Blum, Matt}}</ref>

===Homages===
The [[United Kingdom]] Disney Channel has aired a series entitled ''Oscar and Michael's Phineas and Ferb Fan Club Show'' in homage to the animated series. The show features two boys who attempt to be like Phineas and Ferb by taking part in adventures to alleviate boredom.<ref name="UK 1">{{cite web|url=http://www.midsussextimes.co.uk/lewes-district-news/Seaford-boy-stars-in-Disney.5159599.jp|title=Seaford boy stars in Disney show|work=Mid Sussex Times|date=April 9, 2008|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> The series aims at educating children and promoting activity and creativity.<ref name="UK 2">{{cite web|url=http://www.eastbourneherald.co.uk/seaford/Schoolboy-back-for-Disney-fun.5153557.jp|title=Schoolboy back for Disney fun|work=Eastbourne Today|date=April 8, 2009|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref> It entered its second season on April 10, 2009.<ref name="UK 1"/>

''Phineas and Ferb'' also has been briefly referenced in a few literary works in recent years. ''Love through the Eyes of an Idiot: A True Story of Finding the Secret of Love and Romance'' uses an analysis that states that a woman the author met was the "Phineas to [his] Ferb."<ref>{{cite book|title=Love through the Eyes of an Idiot: A True Story of Finding the Secret of Love, Sex, and Romance|last=King|first=J. Timothy|isbn=0981692524|date=2009|page=29}}</ref> ''Lost and Found: How Churches Are Connecting to Young Adults'' uses the titular characters of the show as an example of television characters who have an impact to the lives of children and the family they live with.<ref>{{cite book|title=Lost and Found: How Churches Are Connecting to Young Adults|author=Stetzer, Ed; Stanley, Richie; Hayes, Jason|page=183|isbn=0805448780|publisher=B&H Publishing Group|year=2009}}</ref>

===Awards and nominations===
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
|-
| Isabella Garcia-Shapiro
| bgcolor="orange"| '''Awards'''
| [[Alyson Stoner]]
| bgcolor="orange"| '''Outcome'''
|-
|-
| Baljeet Patel
| colspan=3 bgcolor="lightyellow"| '''2009[[ Emmy Awards]]:''' <ref name="PEawards">{{cite web|url=http://cdn.emmys.tv/awards/2009ptemmys/61stemmys_noms.php|title=2009 Emmy Awards nominations|accessdate=July 16, 2009}}</ref>
| [[Maulik Pancholy]]
|-
|-
| Jeremy Johnson
| Outstanding Special Class - Short-format Animated Programs <small>
| [[Mitchel Musso]]
| '''TBA'''<!-- NO website has announced if it has won the award. Any change to say that it did WITHOUT a reliable citation WILL be reverted and removed. PLEASE STOP ADDING THAT THEY WON WITHOUT A SOURCE. Thank you. -->
|-
|-
| Major Monogram
| colspan=3 bgcolor="lightyellow"| '''2009 Pulcinella Awards:'''<ref name="AMawards"/>
| [[Jeff "Swampy" Marsh]]
|-
|-
| Stacy Hirano
| Special Mention&nbsp;— Best Flash Animation
| [[Kelly Hu]]
| '''Won'''
|-
|-
| Lawrence Fletcher
| colspan=3 bgcolor="lightyellow"| '''2009 Pulcinella Awards:'''<ref name="AMawards">{{Cite web|url=http://www.animationmagazine.net/article/9850|title=Cosmic Quantum Ray, Phineas & Ferb Big Winners at Cartoons on the Bay|work=Animation Magazine|date=April 06, 2009|author=Zahed, Ramin|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref>
| [[Richard O'Brien]]
|-
|-
| Carl the Intern
| Best TV Series for Kids<ref name="bay">{{cite web|url=http://www.cartoonsbay.com/press_news/341/pulcinella-award-2009-i-vincitori-della-13-edizionex|title=Pulcinella Award 2009, i vincitori|language=Italian|accessdate=2008-08-23|date=2009-07-07}}</ref>
| Tyler Alexander Mann
| '''Won'''
|-
|-
| Vanessa Doofenshmirtz
| colspan=3 bgcolor="lightyellow"| '''2009 [[Annie Awards]]:'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://annieawards.org/foryourconsideration.html|title=36th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2008)|accessdate=July 9, 2009}}</ref>
| [[Olivia Olson]]
|-
|-
| Buford Van Stomm
| Best Animated Television Program
| [[Bobby Gaylor]]
| '''Nominated'''
|-
|-
| Charlene Doofenshmirtz
| colspan=3 bgcolor="lightyellow"| '''2009 [[Kids Choice Awards]]:'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nick.com/kids-choice-awards/phineas-and-ferb-cartoon.jhtml|title=Phineas And Ferb&nbsp;— Cartoon&nbsp;— Kids' Choice Awards 2009|work=[[Nick.com]]|accessdate=July 9, 2009}}</ref>
| [[Allison Janney]]
|-
|-
| Grandpa Clyde Flynn
| Favorite Cartoon
| [[Barry Bostwick]]
| '''Nominated'''
|-
|-
| Grandpa Reg Fletcher
| colspan=3 bgcolor="lightyellow"| '''2008 [[Emmy Awards]]:'''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cdn.emmys.tv/awards/2008pte/60thpte_noms.php|title=Acedmy of Television Arts & Sciences|accessdate=July 9, 2009}}</ref>
| [[Malcolm McDowell]]
|-
|-
| Grandma Winifred Fletcher
| Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music <small>(for "Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day")</small><ref name="Media"/>
| [[Jane Carr]]
| '''Nominated'''<ref name="Media"/>
|-
| Gretchen
| [[Ariel Winter]]
|-
| Suzy Johnson
| [[Kari Wahlgren]]
|-
| Django Brown
| Alec Holden
|-
| Norm
| John Viener
|-
| Roger Doofenshmirtz
| [[John O'Hurley]]
|-
|-
| Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics <small>(for "I Ain't Got Rhythm" from the episode "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together!")</small> <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buddytv.com/articles/2007-emmy-awards/2008-emmy-nominations-addition-21274.aspx|title=2008 Emmy Nominations: Additional Nominee List|work=BuddyTV|date=2008-07-17|accessdate=2009-08-26}}</ref>
| '''Nominated'''<ref name="Media"/>
|}
|}

==Games==
[[File:Phineas-n-Ferbenstein.jpg|235px]]
{{See also|Phineas and Ferb (video game)}}
Phineas and Ferb star in several flash-based games that can be found on Disney's official website<ref>http://www2.disney.co.uk/DisneyChannel/supersites/phineasandferb/games/index.html</ref> and a Nintendo DS game that was released in the US on February 3, 2009.<ref>http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/data/955460.html</ref> The Nintendo DS game, simply called Phineas and Ferb, features a relatively linear storyline interspersed with mini-games.<ref>http://www.ztgamedomain.com/6598/Phineas-and-Ferb.html</ref>

In the game, Phineas and Ferb decide to build a roller coaster in order to alleviate boredom over the summer. In the game, the player plays as Phineas, Ferb, and occasionally as Agent P. Phineas scavenges for spare parts for the roller coaster while Ferb is used to fix various objects around town that are used to gain access to new areas. As well, Ferb is used to construct new parts and build the roller coaster and the corresponding vehicle. Each activity is completed with a short mini-game, such as carefully tracing over a line to weld or tapping the screen to hammer nails.<ref name="kidzworld.com">http://www.kidzworld.com/article/16586-phineas-and-ferb-ds-game-review</ref>

While exploring, the player must keep an eye out for Candace, who is out to get the stepbrothers busted. Special actions will increase Candace's busted bar and if the bar is filled, then the players must play a special mini-game where they avoid Candace in a hedge maze-like environment. The player can use special items found around town to hide from Candace or to decrease the busted bar.<ref name="kidzworld.com"/>

The game also carries the [[DGamer]] feature, where players can unlock Phineas and Ferb items and accessories in game and share them with other players online.<ref name="kidzworld.com"/>

==See also==
*[[Phineas and Ferb (soundtrack)]]
*[[List of Phineas and Ferb songs]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist|2}}
{{Reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://disneychannel.com/phineasandferb Phineas and Ferb - Disney Channel]
{{Portal|Disney|Magic Kingdom castle.jpg}}
* [http://www.tv.com/phineas-and-ferb/show/69897/summary.html?q=Phineas%20and%20Ferb Phineas and Ferb] at [[TV.com]]
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://tv.disney.go.com/disneychannel/phineasandferb/index.html Phineas and Ferb - Disney Channel]
* [http://phineasandferb.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page Phineas and Ferb wiki on Wikia]
* [http://www.disneychannel-asia.com/DisneyChannel/supersites/phineasandferb/ Phineas and Ferb - Disney Channel Asia]
* [http://www.perryfresh.com/ Phineas and Ferb source]
* [http://www.disneyxd.com//]
* [http://phineasandferb.wikia.com/wiki/Phineas_and_Ferb_Wiki Phineas and Ferb Wiki] on [http://www.wikia.com/ Wikia]
* {{imdb title|852863|Phineas and Ferb}}
* {{imdb title|852863|Phineas and Ferb}}
* {{tv.com|69897|Phineas and Ferb}}
* {{tv.com|69897|Phineas and Ferb}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-start}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Wizards of Waverly Place]]}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Wizards of Waverly Place]]}}

Revision as of 04:48, 16 October 2009

Phineas and Ferb
File:P and F Logo.jpg
Candace Flynn, Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher. Where has been there that was an it's sucessfully with but so Disney's Phineas and Ferb logo.
Created byDan Povenmire
Jeff "Swampy" Marsh
StarringVincent Martella
Thomas Sangster
Ashley Tisdale
Dee Bradley Baker
Dan Povenmire
Alyson Stoner
Mitchel Musso
Caroline Rhea
Richard O'Brien
Jeff "Swampy" Marsh
Bobby Gaylor
Allison Janney
Maulik Pancholy
Opening theme"Today Is Gonna Be a Great Day" (variation) by Bowling for Soup
ComposerDanny Jacob
Country of origin United States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2 (third season currently in production)
No. of episodes72 (aired)
100 (produced/pre-produced) (list of episodes)
Production
Running timeavg. 22 min, 35 sec (11 min. per episode)
Production companiesWalt Disney Television Animation
Disney Channel Original Productions
Original release
NetworkDisney Channel (2007-present)
Disney XD (2009-present)
(United States)
Family (Canada)
ReleaseAugust 17, 2007 (United States)
February 1, 2008 (worldwide) –
present

Phineas and Ferb is a Disney Channel animated television series that centers on two stepbrothers and their beyond-the-impossible adventures in their backyard during summer vacation. The series premiered on February 1, 2008, as the first Disney Channel Original Series to premiere simultaneously worldwide. The show's official U.S. premieres were marketed as Phineas and Ferb-uary, due to new episodes being shown every day during the month of February. A sneak peek of the second season was shown January 23, 2009, as the episode "Tip of the Day" on Toon Disney (now Disney XD). Subsequently starting on February 20, 2009, first-run episodes of the series now air on Disney XD, with the episodes repeating on Disney Channel afterward, making it the first Disney Channel series to transfer new episodes to another Disney-branded network.

The series is the fifth Disney Channel Original series to have more than 65 episodes; after That's So Raven, Kim Possible, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and Hannah Montana. The series is currently the second longest-running Disney Channel original animated series, after Kim Possible. The series uses a classic-Disney formula by putting musical numbers in each episode. The series is usually comprised of two 11-minute episodes, in which one may be aired as filler in the event that a movie airing on Disney Channel ends 15-20 minutes before the start of the next program.

Origins

File:Flop Starz.jpg Creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh met while working on The Simpsons in the mid-1990s, where they sat across from each other as layout artists on that series. They bonded over a shared sense of humor and were eventually paired as a writing team on Rocko's Modern Life for Nickelodeon, where they learned more and more aspects of the animation production business.[1]

It was during this time that the pair started to develop a show that would allow them to continue working together as writers.[1] At the Wild Thyme restaurant in South Pasadena, California, where they have butcher paper over the tables and crayons for you to draw with, Povenmire was sharing a meal with his wife when he drew the first sketch of a triangle-headed kid. Povenmire called Marsh that evening and told him the news: he had Phineas.[2]

All the other characters grew from that simple triangle-headed kid. Phineas is a triangle, Ferb is a rectangle, and Candace is a half-circle. Then they decided to work geometric shapes into the background to tie the whole thing together. Marsh describes this homage to legendary Looney Tunes animator/director Tex Avery. "There's a little bit of Tex Avery in there — he had that very graphic style [in his later cartoons]. A lot of what I see now is borrowed from Tex."[2]

Povenmire and Marsh

File:Coasterfalls.jpg Povenmire and Marsh were no longer working together. Marsh had moved to London to work on an assortment of films and series, including Postman Pat and Bounty Hamster. Povenmire had started animating and directing Family Guy episodes but continued to shop the show around to Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, and Fox.[1]

Studios were worried about the complexity of the plots for the time allowed. At Fox, there were a few meetings, but negotiations fizzled out. Nickelodeon kept sending it up higher and higher in the production personnel ranks, but it was eventually deemed too complicated to pull off. Their stubbornness and persistence paid off when Povenmire finally got a meeting with Disney.[1] According to Povenmire, "Disney was the first to say, 'Let's see if you can do it in 11 minutes.' We did it in the pilot and they said, 'Let's see if you can do it for 26 episodes.'"[3]

Disney Channel's Senior VP of Original Series Adam Bonnet was a fan of Family Guy and wasn't scared off by Povenmire's work on the series. In fact, it was because of his connections to the primetime Fox animated sitcom known for its gross-out gags and raunchy humor that Bonnet wanted to see whatever Povenmire was working on. Povenmire recalls about Bonnet, "He called me for a meeting when I was working on a different pilot for them just to tell me how much he liked Family Guy. When I came back to pitch my own show, I think he was more open to it."[3]

Povenmire brought "some of that primetime animation timing without any of the raunch" to Phineas and Ferb. In fact, many of the blank stares and sight gags have a primetime and Tex Avery charm to them. "People think Family Guy is a success because of how raunchy the gags are. I don't think it would have been a success at all if the timing wasn't absolutely crystal pitch perfect -- if there wasn't just the right amount of pause before or after the line. Comedy is all about timing and I think that's what people are responding to."[3]

Unlike non-animated series, Povenmire and Marsh didn't pitch a script, they pitched a storyboard. When it came time to present it to the executives overseas, Povenmire edited the storyboards together into a film, adding music, sound effects and providing the voices for all the characters. This animatic can be found on the Phineas and Ferb: The Fast and the Phineas DVD.

Plot

File:PaFbusted.jpg The main plot focuses on Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, two young kids bent on making their summer vacation a "roller coaster" (as seen in the first episode). A minor scenario involves Candace attempting to bust her brothers and get them in trouble, which always fails. The other major element involves Secret Agent P (Perry the Platypus) and Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.

Phineas Flynn (Vincent Martella) and Ferb Fletcher (Thomas Sangster) are two stepbrothers who live with their older sister Candace Flynn (Ashley Tisdale) and their parents Linda Flynn (Caroline Rhea) and Lawrence Fletcher (Richard O'Brien). The brothers find themselves wondering what to do with their summer vacation, so they pull off unbelievable and often outlandish stunts (e.g., making a movie, getting a band back together, racing cars, making a space observatory, time- traveling, etc.), in order to add excitement to their summer. Their sister Candace is aware of their unusual activities and is often pictured attempting to reveal their activities to their mother.

Agent P side-plot

Phineas and Ferb's pet, Perry the Platypus goes through a daily mission as a secret agent, "Agent P". This is touched off by one of the characters wondering where he is, at which point the scene cuts to Perry receiving his assignment from his superior, Major Monogram. His assignment usually includes an investigation of, and a comedic battle with, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. These battles act as a covering up or destroying the evidence of Phineas and Ferb's daily activity at the end of the episode, ensuring their mother remains unaware (and making Candace look foolish). Until one episode that ended up being a dream.

Candace side-plot

Occasionally, there are subplots relating to Candace during the stories. They generally involve either Candace (voiced by Ashley Tisdale) speaking to or spending time with her friend Stacy (voiced by Kelly Hu), or attempting to win the attention of Jeremy (voiced by Mitchel Musso) with whom she is in love. These subplots take place intermittently with Candace's many attempts to disable Phineas and Ferb's activities, which are always unsuccessful since all the proof is either removed or destroyed (mostly done by Perry the Platypus, albeit unintentionally). Despite this, the story usually ends on a happy note for Candace, with Jeremy confirming in some way or another that he likes her. Phineas and Ferb seem to bear no ill-will towards their sister, often attempting to include her in their adventures; in one instance they even carved her profile into Mount Rushmore as a birthday present; and another when the boys remodel Candace's tree house as well as their own.

Characters

List of characters of behind..

  • Phineas Flynn - Phineas is a friendly and creative boy, inspired to make the summer as great as it can be by coming up with ideas for unusual, exciting, huge, and sometimes impossible activities from things of his everyday life: from TV commercials to random conversation topic. Phineas is also shown to have a wide array of musical abilities such as singing and songwriting and can play many different instruments. His stepbrother, Ferb, is his partner in their activities. He loves his sister Candace, and often tries to please or help her, by putting her face on Mount Rushmore for her birthday, making her tree house better, or helping her learn how to drive. However, he usually accidentally upsets her with his schemes. He has a normal relationship with his mom and his step-dad. He often wonders about the whereabouts of his pet platypus Perry, unaware of his pet's double life. He is very nice to his friends, and met Isabella in the past (how they met is unknown). She has a distinct crush on him, but whether or not he returns her feelings is unknown. It is sure that he does not know of the crush. A recurring theme is when people ask if he is too young to be working on his current project, to which he almost always responds, "Yes, yes I am." with pure honesty.
  • Ferb Fletcher - Ferb is Phineas's intelligent but laconic stepbrother from Britain. Ferb is a very quiet boy, but he is not exactly shy. He is brilliant and has a great sense of mechanics and electronics. He built a roller coaster and a giant track, a real radio-controlled race car, several arenas and stadiums, a space ray, a monster truck, a rocket ship, and a time machine almost single-handedly. He is always willing to make Phineas´s incredible plans a reality, no matter what the circumstances are. In the series, Ferb almost always speaks at the end of each episode for a few seconds. Whenever the usually reticent Ferb talks, it is most often a one-liner. Ferb is talented at changing his voice, usually using a deep voice while singing. Like Phineas, Ferb is also talented and can play a large variety of instruments, which include trumpet, guitar, keyboards, bagpipes, rock 'n' roll drums, harmonica, and Jamaican drums. Ferb is also shown to have a knack for rollerskating. He also has a crush on Vanessa Doofenshmirtz, as seen in "I scream you scream" and "The Chronicles of Meap".
  • Candace Flynn - Candace is 15 years old, entering the 10th grade and the main antagonist. She is always aware of the boys' plans. She is generally a spoil-sport and always attempts to get the boys in trouble with their mom by "busting" them, but when she finally gets her mother's attention to see what they are doing, they appear innocent and normal on account of the unaccounted doings of Perry the Platypus and Dr. Doofenshmirtz. Candace nurtures a permanent crush on Jeremy Johnson. In a sense, she is the exact opposite of her brothers, being terribly afraid of heights and easily getting sick or dizzy. She has a "Panic Room" in their basement to hide in when she freaks out on account of her brothers' tricks, as seen in "i Brobot". While Candace is constantly angry at her brothers, there are indications that underneath she loves them. In "Traffic Cam Caper" she saves Phineas at the expense of losing the evidence (though that was only after she had lost the evidence anyway), and in the episode "Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together", she gives Phineas a big smile and a hug. In "It's A Mud, Mud, Mud World" she cannot tell on her brothers, presumably because they were helping her, maybe because her stepfather was present. Candace is good at singing, as seen in "flop stars" (even when her voice changes due to an allergic reaction to wild parsnips) and numerous other episodes. She can play a number of instruments, all of which begin with the letter "B" (bass, bongos, basoon, etc). She is also the only character that has seen Perry as a secret agent but at the time believed to be under the effect of wild moss. In "Phineas And Ferb Get Busted" she finally succeeds in busting her brothers, but misses her brothers and decides to rescue them from reform school which was actually her dream, then shown it was Perry's dream. She has a very long neck, which is pointed out many times during the series, and is allergic to dairy despite her favorite food being grilled cheese and wild parsnips (stated in "Jerk De Soleil"). Candace has her own little theme song, reminiscent of that of the Wicked Witch of the West and is often seen riding a bicycle. She is sometimes called Kevin by a talking Hallucinatory Zebra.
  • Linda Flynn - Mother to Phineas and Candace, stepmother to Ferb. She is married to Lawrence Fletcher, but she seems not to use his last name as most other characters call her "Ms. Flynn", except for one time when she was referred to as "Mrs. Fletcher" by Isabella in "Candace Loses Her Head". Linda is portrayed as a regular American mother, although she plays in a free-form jazz band with Isabella and Jeremy's mothers, and was once a one-hit wonder pop star under the name 'Lindanna' as seen in "flop stars". She is generally busy or trying to relax, when her daughter tries to get her to see that the boys are up to some crazy plan. She seems to think Candace is crazy and needs professional help. When the boys reveal their schemes and accomplishments, she thinks they have an "overactive", yet "adorable", imagination.
  • Lawrence Fletcher - The father of Ferb, stepfather of Phineas and Candace. He has the last name Fletcher, though he was once called "Mr. Flynn" by Isabella. Lawrence is an archaeologist from the United Kingdom. He keeps his treasured memories in a toolbox. It has been shown how he agrees to follow Phineas's instructions and even forces Candace to cooperate, as if he considers Phineas's and Ferb's skills normal.
  • Perry the Platypus/Agent P - Phineas's and Ferb's pet, who lives a double life as a secret agent under the codename of Agent P. Agent P works under Major Monogram, and combats Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. He often makes a purring noise during significant moments. The Flynn-Fletcher family are not aware of Perry's double life, thinking of him as a mindless, domestic pet.(The secret agency where Perry 'works' is run by Major Monogram, who uses animals as secret agents. The animals use the first letter of their species as their code name [a dog would be Agent D, a chicken would be Agent C, ect.]. Perry is shown to care quite a lot for his family, demonstrated when Phineas and Ferb stumbled upon his secret base and set off on a secret mission, and he watched out for them, or when Candace believed she had gone mad and Perry rescued her. Another notable moment is in the episode "Journey to the Center of Candace", where Dr. Doofenshmirtz reveals his evil plan as a giant vacuum that destroys anyone who can't make up their minds, at which Perry remembers Phineas stating that morning that he and Ferb couldn't make up their minds on what to build. This causes him to immediately capture Dr. Doofenshmirtz, instead of the whole capture, escape, and stop routine.
  • Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz - Doofenshmirtz is (usually) an unhappy man, also a mad scientist. He is the head of his own single-person company, Doofenshmirtz Evil Incorporated. All his evil plans tend to be thwarted by Perry the Platypus. The Doctor has turned evil because of his unhappy, unprovided and sad childhood in an unknown European town named "Druselstein," perhaps the place he lived in, where his family were poor farmers and he was forced to be a lawn gnome. Coming from this background, presently he attempts to wreak havoc across "The entire tri-state area!". His ex-wife, Charlene, pays him alimony. He has a teenage daughter named Vanessa who is less-than-thrilled with him or his schemes. She sometimes tries to "bust" her father, like Candace tries to bust her brothers. His elder brother Roger—the favorite of their mother—is a respected politician in Danville and holds the mayoral post. Heinz is not really a doctor, as pointed out by his daughter, as his Doctorate Degree has a $15 price tag on it. When Perry the Platypus defeats Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Doofenshmirtz usually says "Curse you, Perry the Platypus!" Almost all of Dr. Doofenshmirtz's inventions have the suffix "-inator." His first invention as a child was simply "Inator" that he entered into a science fair. He has a tattoo of the word EVIL on his upper arm as seen in "Chez Platypus".
  • Major Monogram - He is Perry the Platypus's boss and gives him missions to stop Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz's endless reign of terror upon the Tri-State Area. Major Monogram usually appears on a giant screen giving Perry instructions for his next mission, but it is revealed that he never wanted to be a major. He usually isn't wearing pants when he gives Perry his missions, but hides it by using close-ups. In "Unfair Science Fair", he was seen without his wig on. Phineas, Ferb, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Lawrence Fletcher and Candace Flynn are the only people who have accidentally seen Major Monogram.
  • Isabella Garcia-Shapiro - Best friend of Phineas and Ferb. She's also the leader of the Fireside Girls. She can change her voice as Ferb can, usually higher, not lower and often assists the boys in their plans, enlisting the whole troop of girls in the process (often to obtain new badges or other credits related to the girl scouts). In the episode 'One Good Scare Ought to Do It!' it is revealed that her biggest fear is losing Phineas (not surprisingly). She has a really big crush on him, which can be seen in the very first episode. The one time she was finally able to ask Phineas out ("Out to Launch"), he said that both him and Ferb would be there, defeating the purpose of them going alone together. She always enters into the scene with the catchphrase "What'cha doin'?" and usually offers help from the Fireside Girls. She sings well, as demonstrated in the episodes "Flop Starz". She can do a very loud finger whistle, as seen in S'winter. She also has a swimming pool in her backyard.
  • Jeremy Johnson - Candace's crush. Jeremy has an affection for Candace but every time he sees her, something embarrassing happens to Candace. Jeremy works at "Mr. Slushy Burger", sometimes called "Mr. Shlushy Dawg" at the mall. Jeremy does like Candace, obvious to everyone but her, who always jumps to worst case scenarios, such as the world exploding.
  • Stacy Hirano - Candace's very enthusiastic best friend. She rarely appears in person in the series, since most of the time she's talking by phone, but is usually Candace's companion when something very exciting happens. She is one of the few persons who knows the truth about the boys, although is never concerned about it. She usually convinces Candace to participate and enjoy the moment instead of trying to bust her brothers; in fact, in "Put That Putter Away" she was dispatched by an bed-ridden Candace to bust Phineas & Ferb, but wound up having so much fun with them that she forgot her mission and joined the boys.
  • Vanessa Doofenshmirtz - Vanessa is Dr. Doofenshmirtz's 16 year old teenage daughter. She is very sarcastic and mild-mannered. Her dad and mom are divorced. Vanessa is aware that Doofenshmirtz is an evil scientist and knows her father's enemy, Perry The Platypus. Her character's relationship to Dr. Doofenshmirtz is like that of Candace's relationship to Phineas and Ferb as they both want "bust" their brothers/father. Vanessa is shown not to care for Perry's presence in any way. By coincidence, Candace often crashes, lands, yells or even travels next to Vanessa, but have only met twice. Though she does try to reveal her father, she still loves him deep down. Vanessa has a close friend named Lacey (coincidentally rhyming with Stacy, Candace's friend). In the episode "Dude, We're Getting The Band Back Together" Vanessa thanks Perry the Platypus for fixing her 16th birthday by having Doofensmirtz shoot all the decorations with a ray gun. Ferb appears to have a crush on Vanessa, as revealed in the episode "I Scream, You Scream".
  • Buford Van Stomm - He has a noticeable Mid-Atlantic accent. He likes tough stuff, but is afraid of the most trivial things, as shown in "Raging Bully," in which ice-cream falls on his pants and he screams. It is frequently mentioned that everybody is afraid of him, but he really does not hurt anyone "on-screen". He is present in the series more often as a good guy than as a bully, and for this reason receives frequent invitations from Phineas to join them in the fun. Buford owns a fish named Biff, named after his mother.
  • Baljeet Patel - A boy of Indian decent, he and his family moved to America as said in "Get that bigfoot out of my face". He is often portrayed as an insecure kid, especially around Buford. For some reason, he usually ends up teaming with him, which increases his constant nervous shakes. He's very smart, but most of his personality is eclipsed by the extreme terror he feels when Buford is around. He stated in "Unfair Science Fair" that his worst grade would be an A- if he failed on his Portal to Mars. In "Phineas and Ferb get Busted", he states that he was kicked out of summer school because his grades were too high, went to the Smile Away Reform School, and said, "Sure, they break you down and strip you of your identity but, school is good!".
  • Django Brown is one of Phineas's friends and occasionally helps Phineas and Ferb with their plans. His father is a sculptor of huge misceallaneous objects.
  • Grandma Betty Jo Flynn and Grandpa Clyde Flynn - They are Phineas and Candace Flynn's maternal grandparents and Ferb Fletcher's step-grandparents and they invite them, along with the neighborhood kids, to a lake house every summer. Though they are old, they sometimes like to get the best of the kids and often participate in their capers. Betty Jo has an identical twin sister, called Lauren, who lives in a wardrobe and only comes out once. Grandpa Clide, like Phineas and Ferb, has a great sense of mechanics as seen in the "Crack That Whip!"
  • Karl - Major Monogram's Intern. Karl is usually unseen in person in most episodes, however his voice or face (somewhat like Major Monogram) is frequently seen. He is known for 'messing things up' in most episodes.
  • Jenny - Candace's second best friend. She has only made three notable appearances, (on Phineas and Ferb's 'Backyard Beach', making gelatin models with Stacy, Candace and with Jeremy, and a person who avoids Candace on the sidewalk in "Unfair Science Fair").
  • Suzy Johnson - Suzy Johnson is Jeremy's little sister. She is evil and attacks Candace when she is anywhere near Jeremy. She is similar to Devon's little sister on That's So Raven. She acts sweet around adults and Buford is scared of her like Candace. Whenever she appears and Jeremy is away, she will remind Candace that "She'll always be Jeremy's favorite girl".
  • Fireside Girls - Isabella's scout troop, they appear in Phineas and Ferb's adventures as a helping hand. They always seem to be looking for an opportunity to get badges, usually relevant to the subject of Phineas and Ferb's schemes. It seems like absolutely everything is in their Fireside Girls Handbook, from car maintenance ("The Fast and the Phineas") to giant robots ("Out to Launch"), including time travel ("please refer to the 'time travel' section of your handbook").

Episodes

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Season Ep # First Airdate Last Airdate
Season 1 47 August 17, 2007 December 5, 2008 [4]
Season 2 39[5] January 23, 2009 2010

Cast

Character Actor/Actress
Phineas Flynn Vincent Martella
Ferb Fletcher Thomas Sangster
Candace Flynn Ashley Tisdale
Linda Flynn, Grandma Betty-Joe Flynn and Lorraine Flynn Caroline Rhea
Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz Dan Povenmire
Perry the Platypus Dee Bradley Baker
Isabella Garcia-Shapiro Alyson Stoner
Baljeet Patel Maulik Pancholy
Jeremy Johnson Mitchel Musso
Major Monogram Jeff "Swampy" Marsh
Stacy Hirano Kelly Hu
Lawrence Fletcher Richard O'Brien
Carl the Intern Tyler Alexander Mann
Vanessa Doofenshmirtz Olivia Olson
Buford Van Stomm Bobby Gaylor
Charlene Doofenshmirtz Allison Janney
Grandpa Clyde Flynn Barry Bostwick
Grandpa Reg Fletcher Malcolm McDowell
Grandma Winifred Fletcher Jane Carr
Gretchen Ariel Winter
Suzy Johnson Kari Wahlgren
Django Brown Alec Holden
Norm John Viener
Roger Doofenshmirtz John O'Hurley

Games

File:Phineas-n-Ferbenstein.jpg

Phineas and Ferb star in several flash-based games that can be found on Disney's official website[6] and a Nintendo DS game that was released in the US on February 3, 2009.[7] The Nintendo DS game, simply called Phineas and Ferb, features a relatively linear storyline interspersed with mini-games.[8]

In the game, Phineas and Ferb decide to build a roller coaster in order to alleviate boredom over the summer. In the game, the player plays as Phineas, Ferb, and occasionally as Agent P. Phineas scavenges for spare parts for the roller coaster while Ferb is used to fix various objects around town that are used to gain access to new areas. As well, Ferb is used to construct new parts and build the roller coaster and the corresponding vehicle. Each activity is completed with a short mini-game, such as carefully tracing over a line to weld or tapping the screen to hammer nails.[9]

While exploring, the player must keep an eye out for Candace, who is out to get the stepbrothers busted. Special actions will increase Candace's busted bar and if the bar is filled, then the players must play a special mini-game where they avoid Candace in a hedge maze-like environment. The player can use special items found around town to hide from Candace or to decrease the busted bar.[9]

The game also carries the DGamer feature, where players can unlock Phineas and Ferb items and accessories in game and share them with other players online.[9]

See also

References

Preceded by Disney Channel Original Series Succeeded by