Stephen Armstrong, UK reporter for Times Online, offers readers a behind-the-scenes look into his experience recording the voices for three new characters appearing in an upcoming Season 2 episode of Disney’s hit show Phineas and Ferb.
Armstrong also mentions guest voices for Season 2 and interviews other members of the show’s cast and crew:
This particular vehicle, Phineas and Ferb, is turning out to be a gold mine for British talent. Series one, which went out on the Disney Channel in February 2008, had 17-year-old Thomas Sangster (from Nanny McPhee and Love Actually) playing the rectangle-headed Ferb, one of a pair of angular stepbrothers who spend their holidays forming rock bands, making a movie and fighting off aliens, all the while concealing their antics from their sister, Candace [voiced by Ashley Tisdale]. My mad scientists, for instance, are part of a team simultaneously trying to ruin their Christmas break and audition for parts in High School Musical 4. Other Brits include the Rocky Horror creator Richard O’Brien, who plays the dad, Lawrence, with Malcolm McDowell, Lucy Davis and Tim Curry providing sterling support. Series two, starting this weekend, further employs Damian Lewis, David Mitchell, [Mathew Horne, and Bruce MacKinnon].
Why so many Brits?
“I’m a great fan of British humour,” explains [P&F creator Jeff Marsh]. “I lived in London for years when I was working on Postman Pat and Bounty Hamster, while my co-creator, Dan Povenmire, was working on Family Guy. We remember growing up. Every summer day, we’d go out and do something: dig a trench or build a tunnel, fort or treehouse. While I was in London, I was always at the Comedy Store, and I really wanted to bring that British humour to the scripts and the voices.” It seems to have worked. Season one was nominated for a Bafta.
Continue reading: How easy is it to do cartoon voice-overs? [Times Online]