Flop Starz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids "Flop Starz" |
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| Phineas and Ferb episode | |
Promotional artwork for the episode featuring Candace discovering that Phineas and Ferb have become one-hit wonders.
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| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 3 |
| Directed by | Dan Povenmire |
| Written by | Dan Povenmire (story) Jeff "Swampy" Marsh (story) Sherm Cohen (storyboards) Antoine Guilbaud (storyboards) |
| Featured music | "Gitchee Gitchee Goo" |
| Original air date | February 1, 2008 |
"Flop Starz" is the third episode of the popular American animated TV show Phineas and Ferb. It first aired on Disney Channel on February 1, 2008. In this episode, Phineas and Ferb quickly become famous "one-hit wonders." This makes their sister, Candace, very annoyed. She is trying to audition for a talent show called The Next American Pop Teen Idol Star!. Meanwhile, the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz turns his building into a giant robot. He plans to use it to take over the Tri-State Area.
The story for this episode was created by the show's co-creators, Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh. The episode features "Gitchee Gitchee Goo," which was the first song in the series. Disney executives loved it so much that they asked for a song in every future episode! "Flop Starz" was chosen to premiere the series. This means many of the show's usual jokes and plot ideas were still being developed.
The episode includes many references to the music industry. For example, its title "Flop Starz" is a funny play on the words "pop stars." It also makes fun of talent shows like American Idol. Critics and fans really liked the episode. It was watched by 23.5 million viewers when it first aired. "Flop Starz" has also been part of several products, like a book for young readers by Lara Bergen in 2009.
What Happens in "Flop Starz"?
Candace's Audition and the Boys' New Idea
At breakfast, the family watches an ad for The Next Super American Pop Teen Idol Star!. This talent show makes Candace want to audition at the mall. Phineas and Ferb are curious about famous artists who only release one song. Their mom explains the idea of "one-hit wonders." She even shares that she used to be one herself, named "Lindana."
While the boys work on writing a "meaningless" song, Candace gets ready for her audition. She tries on many outfits, including her mom's old Lindana costume. Her friend Stacy rejects all of them.
Phineas and the Ferb-Tones Take Over
When Candace auditions, she becomes the "hundredth contestant." She is told she will perform with a new band called "PFT." To her surprise, "PFT" stands for "Phineas and the Ferb-Tones"! The band includes Phineas (singing and playing guitar) and Ferb (on drums and keyboard). Their friends Isabella Garcia-Shapiro and the Fireside Girls (Adyson Sweetwater, Gretchen, and Milly) are the "Ferbettes," singing backup.
Phineas and the Ferb-Tones have already become super famous with their song "Gitchee Gitchee Goo." They are now the ultimate one-hit wonders. Candace, being Candace, doesn't join them. Instead, she tries to tell their mom about her brothers' secret band. She fails at first, mistaking a rabbit playing a blender for her brothers on stage. She even gets taken to get glasses!
Dr. Doofenshmirtz's Giant Robot Plan
Meanwhile, Perry goes to Dr. Doofenshmirtz's hideout. Perry is wearing a disguise. Doofenshmirtz thinks he is a temporary worker. He explains his whole plan to Perry. He wants to take over the "entire Tri-State Area."
Doofenshmirtz then shows Perry his secret weapon. His whole building can turn into a giant robot! He built it by buying tons of construction toys.
Fame, Tantrums, and Destruction
The boys don't know Candace is trying to expose them. They continue their journey to stardom. They head to "Huge-O-Records" to sign a record deal. Candace tries to show their mom a poster of the band. The poster is on a building that is about to be torn down. A security guard stops their mom because she hasn't paid for a jacket yet. The building is then destroyed, taking the poster with it.
At the record company, Phineas throws a "diva tantrum." He is following steps his mom gave him. He leaves, not knowing that the CEO plans to use a video of their performance to keep the band's legacy alive.
Perry Saves the Day (and Doofenshmirtz Gets Crushed)
Inside his robot, Doofenshmirtz traps Perry. He offers Perry a deli platter, thinking he has won. But Perry tricks him into pouring a lot of pepper on it. Doofenshmirtz sneezes, causing the robot to go wild.
The robot crashes through the record building. Perry uses the PFT video tape to swing to safety on a flagpole. Doofenshmirtz falls to the ground. He lands on a mattress on a parked truck. Unfortunately, the truck belongs to a folding mattress company. Doofenshmirtz gets crushed by the mattress, then by his own robot!
Candace's Big Moment (and the End of an Era)
Candace is back at the mall. She feels down because she couldn't bust her brothers. Her crush, Jeremy, tells her not to let the boys' fun ruin her good time. He encourages her to sing if she gets the chance. So, she joins the band for a reunion concert, singing their hit song.
Just when she thinks she has finally made it, the band announces they are ending their career. The mall closes, leaving Candace in the dark.
How "Flop Starz" Was Made
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The show's creators, Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh, wrote the story for "Flop Starz." Sherm Cohen and Antoine Guilbaud created the storyboards. Povenmire also directed this episode, as he did for most of the first season. Povenmire and Marsh wrote the song "Gitchee Gitchee Goo." They write all the music for the show. This song and Perry's "secret agent theme" were the first songs they showed to Disney. Disney loved them so much that they asked the creators to write a song for every episode!
Disney wanted to start the series in a "big way." Instead of showing the first episode, "Rollercoaster," they chose "Flop Starz" to premiere. They aired it on the same day in over 150 countries where Disney Channel was available. This caused the episode to air almost six months later than planned. Different countries needed time to translate the script and hire voice actors. Despite the delay, the episode officially aired on February 1, 2008. This kicked off a month-long event Disney called "Phineas and Ferb-uary."
Episode Viewership and Success
"Flop Starz" was the most-watched animated series premiere on cable for kids aged 9-14. Four million viewers watched it in total. This success continued, making Phineas and Ferb the top-rated animated series for kids (6–11) and tweens (9–14) for the first three months of the year.
Around the world, the episode had over 23.5 million viewers. This included countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. A Disney Channel vice president for the UK and other regions said the high ratings were a great achievement. He noted the hard work put into marketing and voice acting.
"Gitchee Gitchee Goo" and Merchandise
Many critics have praised the song "Gitchee Gitchee Goo." Some even said it "could probably have gotten radio play 20 years ago." Disney liked it so much that they asked the creators to write a song for every episode. The song has appeared briefly in later episodes, sometimes as "elevator music" or as the song itself.
An extended version of "Gitchee Gitchee Goo" was featured on the album Disney Channel Playlist. This album included songs from many Disney Channel artists. The song was also one of the twenty-six songs on the show's official soundtrack, released on September 29, 2009. "Flop Starz" was one of the episodes included on the first season one DVD called "The Fast and the Phineas." On this DVD, it is paired with another episode, "Are You My Mummy?" Lara Bergen adapted "Flop Starz" and "Lights, Candace, Action!" into a novella for young readers called Runaway Hit. It was the second book in a series of books based on the show.
The extended version of "Gitchee Gitchee Goo" also appears in the Musical Cliptastic Countdown episode. Fans voted it the most requested song from the show's first season. In that episode, Heinz Doofenshmirtz performs his hypnotic song My Name Is Doof. The audience becomes hypnotized. Perry the Platypus is told by Major Monogram that they need a catchier song to break the spell. Perry then pulls down a curtain, revealing the extended version of "Gitchee Gitchee Goo." This breaks Doofenshmirtz's spell!
