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Rollercoaster (Phineas and Ferb episode)
Encyclopedia
"Rollercoaster" is the pilot episode
of the Disney Channel
original animated
television series Phineas and Ferb
, originally broadcast on Disney Channel
on August 17, 2007, Toon Disney on September 1, 2008, and Disney XD on February 13, 2009. The episode follows series protagonist
s Phineas and Ferb building an extremely large roller coaster panning from their backyard to throughout the city.
"Rollercoaster" was written by co-creators Dan Povenmire
and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. Povenmire directed the episode, as well. The two used the episode to pitch the entire series to Disney. They recorded a set of storyboard reels and had Povenmire voiced them over; they then sent it overseas. The preview of the episode totaled a combined 10.8 million viewers. Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from critics.
(Vincent Martella
) and Ferb
(Thomas Sangster
) are sitting lazily under the big tree in their backyard when they decide to construct a large rollercoaster. With their mother Linda (Caroline Rhea
) at the grocery store, their sister Candace (Ashley Tisdale
) wants to catch them in the act and "bust" them.
Candace goes to the store to tell their mom of the boys activities, though she is keen on neglecting it. Isabella (Alyson Stoner
) asks Candace at The Flynn-Fletcher house if Phineas and Ferb are home, but Candace ignores her. Isabella then goes to Phineas with hearts in her eyes and says her common catchphrase "Whatcha doin'?". She says "Isn't that impossible?" to Phineas and says that she will go swimming, but Phineas declines and Isabella leaves. Phineas and Ferb begin working on the coaster. Meanwhile, Perry the Platypus
(Dee Bradley Baker
) performs his act as a "secret Agent
P
", being informed by Major Francis Monogram (Jeff "Swampy" Marsh) that Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Dan Povenmire) has bought 80% of the tri-state area's tin foil. Perry darts off to investigate what Dr. Doofenshmirtz is doing.
With their rollercoaster finally finished, Phineas and Ferb unveil it to their entire neighborhood in a glamor-filled light show
with notable guests being Isabella, Ginger, and Katie. They all rocket off on the rollercoaster, which spirals around buildings and swoops through parking lots. Doofenshmirtz, meanwhile, reveals that he is using the tin foil to cover it over the eastern seaboard, use a magnet to pull it, and thereby reverse the Earth's rotation – from there, he is lost. Perry fights him, ensuing in the magnet activating. Doofensmirtz's idea was wrong, sending a giant ball of tin foil hurtling at them. They frantically try to stop it.
Perry attempts to solve the problem using a helicopter
(causing The D.E.Inc to get hit), which inadvertently causes the rollercoaster to crumble and speed off the tracks. As they spiral around the world and eventually space, Candace continues to try and bust them, even on the way home. The magnet is stopped, as Phineas and Ferb return home, Candace a second too late. Isabella says that was the best ride ever and she and Phineas talk about Perry and that he may lay an egg. Ferb burps from having peanut butter
, which Isabella says that was cool and she leaves at that point. The episode ends with the roller coaster exploding in the boys' backyard tree and Dr. Doofenshmirtz is seen rolling in the background setting. Upon the rollercoaster exploding Candace tries to bust the boys again. Mom responds by saying ``Give it a rest Candace!``
Co-creators Dan Povenmire
and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh had developed the idea for their own series while they were a writing team on the Nickelodeon
animated series Rocko's Modern Life
. The two had become friends due to their mutual tastes and interests. Citing their childhood, they wanted to incorporate summer vacations, a time when the two would go out and do something constructive. They spent sixteen years pitching it to a plethora of networks, all of which kept shooting it down due to its complexity. When Povenmire landed a pitch with Disney, despite being unsure at first, the series was accepted.
Povenmire and Marsh both wrote the episode 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. The series was accepted after 16 years of development and the episode was produced. Several lines and scenes from the storyboard were removed or altered in the eventual production of the episode. 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.
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. Another character, Jeremy, who is usually voiced by Mitchel Musso
, briefly appeared in the episode in a different voice than usual from an unknown voice extra. The end credits of the episode list several extras who possibly voiced him, including Dee Bradley Baker, Raviv Ullman, and the co-creators. The episode used live action
briefly in the shot in which the kids fall to Earth, a technique featured in two other episodes to date: Out to Launch and The Chronicles of Meap.
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
. Later, the same Candace goes back into the past to stop the adult Candace from causing the disaster.
Inspired by the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" (which saw the crew of the newer series interacting with the events of the original series episode "The Trouble with Tribbles"), the use of "Rollercoaster" within the plot was viewed by Marsh as "a great way to interweave a story."
wanted to start off the series in a special way, though they did not to use "Rollercoaster"; instead, they choose the episode "Flop Starz
", and aired it in a worldwide premiere.
and on Disney Channel on Demand on Verizon on January 21, 2011. It was titled "Rollercoaster: The Musical!" The episode features the original storyline, except it is put into a musical
setting.
The episode included many Easter eggs
from previous episodes. When Candace and her mother leave the supermarket, two future Candaces
can be seen in the parking lot. Also, while the roller coaster is flung into space, Meap can be seen in his spaceship. For the finale of the episode, the cast of the show performed "Carpe Diem" and almost every major and minor character from previous episodes of the show made cameos in the performance, including the Goozim from the episode "Got Game?", that also appears in Phineas and Ferb Movie. Kenny Ortega
made a special cameo as the choreographer of the performance.
Various phrases from the original episode were made into songs with two songs added in the episode, including:
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
of the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
original animated
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
television series Phineas and Ferb
Phineas and Ferb
Phineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which...
, originally broadcast on Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
on August 17, 2007, Toon Disney on September 1, 2008, and Disney XD on February 13, 2009. The episode follows series protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
s Phineas and Ferb building an extremely large roller coaster panning from their backyard to throughout the city.
"Rollercoaster" was written by co-creators Dan Povenmire
Dan Povenmire
Daniel Kingsley "Dan" Povenmire is an American television director, writer, producer, storyboard artist, and actor associated with several animated television series, best known as the co-creator of the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb in which he also voices the show's villain, Heinz...
and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. Povenmire directed the episode, as well. The two used the episode to pitch the entire series to Disney. They recorded a set of storyboard reels and had Povenmire voiced them over; they then sent it overseas. The preview of the episode totaled a combined 10.8 million viewers. Since airing, the episode has received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot summary
Stepbrothers PhineasPhineas Flynn
Phineas Flynn is the main protagonist of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. Voiced by Vincent Martella and created and designed by Dan Povenmire, Phineas first appeared along with the rest of the series' main characters in the pilot episode "Rollercoaster." Phineas, along with his...
(Vincent Martella
Vincent Martella
Vincent Michael Martella is an American teen actor and singer. He is best known for his role as Greg Wuliger on the UPN/CW sitcom Everybody Hates Chris, and for the voice of Phineas Flynn in Disney Channel's original animated show Phineas and Ferb...
) and Ferb
Ferb Fletcher
Ferb Fletcher is the deuteragonist from the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. The character, voiced by British actor Thomas Sangster, was created by Phineas and Ferb co-founders Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and first appeared in the show's pilot episode, "Rollercoaster."Ferb and...
(Thomas Sangster
Thomas Sangster
Thomas Brodie Sangster is an English film and television actor, best known for his roles in Love Actually, Nanny McPhee, The Last Legion, and voice of Ferb Fletcher in Phineas and Ferb.-Personal life:...
) are sitting lazily under the big tree in their backyard when they decide to construct a large rollercoaster. With their mother Linda (Caroline Rhea
Caroline Rhea
Caroline Gilchrist Rhea is a Canadian stand-up comedian and actress who was the original host of the reality television show The Biggest Loser on NBC until she was replaced by Alison Sweeney after the end of the third season...
) at the grocery store, their sister Candace (Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale is an American actress and singer who rose to prominence portraying the candy-counter girl Maddie Fitzpatrick in Disney Channel's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody and the female antagonist Sharpay Evans in the High School Musical film series...
) wants to catch them in the act and "bust" them.
Candace goes to the store to tell their mom of the boys activities, though she is keen on neglecting it. Isabella (Alyson Stoner
Alyson Stoner
Alyson Rae Stoner is an American actress, dancer and singer. Stoner is known for her roles in The Suite Life of Zack & Cody , Cheaper By The Dozen and Cheaper By The Dozen 2 , Step Up and Step Up 3 , and Camp Rock and Camp Rock 2...
) asks Candace at The Flynn-Fletcher house if Phineas and Ferb are home, but Candace ignores her. Isabella then goes to Phineas with hearts in her eyes and says her common catchphrase "Whatcha doin'?". She says "Isn't that impossible?" to Phineas and says that she will go swimming, but Phineas declines and Isabella leaves. Phineas and Ferb begin working on the coaster. Meanwhile, Perry the Platypus
Perry the Platypus
Perry the Platypus, also known as Agent P or simply Perry is an anthropomorphic platypus from the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. Perry is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker and created by the series' co-founders, Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh...
(Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker
Dee Bradley Baker is an American voice actor. He is noted as his long-running-role as Klaus Heissler in American Dad! and other various characters including Squilliam Fancyson in the hit TV series SpongeBob SquarePants, Nightcrawler in X-Men: Legends and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance...
) performs his act as a "secret Agent
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
P
Perry the Platypus
Perry the Platypus, also known as Agent P or simply Perry is an anthropomorphic platypus from the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. Perry is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker and created by the series' co-founders, Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh...
", being informed by Major Francis Monogram (Jeff "Swampy" Marsh) that Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz (Dan Povenmire) has bought 80% of the tri-state area's tin foil. Perry darts off to investigate what Dr. Doofenshmirtz is doing.
With their rollercoaster finally finished, Phineas and Ferb unveil it to their entire neighborhood in a glamor-filled light show
Laser lighting display
A laser lighting display or laser light show involves the use of laser light to entertain an audience. A laser light show may consist only of projected laser beams set to music, or may accompany another form of entertainment, typically a dance concert or other musical performance.Laser light is...
with notable guests being Isabella, Ginger, and Katie. They all rocket off on the rollercoaster, which spirals around buildings and swoops through parking lots. Doofenshmirtz, meanwhile, reveals that he is using the tin foil to cover it over the eastern seaboard, use a magnet to pull it, and thereby reverse the Earth's rotation – from there, he is lost. Perry fights him, ensuing in the magnet activating. Doofensmirtz's idea was wrong, sending a giant ball of tin foil hurtling at them. They frantically try to stop it.
Perry attempts to solve the problem using a helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
(causing The D.E.Inc to get hit), which inadvertently causes the rollercoaster to crumble and speed off the tracks. As they spiral around the world and eventually space, Candace continues to try and bust them, even on the way home. The magnet is stopped, as Phineas and Ferb return home, Candace a second too late. Isabella says that was the best ride ever and she and Phineas talk about Perry and that he may lay an egg. Ferb burps from having peanut butter
Peanut butter
Peanut butter is a food paste made primarily from ground dry roasted peanuts, popular in North America, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and parts of Asia, particularly the Philippines and Indonesia. It is mainly used as a sandwich spread, sometimes in combination as in the peanut butter and jelly...
, which Isabella says that was cool and she leaves at that point. The episode ends with the roller coaster exploding in the boys' backyard tree and Dr. Doofenshmirtz is seen rolling in the background setting. Upon the rollercoaster exploding Candace tries to bust the boys again. Mom responds by saying ``Give it a rest Candace!``
Development and casting
Co-creators Dan Povenmire
Dan Povenmire
Daniel Kingsley "Dan" Povenmire is an American television director, writer, producer, storyboard artist, and actor associated with several animated television series, best known as the co-creator of the Disney animated series Phineas and Ferb in which he also voices the show's villain, Heinz...
and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh had developed the idea for their own series while they were a writing team on the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
animated series Rocko's Modern Life
Rocko's Modern Life
Rocko's Modern Life is an animated series created by Joe Murray. The show aired for four seasons between 1993 and 1996 on Nickelodeon. Rocko's Modern Life is based around the surreal, parodic adventures of an anthropomorphic wallaby named Rocko, and his life in the city of O-Town...
. The two had become friends due to their mutual tastes and interests. Citing their childhood, they wanted to incorporate summer vacations, a time when the two would go out and do something constructive. They spent sixteen years pitching it to a plethora of networks, all of which kept shooting it down due to its complexity. When Povenmire landed a pitch with Disney, despite being unsure at first, the series was accepted.
Povenmire and Marsh both wrote the episode and used it as the pitch for the entire series. Unlike normal series, they did not send a script to the overseas Disney
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
executives, but set up a storyboard and mixed it over with dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
by Povenmire, then set up a "play-by-play" and recorded it. The series was accepted after 16 years of development and the episode was produced. Several lines and scenes from the storyboard were removed or altered in the eventual production of the episode. 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.
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. Another character, Jeremy, who is usually voiced by Mitchel Musso
Mitchel Musso
Mitchel Tate Musso is an American actor, singer-songwriter and musician. Musso is best known for his three Disney Channel roles as Oliver Oken in the Disney Channel sitcom, Hannah Montana, Jeremy Johnson in the Disney Channel animated series Phineas and Ferb and his role as King Brady in the...
, briefly appeared in the episode in a different voice than usual from an unknown voice extra. The end credits of the episode list several extras who possibly voiced him, including Dee Bradley Baker, Raviv Ullman, and the co-creators. The episode used live action
Live action
In filmmaking, video production, and other media, the term live action refers to cinematography, videography not produced using animation...
briefly in the shot in which the kids fall to Earth, a technique featured in two other episodes to date: Out to Launch and The Chronicles of Meap.
The events of "Rollercoaster" would be revisited in the season 2 episode "Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo
Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo
"Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb, and the 72nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Disney XD in the United States on September 21, 2009...
", which sees a future adult version of Candace returning to the events of the episode in a time machine
Time Machine
A time machine is a fictional/hypothetical device used to achieve time travel. The term may also refer to:-Novels and films:* The Time Machine, an 1895 novel by H. G...
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
Subplot
A subplot is a secondary plot strand that is a supporting side story for any story or the main plot. Subplots may connect to main plots, in either time and place or in thematic significance...
antagonist Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
Doctor Heinz Doofenshmirtz is the main antagonist of the show Phineas and Ferb. Doofenshmirtz is voiced by Dan Povenmire and created by Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. Doofenshmirtz first appeared in the pilot episode of the series and since then has appeared in every episode to date except...
. Later, the same Candace goes back into the past to stop the adult Candace from causing the disaster.
Inspired by the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
episode "Trials and Tribble-ations" (which saw the crew of the newer series interacting with the events of the original series episode "The Trouble with Tribbles"), the use of "Rollercoaster" within the plot was viewed by Marsh as "a great way to interweave a story."
Broadcast
The episode originally aired as a preview after the premiere of High School Musical 2 on August 17, 2007, with a rating of TV-Y7. Disney ChannelDisney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
wanted to start off the series in a special way, though they did not to use "Rollercoaster"; instead, they choose the episode "Flop Starz
Flop Starz
"Flop Starz" is the first segment for the first official aired episode of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. The episode was originally broadcast on Disney Channel on February 1, 2008. In the episode, Phineas and Ferb become one-hit wonders in the matter of a morning...
", and aired it in a worldwide premiere.
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. 4.15 million were in the demographic of kids 6–11, while 4.20 million were in the tweens 9–14 category. These high ratings lead to the episode being the second highest-rated telecast Disney Channel received in its recorded history.Musical
A remake of the episode aired on January 29, 2011 on Disney ChannelDisney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
and on Disney Channel on Demand on Verizon on January 21, 2011. It was titled "Rollercoaster: The Musical!" The episode features the original storyline, except it is put into a musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
setting.
The episode included many Easter eggs
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
from previous episodes. When Candace and her mother leave the supermarket, two future Candaces
Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo
"Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo" is the fourteenth episode of the second season of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb, and the 72nd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on Disney XD in the United States on September 21, 2009...
can be seen in the parking lot. Also, while the roller coaster is flung into space, Meap can be seen in his spaceship. For the finale of the episode, the cast of the show performed "Carpe Diem" and almost every major and minor character from previous episodes of the show made cameos in the performance, including the Goozim from the episode "Got Game?", that also appears in Phineas and Ferb Movie. Kenny Ortega
Kenny Ortega
Kenneth John "Kenny" Ortega is an American producer, director, and choreographer. He is known for directing the High School Musical trilogy and Michael Jackson's This Is It concert tour.-Life and career:...
made a special cameo as the choreographer of the performance.
Various phrases from the original episode were made into songs with two songs added in the episode, including:
- Hey Ferb is Phineas's song 01
- You're Goin' Down is Candace's song 01
- What'cha Doin?' is Isabella's song
- My Whole World Is the Screen is Major Monogram's song
- Mom Look is Candace's song 02
- Aren't You a Little Young? is Phineas's song 02
- Back in Gimmelsthump is Heinz Doofenshmirtz's song
- Rollercoaster is Phineas's song 03
- Carpe Diem is the whole cast's song
Footnotes
- 1. 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'.
External links
- Rollercoaster on Phineas and FerbPhineas and FerbPhineas and Ferb is an American animated television comedy series. Originally broadcast as a preview on August 17, 2007, on Disney Channel, the series follows Phineas Flynn and his English stepbrother Ferb Fletcher on summer vacation. Every day the boys embark on some grand new project, which...
WikiWikiA wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
, an external wiki - Official Phineas and Ferb website