Candace meets Jeremy's mother, voiced by Jane Lynch. Image: Disney Channel
I know I’ve been very subtle and secretive about it, but I really like Phineas and Ferb. In fact, most (if not all) of us here at GeekDad are fans of the show, and it’s not hard to see why: it celebrates imagination, innovation and invention, and does so in a consistently funny and geeky way. It is, as geek icon John Hodgman tweeted, “the only current show that rivals Mr Rogers/Schoolhouse Rock for modeling smarts, humor, decency, and good taste,” and higher praise would be hard to come by.
So, then, as part of my ongoing quest to get more and more people to watch Phineas and Ferb, because I want it to do so well it goes on for many more seasons, I have three items of news:
First: Tonight, at 9:00pm ET/PT, the first episode of the show’s third season will premiere on Disney Channel. Tune in to see Phineas and Ferb build a giant robot dog, Candace and Jeremy literally become attached at the hip and Agent P work to prevent Dr. Doofenshmirtz from causing a big soccer game to be rained out (not all in the same story, of course). If you miss it tonight, you can find it “on demand” on most cable/fiber optic service providers, or catch it tomorrow at 8:00am ET/PT on Disney XD. The show’s third season promises to be a good one — they’ve got an incredible line-up of guest voices, including Michael Douglas, Jane Lynch, Tina Fey, Michael J. Fox, Anna Paquin, Joan Cusack and Jamie Oliver.
Second: Speaking of tomorrow, and of Agent P, tomorrow has been declared “Platypus Day” by Disney. In honor of Perry/Agent P, Disney XD will be running a Phineas and Ferb marathon from 8:00am (the season 3 premiere, as mentioned above) to 5:00pm ET/PT. As soon as that marathon ends, Disney Channel will air six episodes (until 8:00pm ET/PT) of the show that focus on everyone’s favorite fedora-wearing monotreme. As if that weren’t enough, Disney XD’s website has (already available) a host of Perry-related games and activities to help celebrate the day.
Tabitha Comstock with Swampy Marsh. Photo: Disney Channel
And third, a heartwarming story: Back in January, Disney and Make-a-Wish Foundation teamed up to fulfill the wish of a 16-year-old girl named Tabitha Comstock. Tabitha’s wish? To go behind the scenes at Phineas and Ferb. She met the show’s creators, Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh, observed the production of an episode, and — coolest of all— got to provide the voice for a character who will appear in an episode of season 3. Not really news, I suppose, but a good story anyhow.
