Season 1
Phineas and Ferb is an animated comedy series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh that revolves around two step-brothers and their adventures in their backyard during summer vacation.
The series premiered worldwide on the Disney Channel on 17 August, 2007.
Phineas and Ferb premiered in South Africa on the Disney Channel on Friday 1 February 2008, at 17h00. Thereafter it aired on weekdays at 17h00 and on weekends at 09h00.
Synopsis
Phineas Flynn and his stepbrother, Ferb Fletcher, set out to conquer boredom and make every day of their 104-day summer vacation count.
However their older sister, Candace, gets frantic at her brothers' extraordinary adventures, makes it her life's work to tattle on them to Mom and Dad ... but somehow she's never quite able to prove what the boys have done.
On every adventure Phineas and Ferb are accompanied by their pet platypus, Perry, who seems a docile mindless family pet, but unbeknownst to everyone, including Phineas and Ferb, Perry has a secret life as suave Agent P, deftly battling the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz to save the world.
Among Phineas and Ferb's fun-filled projects are building a backyard beach complete with a surf competition, creating a new season (one with both sun and snow) called "swinter," assembling a theme park-sized roller coaster across their town and becoming overnight pop music sensations.
Characters
Endearing and smart, Phineas Flynn is a precocious bundle of energy whose tolerance for sitting still is just a little thinner than his patience for the social echelon in which he finds himself.
He routinely tries to stave off boredom by innocently masterminding one grandiose scheme after another, and when adults are compelled to ask him, "Aren't you a little young to be doing this?," Phineas answers in a confident, endearing tone, "Yes, yes I am."
Ferb Fletcher, Phineas and Candace's stepbrother, is originally from England. He is Phineas' loyal right-hand man, his engineer, inventor, enforcer and all around go-to guy. His unquestioning allegiance to Phineas usually precludes him from speaking too much.
When Ferb does speak, it's usually no more than a sentence, but it always shows a greater understanding of the situation than his countenance would indicate. As Phineas says, "Ferb is more of a 'man of action.'"
While Phineas monopolizes the conversation, one gets the feeling that he wouldn't be able to pull anything off without Ferb's assistance.
Candace Flynn is thoroughly aghast at her brothers' antics, but even more irritated by the fact that they always "get away with it." Though her brothers' antics almost never affect her negatively, she still feels the need to stop them.
Candace's desire to get Phineas and Ferb in trouble often undermines her ability to achieve her own goals, making her her own worst enemy.
Their mother, Linda Flynn-Fletcher, is a stay-at-home mom with a wealth of patience and a dry sense of humour. A dedicated and insightful parent, she believes in limits, but also gives the kids a little freedom to express themselves.
She is often amused by Candace's need to tattle on the boys and the creativity evident in the outlandish claims that her daughter makes.
Dad Lawrence ("Lol" to his friends and family) was born in England and now lives in the States, working as an antiques dealer who spends a fair amount of time traveling the globe.
A bit eccentric but a kind, loving father and husband, he is the only parent that ever sees what Phineas and Ferb are doing, and is always very impressed.
He always checks with Mom to make sure what the boys are doing is okay, though she often misunderstands what he asks. She gives her distracted approval, and so he figures, if it's OK with Mom...
Phineas and Ferb's companion is their pet platypus, Perry, who appears to be a regular domestic pet; he doesn't seem to do much except lie around making his strange purring, chirping noise.
However, appearances can be deceiving. Perry's mild-mannered-brainless-pet thing is simply an act. He is actually a super-secret agent who makes James Bond look like a rank amateur.
Accompanied by a swinging theme song and loaded with every conceivable gadget (and yet no pockets), Perry does battle with Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, an evil genius bent on dominating the Tri-State area. Perry completes his mission before the boys notice he's gone.
An evil genius bent on absurd mayhem and the bane of Perry's existence, Dr. Doofenshmirtz has poor planning skills when it comes to grandiose schemes. Because of his wild enthusiasm, he doesn't take the time to think his ideas through.
Consequently, the devices he constructs to carry out his plans backfire. Never one to be discouraged, he lives by the motto, "He who fights and runs away, lives to fight another day."
Additional characters are: adorable neighbour Isabella Garcia-Shapiro; exchange student Baljeet; neighbourhood bully Buford Van Stom; Candace's best friend, Stacy Hirano; the object of Candace's affection, Jeremy Johnson; authoritative Major Monogram, Perry's senior officer at OWCA; and The Fireside Girls, a group of six girls who serve as Isabella's lively assistants and - with the help of their Fireside Girls Manual - are experts at everything, including being a NASCAR-style pit-crew, staffing a NASA-like mission control and being back-up singers in a rock band.
Credits
The creators and executive producers are Dan Povenmire (Family Guy) and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (The Simpsons). Zac Moncrief and Dan Povenmire are directors and Danny Jacob is the composer.
The series is a production of Walt Disney Television Animation.