7.1/10272 votes#1 - Mystery Meat
Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 4/3/2004
Danny's new ghost powers are put to the test when the school cafeteria's all-vegetarian menu arouses the ire of the ghostly Lunch Lady, a 50-foot shambling pile of mystery meat who seeks revenge and a return to high-cholesterol diets. It's up to Danny to push her back in the fridge where she belongs.
Director: Butch Hartman
Writer: Butch Hartman, Steve Marmel, Mark Banker
7.2/10211 votes#2 - Parental Bonding
Season 1 Episode 2 - Aired 4/9/2004
Danny uses his "overshadowing" power to take control of his Dad during a parent-teacher conference, but the plan backfires when Jack Fenton is invited to chaperone the school dance. At the same time a ghostly amulet turns the girl with whom Danny is smitten into a dragon, and he must alternately control his Dad and fight the ghost dragon!
Director: Butch Hartman, Sean Dempsey, Wincat Alcala
Writer: Steve Marmel, Sib Ventress
7.3/10194 votes#3 - One of a Kind
Season 1 Episode 3 - Aired 4/9/2004
Skulker, a predatory ghost hunting legend who fancies himself a collector of all things rare and unique, has set his sights on Danny Phantom, the world's only half-ghost/half-human hybrid. The games begin, as good and evil ghosts face off.
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala
Writer: Butch Hartman, Steve Marmel, Mark Banker
7.4/10182 votes#4 - Attack of the Killer Garage Sale
Season 1 Episode 4 - Aired 4/16/2004
When Danny sells some of his parents' ghost-hunting junk to make money to buy a cool new outfit, the objects take on a life of their own and go on the attack. Now he must defeat Technus, the Spectral Master of all things technological, without ruining his new duds.
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Richard Bowman
Writer: Sib Ventress
7.7/10190 votes#5 - Splitting Images
Season 1 Episode 5 - Aired 4/23/2004
After a series of humiliating run-ins with Dash, the school bully, Danny uses his powers to get revenge and triggers the ghost of Poindexter, a kid who was shoved in his locker so many times he haunts it to this day. Danny must battle this ghostly defender of nerds and geeks, while proving he's not the bully Poindexter thinks he is.
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Richard Bowman
Writer: Marty Isenberg
7.3/10174 votes#6 - What You Want
Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 4/30/2004
When wish-granting ghost Desiree gives Tucker ghost powers, Danny finds himself dealing with his friend's jealousy in the worst way possible: by having to fight him.
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Richard Bowman
Writer: Sib Ventress
8.1/10190 votes#7 - Bitter Reunions
Season 1 Episode 7 - Aired 5/7/2004
Danny meets his evil opposite in Vlad Plasmius, a childhood rival of his ghost-hunting dad, Jack. Unfortunately, Vlad acquired ghostly powers 20 years ago, which means he's stronger and more experienced than Danny -- and hell-bent on taking everything away from Jack Fenton including his life.
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Juli Murphy
Writer: Steve Marmel, Sib Ventress
7.6/10163 votes#8 - Prisoners of Love
Season 1 Episode 8 - Aired 5/14/2004
Danny fears he's going to cause his parents' break-up when he knocks Jack's anniversary gift into the Ghost Zone. Desperate to retrieve it, he dives into a ghostly dimension where he runs afoul of Walker, the ghost warden of a ghost jail, and is thrown into prison with every ghost he's ever caught.
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Juli Murphy
Writer: Marty Isenberg
8.3/10187 votes#9 - My Brother's Keeper
Season 1 Episode 9 - Aired 6/18/2004
Noticing a change in little bro Danny since the accident in the lab, Jazz mistakes his ghost hunting for depression and signs him up for therapy with Penelope Spectra, not knowing that Spectra is a ghost who feeds off teen misery!
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Juli Murphy
Writer: Sib Ventress
7.5/10161 votes#10 - Shades of Gray
Season 1 Episode 10 - Aired 9/24/2004
When ghosts wreck a popular co-ed's school social life, she dedicates herself to hunting them, which forces Danny to deal with a threat just a few lockers down the hall. Worse yet, Tucker has a crush on the girl.
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Juli Murphy
Writer: Sib Ventress
8.5/10232 votes#11 - Fanning the Flames
Season 1 Episode 11 - Aired 10/8/2004
Danny and Sam find their platonic friendship turned forcibly romantic through the musical powers of Ember, a hard-rocking girl ghost who feeds off the idol worship of teens. With her massive, free concert scheduled only a few days away a concert that will be broadcast worldwide and give her ultimate power Sam has to get the now completely and utterly love-addled Danny to focus on fighting ghosts. Even if it means breaking his heart.
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Juli Murphy
Writer: Marty Isenberg
7.9/10163 votes#12 - Teacher of the Year
Season 1 Episode 12 - Aired 10/15/2004
Living dual lives as a high school freshman and a superhero is a balancing act for Danny that just got even tougher, with both Lancer and his parents pressuring him to ace a test. At the same time Technus ghost master of technology has escaped into Danny's online game and threatens to flee into the Internet and take over every computer in the world!
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Juli Murphy
Writer: Sib Ventress
7.3/10160 votes#13 - Fright Night
Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 10/29/2004
In an attempt to beat Dash in a haunted house decorating contest, Danny 'borrows' the enchanted sword of the Spirit of Halloween, the Fright Knight! When the evil, ghostly knight comes to retrieve his magic saber, he decides to stick around long enough to turn the real world into his own stormy realm of terror. Danny Phantom has other ideas, and banishes the Fright Knight to the Ghost Zone.
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Juli Murphy
Writer: Marty Isenberg
7.4/10158 votes#14 - 13
Season 1 Episode 14 - Aired 11/5/2004
When Jazz falls for hunky boy ghost, Johnny 13, who can cast his shadow out and create bad luck for everyone who crosses him - especially the girls he's dating, Danny is forced to behave like an overprotective parent, much to Jazz's dismay.
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Juli Murphy
Writer: Sib Ventress, Marty Isenberg
7.8/10161 votes#15 - Public Enemies
Season 1 Episode 15 - Aired 2/4/2005
Amity Park is thrown into chaos by the town's first mass invasion of ghosts. It's all part of a plan by the Ghost Zone's top Sheriff, Walker, to capture Danny Phantom. As Danny first battles, then befriends, a hulking ghost named Wulf, Walker and his deputies ""overshadow"" most of the people in Danny's inner circle. While eluding attacks from his ghost-fighting parents, Danny defeats Walker and restores calm in the city - but earns the title of ""Public Ghost Enemy #1"" in the process!
Director: Butch Hartman, Wincat Alcala, Juli Murphy
Writer: Steve Marmel, Sib Ventress
7.4/10158 votes#16 - Lucky in Love
Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 2/11/2005
When Paulina witnesses Danny's ghost transformation, he fears the exposure. Imagine his surprise when Paulina swears to keep his secret - then becomes his girlfriend! Life is great for Danny, until he finds out that Paulina has actually been overshadowed by Johnny 13's girlfriend, Kitty, in her plot to make Johnny jealous. Danny reluctantly plays along to protect his own identity, but, when Kitty's welcome wears thin, Danny pleads with Johnny 13 to take her back. When Kitty abandons Paulina's body and goes back to her true love, Paulina resumes her indifference towards Danny Fenton - although she's now madly in love with Danny Phantom!
Director: Butch Hartman, Gary Conrad, Ken Bruce
Writer: Sib Ventress
8.2/10162 votes#17 - Maternal Instinct
Season 1 Episode 17 - Aired 2/18/2005
Maddie relishes the chance to bond with emotionally distant Danny at a weekend mother/son science seminar. However, the seminar is a ruse orchestrated by Vlad Masters - a.k.a. Vlad Plasmius, Danny's arch enemy! Vlad's plan is to convince Maddie and Danny to live with him while simultaneously destroying Jack with a massive ghost attack. When Vlad short-circuits Danny's powers, Danny gets to witness Maddie's impressive ghost fighting prowess. Meanwhile, a reluctant Jazz is pressed into ghost-fighting duty with Jack - and likes it, in spite of herself!
Director: Butch Hartman, Gary Conrad, Juli Murphy
Writer: Sib Ventress
7.4/10150 votes#18 - Life Lessons
Season 1 Episode 18 - Aired 2/25/2005
Danny and Valerie Gray are forced to become ""parents"" to a sack of flour for a one-week school assignment. At the same time Skulker, ghost hunter extraordinaire, decides to pit Valerie and Danny Phantom against each other in a contest - with the winner earning the privilege of becoming his prey. When Skulker's orchestrated contest ends in a tie, he handcuffs Danny and Valerie and hunts them both through the Ghost Zone. In order to survive, Danny and Valerie learn to let go of their mutual dislike and cooperate with each other - which may just affect their relationship in the real world. Or, not.
Director: Butch Hartman, Gary Conrad, Ken Bruce
Writer: Marty Isenberg
7.6/10157 votes#19 - The Million Dollar Ghost
Season 1 Episode 19 - Aired 6/3/2005
When Vlad Masters' ghost portal explodes, he schemes to replace it by stealing Jack Fenton's portal. As a distraction, Vlad anonymously offers a million dollar bounty to eliminate Danny Phantom. As ghost hunters from around the world gather in Amity Park to hunt the ghost kid, Danny sacrifices himself to Jack - both to win the prize money for Dad and to bolster Jack's inept reputation, which embarrasses Danny. However, when his family's life is put in jeopardy, Jack needs no help from Danny to save the day on his own.
Director: Butch Hartman, Gary Conrad, Ken Bruce
Writer: Sib Ventress
8.0/10171 votes#20 - Control Freaks
Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 6/16/2005
Sam rebels when her overprotective parents forbid her from attending the strange Goth circus that's come to town. Little does she know that the circus performers are ghosts, under the mystical control of the creepy ringmaster named Freakshow, who also uses the ghosts to loot the town. When Danny falls under Freakshow's spell and joins the circus - and the robbery spree - Sam must operate under the radar to destroy Freakshow's magic crystal ball, free Danny and get grounded, big-time.
Director: Butch Hartman, Gary Conrad, Ken Bruce
Writer: Marty Isenberg
The Best Episodes of Danny Phantom Season 1
Every episode of Danny Phantom Season 1 ranked from best to worst. Discover the Best Episodes of Danny Phantom Season 1!
Danny Fenton was once your typical kid until he accidentally blew up his parents' laboratory and became ghost-hunting superhero Danny Phantom. Now half-ghost, Danny's picked...
Genres:Action & AdventureAnimationComedySci-Fi & Fantasy
Network:Nickelodeon
Season 1 Ratings Summary
"Mystery Meat" is the best rated episode of "Danny Phantom" season 1. It scored 7.1/10 based on 272 votes. Directed by Butch Hartman and written by Butch Hartman, Steve Marmel, Mark Banker, it aired on 4/3/2004. This episode is rated 0.1 points higher than the second-best, "Parental Bonding".