SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series and media franchise. It is currently Nickelodeon's, and is among Nicktoons Network's most-watched shows. In 2007, TIME magazine named it one of the greatest television shows of all time. Although its original network is Nickelodeon, SpongeBob is now broadcast around 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. It is the second longest-running Nicktoon, next to the Rugrats, and is the only Nicktoon since Rugrats to air over ten years.
The series is set in the Pacific Ocean, in the fictional 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."
The series star is a character who is a sea sponge, but in shape and color his body more closely resembles a kitchen sponge.
Plot
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 and highly idiotic starfish named Patrick Star, who lives under a rock. SpongeBob and Patrick live on either side of Squidward Tentacles, a highly arrogant and egotistical octopus who hates them (especially SpongeBob) because of their annoying habits and is quite open about it.
SpongeBob's house-pet is a snail named Gary, who meows like 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 electricity, and producing delicious "jelly", mocking the name "jellyfish", while still referring to a bee's honey. Clams act as birds, and fish act as the citizens of the community but generally are not important characters.
Although the citizens of Bikini Bottom live underwater, they mostly do not float, and gravity usually applies. A flurry of bubbles accompanies actions in many of the episodes to remind the viewer that the setting is underwater. However, the laws of physics in Bikini Bottom change somewhat from time to time, but mostly the water acts like air.
SpongeBob works as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, a fast-food restaurant, with Squidward as the cashier. The Krusty Krab is owned by Mr. Krabs, a greedy, penny-pinching crab and ex-Navy officer. Sheldon 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. This fact is mocked in the Krusty Krab Training Video episode, where the episode cuts off before the video reveals the recipe. 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 to do research for her chimpanzee bosses. Sandy is from Texas, and speaks with a Texan accent. Sandy is an expert at karate. When not inside her tree-dome, she wears an astronaut-like suit because she cannot breathe in water. Sandy hibernates once a year.
Instead of cars, the residents of Bikini Bottom drive boats, known as "boatmobiles". SpongeBob is still in boating school after failing the driving test 58 times as it is revealed in one of the episodes.
Production
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, 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, 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 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.[citation needed]SpongeBob's signature voice, provided by Tom Kenny, and humorous style was enjoyable to both younger and older audiences.
Broadcast (1999-2004)
SpongeBob aired its first episode, "Help Wanted/Reef Blower/Tea at the Treedome", after the 1999 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. Three seasons of SpongeBob SquarePants aired but rumours of the show's cancellation spread as production of The SpongeBob SquarePants movie began in 2002. "SpongeBob Meets The Strangler/Pranks A Lot" was the last episode of season three, and first aired on television in October 2004. It was released on DVD at the end of 2004.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004-2005)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie earned over $85,000,000 in revenue in the United States. It was announced late in 2004 that SpongeBob SquarePants would be continuing with a new season due in 2005. Hillenburg was rumoured to be leaving the show, despite this, he did not actually leave the show but resigned from his position as the show's executive producer. The job now belongs to Derek Drymon, with Paul Tibbitt taking over Drymon's job as creative director.
Return (2005-2008)
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.
In December 2006, SpongeBob SquarePants was approved for a fifth season with the first TV movie Atlantis SquarePantis.
Season five began in January 2007. 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 would air. This continued until the end of the second week.
Season six officially premiered with five new 11-minute episodes airing in a marathon from March 3 to March 7, 2008. This premiere week was advertised as, "SpongeBob Gimmie 5 Week". 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. There is still an episode from the fifth production season which has yet to air.
Specials (2000-present)
In addition to standard 11 minute episodes, Nickelodeon has produced double length episodes as specials. Nickelodeon aired the first special "Christmas Who?" on December 6, 2000. It was also the first of the show's episodes hosted by Patchy the Pirate, following "Shanghaied", "SpongeBob's House Party", "The Sponge Who Could Fly", "SpongeBob B.C. (Before Comedy)", "Friend or Foe", and "Atlantis SquarePantis".
On March 9, 2001, Nickelodeon held an event titled the "You Wish" special, hosted by Patchy. The episode "Shanghaied" premiered, and viewers got to vote (via phone or online) for which character they wanted to get the last wish at the end. Patrick and Squidward's endings were then shown and it was announced that SpongeBob's ending was the winner.
The first special that was not hosted by Patchy was Have You Seen This Snail?",which aired in November 2005. In 2006, the special Dunces and Dragons was broadcast. The Best Day Ever was a 25 hour, 100 episode event which ended with the broadcast of a special episode of the same name. The special drew 6.7 million viewers and lead into the television premiere of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. As part of the marathon, fans could vote for their favourite episode. The winner was Karate Island.
On November 12, 2007 SpongeBob's first TV movie, Atlantis SquarePantis premiered, after another 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.
Nickelodeon again used the marathon format along with the broadcast of special episodes with Pest of the West in April 2008. Burger King produced a line of Kid's Meal toys for the event and the special was later released on DVD. From June 2 to June 6, 2008, Nickelodeon aired a SpongeBob SquarePants marathon entitled SpongeBob Premiere Factor 5 (SPF5), in which a new 11 minute segment would be shown each day. Another premiere week aired from August 4 to August 8, Nick aired a 5 new SpongeBob marathon entitle Bikini Bottom Confidential, which a new 11 minute segment would be shown each day.
On October 13, 2008, Nickelodeon aired another SpongeBob special, advertised as, WhoBob WhatPants?. But the episode is titled, Whatever Happened to SpongeBob?. The theme song's lyrics were rearranged to be "WhoBob, WhatPants", rather than the usual "SpongeBob SquarePants".
On April 17, 2009, Nickelodeon aired another SpongeBob special called: SpongeBob vs. The Big One it featured guest stars: Johnny Depp and Davy Jones as himself.
"Happy Squared" 10th anniversary, Future (2009-)
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