SpongeBob SquarePants

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This article is about the series. For the title character, see SpongeBob SquarePants (character). For other uses, see SpongeBob SquarePants (disambiguation).
SpongeBob SquarePants

Clockwise from top left: Sandy Cheeks, SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick Star, Mr. Krabs (Eugene H. Krabs), Squidward Tentacles, and Plankton (Sheldon J. Plankton)
Format Animated comedy
Created by Stephen Hillenburg
Starring Tom Kenny
Bill Fagerbakke
Rodger Bumpass
Carolyn Lawrence
Clancy Brown
Lori Alan
Mary Jo Catlett
Doug Lawrence
Dee Bradley Baker
Sirena Irwin
Jill Talley
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
No. of seasons 6
No. of episodes 104½ [1] (List of episodes)
Production
Running time Typically about 11 minutes per cartoon (occasionally longer or shorter)
Broadcast
Original channel Nickelodeon
Original run Flag of the United States May 1, 1999 – present
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary
Common rating
Australia G
Canada G (some in Season 1 & 2 rated C on YTV)
Germany o. A.
Japan U
New Zealand G
Philippines G
United States TV-Y7 (DVD: Not Rated)

SpongeBob SquarePants is an Emmy-nominated American animated television series and media franchise. It is one of Nickelodeon's Nicktoons and is currently the most watched show on the channel. In 2007, it was named by TIME as one of the greatest television shows of all time.[2] Although its original network is Nickelodeon, SpongeBob is now broadcast across the world. It was created by artist, animator, and former marine biologist, Stephen Hillenburg, and is produced through his production company, United Plankton Pictures, Inc.

The series is set in the Pacific Ocean, in the city of Bikini Bottom and on the surrounding lagoon floor. The pilot episode first aired in the United States on Nickelodeon after the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on May 1, 1999. The "official" series premiere followed on July 17, 1999 with the second episode, "Bubblestand/Ripped Pants."

Contents

Setting

Main article: Bikini Bottom

SpongeBob SquarePants is a sea sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea, while his squid neighbor, Squidward Tentacles, lives in a moai. SpongeBob's other neighbor and best friend is a pink starfish named Patrick Star, who lives under a rock. SpongeBob and Patrick live on either side of Squidward Tentacles, much to Squidward's despair. Squidward is constantly annoyed by SpongeBob and Patrick's antics.

SpongeBob and his friends live in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. Bikini Bottom is like a regular city with a downtown, suburbs, coastal areas, its own airport, bus system, and fair park. Stephen Hillenburg said once that Bikini Bottom was loosely based on Seattle, Washington.[citation needed] A good example of this statement is in the episode "Pre-Hibernation Week". Sandy and SpongeBob were fighting on a tall structure called the Sea Needle, referring to the Space Needle, a tall structure in Seattle. Hillenburg has said that he wants to leave the location of Bikini Bottom to the imagination, claiming that the Baywatch scene was just a reference to his favorite show of all time.

SpongeBob's house-pet is a snail named Gary, whose "meow" is similar to a cat. Although Gary only speaks in a few episodes, the characters have shown an ability to understand him. In addition to this, underwater worms bark exactly like dogs, and are kept on chains. Jellyfish are the equivalent of bees; buzzing, stinging with poison (although it appears as an electric shock), and producing delicious "jelly", mocking the name "jellyfish", while still referring to a bee's honey. Fish act as the citizens of the community but, as a rule, are not important characters.

SpongeBob, who is absorbent, yellow, and porous (according to the title song), works as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, a fast-food restaurant, with Squidward as the cashier. The Krusty Krab is owned by Eugene H. Krabs (Mr. Krabs). Sheldon J. Plankton (commonly referred to as "Plankton") is Mr. Krabs's arch enemy who owns a low-rank fast-food restaurant called the Chum Bucket across the street from the Krusty Krab. The Chum Bucket has almost never had a customer, and Plankton spends most of his time plotting to steal the recipe for Mr. Krabs's popular Krabby Patty burgers. Only in the movie does he succeed; the formula is never actually revealed to the audience. Plankton's computer wife, Karen, alternately helps him in his schemes or bickers with him.

Sandy Cheeks is another friend of SpongeBob. She is a squirrel that lives in an underwater dome in Bikini Bottom. She was sent there by her bosses, chimpanzees, according to the episode, "Chimps Ahoy". Sandy is from Texas, and speaks with a Texan accent. Sometimes she gets a little home-sick and sings a little song. When not inside her tree-dome, she wears an astronaut-like suit because she cannot breathe in water. Sandy, just like a normal squirrel, hibernates once a year, as seen in a few episodes such as "Pre-Hibernation Week" and "Survival of the Idiots". She likes SpongeBob as much as SpongeBob likes her.

Instead of cars, the residents of Bikini Bottom drive boats. SpongeBob is still in boating school after failing the driving test over seventy-two times. Once, during an episode set in a wilderness area, Patrick questions how a camp fire is possible on the lagoon bottom. As soon as the question is asked, the fire is immediately extinguished with a sizzle. A flurry of bubbles accompanies actions in many of the episodes to remind the viewer that the setting is underwater. Ironically, when there is a separate body of water underwater, such as a swimming pool or lagoon, a non-car boat must be used to cross it because both SpongeBob and Patrick cannot swim, they must be taught by Larry the Lobster. In the episode "Snowball Effect" (Episode 46 Season 3) it snows in Bikini Bottom. The show also frequently ignores its underwater setting when dealing with water in other uses; Bikini Bottom has functional baths, pools, and toilets.

Krusty Krab

The Krusty Krab.
The Krusty Krab.

The Krusty Krab, owned by Mr. Eugene H. Krabs, is the most popular restaurant in Bikini Bottom. It usually has two employees: SpongeBob SquarePants, the restaurant's fry cook, and Squidward Tentacles, the restaurant's cashier. Both employees have difficulties with working together: Squidward hates SpongeBob, and SpongeBob in turn exacerbates the situation by remaining completely naive toward Squidward's spiteful attitude. Originally there was a frycook called Jim who left on account of Mr. Krab's small salary. In one episode when Squidward and SpongeBob go on strike, they are temporarily replaced by three teenagers (though seemingly they looked more like children). The restaurant's menu consists of the usual fast-food products, with its specialty being Krabby Patties, similar to hamburgers in appearance. Plankton, the owner of the Krusty Krab's rival restaurant, The Chum Bucket, is always trying to find out the mystery ingredients for the Krabby patty formula.

Like many buildings in the show, the Krusty Krab does not have a specific floor plan. In most episodes, however, the restaurant includes the main dining room with doors leading to Mr. Krabs' office, a kitchen, and a restroom. The building's design is based on a New England lobster trap. In the front, the Krusty Krab has a parking area, even though cars are usually not seen in it. In the back of the Krusty Krab, a dumpster is seen in most episodes. The Krusty Krab is open most days from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm, and is closed on Sunday.

The food served at the Krusty Krab consists of its specialty, the world-famous Krabby Patty burgers, as well as a host of other meals off the Galley Grub, with food ranging from Kelp Fries to Coral Bits to Dr Kelp (derived from the Dr Pepper soft drink) and more, including Silly Meals. This is enough evidence that the menu is similar to that of Checkers Drive-In, McDonald's, Burger King or its Australian counterpart, Hungry Jack's. They have also sold Krusty Krab pizzas in "Pizza Delivery."[3]

Characters

Main article: List of SpongeBob SquarePants characters
  • SpongeBob SquarePants — A very friendly sponge that loves krabby patties, jellyfishing, karate, and blowing bubbles. He works at the Krusty Krab as the fry cook.
  • Patrick Star — SpongeBob's best friend; a dimwitted, pink starfish.
  • Sandy Cheeks — A clever squirrel scientist from Texas who has to wear an air helmet and space suit to work underwater.
  • Eugene H. Krabs — A crab that is in charge of the Krusty Krab restaurant, where SpongeBob works. He loves money and is selfish and greedy, even to his daughter.
  • Pearl Krabs — Mr. Krabs's teenage daughter. She is a whale who acts like a stereotypical American teenage girl. She acts like a spoiled girl and her father is seen to both pamper and deprive her throughout the series.
  • Squidward Tentacles — SpongeBob's cranky next door neighbor and co-worker at the Krusty Krab, where he is the cashier. He hates SpongeBob and Patrick, and openly displays his hatred towards them, not that they ever truly understand. He has always wanted hair since he went bald (seen in the episode, "The Original Fry Cook". He also believes he is an amazing artist and clarinet player, but is quite the opposite in reality.
  • Gary the Snail — SpongeBob's pet, his only sound is a "meow", similar to a cat. In fact, he is considered to be a sea cat, like a worm is considered a sea dog.
  • Sheldon J. Plankton - A small plankton who is Mr. Krabs arch rival. He intends on getting the secret Krabby Patty formula and putting the Krusty Krab out of business. Also, his wife Karen and his "cousins" consider his first name hilarious as shown in one episode.
  • Mrs. Puff — A pufferfish that is SpongeBob's boating teacher. Mrs. Puff dislikes SpongeBob and is eager to get him out of her class. She usually gets in jail after one of SpongeBob's foolish acts. A widow, her husband was captured and turned into a pufferfish lamp.
  • Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy — Old, retired and foolish superheroes who are adored by SpongeBob, Patrick, and people from the "Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy" Fan Club.
  • Larry the Lobster — Buff, good-looking and fit lobster, usually found at Goo Lagoon, Bikini Bottom's local beach. Larry is one of Sandy's main friends, and is usually friendly with Spongebob and Patrick. He is cocky, but generally good-natured.
  • Perch Perkins - The Bikini Bottom TV Reporter.
  • Karen - Plankton's computer wife
  • Patchy the Pirate is a non-animated pirate played by Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob. He hosts all of the 30-minute SpongeBob specials, such as House Party and The Lost Episode. Fan reception is polarized between love and hate of the character. Not to be confused with Painty the Pirate who sings the theme tune to each episode.

Popularity

SpongeBob SquarePants is the only cartoon to consistently make the Top 10 list in the Nielsen ratings, and is the first "low budget" Nickelodeon cartoon, according to the network, to become extremely popular. Low-budget cartoons had not garnered as much esteem as higher-rated (and higher-budgeted) shows, such as Rugrats, although when SpongeBob SquarePants aired in 1999, it had gained a significant enough number of viewers in the ratings to be considered popular, eventually becoming more popular than Rugrats had ever been. SpongeBob follows other Nickelodeon shows that have attracted "older" followers: The Ren & Stimpy Show, Rocko's Modern Life, the Kablam! skits, Action League Now! and The Angry Beavers. Other shows have followed in this trend as well: Invader Zim and The Fairly OddParents won a similar fan base when they aired in 2001, and the latter is now second only to SpongeBob in popularity, while the former was cancelled despite gaining a cult following. The show debuted in 1999, and during that time, DragonBall Z and Pokémon were still the biggest crazes. SpongeBob did not gain its popularity until around 2000, and it has remained popular since then. It has achieved the "Great" rating on tv.com, with a 8.7 rating, the third best rating in Nickelodeon, the first being Avatar: The Last Airbender with a rating of 9.3 and the second being The Fairly OddParents with a rating of 8.8.

Broad appeal

SpongeBob is one in a long line of cartoons that is designed to appeal to adults as well as children. This has a lot to do with the absurd way underwater life and situations are represented, and with the situations, references, and words used, which younger viewers might not understand. Certain innuendos also are intended to go over younger viewers' heads.[4] For example, SpongeBob tried to show his grandma that he was a mature adult by wearing sideburns and a derby, and listening to 'free form jazz' or when Squidward tricked SpongeBob and Patrick into thinking he was a ghost, a coral reef sculpted like Toulouse-Lautrec's can-can girls stands in the background (leading to a pun by Squidward), are jokes most children would not understand. Numerous marine biology in-jokes are woven into the show. There are also often complex ironic scenarios that need close attention.

While many newer cartoons revolve around pre-adolescents with strange lives and feature many pop-culture references (e.g. The Fairly OddParents), SpongeBob chooses to go for a formula that was used in highly successful older Nick cartoons such as Ren and Stimpy and Rocko's Modern Life, with non-human young adults in crazy, unrealistic situations, with minimal pop culture references.

Part of the show's appeal has to do with the childlike nature of SpongeBob and his best friend, Patrick Star, both of whom are adults but display an innocence typical of human children. However, the characters are not immune from more adult avocations, including rock musicianship in a stadium performance, reminiscent of a hard rock concert, or Patrick turning to SpongeBob after they had nurtured a baby scallop, holding his arms out saying "Lets have another".

Unlike the Nickelodeon network, SpongeBob features well-known independent musicians who contribute to its soundtrack. Alternative rock bands such as Wilco, The Shins, The Flaming Lips and Ween (who have contributed two original songs to the show and their 1997 song "Ocean Man" to the movie soundtrack), as well as metal bands Pantera, Motörhead and Twisted Sister have made appearances on the show and movies soundtracks, and heavy metal group Metallica even released a T-shirt featuring cartoon versions of themselves playing live with the characters SpongeBob and Patrick. British rock singer David Bowie was a special guest on the SpongeBob SquarePants episode Atlantis SquarePantis, which aired on November 12, 2007.[5] The episode drew total 8.8 million viewers, the biggest audience in the show's eight-year history.[5]

The TV movie Atlantis SquarePantis referenced numerous other movies or stories. David Bowie's character Lord Royal Highness (with his upper class accent) and the locals looked remarkably like the Blue Meanies (Yellow Submarine) - quite fitting for an underwater adventure. When the characters arrived at his habitat, he fell down as he proceeded down the red carpet (as Willy Wonka did in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, before leading them on a tour. A case can also be made for the yellow road used in the tour and a reference to The Wizard of Oz - along with the movie being a musical.

The show became so popular with adolescents and adults that the series was broadcast on MTV and featured on Spike TV. A quote by Patrick ("It's gonna rock!" from the episode Mid-Life Crustacean) has been used as a promotional tag-line for rock stations. Ren and Stimpy, among others, had followed a similar path. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, released on November 19, 2004, features a cameo appearance by actor David Hasselhoff, in a parody of his role from the Baywatch TV series.

Merchandising and marketing

Main article: List of SpongeBob SquarePants merchandise

Merchandise based on the show ranges from Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Go-Gurt, Kellogg's cereal, and video games to boxer shorts, flip-flops, pajamas, t-shirts, slippers and radios.

The show also spawned a large and popular merchandise line at Hot Topic, Claire's, Waldenbooks, Borders Books, Barnes & Noble, Best Buy, RadioShack, Target, KB Toys, Big Lots, Wal-Mart, Shopko, Meijer, Kmart, Sears, JCPenney, Kohl's, Lowe's, T.J. Maxx, Toys "R" Us and Ames stores in the United States as well as the Zellers, Wal-Mart Canada and Toys "R" Us stores in Canada, and a limited selection of merchandise in Australia at Kmart Australia and Target Australia.

There have been kids meal tie-ins at Wendy's for SpongeBob's House Party Special in 2002 and at Burger King restaurants in 2001, 2003, and for the movie in 2004. In 2006, another kids meal tie-in for Burger King was introduced for the Lost in Time special, and in 2007 for the "Friend or Foe" special featuring containers for BK Chicken Fries designed to look like SpongeBob. In November 2007, a Burger King Kids Meal was released to tie-in with the new episode Atlantis SquarePantis. The most recent tie-in kids meal for Burger King features Pest of the West toys.

A McDonald's Happy Meal tie-in with SpongeBob-themed Happy Meal boxes and toys has not been released in North America yet, but will be in 2008 and has already been released in Europe in the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and also in Australia in early 2007 at about the same time a Catscratch Happy Meal was released in the United States and Canada.[6] In Australia, the advertisement for the McDonald's SpongeBob Happy Meal won the Pester Power Award for the fact that the ads are enticing young children to want its food because of the free toy.[7]

In Japan, they had a kids meal tie-in with KFC which featured different toys based on the TV series.[8][dead link]

SpongeBob was also featured on VH1's I Love the 90s: Part Deux: I Love 1999: Part Deux as part of a commentary by Michael Ian Black and "Weird Al" Yankovic among other celebrities.

A tie-in beverage for the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie in 2004 at 7-Eleven convenience stores has been created, a pineapple-flavored Slurpee, which has already been discontinued as of 2005.

Events in the past with the SpongeBob SquarePants theme include an exhibit at Underwater Adventures Aquarium in the Mall of America called SeaCrits of Bikini Bottom during the summer of 2003. In October 2004, a NASCAR Busch Series race was named The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300, presented by Lowe's and broadcast on TNT featuring Jimmie Johnson's #48 Lowe's stock car and Kyle Busch's #5 stock car painted for the race with the SpongeBob Movie paint schemes. There were contests tied in with the movie where fans could win SpongeBob-related items or a trip to the Cayman Islands.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge roller coaster inside Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge roller coaster inside Nickelodeon Universe Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, United States.

The motion simulator/interactive movie ride "Escape from Dino-Island 3D" at Six Flags Over Texas was turned into "SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D", with water squirts, real bubbles, and other sensory enhancements. The SpongeBob SquarePants 4-D ride opened at the Noah's Ark Dive-In Theater located at Noah's Ark Waterpark in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin in the summer of 2007. LEGO received license to produce SpongeBob SquarePants building sets, which are available in stores now. SpongeBob appears at the Mall of America's new Nickelodeon theme park re-branded from the Mall of America's Park at MOA (formerly Camp Snoopy) to Nickelodeon Universe in the Minneapolis-St. Paul suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota. The new theme park features a SpongeBob-themed Gerstlauer Euro-Fighter custom roller coaster, the SpongeBob SquarePants Rock Bottom Plunge, which has replaced the Mystery Mine Ride and Olde Time Photo store on the west end of the theme park next to the Dora the Explorer ferris wheel and across from the Pepsi Orange Streak. The theme park opened March 15, 2008. The SpongeBob Rock Bottom plunge features a statue of SpongeBob and Patrick riding a bus down a 90° angle holding a giant rubber glove.

In 2007, some new high-end SpongeBob-themed electronics have been introduced by Imation Electronics Products under the Npower brand, such as MP3 players, digital cameras, a DVD player, and a flatscreen television.[9]

Other items featuring SpongeBob include a special edition Monopoly board game, Life and Operation board game as well as a SpongeBob SquarePants edition of Ants in the Pants and Yahtzee. SEGA Corporation introduced a ticket redemption game based on the show that has become popular with most video arcades.[10][dead link – history]

The SpongeBob SquarePants market saturation has become something of a joke. In the comic strip "Sherman's Lagoon", Hawthorne the crab is showing off a small nuclear (Junior) reactor, and Herman the shark says "Boy, that SpongeBob will endorse anything!"

When the complete first season of SpongeBob SquarePants was released in the United Kingdom, it included some heavy editing (though not to the cartoons themselves). The audio commentaries were cut out, and only two extras were left in, possibly to avoid a 12 rating. A similar approach was taken with the second season; it included no audio commentaries and only one extra, Around the World with SpongeBob SquarePants.

History

Development (1993 – 1999)

SpongeBob's history can be traced back to 1993 when Rocko's Modern Life first aired. One of the producers was Stephen Hillenburg, a cartoon worker/marine biologist who loved both his careers. When Rocko's Modern Life was canceled in 1996, Hillenburg began working on SpongeBob (although sketches trace back to 1987). He teamed up with creative director Derek Drymon, who had worked on shows such as Doug, Action League Now!, and Hey Arnold!. Drymon had worked with Hillenburg on Rocko's Modern Life as well, as did many SpongeBob crew members, including writer-directors Sherm Cohen and Dan Povenmire, writer Tim Hill, voice actors Tom Kenny and Doug Lawrence (aka "Mr. Lawrence"), actor-writer Martin Olson and animation director Alan Smart. Another crew member with previous Nickelodeon cartoon experience was former Angry Beavers story editor Merriwether Williams, who worked on that show for its first few seasons and switched to SpongeBob in July 1999.

During production of the show, Bobson provided a concept of short comics with the same style of the show, but the characters looked different. SpongeBob used to be named SpongeBoy,[11] and used to wear a red hat with a green base and a white business shirt with a tie. The name "SpongeBoy" did not make it into the show since the name was already officially trademarked by Bob Burden, creator of Flaming Carrot. Hillenburg later chose the alternative name "SpongeBob". The original name was once referenced in the show by Mr. Krabs' line, "SpongeBoy, me Bob!." The Krusty Krab was originally spelled with the letter C rather than K, but Stephen Hillenburg thought Ks were funnier and it would fit his Ukrainian heritage.

Rise In Popularity (1999 - 2000)

SpongeBob aired its first episode, "Help Wanted/Reef Blower/Tea at the Treedome", after the 1999 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. At this time, Rugrats was the most popular show on Nickelodeon and had already outlived dozens of other lower-budget cartoons. SpongeBob, with its generally lower-class animation and humor style more rooted in clever word-play and culture-references unlike the potty humor that made Rugrats so popular, was expected to be just another one of those shows. Following early struggles, its ratings soared, and a year after release, it surpassed Rugrats as Nickelodeon's highest rated show. SpongeBob's signature voice (provided by Tom Kenny) and humorous style was enjoyable to both younger and older audiences.

Peak years (2000 – 2003)

The show began its second season in 2000 with more high-quality animation and even more popular episodes. By then it was clear to the world that SpongeBob had opened the door to many other cartoons to use more "adult" senses of humor and come from smaller companies. In 2001, The Fairly OddParents aired from the then-small Frederator company. It focused on a sense of humor similar to SpongeBob’s, only more realistic, slightly crazier (and more suggestive to "adult" topics), and with more pop culture references; this show managed to become a hit as well and currently ranks behind SpongeBob as Nick's second most popular show. That same year, Invader Zim aired, created by comic book writer Jhonen Vasquez; it had a dark but silly sense of humor (similar to Vasquez's other comic books) that managed to attract a very loyal cult following consisting more of teens and adults than young children (Though also containing a moderate amount of preteens). SpongeBob, however, was the leader of all these shows and had by this time started its now famous merchandise line.

The first part of 2002 saw SpongeBob at its peak. The beginning of the third season produced many of classic episodes and focused on the same style and animation concepts as the second season.

Unfortunately, things changed late in the year. Due to rumors of a movie, there was high speculation that the show would be canceled and that 2002 would feature the last season of new episodes. Fans were devastated and online petitions were widely distributed to convince Nickelodeon to produce more episodes by showing continuing fan support. "SpongeBob Meets The Strangler/Pranks A Lot" was the last episode of this season, and aired in October 2004. It was also released on DVD at the end of 2003. Following this, the movie was released in November 2004.

Hiatus and movie era (2003 – 2005)

A hiatus from 2003 to 2005 challenged viewer loyalty. This was before the program's lowest ratings with Survival of the Idiots on March 5, 2001 aired, causing speculation that the show might even be cancelled after the movie's release.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie earned over $85,000,000 in revenue in the United States, considered to be under-expectations. It was announced late in 2004 that SpongeBob would be continuing with a new season due in 2005. Hillenburg, despite the rumors, did not actually leave the show but has resigned from his position as the show's executive producer (this job now belongs to Derek Drymon, with Paul Tibbitt taking over Drymon's job as creative director.

Comeback (2005 – Present)

TV advertisements for SpongeBob's fourth season first aired publicly during the 2005 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. The new episodes began airing on May 6, 2005. The first new episode of Season 4 was "Fear of a Krabby Patty"/"Shell of a Man". After airing three new episodes on Fridays from May 6 – May 20, Nickelodeon showed no new episodes until September 2005.

For the first time in the series' run, Nickelodeon began airing 11-minute segments of new episodes separately, spread over two weeks. This practice began with the airing of the episode "Selling Out" on September 23; its companion episode, "Funny Pants," premiered the following week.

The Star Online eCentral reported in December 2005 that Nickelodeon had ordered 20 more episodes, bringing the show’s total to 100.[12]

In December 2006, SpongeBob SquarePants was approved for a sixth season, which consisted of thirteen episodes, unlike the usual twenty.[13]

Nickelodeon aired the special "Have You Seen This Snail?" in November 2005. However, it was not until February 2006 that new episodes resumed, starting with "Dunces and Dragons" and continuing until June 2, 2006. Further new episodes appeared during September 2006 ("New Leaf" and "Once Bitten"), October ("Wigstruck"), and November ("The Best Day Ever" — drawing 6.7 million viewers — the Best Day Ever was a 25-hour 100-episode SpongeBob TV event ending with the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie although the Nickelodeon narrator made a goof about the marathon being 24 hours instead of the actual 25 hours. Fans voted for Karate Island as the most popular SpongeBob episode.

The new episodes in 2007 started airing on January 15, showing three new episodes back to back on February 19, 2007, officially beginning the airing of the fifth season which featured more potty humor than previously shown. On July 23, 2007 Nickelodeon aired a special event, called the "SpongeBob New-New-New-New-New Week" in which from Monday to Friday, a new episode of season five (except for Squid Wood, from season four) would air. This continued until the end of the second week.

On November 12, 2007 SpongeBob's first TV movie, "Atlantis SquarePantis" premiered, after a SpongeBob marathon. A behind the scenes feature aired after the movie. Also, on November 23, 2007, there was another SpongeBob marathon including a rerun of Atlantis SquarePantis and four new episodes as part of a Nickelodeon Thanksgiving event. The event also named the "Sweet Victory" scene in "Band Geeks" as the greatest moment in Nicktoons history. Season Six officially premiered with five new 11-minute episodes airing in a marathon from March 3 to March 7, 2008. There is still an episode from the fifth production season which has yet to air.

On March 13, 2008, it was announced that SpongeBob SquarePants will have an additional thirty-nine episodes, which includes the remaining episodes of season six, and a season seven.[14][15][16]

In April 2008, another SpongeBob special, "Pest of the West," aired after a marathon of SpongeBob episodes, chosen by voters in the previous weeks.

Cast

Guest appearances

Crew

Name Position Years
Steven Banks Head Writer 2004 – present
Steven Belfer Music
Mike Bell Writer/Storyboard Director 2005 – present
Peter Burns Writer 1999 – present
Nicholas Carr Music
Bradley Carow Music
Sherm Cohen Storyboard Supervisor/Artist, Writer, Director
Sean Dempsey Animation Director
Derek Drymon Writer 1999 – present
Storyboard Artist 1999 – present
Creative Director 1999 - 2005
Story Editor
Executive Producer 2005 - present
Steven Fonti Writer/Storyboard Director 1999
C.H. Greenblatt Writer, Storyboard Artist, Director 2000-present
Sage Guyton Music
Sam Henderson Writer, Storyboard Director
Tim Hill Writer
Stephen Hillenburg Creator 1999 – present
Executive Producer 1999 – 2005
Writer 1999 – present
Storyboard Director 1999 – present
Kaz Writer, Storyboard Artist
Chuck Klein Writer, Storyboard Artist & Director
Doug Lawrence (a.k.a. "Mr. Lawrence") Writer, Story Editor
Jay Lender Writer, Storyboard Artist, Director
John Magness Storyboard Artist
Heather Martinez Storyboard Artist
Chris Mitchell Writer, Storyboard Artist 1999
Caleb Muerer Storyboard Artist
Mark O'Hare Writer, Storyboard Artist, Director
Andrew Overtoom Animation Director
Andy Rheingold Executive in Charge of Production
Ted Seko Storyboard Artist
Alan Smart Animation Director 1999 – present
Aaron Springer Writer/Storyboard Artist & Director
Jimmy Stone Animation Director
Paul Tibbitt Writer/Storyboard Director/Supervising Producer/Creative Director
Co-Executive Producer		 2004 – present
2006 – present
Brad Vandergrift Storyboard Artist
Jeremy Wakefield Music
Vincent Waller Writer/Storyboard Artist & Director/Technical Director (2005 – present)
Frank Weiss Animation Director
Erik Wiese Writer/Storyboard Artist
David Wigforss Special Effects (CG visual effects animator)
Merriwether Williams Story Editor/Writer
Tom Yasumi Animation Director
Oliver Truby Storyboard Artist Superviser

DVD Releases

DVD Name Ep # Release dates Additional Features
Region 1 Region 2 Region 4
Season 1 41 October 28, 2003 November 7, 2005 November 30, 2006 This three disc boxset includes the 41 episodes from Season 1.
Season 2 39 October 19, 2004 October 23, 2006 November 30, 2006 This three disc boxset includes the 39 episodes from Season 2.
Season 3 37 September 27, 2005 TBA November 8, 2007 This three disc boxset includes the 37 episodes from Season 3 as well as the pilot episode for the series.
Season 4
Volume 1		 20 September 12, 2006 TBA TBA This two disc boxset includes the first 18 episodes from Season 4.
Season 4
Volume 2		 20 January 9, 2007 TBA TBA This two disc boxset includes the last 20 episodes from Season 4.
Season 5
Volume 1		 20 September 4, 2007 TBA TBA This two disc boxset includes the first 20 episodes from Season 5.
Season 5
Volume 2		 ?? TBA TBA TBA

Awards

Year Association Award Category Notes Result
2000 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television Animation — Music Episodes: "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy" and "Pickles" Won
2000 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television Animation — Sound Episode: "Karate Choppers" Won
2001 Annie Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Female Performer in an Animated Television Production Mary Jo Catlett as Mrs. Puff in "No Free Rides" Nominated
2001 Annie Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting by a Male Performer in an Animated Television Production Tom Kenny as SpongeBob in "Wormy" Nominated
2001 Annie Awards Outstanding Individual Achievement for a Song in an Animated Production Peter Straus and Paul Tibbitt for the song "The Very First Christmas" Nominated
2001 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television Animation — Sound Episodes: "Rock Bottom" and "Arrgh" Won
2001 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television Animation — Music Episodes: "Fools In April" and "Neptune's Spatula" Nominated
2002 Emmy Awards Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour) Nominated
2002 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television - Animation Episodes: "Secret Box" and "Band Geeks" Won
2002 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television Animation — Music Episodes: "Jellyfish Hunter" and "The Fry Cook Games" Nominated
2002 Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming Won
2003 Emmy Awards Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour) Nominated
2003 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television Animation — Music Episodes: "Wet Painters" and "Krusty Krab Training Video" Won
2003 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television Animation Episodes: "Nasty Patty" and "Idiot Box" Won
2003 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Cartoon Won
2004 Emmy Awards Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour) Nominated
2004 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television Animation — Music Episodes: "The Great Snail Race" and "Mid-Life Crustacean". Won
2004 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television Animation — Music Episode: "Mid-Life Crustacean". Nominated
2004 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Cartoon Won
2005 Annie Awards Best Animated Television Production Won
2005 Emmy Awards Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour) Nominated
2005 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television: Animated Episodes: "Pranks A Lot" and "SpongeBob Meets the Strangler" Nominated
2005 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Cartoon Won
2005 Satellite Awards Best Youth DVD Complete Second Season DVD Nominated
2005 Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming Nominated
2006 Annie Awards Best Writing in an Animated Television Production C.H. Greenblatt, Paul Tibbitt, Mike Bell, and Tim Hill in "Fear of a Krabby Patty" Won
2006 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television: Animated Episode: "Have You Seen This Snail?" Nominated
2006 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Cartoon Won
2007 Emmy Awards Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour) Nominated
2007 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Cartoon Won
2007 Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Children's Programming Nominated
2008 Annie Awards Best Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production Tom Kenny in "Spy Buddies" Nominated
2008 Golden Reel Award Best Sound Editing in Television: Animated Episode: "SpongeHenge" Nominated
2008 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Cartoon Nominated

Episodes and media releases

Main article: List of SpongeBob SquarePants episodes

Episodes:

Season Episodes First Airdate Last Airdate
Season 1 20 May 1, 1999 April 8, 2000
Season 2 20 October 26, 2000 September 6, 2002
Season 3 20 October 5, 2001 October 11, 2004
Season 4 20 May 6, 2005 July 24, 2007
Season 5 20 February 19, 2007 TBA
Season 6 20 March 3, 2008 TBA
Season 7 20 TBA TBA

Films:

Title Release Date Note
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie November 19, 2004 Theatrical Movie
Atlantis SquarePantis November 12, 2007 TV Movie

Shorts:

  • Astrology With Squidward
  • Patrick the Snowman
  • Plankton's Holiday Hits
  • How The You-Know-Who Stole You-Know-What!
  • 12 Days of Nickmas
  • The Endless Summer[17]
  • A Random Act of SpongeBob- promotion for The Best Day Ever. These shorts were broadcasted during promos. They can now be seen on the SpongeBob Season Four Volume 2 DVD Box Set.
  • The Foe-Gotten Years- promotional shorts for "Friend or Foe?"
  • Journey to Atlantis by Vantis- promotional shorts for "Atlantis SquarePantis".
  • Pest of the West Shorts- Promotion for Pest of the West. Shorts feature: "Saloon Door Sarrows" Parodie of an old short film from the 1910s. It shows SpongeBob’s great, great, great, etc. Grandfather, SpongeBuck trying to get into a saloon, but the doors will not open. "How to be a Tough Guy" SpongeBob wants to learn how to be a tough cowboy. And "Spur Skates" a parody on most commercials and a parody of roller skates.

Music

  • Also used to great comedic and dramatic effect in the show, is Hawaiian steel guitar music. Various compositions featuring the Hawaiian steel convey happy, sad, or goofy emotions and situations. Many are traditional Hawaiian melodies such as "Aloha 'Oe" and are performed by classic steel guitar artists.
  • In the episode "Prehibernation Week," the music is played by the heavy metal band Pantera. When ever SpongeBob does something dangerous, the music starts playing. The opening credits have a shot that reads "Special musical guests Pantera".
  • The guitarist Newton Faulkner sometimes plays SpongeBob SquarePants in his set and has even invented a Jungle version: JungleBob.
  • The episode "SpongeBob B.C." features background music including a track best known to British viewers as the theme to 1970s TV sitcom Terry and June. The music was written by John Shakespeare, a former member of 1960s pop group The Ivy League.

Magazine

In the United Kingdom, a SpongeBob SquarePants magazine is currently being published by Titan Magazines every four weeks. It was first published on February 3, 2005. The issue published on February 1, 2007 was the second anniversary of the magazine. The magazine contains comic strips, fan letters, competitions and several features including games.

References

  1. ^ NOTE: The episodes are numbered by when they are aired, when two episodes (except for the specials) are aired at once, they both share the same number.
  2. ^ SpongeBob SquarePants. TIME magazine. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
  3. ^ SpongePedia article Krusty Krab
  4. ^ Harris, Richard Jackson (2004). A Cognitive Psychology of Mass Communication. Routledge, 133. ISBN 0805846603. 
  5. ^ a b Bowie "sponge" makes splash. New York Post (November 15, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-12-07.
  6. ^ www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SkWflm3UdQ.
  7. ^ McDonald's Fresh Salads. dietblog (2007-10-05). Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
  8. ^ SpongeBob SquarePants KFC toys in Japan.
  9. ^ SpongeBob SquarePants. Npower Electrionics. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
  10. ^ SpongeBob SquarePants. Sega Arcade. Retrieved on 2007-01-22.
  11. ^ "SpongeBob Exposed! The Insiders Guide to SpongeBob SquarePants" book
  12. ^ More SpongeBob on Nickelodeon. Star Online eCentral (2005-12-27). Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
  13. ^ Nick Buzzes With 'B,' Squeezes More 'SpongeBob'. zap2it.com (2006-12-13). Retrieved on 2008-04-24.
  14. ^ Nickelodeon Picks-Up Returning Animated Hits. Viacom.com (2008-03-13). Retrieved on 2008-03-15.
  15. ^ Nickelodeon Upfront 2008. Animation Insider (2008-03-13). Retrieved on 2008-03-16.
  16. ^ Nick Orders New Eps of "SpongeBob," "OddParents" and Other Series. ToonZone (2008-03-13). Retrieved on 2008-03-19.
  17. ^ SpongeBob SquarePants. StopGlobalWarming.org. Retrieved on 2008-04-24.

External links

Wikis

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