I came across this channel surfing one afternoon and became intrigued. This wasn't like other newer Nicktoons, this one was of the same quality of when the Nicktoons numbered three, Doug, Rugrats and Ren & Stimpy. "Danny Phantom" comes from the mind of Butch Hartman, the same guy who brought us "The Fairly Odd Parents."
Danny Phantom revolves around the life of fourteen-year-old Daniel "Danny" Fenton, his ghost hunting parents Jack and Maddie, his sixteen-going-on-thirty sister Jazz who thinks she's an adult, and his two best friends: Tucker, resident techno-whiz loudmouth, and Sam, a free-thinking, ultra-recyclo vegetarian Goth girl. Dealing with the normal trial and tribulations of being a freshman at Casper High is hard enough. Dealing with the abnormal trials and tribulations of being half ghost freshman at Casper High only makes thing worse.
The series smartly combines the ordeals of high school (like the mystery meat in the cafeteria, frog dissections, and wanting to be part of the "in" crowd) with the supernatural super hero story of average teenage boy must save the world from those who wish to see is blown clear to the Ghost Zone, not to mention he'd rather be sitting at home playing video games or hanging out at the local water park with his friends. A liberal sprinkling of pop culture references, parodies, and romance only add to the charm and wit of this show.
Fans of "The Fairly Odd Parents" may not find this show worth watching. Aimed at a slightly older crowd, "Danny Phantom" echoes the horror of going through that painstaking first year of high school, with embarrassing parents, overprotective siblings in the senior class, and mediocre grades to boot. Tweens, teens, and college students will most likely find this show interesting and amusing. Anyone younger than thirteen might not get all of the pop-culture references and jokes.
This is Ghostbusters for a new generation, and reminds me of many Saturday mornings spent watching my favorite New York ghost fighting team in action.
