Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation
Encyclopedia
"Phineas and Ferb's Christmas Vacation" is a special Christmas-themed episode of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb
. It was originally broadcast on Disney XD
on December 6, 2009, on Disney Channel
on December 11, 2009, and on ABC Family
on December 18, 2009. The special's narrative
follows protagonists Phineas
and Ferb
decorating their city for the arrival of Santa Claus
. But when the evil mad scientist
Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
uses a machine to ruin the holiday, Phineas and Ferb must find a way to fix it and save Christmas.
"Phineas and Ferb's Christmas Vacation" was written by Jon Colton Barry and Scott Peterson and directed by Zac Moncrief
, who had been nominated for a 2009 Emmy award
for his work on the episode "The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein
" a few months before the special aired. It serves as a realization of a dream series co-founders Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and Dan Povenmire
to have their own Christmas special, something they have desired to have since their initial creation of the series. The special featured multiple guest stars including Clancy Brown
, Malcolm McDowell
, Jane Carr
, Mathew Horne
, and Bruce Mackinnon
, and detailed seven original songs, including one performed by swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
.
"Phineas and Ferb's Christmas Vacation" received a large and widespread release from The Walt Disney Company
, who showed optimism on it and promoted it through interviews and special broadcasts. It received 2.62 million viewers in its original broadcast on Disney XD, ranking as the number 3 telecast in the night across all demographics. In its original airing on Disney Channel, it ranked as the number five program of the week with 5.213 million viewers. Critical reception from television critics and various media outlets was generally positive response. It is also the first episode not to be set in summer
.
, Lawrence and Linda are stuck at the airport waiting for the former's parents to arrive. Phineas
and Ferb, convert the top of their house into a large, extravagant rest stop for Santa Claus
, complete with a sauna
, massage table, satellite TV, elliptical center to work off milk and cookies, milk and cookies, special reindeer
feeding center, and beard purifier. They urge everyone in Danville to help decorate the entire city for Christmas
and they follow, happily spreading cheer along the way. Candace, however, is busy trying to figure out the perfect present for her boyfriend Jeremy, and the song "What Does He Want" plays in the extended edition of the episode.
Meanwhile, Perry the Platypus
sneaks off to attend a Christmas party his organization is throwing. After receiving a A Sal Tuscany CD from his "Secret Santa
," he is given an emergency danger alert that Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
is up to something nefarious. He darts off to the doctor's evil lair and is trapped in Christmas lights, topped off with a partridge
. Doofenshmirtz reveals that his uncle has sent him a special "Naughtyinator," a device that can ruin Christmas—his dilemma is that he simply does not dislike the holiday and is unsure if he should use it, but after carolers begin harassing him with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas
," he activates the machine.
The "Naughtyinator" causes the Naughty or Nice
list at Santa's workshop in the North Pole
to brand everyone in Danville as "naughty," therefore canceling the holiday for the people of the town. Phineas, Ferb, and their friends are all completely distraught and decide to hold broadcast a song about why Danville should be branded "nice" to radios at the North Pole; two elves receive the broadcast and decide to go down to the city to investigate what caused the mishap. Meanwhile, Candace continues to unsuccessfully try and get Jeremy to hint at his perfect gift, merely baffling the boy.
The elves—named Blayn't and Clewn't—finally arrive in Danville and inform the boys that it appears that it is the city itself, not the people, that is "naughty" and they are unsure why. Doofenshmirtz, meanwhile, decides to put in Perry's A Sal Tuscany CD in his stereo
and the loud vibrations destroy the "Naughtyinator," causing Christmas cheer to return to Danville and removing the "naughty" brand from everyone. The kids, seeing their opportunity to save the holiday, decide to use a flying sleigh created by Phineas and Ferb, along with help from Blanyn't and Clewn't, to deliver presents built by the two elves at record speed to every house in the city. They almost fail at doing so, as it is too dark to see anything, but the boys' friend Buford gets everyone in the city to turn on their Christmas lights, putting him on the "nice" list in the process. They finally succeed and everyone in town gets a present.
When the boys return home, they find that Santa has come to the city and just finished using their rest stop. He thanks Phineas for taking care of deliveries for the city and flies off with the rest stop hitched to his sleigh. Doofenshmirtz, similarly, smashes the A Sal Tuscany CD in rage and discovers that it is actually a gift from Santa Claus
himself, as A Sal Tuscany is an anagram
of Santa Claus, with "an embarrassing left over Y at the end". In a style similar to "The Gift of the Magi
", Candace sells her necklace that she was planning on trading for earrings to get Jeremy a new guitar and Jeremy sells his old guitar that he was planning on trading for a new one to get Candace the earrings she wanted. In the end, Lawrence and Linda finally return home with the children's grandparents, and everyone opens up their presents.
as being a "really sweet, warm special that we're really proud to have our name on." seven new original songs were written for the episode, to be performed by swing group Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
, songs that Povenmire hope children will think as Christmas songs as much as classics such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
."
Producer Zac Moncrief
has also made high hopes for the episode, hoping that it will become an instant holiday classic.
on November 17, 2009, followed by premiere airings on Disney XD, Disney Channel, and ABC Family
, and the availability of the episode after its airing on video on demand
systems, mobile platforms, the Xbox Live Marketplace
, and the iTunes Store
. The special's broadcast on Disney XD was preceded by an all-weekend marathon
of the show, while the special's broadcast on Disney Channel was preceded by a six-hour marathon entitled "Doof's Dastardly Schemes". A DVD of the special is to be released October 5, 2010 along with 4 other episodes from the series. The series made its broadcast television debut on ABC
on December 24, 2010.
An extended edition launched in December 2010 on Disney Channel and Disney XD, containing an extra song "What Does He Want?"
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...
. It was originally broadcast on Disney XD
Disney XD
Disney XD is a brand of children's TV channels worldwide targeting young males, owned by The Walt Disney Company. The channel was formerly known as Toon Disney and/or Jetix in most areas. According to Gary Marsh, President of Entertainment for Disney Channel Worldwide, "XD" does not "stand for...
on December 6, 2009, 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 December 11, 2009, and on ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
on December 18, 2009. The special's narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
follows protagonists Phineas
Phineas 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...
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...
decorating their city for the arrival of Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
. But when the evil mad scientist
Mad scientist
A mad scientist is a stock character of popular fiction, specifically science fiction. The mad scientist may be villainous or antagonistic, benign or neutral, and whether insane, eccentric, or simply bumbling, mad scientists often work with fictional technology in order to forward their schemes, if...
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...
uses a machine to ruin the holiday, Phineas and Ferb must find a way to fix it and save Christmas.
"Phineas and Ferb's Christmas Vacation" was written by Jon Colton Barry and Scott Peterson and directed by Zac Moncrief
Zac Moncrief
Zachary Thomas Moncrief is a director of animated television programs, currently serving as a director for the Disney Channel cartoon Phineas and Ferb...
, who had been nominated for a 2009 Emmy award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for his work on the episode "The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein
The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein
"The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein" is the fortieth broadcast episode of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. The episode revolves around Phineas Flynn and his brother, Ferb Fletcher, being told the story of how their Victorian ancestor helped a scientist create a monster. Meanwhile,...
" a few months before the special aired. It serves as a realization of a dream series co-founders Jeff "Swampy" Marsh and 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...
to have their own Christmas special, something they have desired to have since their initial creation of the series. The special featured multiple guest stars including Clancy Brown
Clancy Brown
Clarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
, Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
, Jane Carr
Jane Carr
Ellen Jane Carr is an English actress. She is well known for the voice role of "Pud'n" on the animated The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy . She also played a character called "Pudding" in one of her earliest TV appearances, the Jilly Cooper-penned BBC sitcom It's Awfully Bad For Your Eyes,...
, Mathew Horne
Mathew Horne
Mathew Frazer Horne is an English actor, stand-up comedian, television presenter and narrator best known for appearing on several BBC sketch shows and sitcoms, most notably Gavin & Stacey portraying Gavin Shipman, The Catherine Tate Show, Teachers and Horne and Corden.-Early life:Horne was born...
, and Bruce Mackinnon
Bruce Mackinnon
Bruce Mackinnon is an actor who has appeared in various television programmes.Mackinnon was born in Esher, Surrey and was educated at Eton College, before studying drama at The University of Manchester...
, and detailed seven original songs, including one performed by swing band Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is a contemporary swing revival band from southern California. Their notable singles include "Go Daddy-O", "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight ", and "Mr. Pinstripe Suit". The band played the Super Bowl XXXIII half-time show in 1999.The band was originally formed in Ventura,...
.
"Phineas and Ferb's Christmas Vacation" received a large and widespread release from The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
, who showed optimism on it and promoted it through interviews and special broadcasts. It received 2.62 million viewers in its original broadcast on Disney XD, ranking as the number 3 telecast in the night across all demographics. In its original airing on Disney Channel, it ranked as the number five program of the week with 5.213 million viewers. Critical reception from television critics and various media outlets was generally positive response. It is also the first episode not to be set in summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
.
Episode summary
On Christmas EveChristmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
, Lawrence and Linda are stuck at the airport waiting for the former's parents to arrive. Phineas
Phineas 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...
and Ferb, convert the top of their house into a large, extravagant rest stop for Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
, complete with a sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
, massage table, satellite TV, elliptical center to work off milk and cookies, milk and cookies, special reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
feeding center, and beard purifier. They urge everyone in Danville to help decorate the entire city for Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
and they follow, happily spreading cheer along the way. Candace, however, is busy trying to figure out the perfect present for her boyfriend Jeremy, and the song "What Does He Want" plays in the extended edition of the episode.
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...
sneaks off to attend a Christmas party his organization is throwing. After receiving a A Sal Tuscany CD from his "Secret Santa
Secret Santa
Secret Santa is a Western Christmas tradition, in which members of a group or community are randomly assigned a person to whom they anonymously give a gift. Often practiced in workplaces, or amongst large families, participation in it is usually voluntary...
," he is given an emergency danger alert that 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...
is up to something nefarious. He darts off to the doctor's evil lair and is trapped in Christmas lights, topped off with a partridge
Partridge
Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East...
. Doofenshmirtz reveals that his uncle has sent him a special "Naughtyinator," a device that can ruin Christmas—his dilemma is that he simply does not dislike the holiday and is unsure if he should use it, but after carolers begin harassing him with "We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas" is a popular secular sixteenth-century English carol from the West Country of England. The origin of this Christmas carol lies in the English tradition where wealthy people of the community gave Christmas treats to the carolers on Christmas Eve such as 'figgy...
," he activates the machine.
The "Naughtyinator" causes the Naughty or Nice
Naughty or Nice
Naughty or Nice is 3LW's Holiday/Christmas album. They recorded the album without Naturi Naughton because of her departure from the group. The album gives a hip hop/R&B type flavor to Christmas music. Shortly after this release, 3LW was dropped by Epic/Sony.-Track listing:...
list at Santa's workshop in the North Pole
North Pole
The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is, subject to the caveats explained below, defined as the point in the northern hemisphere where the Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface...
to brand everyone in Danville as "naughty," therefore canceling the holiday for the people of the town. Phineas, Ferb, and their friends are all completely distraught and decide to hold broadcast a song about why Danville should be branded "nice" to radios at the North Pole; two elves receive the broadcast and decide to go down to the city to investigate what caused the mishap. Meanwhile, Candace continues to unsuccessfully try and get Jeremy to hint at his perfect gift, merely baffling the boy.
The elves—named Blayn't and Clewn't—finally arrive in Danville and inform the boys that it appears that it is the city itself, not the people, that is "naughty" and they are unsure why. Doofenshmirtz, meanwhile, decides to put in Perry's A Sal Tuscany CD in his stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
and the loud vibrations destroy the "Naughtyinator," causing Christmas cheer to return to Danville and removing the "naughty" brand from everyone. The kids, seeing their opportunity to save the holiday, decide to use a flying sleigh created by Phineas and Ferb, along with help from Blanyn't and Clewn't, to deliver presents built by the two elves at record speed to every house in the city. They almost fail at doing so, as it is too dark to see anything, but the boys' friend Buford gets everyone in the city to turn on their Christmas lights, putting him on the "nice" list in the process. They finally succeed and everyone in town gets a present.
When the boys return home, they find that Santa has come to the city and just finished using their rest stop. He thanks Phineas for taking care of deliveries for the city and flies off with the rest stop hitched to his sleigh. Doofenshmirtz, similarly, smashes the A Sal Tuscany CD in rage and discovers that it is actually a gift from Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
himself, as A Sal Tuscany is an anagram
Anagram
An anagram is a type of word play, the result of rearranging the letters of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original letters exactly once; e.g., orchestra = carthorse, A decimal point = I'm a dot in place, Tom Marvolo Riddle = I am Lord Voldemort. Someone who...
of Santa Claus, with "an embarrassing left over Y at the end". In a style similar to "The Gift of the Magi
The Gift of the Magi
"The Gift of the Magi" is a short story written by O. Henry , about a young married couple and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other with very little money...
", Candace sells her necklace that she was planning on trading for earrings to get Jeremy a new guitar and Jeremy sells his old guitar that he was planning on trading for a new one to get Candace the earrings she wanted. In the end, Lawrence and Linda finally return home with the children's grandparents, and everyone opens up their presents.
Production
In an interview with the Orange County Register, "Phineas and Ferb's Christmas Vacation" was described by co-creator Dan PovenmireDan 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...
as being a "really sweet, warm special that we're really proud to have our name on." seven new original songs were written for the episode, to be performed by swing group Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is a contemporary swing revival band from southern California. Their notable singles include "Go Daddy-O", "You & Me & the Bottle Makes 3 Tonight ", and "Mr. Pinstripe Suit". The band played the Super Bowl XXXIII half-time show in 1999.The band was originally formed in Ventura,...
, songs that Povenmire hope children will think as Christmas songs as much as classics such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
."
Producer Zac Moncrief
Zac Moncrief
Zachary Thomas Moncrief is a director of animated television programs, currently serving as a director for the Disney Channel cartoon Phineas and Ferb...
has also made high hopes for the episode, hoping that it will become an instant holiday classic.
Release and promotion
The episode was promoted through the use of multiple platforms, including premiering the music from the special in a broadcast on Radio DisneyRadio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
on November 17, 2009, followed by premiere airings on Disney XD, Disney Channel, and ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
, and the availability of the episode after its airing on video on demand
Video on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
systems, mobile platforms, the Xbox Live Marketplace
Xbox Live Marketplace
The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for Microsoft's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download purchased or promotional content...
, and the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
. The special's broadcast on Disney XD was preceded by an all-weekend marathon
Marathon (television)
In television, a marathon is typically the sequential broadcast of a single or a number of related television programs, most notably reflecting a theme....
of the show, while the special's broadcast on Disney Channel was preceded by a six-hour marathon entitled "Doof's Dastardly Schemes". A DVD of the special is to be released October 5, 2010 along with 4 other episodes from the series. The series made its broadcast television debut on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
on December 24, 2010.
Alternate Versions
On December 6, 2010, this version aired on Disney XD Germany. This version will contain songs from the Phineas and Ferb Holiday Favorites. The episode will have the same plot as the original.An extended edition launched in December 2010 on Disney Channel and Disney XD, containing an extra song "What Does He Want?"