Dan Povenmire & Jeff “Swampy” Marsh Last Day of Summer with Phineas & Ferb #PhineasAndFerbEvent

During a time when cartoons were becoming disgusting, crude and sometimes plain out rude. Phineas & Ferb entertained a generation with good clean summer fun as they celebrate summer vacation.

Photo Credit: Disney XD/Valerie Macon

After 4 season’s of touching the hearts of millions of people with their quirky and creative inventions, Phineas and Ferb is bidding us a fair well in their season finale “Last Day of Summer”. The special episode airs June 12, 2015 on The Disney Channel and Disney XD at 9 pm EST.

I was blessed to have a heartfelt interview with executive producer and creator; Dan Povenmire & Jeff “Swampy” Marsh, as they shared their thoughts on the conclusion of the series.

Photo Credit: Disney XD/Valerie Macon

What inspired them to create the show?

Dan Povenmire: The inspiration behind Phineas and Ferb was from Jeff “Swampy” Marsh and my childhood. Growing up both of us were sort of creative kids with parents that would allow us to do ridiculous imaginative things.

Why did they decide to end the show now?
Dan Povenmire: We have been at this for a decade, and I felt like this was a good time. The show is still good and fresh. I am just as proud of most of the fourth season, as I am of the first ones. And I, felt like let’s go out before it started to feel tired.

What is the most inspirational letter or comment you received from a fan?

Jeff “Swampy” Marsh: I don’t have a favorite, but you would be shocked at how many letters we have received from people telling us they made it through difficult times watching the show.

Dan Povenmire: Somebody sent us a letter that said “Before their child begin watching Phineas and Ferb they would sit through an art class and never draw anything. But after the show they enjoyed the class, and she saw all the creativity coming out of him”. She included a picture of a drawing; her child did of Phineas and Ferb on a piece of line paper. That makes me proud when we get letters like that.

A couple of weeks ago, when they announced the show was ending. There were hundreds of people on tweeter saying beautiful things about the show. Like, “This is the show that got me through PTSD” or “The show made my son smile during his chemotherapy”, and I started crying like I’m doing right now.

Did the success of the show surprise them?

Dan Povenmire: I’ve worked on a lot of shows that have become successful, and I felt like, I can do that. But it took off much quicker and much bigger than, we thought.

Photo Credit: Disney XD/Valerie Macon

Would you like to see Phineas and Ferb make an appearance down the road?

Dan Povenmire: We have thought about it, but we know these things have a life of their own. They’re still making Scooby Doo, you know. We were sort of the Scooby Doo for a whole generation and were one that all the kids were watching for a significant portion of time.

So I could imagine ten years from now dusting it off and wanting to do more with or without us you know. I would never say no.

Jeff “Swampy” Marsh: Never say never.

What is next for you guys?

Dan Povenmire: We just sold another show to Disney called Mikey Murphy’s Law, and we’re just in the starting phases of writing it and hiring artist. I feel like this is a good follow-up to Phineas and Ferb because it is an entirely different show, yet has the same positivity like Phineas and Ferb.

The new show is really about meeting adversity with positivity and optimism. The story is about Mikey, who is the great, great grandchild of Murphy from Murphy’s Law; “Whatever can go wrong, will go wrong”. So whatever can go wrong does go wrong around him continuously since he was a little kid. But If you ask Mikey he would say he is lucky because his life is filled with adventure and excitement every day. He puts a positive spin on everything and is optimistic.

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Story Synopsis:

The summer season is coming to a close and it’s Candace’s last chance to bust her brothers. She is quickly foiled, but is presented with an opportunity to redo the day when she sets off Dr. Doofenshmirtz’s Do-Over-Inator, which results in other consequences like rips in the space-time continuum, the shortening of days and the disappearance of her brothers.

Catch Phineas and Ferb “Last Day of Summer” airing June 12, 2015 on The Disney Channel and Disney XD at 9 pm EST.

 

Disclaimer: Disney/Pixar, Disney Channel and Disney XD sent me to Los Angeles on an all-expenses-paid press trip, in exchange for my coverage of this event, which included celebrating the end of Phineas and Ferb – the screening of Phineas and Ferb Last Day of Summer, Q&A with creators and picnic. All opinions are my own.

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