Image copyright © Disney Channel; used with permission.
If the folks at Disney have their way, it’s time for the Grinch and Rudolph to make room for a new classic Christmas special. There’s nothing wrong with Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty and Snoopy, of course, but there’s certainly plenty of room for Phineas, Ferb, Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Candace and Perry the Platypus, right?
Yes, this coming Sunday evening at 8:00PM ET/PT, Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation will have its premiere on Disney XD. For once (the “S’Winter” episode notwithstanding) the boys will be making their plans in a season other than Summer, and that’s the least of the differences. Their plan this time is to make Danville into a giant Thank You card to Santa Claus, their reasoning being that Santa hardly ever gets any gratitude for his hard work and dedication. I don’t know the whole plot (and wouldn’t spoil it for you if I did) but I believe that something happens involving two British elves named Blay’n and Clewn’t, and in the end the boys have to — try to act surprised — save Christmas. Dr. Doofenshmirtz has evidently created a “Naughty-inator,” presumably to make everyone else’s Christmas as rotten as his, which I’m sure will give Perry Agent P some trouble.
There’s definitely a sentimental side to this 45-minute special, which will have songs throughout. I’m sure some of the songs, like Doofenshmirtz’s “I Don’t Really Hate Christmas,” will have plenty of funny moments, but with tunes like “Thank You Santa” from Mitchel Musso and “Christmas Is Starting Now” from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (yes, really), there should be plenty of Christmas spirit. While the focus is clearly on Christmas, there will also be at least a few Hanukkah references (from Isabella, of course).
The special features the show’s usual excellent voice talent (I’ve always loved that the dad’s voice is done by Richard O’Brien, best known as Riff Raff from Rocky Horror, for instance). Ferb’s British grandparents are in town for the holiday, and are voiced as usual by Malcolm McDowell and Jane Carr. And the inimitable Clancy Brown provides the voice for Santa Claus.
In the meantime between now and Sunday night (when the special will be preceded by a huge marathon of the show’s episodes), you can enjoy the special’s opening in the video below, and listen to the first-ever Phineas and Ferb podcast, about the special, with Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh (and their characters, Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Major Monogram). If you should miss the special Sunday night, it will be repeated on Disney Channel next Friday (and will be available on demand as well). The special’s songs are scheduled to be available on iTunes starting on Monday, December 7.
It’s really unusual for me to be looking forward to a Christmas special, believe me, but I’m about as anxious to see this one as my kids are (and they can hardly wait).
