Perry the Platypus | |
---|---|
Phineas and Ferb character | |
First appearance | "Rollercoaster" (2007) |
Created by | Dan Povenmire Jeff "Swampy" Marsh |
Voiced by | Dee Bradley Baker (vocal effects) Rhys Darby (Chibiverse, speaking voice) |
In-universe information | |
Alias | Agent P |
Species | Platypus |
Gender | Male |
Occupation | Espionage |
Relatives | Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher (owners) |
Affiliation | O.W.C.A. (Organization Without a Cool Acronym) |
Perry the Platypus is a fictional bipedal platypus from the American animated series Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy's Law . Perry was created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. Perry is featured as the star of the B-plot for every episode of the series, alongside his nemesis Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz. A mostly silent character, his lone vocal characteristic (a rattling of his beak) is provided by Dee Bradley Baker.
Perry is the pet of the Flynn-Fletcher family and is perceived by his owners as mindless and domesticated. In secret, he lives a double life as a member of an all-animal espionage organization referred to as the O.W.C.A. (Organization Without a Cool Acronym). Many secret entrances to his underground lair exist all around the Flynn-Fletcher residence, such as the side of the house, most notably the tree that his owners sit under in the backyard, and several other everyday objects that seem to elude the family's attention, such as a potted plant and a secret elevator hidden in the lawn. Perry has also been shown to have entrances in Hawaii, London, and South Dakota. He engages in daily battles with Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, an evil scientist who desires to take over the tri-state area with obscure contraptions, or "-inators", that work perfectly according to his intended function but fail in his application of them every time.
Perry was made a platypus because of the animal's striking appearance and the lack of public knowledge of the animal, which allowed the writers to make things up about the species. Critical reception for the character from both professionals and fans have been considerably positive. Merchandising of the character include plush toys, t-shirts, wooden toys, onesies, glasses, and coloring books, along with appearances in literature and multiple video games.
Perry is the docile pet platypus of the blended Flynn-Fletcher family, who adopted him because his unfocused gaze made it seem as if he were looking at both Phineas and Ferb at the same time, as shown in the 2011 movie, Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension . [1] [2] Unbeknownst to them, Perry lives a double life as a crime-fighting spy working for the "Organization Without a Cool Acronym"/The O.W.C.A, going by the codename "Agent P." [3] [4] [5] He reports to his superior, Major Monogram, via telecast in his large, high-tech, underground hideout. Every day, he engages in battles with the evil scientist Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, who tries using inventions to take try to over the tri-state area. [6] [7] Perry is always able to foil Doofenshmirtz's plans in a way that accidentally causes the destruction of whatever form of contraption his owners, Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, are building in order to make summer better. [6] Phineas and Ferb are aware that something happens to get rid of their scheme for the day, but do not know that Perry is the cause behind it and are largely dismissive of it. Their sister, Candace, also does not know that Perry is behind the destruction and is driven to near insanity trying to figure it out. [8] [9]
Perry and Doofenshmirtz at first seem to loathe each other in the beginning of the series, and have been arch-nemeses since the day they met. However, they are often cordial and friendly towards one another and it is said by Doofenshmirtz that Perry is his best friend in the episode "The Chronicles of Meap", and Perry will often act to save Doofenshmirtz's life when his plot inevitably blows up in his face. Doofenshmirtz also went out of his way in one episode to become closer to Perry after he is assigned to a new villain. [10] Habitually, their daily brawls involve Doofenshmirtz devising a scheme, which Perry goes to stop after being briefed by Major Monogram. He is trapped by Doofenshmirtz while trying to do so and is told of the doctor's scheme, usually pertaining to some backstory or pet peeve. He then escapes and the two fight, Perry coming out victorious with Doofenshmirtz yelling "Curse you, Perry the Platypus!". [11] The two rely on this daily structure, Doofenshmirtz even specifically mentioning it in "Journey to the Center of Candace" and in episodes such as "It's About Time!" in which Doofenshmirtz temporarily replaces Perry with secret agent Peter the Panda and they become depressed about not having each other to fight. [10] When this happens, Perry realizes he misses Doofenshmirtz too. When Perry does not arrive on the scene of Doofenshmirtz's evil plan, the doctor hesitates to execute his plans and fears for where Perry has gone, though he notes that he "hopes something terrible has happened to him." [12] Sometimes, they decided not to fight and have fun, as shown in "Happy New Year!" and "Candace Disconnected". [13]
In Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension , an alternate reality (yet more evil and ruthless) version of Perry (known as Platyborg) appears. Platyborg would later return in the episode sequel, Tales from the Resistance: Back to the 2nd Dimension. Perry's secret would be revealed to Phineas, Ferb, their friends, and Dr. Doofenshmirtz and got their memories erased in order for Phineas and Ferb to keep Perry as a pet. [14]
In Milo Murphy's Law , Perry becomes a recurring character. Over the course of the second season, he is tasked with watching over Dr. Doofenshmirtz as he attempts (and fails) to do good around Danville. Doofenshmirtz is at first oblivious to this mission and assumes Perry is being his friend, and so pushes him away upon finding out. They eventually reconcile and Perry reveals his intentions to donate his earnings towards Doofenshmirtz's cause. [15] He also appears in Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe . [16]
In addition to the main television series, Perry has appeared in several pieces of Phineas and Ferb merchandise. To date, he has appeared in all Phineas and Ferb novelizations, published by Disney Press. [17] [18] [19] [20] The character has been adapted into a 20-inch plush toy, released by The Walt Disney Company. The plush has a button on its hand that allows it to emit Perry's signature chattering noise. [21] Certain t-shirts based on the series released by both Disney and the online retail website Zazzle also display Perry and the phrase "Hey, where's Perry?" which most characters like Phineas, Isabella, Stacy, Irving, Ferb, and Lawrence utter when Perry goes to Major Monogram in his secret lair in almost every episode. There also is a T-shirt with Perry's face. [22] [23] [24] Perry appears in the Nintendo DS video game based on the series, simply titled Phineas and Ferb, where a mini-game involves Perry stopping Doofenshmirtz's latest evil scheme. [25] [26] As of June 28, 2012, Perry appeared in the video game Where's My Perry? . [27] On April 1, 2014, Perry is also a playable character in the video game Disney Infinity . [28]
While working on the animated television series Rocko's Modern Life, Phineas and Ferb co-creators Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh utilized several recurring elements in the episodes that they wrote. Among these were actions sequences and chase scenes. [29] Povenmire and Marsh wanted to reuse these elements in their series and chose Perry to execute it. [1] The pair gave him a consistent and continuous nemesis in the form of Doofenshmirtz as a means of allowing viewers to get to know him. [30]
While choosing a species for Perry, Povenmire and Marsh wanted to keep in mind selecting one that was uncommon, an animal that kids could not "pick out at a pet store and beg [their parents] for". [31] They chose a platypus because of the animal's obscure and striking appearance. [32] The animal was scarcely used in American animated programs, so the pair opined that Perry "would not have to compete with preconceived notions that viewers might bring to a more conventional critter". [31] The blank storyboard they were given [31] allowed them to "make stuff up" since "no one knows very much about [them]". [1]
Perry has a theme song tentatively entitled "Perry", performed by Randy Crenshaw and Laura Dickinson, and written by Povenmire and Marsh, who write the majority of songs in the series. [29] [33] The song, along with the number "Gitchee Gitchee Goo" from the episode "Flop Starz," was the first musical composition Povenmire and Marsh pitched to The Walt Disney Company. They were nervous doing so, because, as Povenmire explained, "Disney has a big history of music -- what if they hate it?" Their reaction, however, was considerably positive and the pair was asked to write a song for each episode, which they vehemently agreed to. [29] The opening lyrics for the song describe Perry as a standard textbook definition of a platypus: "He's a semi-aquatic, egg-laying mammal of action!" [34]
Like the other characters of the series, Perry was structured in a simple style to allow young viewers to easily draw him. [35] In keeping with the show's general design scheme, Perry is constructed of geometric shapes in a style reminiscent of Tex Avery's. [36] Povenmire uses different design styles for drawing Perry depending on how he is portrayed. When Perry is portrayed as a domesticated and mindless pet, Povenmire begins with a square shaped like a loaf of bread. He then draws his front legs and feet before drawing his bill, which is set at a certain angle. Povenmire then draws his eyeballs, which are never focused and look in opposing directions in a daze. He concludes the figure by adding his hind legs, tail, hair, and finally color. [37] When designing Perry, Povenmire stated that he chose to color Perry teal because he thought "it looked cool", though it was discovered in 2020 that platypuses coincidentally glow a very similar color when under ultraviolet light. [38] [39]
When portrayed as a secret agent, Povenmire starts with a similar bread loaf square design but draws it standing up vertically and places a fedora on the top of his head, which is combined with the square torso. In contrast to his mindless and wild-eyed expression as a pet, the secret agent version of Perry is detailed with eyes "full of steely blue resolve". Povenmire proceeds by drawing his arms, with bare hands that are open and prepared for fighting or any danger. His legs are bent, as well prepared for an act of danger or action needed. Povenmire finishes the design by adding his beaver tail and color. [37]
Perry's undercover identity as a pet leads to characters throughout the series to deem him as a "mindless domestic pet" that "doesn't do much". [40] [41] This definition of the character led to Phineas and Ferb spearheading production of a new toyline based on Perry called "Perry the Inaction Figure," whose tagline revolved around it not doing anything but allowing the customer to make it whatever they desire it to be. [40] In all actuality, Perry is a skilled fighter who is able to perform several implausible judo fighting moves and escapes. [42] He has access to several different types of technology and inventions provided to him by The O.W.C.A., including a hover craft dubbed the "Platypusmobile," [43] a jet ski, [44] and a whistle set that allows him to summon different types of animals. [45] His favorite color is perry-winkle.
Although his appearance as a domestic pet is mostly a cover, Perry has nonetheless expressed care and devotion for the Flynn-Fletcher family. In the episode "The Ballad of Bad Beard", Perry managed to drag Candace out of the Dark Cave before it caved in because of Dr. Doofenshmirtz's "self-destruction button" which Candace had accidentally pressed while under the orange moss hallucination, thinking it was a vending machine. He did this even though he knew that Candace saw that Perry was a secret agent talking to Agent E (Eagle) and to Major Monogram in a cracked egg. Candace thought she was just hallucinating because of the orange moss she accidentally touched earlier in the episode. Also, when an invention of Doofenshmirtz's in the episode "Journey to the Center of Candace" might cause severe harm to Phineas and Ferb, Perry thoroughly beats up Doofenshmirtz and quickly handcuffs him. He then ties him to a pipe and, instead of just leaving him like he usually does in the series, calls for special forces from the O.W.C.A. to come and arrest the doctor, though they never show up. [11] In "Oh, There You Are, Perry," Doofenshmirtz is downgraded to a low threat level and Perry is reassigned to a new nemesis. This causes him to have to leave his home with the Flynn-Fletchers, which makes him sad and he does not enjoy his new villain. Phineas and Ferb are fearful about where Perry could have gone to and put up several flyers around town for people to find him. They decide to throw a concert on the roof of a building, singing a song about how much they love Perry and want him to come home. Concurrently, Perry is reassigned to Doofenshmirtz again and returns to the brothers once more. [46]
Though Perry is anthropomorphic, he cannot speak; only communicating through an "aggravated purr" type of noise made by flapping his bill. [31] This noise is provided by actor Dee Bradley Baker; to this day, Povenmire and Marsh do not understand how Baker produces the noise. Thomas Sangster, who voices Ferb, is good at making the noise and is considered second only to Baker himself. In one episode, Phineas and Ferb make an animal translating machine, and when it is Perry's turn, the machine's translation is the same thing Perry just said. [47] When in his "Agent P" persona, Perry is almost completely silent and communicates only by body language, facial expressions, hand gestures and occasionally pantomime. [48] Povenmire also revealed that he did not actually know what a platypus sounded like when choosing the noise Baker would make, and that its resemblance to an actual platypus's noises were coincidental. [49]
As a character, Perry has been well received by both fans and critics. As Cynthia Littleton of Variety magazine wrote, "Perry the platypus is a breakout star from the Disney Channel toon 'Phineas and Ferb'." [31] The New York Times writer Susan Stewart called him "intrepid". [5] Jean Yoo, a press member for Disney Channel, said that Perry is "suave" and "makes James Bond look like a rank amateur." [2] Aaron H. Bynum of Animator Insider opined that he is "indubitably confident". [50] Carly H. of Scholastic, Inc. declared Perry "pretty darn awesome". [4] Josh Jackson, editor of Paste, described Perry and Doofenshmirtz's relationship as "pitch-perfect". [51] Cynthia Littleton of Variety explains that his popularity was due to his "plain funny-looking" appearance. [52] Zarin Rezwana of The Daily Star claimed that Perry was an "amazing mammal" and stated that everyone can be like him. [53]
Certain reviewers have also commented negatively about Perry and his subplot, which Sherry Robinson of the St. Petersburg Times considers "pretty trippy." [1] Kevin McDonough of Sun Coast Today described it as "complicated" and "loosely connected" to the rest of the series, writing that he is "not sure what this accomplishes except to add the noise of explosions to the already constant din of singing and screaming". [54] Ed Liu of Toon Zone feels it is "truly puzzling what Perry the secret agent is doing in this show in the first place". Liu considers his subplot to be a type of "throw everything against the wall and see what sticks" element and writes that "many of the earlier episodes of the show don't manage to do a very good job of balancing the subplot and the main one". [55]
Perry was nominated for a Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award in 2014 under the category of Favorite Animated Animal Sidekick. [56]
Phineas and Ferb is an American animated musical-comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series originally aired on the networks for four seasons between 2007 and 2015 and is scheduled to return for two additional seasons beginning in 2025. The series follows stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher during summer vacation. Every day, the boys construct a grand project or embark on a spectacular adventure to make the most of their time on vacation. This annoys their controlling older sister, Candace, who frequently tries to expose their schemes to her and Phineas's mother. The series follows a standard plot system; running gags occur every episode.
Phineas Flynn is one of the two title characters from the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. He is voiced by Vincent Martella. Phineas, along with his quiet but intelligent stepbrother Ferb Fletcher, stars in the A-Plot of most episodes.
Ferbs "Ferb" Fletcher is one of the two main protagonists in the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. Voiced by British actor Thomas Sangster on Phineas and Ferb's original run and American actor David Errigo Jr. since 2018, with a singing voice by series composer Danny Jacob, he was created by Phineas and Ferb co-founders Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. He first appeared in the show's pilot episode, "Rollercoaster". Ferb was born on February 29.
"Rollercoaster" is the series premiere of the American animated musical-comedy television series Phineas and Ferb. The episode was originally broadcast on Disney Channel in the United States on August 17, 2007 as a preview of the series. The episode follows the series' protagonists, Phineas and Ferb, as they bulid an extremely large roller coaster starting in their backyard and going throughout the city. In a subplot, the protagonists' pet platypus Perry is a "secret agent" codenamed Agent P who is assigned the mission to investigate the plans of an evil but silly scientist named Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.
"Dude, We're Getting the Band Back Together" is the 2nd broadcast episode of the American animated television series Phineas and Ferb. It originally aired on Disney Channel in the United States on March 8, 2008. It was also the first program to premiere on Disney XD right after the Toon Disney shutdown. The plot concerns an attempt by Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher to reform the band Love Händel for their parents' wedding anniversary.
"Flop Starz" is the third broadcast episode of the American animated television series Phineas and Ferb.1 The episode was originally broadcast on Disney Channel on February 1, 2008. In the episode, Phineas and Ferb become one-hit wonders in a morning, much to the disappointment of their sister Candace, who is trying out for the talent show The Next American Pop Teen Idol Star! Meanwhile, Doofenshmirtz converts his building into a giant robot to aid him in his attempt to conquer the Tri-State Area.
"Phineas and Ferb Get Busted!" is the 45th broadcast episode of the first season of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. The episode aired on Disney XD on February 16, 2009 and on Disney Channel on March 13, 2009 in the United States. The episode follows Phineas and Ferb finally being caught by Phineas' mother and sent to a reform school, where a harsh and cruel sergeant attempts to destroy their imagination by sitting them down to a commercial about good boys that mind-controlled them into the obedient drones. Candace goes to save them after she sees a news report about their horrible condition.
"The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein" is the 40th broadcast episode of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. The episode revolves around Phineas Flynn and his step-brother, Ferb Fletcher, being told the story of how their Victorian ancestor helped a scientist create a monster. Meanwhile, Perry the Platypus is told a similar yet connected story concerning Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz's Victorian ancestor, who transformed himself into a monster.
"Phineas and Ferb's Quantum Boogaloo" is the 25th broadcast episode of the second season of Phineas and Ferb and the 72nd broadcast episode overall. It originally aired on Disney XD in the United States on September 21, 2009, and later aired on Disney Channel on September 25, 2009. In the episode, Phineas and his stepbrother Ferb travel into the future and have their time machine stolen by their older sister Candace, now an adult, who travels back in time to get her brothers in trouble during one of their outlandish schemes. In doing so, however, she sets off a chain reaction leading to a dystopian future ruled by the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz.
"Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror" is the second broadcast episode of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. In the episode, stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb construct an elaborate beach complex in order to survive the intense heat wave that has struck their city. Meanwhile, the boys' pet platypus, Perry, successfully halts the destruction of all the lawn gnomes in the tri-state area by his nemesis, Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.
"Are You My Mummy?" is the 13th broadcast episode of the American animated television series Phineas and Ferb. The episode sees stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb going to an Egyptian-themed theater where they become inspired to befriend a mummy they believe is being kept in the theater basement. They confuse Candace, who was accidentally wrapped up in toilet paper, for a mummy. Meanwhile, Dr. Doofenshmirtz tries to blow up a beaver dam in order to make his property beachfront.
"Raging Bully" is the 6th broadcast episode of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. The episode was originally broadcast on Disney Channel in the United States on February 4, 2008. In the episode, Phineas Flynn is challenged to a thumb wrestling competition at the mall by the local bully, Buford, after he accidentally embarrasses him in the food court. Meanwhile, the evil Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz tries using a hypnotic contraption to force everyone to celebrate his birthday and clean up their mess after the party.
Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, often called "Doof" for short, also known as Professor Time, is a fictional character from the American animated television series Phineas and Ferb and Milo Murphy's Law. He was created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, and is voiced by Povenmire. He was originally depicted as an incompetent evil scientist intent on conquering the "entire Tri-State Area" by creating obscure but nefarious inventions. Despite being a villain, Doofenshmirtz is shown to have a good side on some occasions. By the end of the fourth season of the series, the character is redeemed, using his inventions for the good of the world and looking after his daughter Vanessa Doofenshmirtz. Dr. Doofenshmirtz speaks with a caricature of a German accent and is from the fictional European country Drusselstein.
"It's About Time!" is the 21st broadcast episode of the first season of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. It originally aired on Disney Channel on March 1, 2008. The episode concerns stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb fixing a time machine on display in a museum and using it to travel back to prehistoric times. Meanwhile, Perry the Platypus deals with being replaced with a panda bear as the nemesis of the mad scientist Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.
"Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation" is a special Christmas-themed episode of the animated television series Phineas and Ferb. The episode was originally broadcast on Disney XD on December 6, 2009. The special's narrative, set prior to the events of the series, 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. The episode serves as the 37th broadcast episode of the second season, as well as the 84th broadcast episode overall.
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Across the 2nd Dimension is a 2011 American animated science fantasy action-adventure dramedy television film based on the American animated TV series Phineas and Ferb. The film premiered on Disney Channel on August 5, 2011 in the United States. It was first announced by Jeff "Swampy" Marsh during a January 2010 interview with the Daily Telegraph. The events of the film take place during the third season of Phineas and Ferb. It is the first feature-length film of the Phineas and Ferb series, and the third animated Disney Channel Original Movie, following Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama and The Proud Family Movie.
The first season of Phineas and Ferb aired on the Disney Channel from August 17, 2007, to February 18, 2009. The five main characters include stepbrothers Phineas Flynn and Ferb Fletcher, their older sister Candace Flynn, secret agent Perry the Platypus, and the evil scientist Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.
Milo Murphy's Law is an American animated comedy television series created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh for Disney Channel and Disney XD. The series premiered on October 3, 2016, on Disney XD. It revolves around the title character, Milo Murphy, who is a descendant of the “Original Murphy” of Murphy’s law, which states that anything that can go wrong will go wrong. The series takes place in the same universe as Povenmire and Marsh's previous series Phineas and Ferb, with multiple references to the show occurring across season one, culminating in a crossover at the beginning of the second season and continuing throughout with other plot threads from the former series.
Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe is a 2020 American animated musical science fiction comedy film based on the animated television series Phineas and Ferb, created by Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. Directed by Bob Bowen, who co-wrote it with Povenmire, Marsh, and several other writers, it is the second film based on the series following Across the 2nd Dimension (2011). Set at some point during the summer depicted in the series and before the fourth season finale, "Last Day of Summer", the film follows Phineas and Ferb as they rescue their sister Candace and Dr. Doofenshmirtz's daughter Vanessa from the planet Feebla-Oot. However, Candace becomes tempted to stay on the planet when she is treated with respect by its people, not knowing that they harbor a dark secret which involves her presence.