The co-creators of Disney show Phineas And Ferb have teased the return of the beloved characters during a panel at D23, the Disney fan event in California.
Dan Povenmire and Jeff Marsh both got emotional about the show’s revival before sharing a teaser of the upcoming new series, which was a rough animatic of the original characters singing a new song about a “brand new summer vacation”.
The original show ran for four seasons from 2007 until 2015, with a later film Phineas And Ferb The Movie: Candace Against The Universe airing in 2020.
Among those reprising their role in the new series is High School Musical star Ashley Tisdale, who could be heard singing as her character Candace Flynn in the sneak peek.
Povenmire said for the original series he drew a lot of the dance poses, but didn’t have time for the reboot so asked TikTok star Cost n’ Mayor to choreograph a sequence to the new summer song.
Speaking about its revival, Povenmire said he was “afraid it would be like pulling teeth” because they were commissioned for two seasons with 40 episodes – but “it has been so fantastic”.
“It feels like the show, it has this energy of the (original) show but it also sort of feels like it is elevated in some ways, we just have a lot more energy because we’ve had a break from it,” he said.
“Eight or nine episodes of this season alone will be some people’s favourite episodes of all time.”
The pair said half of the writers from the original show have returned for the reboot, while the other half are writers “who grew up with the original show”.
Olivia Olson, who voiced Vanessa Doofenshmirtz in the original series, has also returned to the show as a writer.
Povenmire and Marsh, who first met sitting across from each other on The Simpsons, first incepted the Phineas And Ferb characters in 1992 – showing the audience original sketches of the beloved cartoon characters.
Marsh said the sketch of the evolution of the characters is framed in his house.
The duo said they pitched the show everywhere, and “even Disney turned it down the first time” because they wanted to make a girls’ programme, but called a year-and-a-half later to commission the show in 2005.
“We created the show and then didn’t work together for 13 years,” Povenmire joked.
Povenmire added that his goal is to have a Phineas And Ferb rollercoaster in Disneyland, suggesting to “skin the Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster”.
He confirmed season five is “coming soon, we don’t have a date yet but I think it is some of the best stuff we have ever done”.
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