Yes, I know a lot of you guys don't like this show, so I'm posting this here to possibly get some good criticism and praise for it as well. Since it's easily the most popular cartoon on the Disney Channel right now, I'd like to hear some opinions on it and why you think it deserves or doesn't deserve the praise it gets.
It sucks. It just... sucks.
/thread
...in all seriousness, there is very little about this show I enjoy. And believe me, I've tried. I've tried and tried and tried to give it a chance, and it just doesn't work for me. Like, at all. Seeing a series like this have such gratuitous amounts of praise heaped onto it at every drop of a hat continues to shock and utterly disappointment me.
Upon recommendation from one of my Twitter buddies, I tried watching it again fairly recently. Gave a couple of the newer episodes a chance, and also caught the much-hyped new movie the other day as well (Across the 2nd Dimension)... and my feelings remain unchanged. The production values are there, and I can see certain things in it and why people would like it... but it simply does not work for me. Couple of reasons:
1. The writing is terrible. Honestly, I cannot believe a show like this has the kind of "adult fanbase" that it does, because the writing seems incredibly childish every time I watch it. All of the jokes just fall flat for me. Occasionally I'll get a chuckle, but nothing to make me consider this show the work of art that so many make it out to be.
2. I hate the characters. All of 'em. Phineas, Ferb, Doofenshmirtz... the most interesting figure in all of this is Perry, and he doesn't even talk!
I especially hate Candace. In short, fuck Candace. She's an irritating, spoiled little brat that has way too much screen time. The continued overuse of the "bratty sister" trope also grates on my nerves, especially when they do it all wrong like they do here. And the worst thing is, these types of characters don't have to suck; IE Sarah from Ed Edd 'n Eddy. They're both similar characters in a lot of ways, but unlike Candace, Sarah has strong writing and good characterization to back her up... whereas Candace is just a flat, boring, stereotypical jackass sister. Sarah was a jerk, yes, but her hilarious and over-the-top angry reactions were great, and she made me laugh quite a bit. Candace has never made me laugh.
3. The voice-acting is mediocre, at best. I appreciate that Disney is using actual child actors to voice children characters in an animated series, but Vince Martella and Thomas Sangster are both flat as cardboard. Better casting would have done it some good. I'm not really a fan of CN's Gumball, but I will say that the kids they've got doing voice-overs in that show (Logan Grove and Kwesi Boakye) do a tremendous job in their roles, and those characters are a lot more interesting than Phineas and Ferb will ever be. Just because these characters are being voiced by kids doesn't mean they have to be this uncharismatic.
4. It's boring. Probably the worst offender on this list, the show is just flat out fucking boring. Whenever I sit down and watch this, I am absolutely bored out of my skin. It is probably one of the most pedestrian cartoons I have ever seen in my life. Nothing the twins do ever entertains me, any plot with Candace is automatic shit because she's such a horrible character, and even the Perry/Doofenshmirtz plots feel more like an FDA-approved cure for insomnia rather than good entertainment. In short? It. Is. BOOOOOOOOOORING.
That about covers it. As you can see, I'm really not a fan... and the fact that I continue to give this show far more of a chance than I ever would with any other cartoon (namely due to continued recommendations from other people) frustrates me to no end. People love it. Adults love it. I expect somewhere down the line, I'm going to love it too... and I don't. I never do. I've given it chance after chance, and it just doesn't do it for me. And on another note, it also saddens me that Dan Povenmire, a long-time Rocko vet (and also wrote some fine episodes of Spongebob and Family Guy during their respective peaks) is the man behind this. He is capable of soooooooooo much more than what this series has to offer; waste of talent, really.
I think Candace's arc is irritating and heartless. If she really cared about her brothers, she'd get the fuck off their case and get some help.
I pretty much agree with Kiddington. For a show with such a big adult following, I'd expect it to be a little more clever and appealing, but the constant fourth wall jokes and pop culture references are poorly timed and predictable, and the lack of snark just makes it drab and toothless.
I still think the show is a third rate Ed, Edd, n' Eddy/Dexter's Laboratory clone, and your time is better spent watching both shows again. Even the post-revival Dexter eps.
Oh, and the character designs are hideous. I still haven't got used to them, and I've seen at least 10-15 episodes of the show. It's just not for me.
Thanks for the replies, I just know there's a base of people that love and hate it, but I've rarely heard from the latter.
That said, I completely agree with both of you. Though I actually enjoy the Perry stuff, the actual show is just boring, flat, and just plain not written well at all. All the characters are completely one dimensional, making them really boring to watch or listen to, and the character designs aren't really very good. I mean, they're not Fanboy & Chum Chum levels of awful, but they aren't very good as a whole.
And yeah, Candace's plots frequently make no sense. As her motivations are completely arbitrary and most of the time conflicting heavily with what she's trying to do.
I'm honestly not sure why it's THIS popular, though I can see the appeal, I just don't see as much appeal in it as the mainstream audience.
Perry I generally like, but even Dr. Doofenschmirtz drags that part of the series down for me. He's become just as tiresome as Drakken did on KP.
Maybe if he had more villains to face, the show would be more bearable for me.
I tried to like it but agree there isn't anything special about the characters other than their geometric shaped heads. The annoying sister/sitter type, hmm, even Vicki/Fairly Odd Parents had a personality.
How do people feel about the silent second character? Has it been overplayed or does it still amuse?
Quote from: Angus on August 18, 2011, 02:35:21 PM
How do people feel about the silent second character? Has it been overplayed or does it still amuse?
What, you mean Ferb?
Eh... it's a stale gag that was getting old back in 2008, let alone now. I know people say he's more of an "inventor", thus he doesn't need to talk, but still; it doesn't really work for me (but then again, nothing in this show really "works" for me anyway, so I guess it doesn't even matter).
...and yeah, good call on the character designs; can't believe I forgot to mention that. The shape of Phineas' head/nose will always and forever annoy me.
Ferb is the stock silent character that says witty or extremely important things randomly.
I don't think I've ever laughed once at anything he's ever done, though. But then again, I find that cliche dull.
I sat through some episodes of Fish Hooks. That series is better than what I've seen of Phineas and Ferb, and at least it deals with middle school situations.
I saw one episode of this show a long while back. I think when it premiered. I wasn't really impressed.
Since the show is streaming on Netflix, and given all the praise it gets, I figured it deserves a second chance. I just watched two episodes. One from season one and the other from season two. I'm still not feeling it. Still, I might try to watch at least a few more. I mean, some people take quite a few episodes to warm up to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, will this be the case with me? But going by what you guys are saying I'm unsure.
Going by what I've seen so far, I don't like any of the characters. Phineas is boring, Ferb is not funny, Candace is annoying, and the doctor guy's antics are already getting old. Perry is kind of cool, though. Not digging these character designs either. The writing is bland. Yeah, so far, not feeling it.
Quote from: Angus on September 06, 2011, 06:35:06 PM
I sat through some episodes of Fish Hooks. That series is better than what I've seen of Phineas and Ferb, and at least it deals with middle school situations.
That doesn't make it sound any better. Fish Hooks is honestly one of those shows that I don't need to see to be pissed off with. There's some serious talent on the show, and they all seem so wasted on it.
My main problem with these shows is that they just don't feel like Disney. At all. They could fit on any other channel, based on artwork, settings, and writing.
Say what you will about the Disney Afternoon stuff, but they at least stood up to some of the standards that Walt set. Even KP and AmDrag to an extent did themselves, although I do think that their animation wasn't speccultaor either. Phineas & Ferb just feels like generic CN/Nick trash.
Already mentioned this before, but given the crew behind Phineas & Ferb, it can and should be so much better than it is. Dan Povenmire is a Rocko vet; he also worked on early Simpsons (in its prime), early Spongebob (in its prime), and some of the better late-run spurts of Family Guy, among other things not even mentioned here. The guy has a proven track record of knowing what he's doing; why he's wasting himself on garbage like this is something I just cannot quite begin to grasp. Same goes for Jeff Marsh, another longtime Rocko guy.
Fish Hooks... please. Don't even get me started on that. That show pisses me off far more than kids television really should. What an absolutely pathetic, utter waste of fine animation talent, selling out for that all-mighty paycheck. Such a shame.
Yeah, whoever is in charge of Disney's TV animation needs to be replaced badly. Their animated shows no longer have any identity to them, when even some of CN and Nick's worst stuff still feels like them.
They also need to bring back the adventure comedies. It's something they were the best at, and they don't make them anymore. Instead their shows wouldn't feel out of place between Fanboy and iCarly, which is just wrong.
Scary part is that Ashley does the best voice acting among the bunch yet has the least interesting character.
I tried to laugh like a sitcom audience member.
Well they do throw in some songs in the show, not like it helps much, except that my little pup is trying to memorize the opening song.
After watching it for a while, I've grown to say that while I don't really like it (Candace is too much of a cunt, things get repetitive, etc.), I do understand why people might be fans. For starters, it's the only show on Disney Channel that advocates creativity and imagination without resorting to dance moves. It tells the intended audience that they should go out and invent their own shit, while showing the negative consequences via Doofenshmirtz. Also, haven't noticed it talking down to the audience that much, so that's a plus.
I like Stacy.
That is all.
They do break into song more than I expect for a cartoon, although that's current tween Disney for you.
Phineas & Ferb is a potentially good idea, but the show suffers from the Johnny Test syndrome of rehashing the same plot(s) again and again and again. I mean, it's basically the same thing every time. It also doesn't help how now there has to be a song in every episode.
I think the weird thing as that the songs aren't really all that good. They frequently just feel under-thought and undercooked.
(https://animationrevelation.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FhlHajmz.jpg&hash=a1061d8d7a94dd2b366992664ac4146bec05d701)
Apparently this was posted on Olivia Olson (Vanessa Doofenshrimtz) Instagram before taking it down. I don't know how to feel about this in all honesty. On one hand, I kind of liked it and it is a little sad to see it go, but on the other I feel like that Disney could mess this up and have the show take place during after school or some shit.
I'm going to be honest, Daxdiv. It needs to happen.
I'm a fan of the Perry segments above all (they make the show), but the Phineas & Ferb plots have gotten worse and worse to the point where the last few (Backyard Hodgepodge?) have been downright embarrassing.
School plots would give them a shot in the arm that's desperately needed because from what I've seen the summer well has run dry. So if it's end it or do that, I would prefer either over continuing.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on April 20, 2012, 05:31:06 PM
I think the weird thing as that the songs aren't really all that good. They frequently just feel under-thought and undercooked.
Since I've said this, I've come around to a few songs. 'Candace Party' is actually hilarious.
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on June 04, 2013, 11:17:44 PM
I'm going to be honest, Daxdiv. It needs to happen.
I'm a fan of the Perry segments above all (they make the show), but the Phineas & Ferb plots have gotten worse and worse to the point where the last few (Backyard Hodgepodge?) have been downright embarrassing.
Perry is one of my main reasons as to why I watch P&F. Him, Doof, and Vanessa make the show for me. Though my only real wish was for Perry to have a different villain that Doof. But I can see why P&F segments have lost steam.
Trust me when I say.... I don't know what emotion I will have when Gravity Falls get's hit with the cancel hammer. Provided that GF is still enjoyable/watchable at that point. Though speaking of, I kind of hope that this opens up Gravity Falls being the next big animated series they push. They do have the adult market with that with places like We Love Fine.
Quote from: Daxdiv on June 04, 2013, 11:50:42 PM
Quote from: Spark Of Spirit on June 04, 2013, 11:17:44 PM
I'm going to be honest, Daxdiv. It needs to happen.
I'm a fan of the Perry segments above all (they make the show), but the Phineas & Ferb plots have gotten worse and worse to the point where the last few (Backyard Hodgepodge?) have been downright embarrassing.
Perry is one of my main reasons as to why I watch P&F. Him, Doof, and Vanessa make the show for me. Though my only real wish was for Perry to have a different villain that Doof.
They did try to mix it up a few times with the Australian bounty hunter and the Canadian Belgian in the Canada episode and I think it worked out very well. The thing is, I think those episodes sort of proved that Perry is what makes the show so popular.
If they aren't thinking of a Perry spin-off I would be pretty disappointed. There's still a lot of gas in that tank.
Besides the upcoming Marvel special, a Star Wars crossover with the show was just announced.
I honestly don't see what's wrong with it, except for a couple of things.
1. Candace is a walking stereotype, always looking to "bust" P & F just because they're actually DOING something while she's being lazy, bored, & disinterested. Let's remember, too, that Ashley Tisdale has another project on the way on a rival network (Sabrina on the Hub), and having an experienced actress in the cast is the best thing for the show.
2. Perry does need to fight someone other than Doc Doofenshmirtz. That's quickly becoming stale. Even Kim Possible had an actual Rogues' Gallery other than that bumbling boob Drakken. Maybe if they spun Perry off.............
The general theme of the show is that P & F are motivated to do something every day. That's the message they're sending to the target audience. Find something to do that's fun on a day-to-day basis. That alone would've qualified P & F for the E/I designation and put it on ABC if Disney wasn't so lazy with the ABC Kids block at the end. Instead, P & F did some throwaway stuff with Brent Musburger at the Little League World Series and some other sporting event a couple of years back that would've been worth more if it meant the show being added to the SatAM ABC block.
It seems Isabella has a crush on Phineas, but he's not paying her any attention, other than doing things for her, like turning her and the Fireside Girls into bees in "Bee Story", but that actually recycled something from "Magic School Bus" nearly 20 years ago.
Hmmm, maybe Povenmire & Marsh should think about another crossover after doing Marvel & Star Wars. Like, maybe P & F teaming with Kim Possible........
I think the first two seasons of the show were pretty good, but starting with season three the series has gradually become less and less interesting, episodes like "Meepless in Seattle" and "Excaliferb" aside, and season 4 has been just plain boring, and I stopped watching around the beginning of this year and haven't looked back. I can't say I'm sad this might be ending. It's still Disney's longest running cartoon, with more episodes than it probably deserved milking it's same old repetitive plots over and over. I'd say it's time for to move on and look for the next big hit, rather than milk this down to a zombie Simpsons level shell.
Quote from: hobbyfan on August 04, 2013, 07:19:08 PM1. Candace is a walking stereotype, always looking to "bust" P & F just because they're actually DOING something while she's being lazy, bored, & disinterested. Let's remember, too, that Ashley Tisdale has another project on the way on a rival network (Sabrina on the Hub), and having an experienced actress in the cast is the best thing for the show.
It doesn't even make sense because she knows they're not being malicious and has in fact many, MANY, times shown that she knows it. So why she keeps doing it just reeks of safe writing in order to keep her in a simple role.
Quote2. Perry does need to fight someone other than Doc Doofenshmirtz. That's quickly becoming stale. Even Kim Possible had an actual Rogues' Gallery other than that bumbling boob Drakken. Maybe if they spun Perry off.............
This was something they actually tried to address by having other villains to fight and usually leaving Doof as his partner (he works well as a sidekick) to stop a newer threat. Unfortunately, they haven't done it enough. The Perry stuff is still the highlight of every episode, even when stale. If they made a show with just him and a brand new rogue gallery, I would watch it.
QuoteThe general theme of the show is that P & F are motivated to do something every day. That's the message they're sending to the target audience. Find something to do that's fun on a day-to-day basis. That alone would've qualified P & F for the E/I designation and put it on ABC if Disney wasn't so lazy with the ABC Kids block at the end. Instead, P & F did some throwaway stuff with Brent Musburger at the Little League World Series and some other sporting event a couple of years back that would've been worth more if it meant the show being added to the SatAM ABC block.
The problem is that they're clearly out of ideas when it comes to something new every episode. The "Backyard Hodgepodge" was pretty embarrassing stuff as was the talking food episode. If the show is ending, then that can only be a good thing.
QuoteHmmm, maybe Povenmire & Marsh should think about another crossover after doing Marvel & Star Wars. Like, maybe P & F teaming with Kim Possible........
I don't see that happening. Once Disney is finished with something, it usually stays that way unless enough people ask for something. Even the Darkwing Duck comic took a lot of work (though that wasn't Disney holding them back, Disney licensees are only interested in movie adaption merchandise for the most part) when that really should have been an obvious idea from day one.
I dunno man, the Lilo & Stitch crossover with Recess came out a couple of years after that was over. And if the Atlantis show was going to be made, there was talk of adding in a Gargoyles crossover in there as well.
I thought I remember hearing that the L&S crossovers were done while all those shows were in production, they just aired it really late.
But either way,I just don't see KP making a comeback anytime soon.
I don't disagree. If P&F would crossover with any show, it would be Gravity Falls.
Which actually doesn't like a bad idea, now that I think about it.
That would probably fit quite easily. If they were to do another cross-over, that would be the one I'd like to see.
Did anyone watch the "Mission Marvel" special? I thought it was pretty good for the most part, with quite a few legitimately funny moments. I did feel it went on a little too long though, but it definitely turned out a lot better than I expected it to be.
Why did the action scenes here have better animation than the other Marvel shows on XD?
Well, it was a special. Maybe they simply had enough money for it in it's budget. :??:
Phineas was awkwardly out of character.
All in all it was okay, but it's not one of their better specials.
What I watched was awful. Like Brainiac Attacks terrible.
Quote from: gunswordfist on August 19, 2013, 12:08:22 AM
What I watched was awful. Like Brainiac Attacks terrible.
I feel the same way. And yet, it was still better than the entirety of Man Of Action's output.
:D
Quote from: Foggle on August 19, 2013, 08:33:14 AM
Quote from: gunswordfist on August 19, 2013, 12:08:22 AM
What I watched was awful. Like Brainiac Attacks terrible.
I feel the same way. And yet, it was still better than the entirety of Man Of Action's output.
I don't watch the show (my pups still are glued to it) but the Doofenshmirtz webisodes are fun.
I watched Mission Marvel On Demand last night. What a let-down, and Marvel/Disney's version of Dumb & Dumber (Ear Loeb & Quesadilla) had 0 to do with it.
Candace is so star struck by the fact you have 4 superheroes visiting her brothers, she nearly wrecks the whole plot. Her insistence on "busting" the boys has got to go, too. I said that before.
However, her duet with Isabella was one of the best parts of the show. Go figure.
And it wouldn't be a Marvel project without Stan Lee, would it now? He even provided a bit of narration, like he did in the 80's.
It would've helped if Black Widow tagged along, so Isabella & Candace could've had someone to bond with......
I'm a bit surprised it's ending this soon. I would've figured they'd keep it running at least until the movie came out. Still, the show has been losing steam for some time now, so I think this is for the best.
It was a good run.
It wouldn't be the first time a movie had come out after the show had finished, but it's not much of a surprise.
That said, the show has been in a bit of a rut for awhile now. It was a good time to end it.
I still stand by belief that the show was never as big as Disney made it out to be. Clearly it was popular, but this was no SpongeBob killer or anything.
Still, that's a good run.
Er... it seems we all jumped the gun a bit (https://twitter.com/mmonogram/status/434379439640551425).
I guess the mouse house wants to run the show into the ground like the Sponge. Well, maybe the hiatus will give the crew time to think up some fresh material. Still odd that so much of the staff has been put out of a job though...
Well, it was an easy conclusion to jump to, I mean:
A) It's been on the air since 2007
B) It's currently on the tail end of its fourth season and this IS Disney, after all
C) The majority of the recent episodes have been clearly phoned in which leads to the impression that the staff is running low on ideas
D) Disney hasn't really been advertising the show for a while now
If it's coming back, it would be quite surprising. So here's hoping they plan a revamp for season 5.
Who knows, maybe a new crew could breathe fresh life into this series. Surely, this is the right step into that direction.
I actually enjoy this show a lot (though, to be fair, I've only seen the episodes that are out on DVD....and...yeah, the later ones seem to be groping hard for plot.)
Asking why Candace keeps trying to bust her brothers is like asking why Dick Dastardly doesn't realize that cheating never wins him the race, and that he should put all that time and effort into souping up his car instead. It's her function on the show. I don't need it to make sense. :D
This will easily be the best episode. (http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/08/18/shaun-of-the-dead-characters-appearing-in-phineas-and-ferb)
And guess which show wasn't a part of Disney's recent upfront either.
Wasn't expecting them to can it before the movie came out, honestly, but ratings and interest for it seem to have been declining a lot recently, so it makes sense.
I didn't even know that they were still doing regular episodes. I thought that the show was just doing specials, like the Marvel, Star Wars, and Lost thing.
They said a while back that it was on hiatus. If it comes back, I expect it to be a spin-off or retooled.
You know what I've been thinking lately? Apparently, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse ended as a series a couple of years ago, and no longer makes episodes on a regular basis. But it still does occasionally make a new special, or even the odd average episode or two infrequently.
What if the same is going to happen to P&F, and we're simply not getting anything for the show in the next few months to even a year? That would explain its lack of updates, but similar lack of confirmation that it's over.
That's what they've already been doing with it for a while. They air maybe one new episode or special after weeks (or months) of nothing and advertise constantly when they're about to air it. It still has a pocket of episodes to go through (and one special that we know of) and they could easily stretch that out to a year if they want.
Think Spongebob. They're still in season 9 and the show started 16 years ago, they only air one new episode like every three months or so. Who knows when season 9 will finally end, but they can definitely stretch it out as long as they want.
The finale airs June 12. (http://www.toonzone.net/2015/05/phineas-and-ferb-finale-coming-in-june-2015-series-creators-begin-working-on-new-show-mikey-murphys-law)
Quote from: Cartoon X on February 14, 2014, 03:30:14 PM
I'm a bit surprised it's ending this soon. I would've figured they'd keep it running at least until the movie came out. Still, the show has been losing steam for some time now, so I think this is for the best.
It was a good run.
Quote from: Cartoon X on March 06, 2015, 11:39:50 AM
Wasn't expecting them to can it before the movie came out, honestly, but ratings and interest for it seem to have been declining a lot recently, so it makes sense.
^My sentiments remain the same. :lol: I'll try and catch the marathon if I can, and am interested in checking out Dan and Jeff's next show.
Well, it was a good run. Here's hoping their next show is an even bigger improvement and success.
Well, it seems like as good of a time as ever. The show is nowhere near as popular as it used to be.
Caught the finale today. A lot less ambitious than what I was expecting, but as someone who hasn't watched an episode of the series in over 2 years, I quite enjoyed it, and it definitely sent the show off on a high note. I think I'll go back and watch some of the episodes I've missed these last few years, since from what I've heard there seems to have been some pretty good ones that I missed out on.
A spinoff based on O.W.C.A. is scheduled to air November 9.
http://affiliate.zap2it.com/tvlistings/ZCSGrid.do?fromTimeInMillis=1446699600000&stnNum=18279&channel=&sgt=grid&aid=xd
So, did anyone watch it tonight?
Ain't got XD.
They're back for one last go. (https://twitter.com/DiscussingFilm/status/1116471951776677888)
A new movie called Candance Against the Universe is in development for Disney+
P&F is back for 40 new episodes. (https://www.dgepress.com/disneybrandedtelevision/pressrelease/news-and-notes-from-disney-branded-televisions-2023-winter-television-critics-association-press-conferences)