There’s something about five animated elementary kids building things in their backyard that has consistently held our generation, especially me, in a chokehold since we were five. Phineas and Ferb ran from February 1, 2008, to June 12, 2015, which is on the higher end of the average TV lifespan of 4-10 years. Even after it went off the air, there were multiple revivals of the storyline, such as the “Act Your Age” episode where the gang went off to college or the 2020 movie Candace Against the Universe. These revivals excited the show’s original fan base, and the recent announcement of the show’s upcoming, additional 40 episodes (two seasons) has had the same effect. So, what is it about this show that keeps fans hooked, even as they grow and mature into adults that shouldn’t be so excited to watch a cartoon platypus fight evil?
I think the crack-like draw of the story lies in its creator, Dan Povenmire. “We are just always trying to write a show that makes us laugh, and we’re adults, but we also have sort of childish senses of humor,” Povenmire said. “We like highbrow comedy and lowbrow comedy. So anything that makes us laugh goes in, and I think that just becomes a function of getting an adult audience, too…we never don’t do a joke because the kids won’t get it.”
This dual humor is the reason that my mom cried over the finale of the original show along with me, and why the revival is the best idea Disney has ever had.
Late millennials, like my brother, and early Gen Z-ers, like me, were the original fan base of Phineas and Ferb. But, equally targeted was my mom who was watching with us before school days. She understood the countless parodies of classic Boomer and Gen X songs, movies and phenomena that clearly went over my head. Phineas and Ferb referenced things like Dirty Dancing, Love Boat and Moulin Rouge that were obviously not meant for me, as an elementary schooler. Now that we’re older, it’ll be really cool to understand all of the references and jokes the creators make, not just the kid-friendly ones. This will create a completely new experience from what we had as children, as we find humor in different ways with the same characters we grew up knowing and loving. I think that this added layer of the show is such a heavy pro to the revival of Phineas and Ferb, that the risk of ruining the series or “jumping the shark” is outweighed.
Whenever a show goes on for too long, it’s in jeopardy of ending on such a low note that it overshadows the good parts. For this reason, I am usually against revivals, such as Raven’s Home, but I truly think that the Phineas and Ferb new episodes will create a completely different experience and will be worth it.
My car’s name is Perry, I was Ferb for Halloween last year and I’ve met the voice of Phineas. Call me biased, but I feel like the day of the new release will be a great day. (This was a reference to the theme song so I hope people get it.)