When “Phineas and Ferb” returns for Season 5 on Thursday, it’ll have been just shy of a decade since the Season 4 finale aired on The Disney Channel back in June 2015.
And while “Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe” debuted on Disney+ in August 2020, the team behind the Emmy-winning animated series told TheWrap at Saturday’s premiere just how touching it was to see the cartoon remain relevant in pop culture despite 10 years off the air.
“I’m so grateful, I feel like fans have always been such a big part of our success and that’s not unnoticed,” Ashley Tisdale said. “I love that they make trending sounds on TikTok of Candace and Phineas and Ferb. Literally, they got us here today.”
“It’s something I discovered during the pandemic when I got onto TikTok. There’s a whole group of people still talking about the show, still singing these songs,” co-creator and voice actor Dan Povenmire agreed. “That really made me feel great during that dark time, whenever I needed a pick-me-up.”
As fans have already seen in the extended teaser, Phineas and Ferb are indeed about to embark on their fifth summer vacation. But what exactly has changed behind the scenes since the original run of the series, if anything?
“We’re starting back in where we left off. Our hope is that if people were to watch the fourth season and then continued into Season 5, that you wouldn’t even feel a bump,” Povenmire explained. “The energy may be a little elevated since we’re all so excited to come back.”
“We changed Phineas — we gave him an extra stripe on his shirt,” he then noted, to which fellow co-creator Jeff “Swampy” Marsh added: “We had to go in and change the models just for that. We also had to upgrade Candace’s phone.”
“It’s a continuation of the greatness that the original run was. It has grown with the audience base a little bit — some inside baseball jokes for the old fans but also new fans can just dive right in and enjoy it for the first time,” star Olivia Olson echoed. “I’m in the writers’ room this season, so getting autonomy over where I wanted to take Vanessa’s story is really fun. I feel like I am Vanessa, rolling my eyes at my dad.”
“I don’t think optimism goes out of style, and this show is fundamentally optimistic about the world and about people and children and families,” Dee Bradley Baker shared. “There’s just not enough optimism and hope in this world, but this show brings it and people love it because of that. There’s no darkness.”
“I feel like the luckiest person. My Starbucks cup used to say Aunt Hilda, but now, Linda Flynn-Fletcher is more well-known,” revealed Caroline Rhea, who has an upcoming special called “I Identify as a Witch” coming out soon. “I’ve been a comedian for 36 years, that’s my real job. So when I do stand-up and people don’t know that, it feels like finding out your kindergarten teacher is a stripper.”
“I’ve been fortunate to participate in a lot of wonderful projects, but ‘Phineas and Ferb’ is by far the show that I’m recognized for the most,” said Alyson Stoner, who has a new book titled “Semi-Well-Adjusted” on the way. “It’s pretty remarkable. They were pitching this show for nearly 20 years before someone gave it a chance.”
“I’ve played Phineas for 18 years. He’s been a part of my life for so, so long. Whether it’s the music coming back or people introducing the show to their children, the generational appeal is incredible. This is a very unique, special show,” Vincent Martella gushed. “I’ve had friends say the ‘If I had a nickel’ quote to me, not realizing it was a ‘Phineas and Ferb’ meme. It’s really fun that I work on a show that is so ingrained in society.”
“It’s so heartwarming. Whenever I tell people I voice Stacy — whether they’re adults or kids — they’re always so excited,” Kelly Hu elaborated. “The show has certainly permeated the psyche of so many people. So many people who watched it as kids still watch it, since the humor is geared towards both adults and kids, so families can watch it together.”
“I’m the luckiest ‘Phineas and Ferb’ fan in the world, because I loved the show before I got involved,” David Errigo Jr. said. “Perry the Platypus has been my text notification since 2012. I am astounded that the show is back with more episodes and I am just delighted.”
Plus, while Tisdale’s daughter Jupiter proudly knows her mom as Sharpay Evans from “High School Musical,” is she aware the star also voices Phineas and Ferb’s older sister? “She’s four, so she’s starting to be like, ‘I can hear your voice!’ She didn’t really understand what the animation was before.”
The Hollywood premiere event also included performances from Olson, Tisdale, Martella and the Linda Lindas, as well as multiple photo ops, themed treats, customizable bandanas, branded fans, Perry the Platypus hats and even Disney World-worthy recreations of set pieces from the show. Other notable guests included Ken Marino, Shawn Ashmore, Jake Thomas, Phill Lewis, Brian Stepanek, Roshon Fegan, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Cody Linley, Diedrich Bader, Whitney Port, Dani Bowman, Josh Sussman, Joey Bragg, John O’Hurley, Meredith Roberts, Ayo Davis and the cast of “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place.”
“Phineas and Ferb” Season 5 premieres Thursday on Disney Channel before streaming the next day on Disney+.
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