While Disney is arguably best known for its lofty library of animated feature films, there’s something special to be said about the House of Mouse’s collection of beloved television shows. From the golden age of the “Disney Afternoon” withDucktalesandGargoylesto the “One Saturday Morning” glory days of the early aughts withKim PossibleandRecess, Disney’s television divisions have been fairly consistent for a very long time. However, one show in particular has stood the test of time to become a timeless classic, that being the bright, clever, and colorful Disney Channel staple,Phineas and Ferb.
Even if you didn’t grow up with Disney Channel from 2007 to 2015, chances are you’re at the very least familiar with the triangle-headed inventor and his British step-brother of few words. Created byDan PovenmireandJeff ‘Swampy’ Marsh, just about every episode ofthe long-running Emmy-winning seriessaw the two brothers use their remarkable intelligence to have a fun summer day, be it building a roller coaster or traveling to outer space, which each episode also featuring their busting-obsessed sister, a hysterically incompetent mad scientist, and a family pet platypus who’s secretly a secret agent. Now, after a decade off the air and a seemingly definitive conclusion, somehowPhineas and Ferbhas returned for Season 5, but is it able to live up to the lofty heights of the original series run?
What Is ‘Phineas and Ferb’ Season 5 About?
While it may have been ten years since we last saw the show on our screens,Phineas and FerbSeason 5 picks up less than a year after Season 4 left off, and the boys' initial summer vacation has come to an end. As one might expect, both Phineas (Vincent Martella) and Ferb (David Errigo Jr.) have been counting down the days till they can have another 104 days to do whatever they want and come up with new contraptions that they’re more than a little too young to be making. As soon as that final school bell rings, the two inventors are once again back to creating alongside their best friends Isabella (Alyson Stoner), Baljeet (Maulik Pancholy), and Bufford (Bobby Gaylor), much to the chagrin of their strict-yet-loving older sister, Candace (Ashley Tisdale). Phineas and Ferb also aren’t the only ones back to their old tricks, as the evil Doctor Doofenshmirtz (Dan Povenmire) is also causing trouble just a few miles away, with the boys' family pet platypus Perry (Dee Bradley Baker) being the only one who can stop ole' Doof.
The current TV landscape is ripe with waves of revivals and reboots, and children’s programming is far from exempt. There’s at least one new show every year that tries to dramatically reinvent an existing IP for a new generation, and often to mixed results. For every incredible reimagining like thesuper-fun and excitingDucktalesremake, there’s also one that misses the mark, like the short-lived sitcomFairly Odd Parents: Fairly Odder. However, eagle-eyed fans (or maybe, platypus-eyed fans, I guess?) will notice that thePhineas and Ferbrevival isn’t being treated as a brand-new show, but as a new season for an existing show. That move feels more than appropriate, as the first two episodes ofPhineas and FerbSeason 5 represent what could beone of the most consistent reboots of an existing television IP ever made.
Even with the ten-year gap between seasons,Phineas and FerbSeason 5 doesn’t skip a beat, and that’s not just a nod tothe show’s famously catchy musical numbers. Everything from the timeless animation style to the witty humor that appeals to both children and adults feels identical to what fans remember about the original four-season run. Some might say that’s to be expected, as almost the entire cast and crew from the first four seasons, but the team’s impressive knack for keeping every exact detail down to the last pixel of Danville is bound to give longtime fans what they’ve been hoping for.
Does ‘Phineas and Ferb’ Season 5 Undermine Season 4’s Fantastic Ending?
The first two episodes ofPhineas and FerbSeason 5 jump back into the action one would expect without any dramatic fanfare, bar a few cameos from some recognizable characters. Phineas, Ferb, and their companions are as likable as ever, but once again,the real standout here is Heinz Doofenshmirtz. The easily-annoyed mad scientist who’s really more neurotic than evil is once again brought to life via a wonderful voice performance from co-creator Dan Povenmire, utilizing what one can only imagine is some stellar improvisational humor to once again make his relationship with Perry the Platypusthe best dynamic in a show filled with several great ones.
With the same vibrant animation, well-written characters, and infectious sense of humor, one of the only noticeable issues arises inPhineas and FerbSeason 5’s premiere episodes.The new batch of episodes may play things just a little too safely.Apart from a fun subversion of expectations at the end of the first episode’s first half, the start ofPhineas and FerbSeason 5 doesn’t do much to set itself apart from the previous seasons, serving as both a gift and a curse.
“We Have Enough Characters To Fill Out a Fellowship”: ‘Phineas and Ferb’ Star Wants ‘Lord of the Rings’ To Be the Show’s Next Crossover
The voice of Phineas Flynn loves the idea of Dr. Doofenshmirtz as Gollum.
There’s also the elephant in the room ofPhineas and Ferb’s fourth season, which brought the series to a pretty stellar conclusion, showing the main cast of characters on their way to college while bringing some of the most notable overarching storylines to a close. Of course, Season 5 takes place long before the events of that final episode, but it does put the revival in a bit of a curious position. Now, there is an expectation thatthe remainder ofPhineas and FerbSeason 5 really will need to justify its existenceto feel like a true expansion of the IP following a seemingly definitive ending.
That said,Phineas and FerbSeason 5 already has a very long list of episodes left to go and a Season 6 has already been greenlit. If the show doesn’t accomplish that lofty existential goal, the important thing isPhineas and Ferbis still just as charming, hilarious, and heartfelt as it was when it first aired. The previous episodes have stood the test of time as timeless classics, and while the new episodes don’t reinvent the proverbial roller coaster wheel,Phineas and FerbSeason 5 doesn’t really need to in order to spread its infectious positivity to a new generation of fans.
Phineas and FerbSeason 5 premieres tonight on Disney Channel, with new episodes premiering the next day on Disney+.
Phineas and Ferb
Phineas and Ferb’s Season 5 premiere may not be too bold in its approach, but it still more than delivers the goods when it comes to good old-fashioned summertime fun.
