Phineas and Ferb is one of Disney Channel’s best original TV shows, and when it premiered, it changed the landscape of family-friendly 2000s pop culture. The adventures of the inventor brothers, their scheming sister, and their crime-fighting platypus were wildly wonderful, while the humor was surprisingly clever, quickly endearing the show to kids and their parents.
Phineas and Ferb also features Ashley Tisdale, one of the biggest stars on Disney Channel at the time, due to her roles as hardworking Maddie Fitzpatrick in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and school diva Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical trilogy.
Phineas and Ferb contrasts with Disney Channel’s live-action ventures in almost every way imaginable, but it somehow fits right in with this lineup. With the arrival of Phineas and Ferb season 5, 2000s kids may look back on how this was the case from the very beginning.
Disney Channel Saw Record-Breaking Viewership
High School Musical debuted in 2006 and became beloved as one of Disney Channel’s best original movies, which led to massive anticipation for High School Musical 2 in 2007. When this movie premiered on Disney Channel in August, it broke records by attracting 17.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched basic-cable telecast in history at the time (via Variety).
And, immediately after this, the first preview of Phineas and Ferb aired. It is retrospectively an excellent double feature, with both titles featuring Ashley Tisdale and a summer vacation theme. High School Musical 2 focuses on the East High cast starting their summer vacation and looking for summer jobs, with future tuition fees in mind.
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Phineas and Ferb comes back as good as ever, and starts on some new storylines for Phineas, Ferb, Candace, the rest of Danville.
Meanwhile, Phineas and Ferb kicks off by establishing Phineas and Ferb’s determination to have a full summer vacation — starting with building an actual rollercoaster.Phineas and Ferb‘s first episode managed to retain 10.8 million of High School Musical 2‘s viewers, making for one of the biggest nights in Disney Channel history, both in numbers and in the debut of two of the network’s most iconic properties.
Phineas And Ferb Came From The Golden Age Of Disney Channel
All The Best Disney Channel TV Shows Are From The 2000s
This night was an event that could only happen during the golden age of Disney Channel, spearheaded by projects like High School Musical and Phineas and Ferb. This was also the era of Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, and more.
Most of these shows won’t be considered highbrow by the critics, but all of them have aspects that make them worthy of genuine artistic praise and represent peak nostalgia for the now-grown kids of this decade.
Phineas And Ferb Has Continued Strong Into The Streaming Era
The Cartoon Series Pulled Through Massive Industry Changes
The are fewer Disney Channel original shows so beloved these days, and network television has more broadly been in decline with the rise of streaming. Thus, major events like millions of people tuning in to watch something as campy yet heartfelt as High School Musical just don’t happen anymore. But Phineas and Ferb‘s structure and tone have uniquely enabled it to survive the transition into streaming.
The series was uploaded to Disney+ like the rest of the company’s movies and TV shows when the service debuted, and it turned out to be excellent streaming fare. The strong comedy and lighthearted tone make it good comfort television, something that was needed around the time of the pandemic.
This was also when the Phineas and Ferb showrunners produced their second spinoff movie, leading to them being offered a chance to revive the show. Now, Phineas and Ferb is enjoying popularity with old and new fans as episodes are dropped on Disney+.
