If you don't follow the goings-on of Disney Channel (god I envy you), you probably won't have heard of a new show they've got. It's called Phineas and Ferb and it's better than the majority of what they show... but then again, that's not hard when your competition is Hannah Montana. God I hate Hannah Montana...
Anyway, the show itself is actually okay. It's rarely witty and not very often funny, but it's somewhat entertaining at its core.
The basic concept is "Kid does improbable stuff with his brother," and when it's just that it works. Phineas is basically an idea guy who says "Let's do this" without any thought to the consequences. Ferb is probably the best character on the show- he rarely speaks, and when it does it's in a vaguely British accent. These quips usually bring the funniest parts of the show.
And now I'm going to talk about the failings- namely, everything else. First off is Candace, the obligatory stereotypical 'You annoy me, let me talk to my friends on the phone all day long' teenager. She annoys me to no end. First of is the fact that she's voiced by Ashley Tisdale,(a one- woman "all star voice cast" apparently, as the only other notable voice actor in the show has a name that I can't recall and plays a bit character that I don't think I've ever actually seen. Admittedly, I've only seen two episodes, but still.) who I absolutely hate, and her only purpose in the show seems to be acting as a foil to the main characters and being hurt by random objects, presumably to meet all Disney Channel shows' quota of mindless, unfunny physical comedy. All the other characters are one-dimensional supports, from the peppy teamwork inducing Girl Scout to the parents. I don't really like the theme song (it's much better if you cut out the vocals), and it just doesn't live up to the standard set by the 90's.
Also of note is the subplot in each episode involving the pet platypus, who is a secret agent who combats the evil and incompetent Professor Doofenshmurtz. These subplots are usually the funniest part of the show- They follow a set formula, sure, but so do all superhero shows, and the way it plays out could be described as downright satirical by those inclined to look for wit in children's shows.
Conclusion: An okay show that has its moments. Doesn't live up to the standard set by the greats. Better than most of the crap Disney spews out.
I'm going to take a moment here and talk about the aforementioned standard. The 90's had some great cartoons- and I mean really, genuinely good shows. Disney had some good ones- Darkwing Duck is one of the greatest syndicated cartoons of all time, largely thanks to the hero's character flaws, but I think I have to give the award to Warner Bros. They produced some of the best cartoons ever- Animaniacs, Tiny Toon Adventures, Freakazoid- hell, even Histeria!, the show produced specifically to fill in the requisite educational spot was great(they honestly didn't have a problem with making fun of revered historical figures, and I respect that immensely). Freakazoid! in particular introduced a unique brand of wit- I still hold Animaniacs as the superior show, but both it and Tiny Toons were technically modern updates to the classic Looney Toons formula. Sure, they did it a hell of a lot better than any of the other shows of their kind, and I always enjoyed the Warner siblings' sarcasm and parody. Freakazoid!, on the other hand, was a hilarious and spot-on parody of superhero shows, and did it in a way that I really admire. It was satirical without being "Holier-than-thou," and, more importantly, it had no proper fourth wall whatsoever. They would often place archival footage in the middle of the show, would have parodies of broadcasting officials deliver public service announcements about the show, and the hero would often talk to the viewer directly. In one episode, they put an advertisement for a toy in the middle of the show. Long story short, it just worked and we should make more shows in this manner.
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