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Phil of the Future

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Phil of the Future
File:PhilCast 1024x768.jpg
Created byTim Maile
Douglas Tuber
StarringRaviv Ullman
as Phil Diffy
Amy Bruckner
as Pim Diffy
Alyson Michalka
as Keely Teslow
Craig Anton
as Lloyd Diffy
Lise Simms
as Barbara Diffy
Country of origin United States
No. of episodes43
Production
Executive producersTim Maile
Douglas Tuber
(season 1)
Michael Curtis
Roger S.H. Shulman
(season 2)
ProducersFred Savage
(Season 2)
Running time22 minutes
Original release
NetworkDisney Channel
ReleaseJune 18, 2004 –
August 19, 2006

Phil of the Future is an American comedy children's television series that was produced by 2121 Productions (a part of Brookwell McNamara Entertainment). Phil of the Future's working title was The Out of Timers. It debuted on June 18, 2004 on the Disney Channel and ended on August 19, 2006. It centers around the Diffys, a family from 2121 who get stuck in the 21st century during their trip through time. The series focuses on their attempt to fit in while trying to fix their time machine and return to the year 2121.

As of January 2007, the second season of "Phil" has been nominated for a Writer's Guild of America Award (Children's Series) for "Broadcast Blues," (written by David Steven Cohen) and a Directors' Guild of America Award (Children's Series) for "Not-So-Great-Great Grandpa," directed by Fred Savage.

Characters

  • Philip "Phil" Diffy (born 2104), played by Ricky Ullman: Phil Diffy is the main character in the series. He is a 9th (Season 1) / 10th (Season 2) grader at H.G. Wells Junior/Senior High. He seems to be the most "in tune" with how things work in this century. Phil frequently has to make up excuses to hide the fact that he is from the future. He is the best friend/boyfriend of Keely Teslow, for whom he develops romantic feelings in season 2.
  • Pim Diffy (born 2107), played by Amy Bruckner: Pim Diffy is Phil's younger sister. She is a 7th (Season 1) / 8th (Season 2) grader at H.G. Wells Junior/Senior High. Pim is a mischievous girl who is constantly up to no good. Pim is especially known for liking to pull pranks on people, mainly on Phil, Debbie Berwick and Vice Principal Hackett. Pim tries to make Phil miserable whenever she can. She hangs out with a young boy "Li'l Danny" Dawkins. She also tries to avoid Debbie Berwick and Candida. Repeatedly in the show, she looks for ways to dominate the world, and universe. Even though Pim often causes trouble for Phil, and has a tough attitude, she also cares about her brother but keeps it hidden most of the time. It's unclear whether Pim is her actual name or if it's short for something.
  • Lloyd Diffy (born 2074), played by Craig Anton: Lloyd Diffy is Phil and Pim's goofy dad, who is working on repairing the time machine. He was an engineer in 2121, and loves "older music". He is paranoid about the government (and Vice Principal Hackett) figuring out he and his family are from the future. During the Diffys' stay, Lloyd and Curtis got jobs at the Mantis hardware store.
  • Barbara (née Speckle) Diffy (born 2074), played by Lise Simms: Barbara Diffy is Phil and Pim's mom. She is very interested in how things work in this century. Unlike other mothers, though, Barbara seems to let her kids figure things out on their own. She loves to cook the old fashion way, however, her food usually ends up with something being wrong, because in 2121 they spray food out of a can.
  • Keely Teslow (born 1989), played by Alyson Michalka: Keely Teslow is Phil's best friend/girlfriend. She is the only person who knows Phil and his family are from the future. Keely Teslow is an energetic and bubbly girl who aspires to be a reporter. She starts to harbor romantic feelings for Phil during season 2. She sometimes uses Phil's gadgets as a shortcut for schoolwork. She is notable on the show for her numerous hairstyles and colorful clothes. In the later episodes of the show, she hosts her own daily news program on the school's closed circuit broadcasting system. In the episode The Giggle, she gets to look ahead at her own future and learns that she does, in fact, become a successful news reporter.
  • Curtis the Caveman, played by J.P. Manoux: Curtis is a Caveman who stowed away in the Diffy's time machine when they went back to visit the Stone Age. The Diffys struggle to make Curtis seem like a normal person, and often pretend he is Phil's uncle. Throughout the episodes, he learns more English.
  • Vice Principal Neal Hackett, played by J.P. Manoux: Vice Principal Hackett is the Vice Principal at Phil, Keely and Pim's school, H.G. Wells Junior/Senior High School. He is often found snooping around the Diffys' house as he tries to figure out where they are really from, though he believes that they are aliens.

Episode list

List of Phil of the Future episodes

Template:Spoiler

Plot

Season 1

Season one focuses around the Diffys' attempt to fit into society in 2004, and their attempts to repair their time machine and return to 2121 without anyone (especially Vice Principal Hackett) discovering they're not from this time. It also revolves around Phil and Pim attending school and making new friends without anyone uncovering the family secret. Most of the Diffys' futuristic gadgets are introduced in this season. Template:Spoiler

Season 2

The second season of Phil of the Future continued the scenario of the Diffy family being stranded in the past. Season 2 deals less with the futuristic gadgets and the Diffys trying to blend in, but more emphasis on Phil and Keely's friendship turning into something more.

The Season 1 characters Tia, Seth Wosmer, Debbie Berwick, and Bradley Benjamin Farmer, are no longer on the cast for Season 2. The second season adds new characters, who show up less than the characters from the first season. Including; Owen, Via, Lil' Danny Dawkins (Pim's new sidekick) and The Fashion Zombies who were led by Candida, played by Spencer Locke. There is also larger emphasis on J.P. Manoux's character, Vice-principal Neil Hackett, but less with his other character, Curtis the Caveman.

There are also notes that the Season 2 characters are based on Season 1 characters, such as Via and Tia have alot of incoming.

Series Finale

Template:Spoiler Phil and Keely are voted "Cutest Couple" by the entire school. After talking it over Phil and Keely decide to start dating. Back at home, Pim discovers Lloyd has known how to fix the time machine for a while, yet he never fixed it because "everybody was happy here", Pim fixes the time machine and Lloyd takes it for a test drive. When he returns we find out that once they return home, they can never come back because of a law created called the "Thanks to the Diffys Law". Everybody sneaks downstairs that night to destroy the time machine so that Phil and Keely can stay together. They all used the "coconut excuse." Phil comes down and stops them saying he can't ask the others to sacrifice their lives for him. The family leaves the next day for the future just as Keely is running to say good bye. However, Phil convinces Lloyd to turn the time machine around so that he can say good-bye to Keely. They kiss while she's doing the school news and he then returns to the time machine. After a while, the family realizes that they have left Curtis back in 2006, and Lloyd reluctantly throws the time machine into reverse to pick him up. Template:Endspoiler

Theme song

The title theme song for Phil of the Future was written by John Adair and Steve Hampton. It was sung by Loren Ellis and The Drew Davis Band [1], who also sang the theme song of The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.

Trivia

  • The series was created and executive produced by Douglas Tuber & Tim Maile (Lizzie McGuire).
  • The name of the school Phil and Pim go to is called Herbert G. Wells High School. Herbert G. Wells, better known as H.G. Wells, was the author of the book The Time Machine, likely there as a motif based on the situation
  • The picture of the school in the episode "Back to the Future (Not the Movie)" looks like the one in Lizzie McGuire.
  • This series is similar to the film series, "Back to the Future".
  • The song "Protecting Me" from the episode "My Way" was on Aly & AJ's album Into the Rush.
  • A commercial for Disney, themed restaurant, had Phil eating ribs. Actually, this scene is from when the actor that plays Phil played the role of a bad boy in That's So Raven
  • Phil of the Future plays out of order. In the episode You Say Toe-Mato, Phil tells Keely that his family is from the future, but in the episode Your Cheatin' Heart, Keely already knows that Phil is from the future. In the episode Future Tutor, Phil and Keely meet for the first time, but the episodes before this episode Phil and Keely already are friends. In the episode Raging Bull, Phil and Myron are friends, but in the episode Double Trouble, Phil and Myron are enemies. In the episode Future Tutor, Debbie just met Pim, but the episodes before this episode, Debbie already met Pim. In the episode Neander Phil, Pim goes to yoga and Debbie is the teacher, but in the episode Halloween

Video Game

Phil has a new adventure in his video game "Phil of the Future", which is marketed by Buena Vista Games.

Gadgets Used in the TV Series

File:Potfgg-10.jpg
Bonus Feature from the Phil of the Future: Gadgets and Gizmos DVD.
  • DNA Scrambler - Manipulates the DNA of the person it is used on
  • Dress-Me Hoop - Used to automatically dress a person when he or she goes through it
  • Holographic Tracking Sensor - Can be used to track a subject
  • I Want Straight Hair - Makes frizzy, messy hair instantly neat and straight
  • Insta Morph - Morphs the appearance of the subject into that of another. (As seen in ''Not-So-Great Great Great Grandpa, Stuck in the Meddle With You, Your Cheatin' Heart, Dinner Time).
  • Invisi-Spray - Used to make someone invisible
  • Laser Squash - A futuristic version of handball
  • New-Ager - Can make objects look and/or act older or younger (Such as people or plants)
  • Omnimatic Grabifiers - Works as a laser operated gripping device, used for climbing
  • Penny Missile - Springing clip
  • Replicator - Replicates (or clones) the subject
  • Skyak - A futuristic flying vehicle, which resembles a jet-ski
  • Spray Food Cans - Spray cans that make any kind of food with a foam-like spray
  • The Giggle - A futuristic version of the internet that can view the future up to the year 2121. According to Phil, it replaced the thing that replaced the thing that killed the current (2007) internet in the Paperveiw Battle Royale.
  • Time Machine - A vehicle for traveling through time. Has the external appearance of an early 21st century motorhome, but a futuristic internal appearance (as seen in the episode Back to the Future (Not The Movie)).
  • Virtu-Goggles - Strap-on goggles that lets people view and experience a virtual reality world
  • Wizard - Can perform multiple functions, but does not work around pudding


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