Phineas and Ferb references pop culture several times throughout the series. Please note the list is for those referenced more than once.
Star Wars[]
- Main article: List of references to pop culture/Star Wars
Star Trek[]
- Main article: List of references to pop culture/Star Trek
Indiana Jones Movies[]
- Main article: List of references to pop culture/Indiana Jones Movies
Frankenstein[]
| Reference | Quote or Context | Episode(s) |
| The Book | "Have we learned nothing from Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?" Phineas says this to Ferb about the robots they created. |
"I, Brobot" |
| The Monster |
|
"Phineas and Ferb Theme"; "One Good Scare Ought to Do It!"; "That's the Spirit"; "Monster from the Id" |
| The Tale | Dr. Phineastein makes a Platypus monster like Frankenstein. He also wears what Dr. Victor Frankenstein wears, and has an assistant wearing Igor's clothes, bearing a hump. | "The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein" |
The Lord of The Rings (films and books)[]
James Bond[]
- Main article: List of references to pop culture/James Bond
SpongeBob SquarePants[]
- Main article: List of references to pop culture/SpongeBob SquarePants
Sesame Street[]
| Reference | Quote or Context | Episode(s) |
| Super Grover | Agent P swinging and crashing to a fake picture of him is similar to Grover crashing to the bottom of the "Sesame Street" lamppost in the Theme Song. | "Leave the Busting to Us!" |
| Oscar the Grouch | Perry going through the trash can is similar to Oscar the Grouch going through the trash can. | "One Good Scare Ought to Do It!"; Where's My Perry? |
| A Cookie is a Sometime Food | Linda repeats a mantra of "Cake is a sometimes food", a parody of a song sung by Hoots the Owl to Cookie Monster, A Cookie is a Sometime Food. | "Robot Rodeo" |
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy[]
| Reference | Quote or Context | Episode(s) |
| The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything | Phineas and Ferb's racecar was numbered 42. | "The Fast and the Phineas" |
| With Phineas and Ferb's animal translator, Isabella said that they had 42 requests for belly rubs. | "Interview With a Platypus" | |
| As Candace calls Jeremy to trick him into telling her what he wants for Christmas, his alarm clock turns to 6:42. | "Phineas and Ferb Christmas Vacation!" | |
| When Jared reverts to his human form, he is wearing a football jersey with the number 42 on it. | "The Curse of Candace" | |
| One of Isabella's relatives (can be seen behind Ferb) is wearing a shirt with the number 42 on it. | "A Phineas and Ferb Family Christmas" | |
| In Doofenshmirtz's "want" list is 42 items. | "Face Your Fear" | |
| Over the final credits, the voice-over announces,"And now, a trailer for an episode we also have no plans to make: 'The Chronicles of Meap: Episode 42: Meap Me in St. Louis.' | "Meapless in Seattle" | |
| Baljeet's equations on the fence include a prominent 42 at the start of his calculations. | "Cranius Maximus" | |
| The blackboard in Doctor Doofenshmirtz's class has a square root of 42. | "Doof 101" | |
| Baljeet asks, "Isabella, what is the resonance reading on the top meter?" The meter displays "42.16", and Isabella replies, "42 16". | "Last Day of Summer" | |
| Zaphod Beeblebrox's stolen Spaceship The Heart of Gold and its engine, the Infinite Improbability Drive | Doofenshmirtz recalls to Norm "it involved a spaceship, and... the whole thing was very improbable really". | "This Is Your Backstory" |
| Milliways, or the Restaurant at the End of the Universe | The Shooting Star Milkshake Bar has the same concept of Milliways. | "Out to Launch" |
The Wizard of Oz (movie)[]
Pac-Man[]
| Reference | Quote or Context | Episode(s) |
|
Game Over Sound Effect |
When Perry busts Doofenshmirtz, his computer plays this sound. | Disney Channel ID |
| The ghosts' eyes | The sound effect when the ghosts' eyes float when Pac-Man eats them plays when Candace zaps the enemies with her hair blower in the video game. | "Gaming the System" |
|
Eating the Pac-Dots |
When Phineas sprays cheese in the air, Ferb eats it just like Pac-Man eats the Pac-Dots. | "Undercover Carl" |
My Fair Lady[]
| Reference | Quote or Context | Episode(s) |
| "By Jove, I think she's got it!" | Phineas says this to Candace during "Summer Belongs to You" and later to Isabella on how quickly she catches on Ferb Latin. | "Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You!"; "Ferb Latin" |
| My Fair Goalie | The episode title parodies My Fair Lady, the Lerner and Loewe stage and movie musical adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. | "My Fair Goalie" |
The Little Mermaid[]
| Reference | Quote or Context | Episode(s) |
| Under the Sea | The music heard during the beach party sounds similar to the song. When Perry destroys Doofenshmirtz's ray the music is similar to it. Also, A-Prime Calypso is a pastiche of the calypso-style "Under the Sea", sung by Sebastian the Crab. | "Lawn Gnome Beach Party of Terror"; "Out of Toon"; "Phineas and Ferb Hawaiian Vacation" |
| Doofenshmirtz becoming human under the sea and swimming to the surface | This is like when Princess Ariel was naked, except Doofenshmirtz is wearing underwear and socks. | "Phineas and Ferb Hawaiian Vacation" |
| Candace and Jeremy's ride down the river | The scene where the raft is enclosed with weeping willow branches that look like hearts along with dancing fishes and turtles, resembles the scene during which "Kiss the Girl" is played. | "The Great Indoors" |
Scooby-Doo[]
| Reference | Quote or Context | Episode(s) |
| Chase scenes | The monster chase and the A-Prime scenes are reminiscent of Scooby-Doo monster chases, including the dance sequence with the monster. Also, Candace, Isabella and Melissa run through a maze in a hallway that is similar to a Scooby-Doo-style chase. Candace also runs though doors in the haunted house. | "Day of the Living Gelatin"; "Phineas and Ferb Hawaiian Vacation"; "We Call it Maze"; "One Good Scare Ought to Do It!" |
| "Jinkies!" | Gretchen says this line, which is Velma Dinkley's catchphrase. | "Isabella and the Temple of Sap" |
| Unmasking | The end credit scene of "Mission Marvel" parodies the typical "unmasking" scene at the end of every episode. | "Phineas and Ferb: Mission Marvel" |
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory 1971/Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2005[]
| Episode(s) | ||
| Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 1971
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 2005 |
The purple suit that Phineas wears, the chocolate river and the Ba-dink-a-dinks are references to the book. The purple suit is a closer match to the suit worn by Gene Wilder in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, rather than the maroon suit worn by Johnny Depp in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. | Toy to the World |
| Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory | The episode's title is an allusion to the song "Cheer Up Charlie" sung in the 1971 film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, as well as the musical based on this film. | Cheer Up Charlie |
| Charlie and the Chocolate Factory | When Heinz was flashing back to the pretzel factory it looks a lot like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory. | Buford Confidential |
E.T.[]
| Reference | Quote or Context | Episode(s) |
| Bicycle Scene | Meap sits in the front basket while Candace rides the bicycle through the air, just like in the movie E.T. | "The Chronicles of Meap" |
| Phineas, Ferb, and their friends go up a ramp and appear to fly on bikes, a reference to the famous scene in E.T. | "Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You!"; "Tour de Ferb" |
Dirty Dancing[]
| Reference | Quote or Context | Episode(s) |
| Episode Title | Nerdy Dancin' is a spoof of the 1987 movie title Dirty Dancing. | "Nerdy Dancin'" |
| Jennifer Grey | Played Frances "Baby" Houseman in the movie and voices many roles on Phineas and Ferb. | Various episodes |
Ferris Bueller's Day Off[]
| Reference | Quote or Context | Episode(s) |
| Jennifer Grey | Played Jeanie Bueller, the sister of the titular character (played by Matthew Brodwick) who was the inspiration for the character of Candace. | Various episodes |
Monty Python and the Holy Grail / Spamalot[]
Doctor Who[]
- Main article: List of references to pop culture/Doctor Who
The Rocky Horror Picture Show[]
Video Games[]
Main article: List of references to pop culture/
Nickelodeon[]
| SpongeBob Squarepants | In No More Bunny Business At the beginning of the episode, when Phineas pops out of the mailbox and scares the mailwoman, it could be a possible reference to SpongeBob whenever he camps in the mailbox waiting for the mail.
In Atlantis During the song Atlantis, Ferb is shown drinking tea from his helmet, like SpongeBob and Patrick do in the episode "Tea at the Treedome". In Out of Toon Pinhead Pierre may be a reference to Pinhead Larry that Patrick imitated in the episode "Survival of the Idiots". Which Dan Povenmire also worked on before developing Phineas and Ferb or while trying to get it on the air before officially being picked up by Disney. In Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You! Phineas digs up a yellow sponge and a pink starfish and then tosses them into the ocean saying "Oh, look, a sponge and a starfish! There's gotta be something we can make outta this! Aw, oh no, that's ridiculous!". These could be references to SpongeBob and Patrick. In Moon Farm Phineas eats his ice cream the way Sandy eats her Krabby Patty in "Someone's In The Kitchen With Sandy". In Oh, There You Are, Perry Phineas, Ferb and their friends put up posters and sing a song in hopes that Perry will hear them and come back home. The premise of the search and the song "Perry Come Home" are both quite similar to SpongeBob's efforts to find his pet snail, including the song in the background "Gary Come Home." In Attack of the 50 Foot Sister The story of this episode where Candace became a giant but didn't want to be one and was moaning about her size after being turned into one is similar to this show's episode "Giant Squidward", where Squidward becomes a giant after being sprayed by his kelp grow that SpongeBob and Patrick were fooling around with and turned him into a giant with it. But didn't like being a giant one bit like Candace. In That Sinking Feeling When everyone comes back to shore after the sinking of the ship, a music cue similar to the track Lap Steel is heard. In This Is Your Backstory The blank, empty world that Candace ends up in by herself could be a reference to the episode "SB-129" where Squidward was transported to a similar surreal blank world. In Buford Confidential During "Runnin' from Love (In a Bear Suit)", Buford, while falling down the cliff, is seen wearing a six-legged octopus (hexapus) costume. This may be an allusion to Henry the Hexapus, the world's first six-legged octopus, or Squidward, a character from SpongeBob SquarePants who is said to be an octopus (not a squid) with six legs. |
"No More Bunny Business"
"Atlantis" "Phineas and Ferb: Summer Belongs to You!" "Attack of the 50 Foot Sister" |
| Rocko's Modern Life | In Unfair Science Fair Redux (Another Story) Linda's line about "a rhesus monkey wearing a powdered wig" may be in reference to the episode "From Here to Maternity" in which Filburt calls Heffer a "wig-wearing rhesus monkey". That episode was also co-written by Martin Olson.
In Sci-Fi Pie Fly The pizza guy's name, Rocco, as well as the name of his eponymous pizzeria, are likely a reference to this series, which both Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh worked on.
|
"Unfair Science Fair Redux (Another Story) |
| The Fairly OddParents | In Gaming the System The plot of the episode is a bit similar to "Power Mad!".
In At the Car Wash Doofenshmirtz makes a Crocker compilation when he gets zapped by electrocutes. In The Lemonade Stand This episode is a bit similar to "Nectar of the Odds", but without the secret ingredients. |
Gaming the SystemAt the Car WashThe Lemonade Stand |
| CatDog | In Are You My Mummy? When Phineas and Ferb are running away from Candace, they're walking on their hands with their legs entangled in a way very similar manner to CatDog. | Are You My Mummy? |
| Hey Arnold | In Are You My Mummy? Monkeyman is from Hey Arnold!, a show Dan Povenmire worked on.
In What Do It Do? Candace calls Phineas "Bucko", much like Helga Pataki calls the ones she is bullying, which Dan Povenmire also worked on. |
Are You My Mummy? |
| Nacho Libre | The episode title is similar to a line by Nacho/Ignacio when he says, "Get that corn outta my face!" | Get That Bigfoot Outa My Face! |
| Avatar: The Last Airbender | The episode has some striking similarities to Avatar: The Last Airbender; the reform school building resembles the earth king's palace, the brainwashing is similar to the Dai Li's way of brainwashing, and the sergeant's character is similar to Long Feng, the leader of the Dai Li. Also, Clancy Brown voiced Long Feng. | Phineas and Ferb Get Busted! |
| The Rugrats Movie | In Gaming the System The Pickles family and the Doofenshmirtz family were both inspecting a baby girl but Tommy's brother Dil and Heinz's brother Roger were both boys and not girls, which is a nod to this movie. | Gaming the System |
| Dora the Explorer | In Oh, There You Are, Perry At the end, Doofenshmirtz is yelling, "We did it! We did it! ¡Lo hicimos! We did it!" which is one of the lyrics to the number sang at the end of every episode of Dora the Explorer.
|
Oh, There You Are, Perry |
| Rugrats: All Grown Up | In Finding Mary McGuffin The plot is also similar to an episode of the Nickelodeon show Rugrats: All Grown Up, in which Angelica Pickles loses her Cynthia doll after her mom sells it, as well as an episode of Disney Channel's Even Stevens called "Where in the World is Pookie Stevens?" in which Ren's Pookie doll is accidentally drops into a box that is taken down to their family's yard sale and prompts her younger brother to search for it. | Finding Mary McGuffin |
| The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius | The Texan Rock Band Bowling for Soup known did Phineas and Ferb Theme Song, they did the Jimmy Neutron Boy Genius Theme from Movie of 2001
In Not Phineas and Ferb The 'mechanical birds' on the poster in Irving's room looks like the flying chicken ships in Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius that abducted the parents of all the children in Retroville. In Robot Rodeo The cows poop nuts and bolts, like Goddard and there are similar robotic bulls in the episode "Foul Bull". |
Not Phineas and Ferb"Robot Rodeo" |
| Invader Zim | In Not Phineas and Ferb Buford and Bajeet's amateurish disguises fooled Albert much like how Zim's paper-thin disguises fool everyone on Earth. | Not Phineas and Ferb |
| Legends of the Hidden Temple | In Excaliferb Isabella's extremely detailed directions for the quest is similar to Olmec's directions from the Nickelodeon game show. Coincidentally, Dee Bradley Baker was the voice of Olmec. | Excaliferb |
| T.U.F.F. Puppy | In O.W.C.A. Files The way Parenthesis use a monitor to show himself is similar to The Chief from T.U.F.F. Puppy. | O.W.C.A. Files |
Reverse references[]
- Main article: List of references to pop culture/Reverse references