Phineas e Ferb

I started watching this recently with the kids, and I think I get more out of it than they do. The visual ref to North by Northwest in "Bigfoot", Doofenschmirtz' awkward introduction of his new nemesis to Perry the Platipus, all the musical numbers (watchable on You Tube)...I no longer try to explain to my kids why it's funnier to me than it is to them. That said, they do enjoy it. Although I think they are humoring me.

Not to mention the vocal casting. Yes, it's THAT Richard O'Brien as Dad, with guest shots by Barry "Brad" Bostwick.

Tisdale who?

Exst many reasons to say that Phineas and Ferb is a great TV show, but only need two:

1- It isn't repetitive because there's no build up:

This show is not story driven, it's comedy driven. Because of that, it doesn't get repetitive because the focus is always the characters and the story takes a backseat. We don't go into an episode to see if Candace will succeed, we go to see how she will fail. We know that Perry's going to defeat Doofenshmirtz, so we want to see what's his new scheme is and how Perry's going to defeat him. It doesn't create expectations, so it doesn't bore us. A good example is the Roadrunner. We know that the Coyote will fail, but we still enjoy it immensely. We never expect the Coyote to win because we don't expect him to. Same with Phineas and Ferb, we know that Candace's going to fail, so we don't expect her to win. This, in turn, makes the show anything but repetitive, since the focus is always the intricate comedy.

2- Good until the end:

Different from what a lot of people think, the quality the show only decreased slightly. When you think about it, no other cartoon has managed to stay so tight and consistent after seven years in the air. The comedy was still great, and even when they were going trough a lack of ideas, they refused to give up, which gave us great episodes even towards the very end. The decrease in quality was natural and inevitable, and it passed trough the harder phases a lot better than others shows in their seasonal rots. Heck, the two last episodes are considered one of the best of the entire show. This show avoided seasonal rot entirely.

So there it is. That's why we love Phineas and Ferb so much. It's a very consistent show that definitively left it's mark in the world of animation. I wouldn't be surprised if this show gets remembered as a classic in the near future. This a AWESOME SHOW!!! LONG LIVE TO PHINEAS AND FERB!!

Phineas and Ferb has to be the smartest and most adult show ever created for an under-12 audience. Seriously, what other show features songs that rhyme 'didactic' with 'anti-climactic', uses the Freudian model for the human mind as a key story device, tosses in movie references, artistic motifs and literary allusions obscure enough to challenge a film scholar, sneaks in a psychedelic drug trip or two thanks to some toxic moss, and then cuts away to its secondary plot arc in a secret world where everybody's pet is a government crime fighter? Did I mention that every song cleverly parodies a different genre, style, period or artist, or that each secondary crime fighting plot intrudes momentarily on the main story line at just the right spot in each episode to wreak the most havoc? Though the show's target audience likely catches little of this, they no doubt appreciate the creative richness that informs it all. And most importantly, the show's popularity proves that they find it all FUN.

Instead of dumbing down recycled versions of older entertainment forms, such as the sitcom, to make it 'age-appropriate' for pre-teens, the creative team behind P&F have created a true original, loaded with enough wit and charm to satisfy Noel Coward, and enough science fiction outrageousness to satisfy a Doctor Who fan. Every show carries the same upbeat message to seize every opportunity for adventure, because it might not come again, while never condescending to its viewers or getting preachy.

There is a lot of truly awful kids' programming out there. It's great to see something which genuinely transcends the perceived boundaries of what a kids' show should be and goes out and demonstrates what it CAN be.

If you could distill out the clever irreverent wit and the "something for all ages" mix of gags and references from "Family Guy", "The Simpsons", "SpongeBob", and South Park"; and then jettison all the off-color, negative, and crude low-hanging fruit elements of those cartoons you would get something like The Disney Channel's "Phineas and Ferb" which premiered in August 2007.

The title characters, non-stop talker Phineas (Vincent Martella) and his usually silent brother Ferb (Thomas Sangster) are suburban stepbrothers trying to make the most of their summer vacation. This means constructing elaborate gadgets like a time machine and a roller- coaster, or making a feature film. They are usually assisted by an industrious troop of Camp Fire Girls (Fireside Girls) led by their neighbor Isabella (Alyson Stoner) who has a major crush on Phineas. The brothers are just trying to have a fun summer, they aren't trying to cause trouble or be cool, and they are at that age where boys are not even conscious of girls or of who is popular.

Typically their teenage sister Candace (Ashley Tisdale) gets reluctantly drawn into their projects as she strives to keep them from embarrassing her in front of her crush Jeremy (Mitchell Musso). Each storyline has her trying to "bust them" by phoning their mother about the latest home project, but by the time Mom gets home all evidence has conveniently vanished. Although there is a sibling rivalry the three obviously care about each other. Candace is the best part of the series and Tisdale does unexpectedly well supplying her voice; the part is very challenging, as the mercurial Candace requires a wide range of intonations and energy levels in her voice.

Although the series could get by just cutting between Candace and her brothers, it ups the energy level each episode with a "Kim Possible" type parallel story involving the family's pet platypus Perry (he's a semi-aquatic, egg-laying, mammal of action). Perry is a secret agent assigned to foil the plots of evil (but hopelessly inept) scientist Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz (co- creator Dan Povenmire).

The animation style is the same simplistic stuff (Phineas' head is a triangle) found in the other four cartoon series although like "SpongeBob" the occasional "real-life" photo is thrown into the mix.

For the benefit of boy viewers, a more serious drawing style is devoted to one of the minor characters, Dr. Doofenshmirtz's beautiful daughter Veronica (Olivia Olson). She is a goth version of Dr. Dome's daughter Lynx from DC's 1960's "Plastic Man" comics.

"Phineas and Ferb" might be the all-time best "compromise" cartoon; incorporating many subtle elements for adult viewers while relying on its absurdist humor and identification elements to hook both pre-teens and teens.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.

When I first heard about the show, my first thought was "Oh great, another Disney Channel show that will probably be as bad as Hannah Montana or Wizards of Waverly Place." I figured it wouldn't be good. It turned out that I was wrong....

I only had to watch one episode to make me think "Wow, I'm impressed. This is actually pretty good." It is cute, clever, and funny. If I had to choose between this show and the news, I'd watch this show. If I had to choose between Hannah Montana and the news, There is a 99% chance I'd watch the news. Thats how good of a Disney show it is.

I also noticed one thing in the show that I didn't notice in any other Disney Channel show. I have never heard ANY "hidden inappropriate lines" in any episode. It is a great show for any age, whether if your 1 or 101.

For those of you who haven't seen it and think its bad, watch it. You won't regret it.