Rollercoaster (Phineas and Ferb)
"Rollercoaster" | |
---|---|
Phineas and Ferb episode | |
Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
Directed by | Dan Povenmire |
Written by | |
Featured music | "Perry"[1][a] |
Production code | 101a |
Original air date | August 17, 2007 |
"Rollercoaster" is the first episode of the American
"Rollercoaster" was written by co-creators
Voice cast
- Vincent Martella as Phineas Flynn
- Thomas Sangster as Ferb Fletcher
- Candace Flynn
- Isabella Garcia-Shapiro
- Linda Flynn
- Dee Bradley Baker as Perry the Platypus
- Dan Povenmire as Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, Factory Manager
- Major Monogram
Plot summary
Candace goes to the store to tell their Mom of the boys' activity, though she is keen on neglecting it, while their neighbor and best friend Isabella (
Perry attempts to solve the problem by hooking the magnet to a helicopter, causing the magnet to go with it. This attempt is unsuccessful, and Doofenshmirtz and the top of his building are sent throwing away by the tin foil ball. The magnet attracts the Magnetism Magnifier, which picks up the entire rollercoaster, preventing Linda from seeing it. Perry cuts the cable, making the rollercoaster drop to the ground, then jumps into the rollercoaster while placing his hat onto Isabella to avoid blowing his cover. Phineas looks behind him and utters, "Oh, there you are, Perry." The rollercoaster reaches the broken end of the track and starts flying across the world and into space, Candace who had unsuccessfully been trying to get her mother to see the rollercoaster, makes her mother drive home to see that Phineas and Ferb are not there. However, the rollercoaster lands back on Earth and into the tree in their backyard, with the rollercoaster stuck in the tree but Phineas and Ferb fall out, leaving Linda able to see her children but not the rollercoaster, causing Candace to stutter. As the other children fall out of the tree, the episode ends with Isabella having a friendly conversation with the stepbrothers before returning home, as the rollercoaster explodes (causing Candace to call for Linda again, but Linda tells her to rest) and the giant tin foil ball is rolling around town.
Production
Conception
Series co-creator
Povenmire and Marsh both wrote "Rollercoaster", and used it as the pitch for the entire series. Unlike normal series, they did not send a script to the overseas Disney executives, but set up a storyboard and mixed it over with dialogue by Povenmire, then set up a "play-by-play" and recorded it.[2] The series was accepted after 16 years of development and the episode was produced.[5] Several lines and scenes from the storyboard were removed or altered in the eventual production of the episode.[2] Several such scenes were eventually used in later episodes, such as a scene later used in the episode "Gaming the System", in which Doofenshmirtz waits a few seconds, until precisely 11:00, before initiating his plan.[6] Povenmire and Marsh wanted to include two things in every episode; a song, and an action or chase scene. However, the song in every episode did not begin until "Flop Starz", the next episode.[3]
Casting
Vincent Martella, Thomas Sangster, and Ashley Tisdale, who voice Phineas, Ferb, and Candace respectively, were all hired by the casting department because of their popularity within the target age-group and general belief in their ability to perform their roles.
Broadcast
The episode originally aired as a preview after the premiere of
Reception
When originally aired on August 17, 2007, "Rollercoaster" peaked high ratings in several categories. The preview garnered a recorded amount of 10.8 million viewers.[14] 4.15 million were in the demographic of kids 6–11, while 4.20 million were in their teens 9–14 category.[15] These high ratings lead to the episode being the second highest-rated telecast Disney Channel received in its recorded history.[16]
Related episodes
The events of "Rollercoaster" would be revisited in the season 2 episode "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo", which sees a future adult version of Candace returning to the events of the episode in a time machine to help her present counterpart successfully bust Phineas and Ferb for the rollercoaster. However, this action led to a chain reaction that soon followed, turning the future version of Danville into a dystopian society led by subplot antagonist Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.[17] Later, the same Candace goes back into the past to stop the adult Candace from causing the disaster.
The events of the episode would be remade into a musical in the episode "Rollercoaster: The Musical".
The Phineas and Ferb spin-off series Milo Murphy's Law episode "Murphy's Lard" references this episode; in a flashback, when the rollercoaster drops to the ground, it almost crushes Melissa, giving her a fear of rollercoasters.
Notes
- ^ Original broadcasts and the sneak peek of the episode have the song in the end credits. Other airings, however, include the song at the end of "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror!" instead whilst others have Major Monogram singing: 'My Whole World is a Screen'.
References
- ^ Yoo, Jean. "Disney Channel Medianet". Retrieved July 1, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Original Pitch featurette, from Volume 1: The Fast and the Phineas (DVD). 2008.
- ^ a b c d Strike, Joe. "From Swampy & Dan Emerges Phineas and Ferb", Page 1". Animation World Magazine.
- ^ Galas, Marjorie. "Phineas and Ferb: Music, Mischief, And The Endless Summer Vacation". 411 News. Retrieved July 3, 2009.
- ^ a b Perez, Lauren (May 12, 2008). "USC dropout makes it big in animation". Archived from the original on August 21, 2009.
- ^ "Gaming the System". Phineas and Ferb. Season 2. April 11, 2009. Disney XD.
- ^ Povenmie, Dan; Marsh, Jeff "Swampy". Promotion of Phineas and Ferb at Comic Con (Video).
- UKonly
- ^ ""Rollercoaster" end credits". Phineas and Ferb. Season 1. Episode 1. August 17, 2007.
- ^ Writers: Kim Roberson, Piero Piluso, Ken Osborne (December 5, 2008). "Out to Launch". Phineas and Ferb. Season 1. Disney Channel.
- ^ "The Chronicles of Meap". Phineas and Ferb. Season 2. April 18, 2009. Disney XD.
- ^ Piper Reese, Dan Povenmire, Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. Piper's Picks TV #032: Piper Goes Hollywood – Dr. Doofenshmirtz & Major Monogram!.
- ^ McDonough, Kevin (February 1, 2008). "'Phineas and Ferb' is frantic from start to finish". South Coast Today.
- ^ Littleton, Cynthia. ""High School Musical 2" : OMG! It's a cable ratings record". Variety.
- ^ Umstead, R. Thomas (January 27, 2008). "'Ferb' Next Big Tween Thing". Multichannel News.
- ^ Brady, Shirley (August 20, 2007). "'High School Musical 2' Aces Nielsen Final". Cable360. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012.
- ^ Fritz, Steve (September 17, 2009). "Animated Shorts 601: Phineas & Ferb Keep Summer Alive". Newsarama. Retrieved October 30, 2009.