Help Wanted (SpongeBob SquarePants)

"Help Wanted" is the pilot episode of the animated series SpongeBob SquarePants. It originally aired on Nickelodeon on May 1, 1999 following the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards; however, the episode was not officially aired until July 24, 1999. In "Help Wanted", the series' main protagonist, an anthropomorphic sponge named SpongeBob, attempts to get a job at the Krusty Krab fast food restaurant, but the owner Mr. Krabs believes he is incompetent for the job and sends him on a snipe hunt to retrieve a supposedly non-existent "rare" spatula. While SpongeBob is away, the establishment is ambushed by a group of anchovy customers, much to the dismay of Krabs and the cashier Squidward Tentacles; however, SpongeBob returns with the spatula, much to the surprise of Mr. Krabs and Squidward, and caters to the anchovies. In the United States, this episode was not on the SpongeBob SquarePants season one box set due to copyright issues, but was a bonus feature on the season three box set. Critical reception for the episode was generally favorable.

Plot

Following the opening theme song, the introduction of credits includes a typo: when the writers are listed, the name "Stephen Hilleburg" is used instead of the correct spelling, "Stephen Hillenburg."

A narrator with a French accent introduces SpongeBob SquarePants, a sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. SpongeBob's foghorn alarm clock rings, waking him up in the morning. He tells his pet, Gary the Snail that he must be in good shape because this particular day is important. He jumps off his diving board, and lands in his pants. He goes to his exercise room and lifts a bar-weight (which is actually two stuffed animals). Afterwards, SpongeBob declares that he is ready. He runs outside and down the street to the Krusty Krab, repeatedly saying, "I'm ready" while his neighbor and best friend, Patrick Star, cheers him on. SpongeBob sees the 'Help Wanted' sign on the Krusty Krab window. He then declares that he is ready to obtain the job, which he has dreamed of for years; however, he loses his confidence when he nears the Krusty Krab. Patrick convinces him to go for the job, and so SpongeBob does so, thereby declaring he is ready three more times. Squidward Tentacles, the head cashier, is cleaning the window (his head is drawn and loser is written above it). Squidward sees that SpongeBob wants the job, and so he tells restaurant-owner Eugene H. Krabs that SpongeBob does not qualify for the job. SpongeBob walks into the Krusty Krab and asks for the job. To get rid of him, Mr. Krabs tells SpongeBob that he can join the 'Krusty Krew' if he passes a "test"–which is to obtain a "Hydrodynamic Spatula with Port and Starboard Attachments and a Turbo-Drive" (essentially sending SpongeBob on a form of snipe hunt) believing that there is no such thing and that SpongeBob will never come back trying to find it.

As soon as SpongeBob leaves, five buses drop off a large crowd of hungry Anchovies. They barge into the Krusty Krab, demanding Krabby Patties. Attempting to keep things in order, Squidward complains about their behavior, then requests that there be a single-file line in front of the cash register. But the anchovies angerly protest, forming a riot of angry anchovies set to resemble a stormy sea. This forces Squidward and Mr. Krabs to climb up the 'mast'. Thinking that it is the end for them, they say their good-byes. Suddenly, SpongeBob arrives, flying with his "hydrodynamic spatula with port and starboard attachments and a turbo-drive" (according to SpongeBob, the Barg'n Mart only had one in stock). Mr. Krabs is flabbergasted at the fact that SpongeBob actually passed the "test." SpongeBob flies into the kitchen and as fast as he can, satisfies the needs of the angry anchovies.

When the last anchovy gets his Krabby Patty, Mr. Krabs is delighted. He hires SpongeBob, by welcoming him to the Krusty Krew and giving him a nametag. Then, Mr. Krabs calls for three cheers for SpongeBob. Even though Squidward is upset, Mr. Krabs does not listen to him because he wants to go and count the money he just made in his office. At the end, Patrick walks in and asks for a Krabby Patty. SpongeBob races into the kitchen and makes a huge stream of Krabby Patties which hit Patrick and send him flying out of the restaurant. Worried, Squidward calls Mr. Krabs to come see his new employee.

Production

Origin of SpongeBob SquarePants

SpongeBob SquarePants was initially conceived in 1984, when creator Stephen Hillenburg was teaching and studying marine biology at what is now the Orange County Ocean Institute.^[3] During this period, Hillenburg became fascinated with animation, and wrote a comic book entitled The Intertidal Zone starring various anthropomorphic forms of sea life, many of which would evolve into SpongeBob SquarePants characters,^[4] including "Bob the Sponge", who was the co-host of the comic and resembled an actual sea sponge as opposed to SpongeBob.^[5] In 1987, Hillenburg left the institute to pursue his dream of becoming an animator,^[4][5] and began to envision the possible concept of a project involving anthropomorphic sea life, drawing several rough sketches.^[5] In 1992, Hillenburg began to attend the California Institute of the Arts to study animation, having been accepted into the institute by Jules Engel, who was impressed with Hillenburg's previous work.^[4][6][7]

While attending animation school, Hillenburg received a job on the children's TV series Mother Goose & Grimm, and worked on the series from 1991 to 1993. When attending the California Institute of the Arts, he made his thesis film entitled Wormholes,^[5] which was funded by the Princess Grace Foundation and was later displayed at various animation festivals.^[5] In 1993, Hillenburg graduated from the institute, earning a Master of Fine Arts in experimental animation.^[4] In 1995, Joe Murray, creator of Rocko's Modern Life, met Hillenburg at one of said animation festivals, and offered him a job as a director of the series.^{[5][8][9][10]} Hillenburg then joined the Nickelodeon animated series as a writer, producer, and storyboard artist during the series' third season, continuing his position for much of the fourth season.^[5][10][11] The third season episode "Fish-N-Chumps" (November 12, 1995) was directed by Hillenburg, and involved Rocko, Heffer, and Filburt going on a fishing trip, oblivious to the fact that a pair anthropomorphic fish are attempting to catch them from underwater.^[8][12] While working on Rocko's Modern Life, Hillenburg became friends with Tom Kenny, who was later approached by Hillenburg to become the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants,^[13] and future SpongeBob SquarePants collaborators Doug Lawrence, Paul Tibbitt and others.

Rocko's Modern Life ended in 1996.^[14] Shortly following this, Hillenburg began working on SpongeBob SquarePants, teaming up with several Nickelodeon veterans and Rocko crew members.^[5][12] To voice the character of SpongeBob, Hillenburg approached Tom Kenny, who had worked with him on Rocko's Modern Life.^[13] Originally SpongeBob was to be named SpongeBoy but this name was already in use.^[15] This was discovered after voice acting for the original seven minute pilot was recorded in 1997. The Nickelodeon legal department discovered that the name was already in use for a mop product.^[16] Upon finding this out, Hillenburg decided that the character's given name still had to contain "Sponge" so viewers would not mistake the character for a "Cheese Man." Hillenburg decided to use the name "SpongeBob." He chose "SquarePants" as a family name as it referred to the character's square shape and it had a "nice ring to it".^[17]

Development

While pitching the cartoon to Nickelodeon executives, Hillenburg donned a Hawaiian shirt, brought along an “underwater terrarium with models of the characters”, and Hawaiian music to set the theme. The setup was described by Nick executive Eric Coleman as "pretty amazing".^[18] When given money and two weeks to write the pilot episode (“Help Wanted”),^[6] Derek Drymon, Stephen Hillenberg, and Nick Jennings returned with, described by Nickelodeon official Albie Hecht, “a performance [I] wish [I] had on tape”.^[19] Although described as stressful by executive producer Derek Drymon,^[6] the pitch went “very well”; Kevin Kay and Hecht had to step outside because they were “exhausted from laughing”, making the cartoonists worried.^[19]

SpongeBob SquarePants aired its first episode, "Help Wanted / Reef Blower / Tea at the Treedome," on May 1, 1999, following the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards.^[20][21][22] The series later made its "official" debut on July 17, 1999 with the second episode "Bubblestand / Ripped Pants."^[20][21][22]

Music

The scene with SpongeBob feeding the anchovies features the song by Tiny Tim, "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight". It is directed like a music video. A reprise comes in later in the episode as Patrick asks for a Krabby Patty. The episode features many instrumental Hawaiian songs such as:

• "Hawaiian Train" – Gerhard Trede (under pseudonym Victor Cavini^[23])
• "Aloha 'Oe" – George Kulokahai and his Island Serenaders, Queen Lili'uokalani
• "Honolulu March" – George Kulokahai and his Island Serenaders

and other production music pieces from Associated Production Music:

• "Next Door Neighbor" – Rick Cassman, Vyv Hope-Scott
• "Oyster Girls" – Brian Douglas Gulland, Robert Alexander White
• "The Rake Hornpipe" – Robert Alexander White
• "Bartmania A" – Guy Moon

References

External links

• "SpongeBob SquarePants" Help Wanted/Reef Blower/Tea at the Treedome at the Internet Movie Database