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SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series and media franchise. It is currently one of Nickelodeon's and Nicktoons Network's most-watched show. In 2007, TIME 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.
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Quotations
After all, money is the ultimate source of joy!
Ah, money to my ears...I mean music.
Another day, another migraine.
But I dont understand. You have the grill and the spatula and the comfy chair. I rubbed your putrid feet!
But it is becoming increasingly obvious... I can deny it no longer...I am small.
Coin-operated self-destruct, not one of my better ideas.
Encyclopedia
SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series and media franchise. It is currently one of Nickelodeon's and Nicktoons Network's most-watched show. In 2007, TIME 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.
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 starfish named Patrick Star, who lives under a rock. SpongeBob and Patrick live on either side of Squidward Tentacles, much to Squidward's despair.
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 poison, 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 denizens 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. For instance, characters can pour a glass of liquid, just as we do above the sea. Bikini Bottom has functional baths, pools, and toilets, and there are lakes and streams. In Battle for Bikini Bottom and a regular beach setting, Goo Lagoon, underwater liquid is referred to as goo. 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; however, this is only used for comedic effect, as fire is often used and seen.
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 over seventy-two times.
Setting
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. An 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 from the movie was just a reference to his favorite show of all time.
Bikini Bottom is a city that is the main setting of the series, located at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean, It is where the series' main characters live and where most of the episodes take place. The city consists of various businesses, including restaurants, stores, and manufacturers. The city has a stable economy, balanced education and health systems, a structured government, and a firm law enforcement system. There are even stadiums, amusement parks, and other recreational facilities.
Bikini Bottom's geography is shown as consisting of mountains, dense forests, lakes, lagoons, caves, grasslands, reefs, rivers, and barren desert wastelands.
The city is divided by its main road, Conch Street, which runs from downtown and past the homes of SpongeBob, Squidward, and Patrick, through the Krusty Krab, the Chum Bucket and the Reef Theatre cinema. The road intersects with Barnacle Road and Coral Avenue. Anchor Way is not far off from Conch Street. Conch Street runs north-south as revealed in the SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom video game. Downtown Bikini Bottom is located in the northernmost point of the city, while SpongeBob, Squidward, and Patrick's House are on the southern part of the road. Goo Lagoon is located west of the road, while Jellyfish Fields is to the east. Other establishments are located more southerly, including Sandy's house, Shady Shoals retirement home, the Krusty Krab, the Chum Bucket, and the Movie Theater. The Kelp Forest is located more southerly.
In the center of Bikini Bottom, the citizens work and live in large, gray buildings made of metal. There are some other forms of buildings, mostly aquatic-themed as seen above. Further out from the town citizens need to use whatever is available and easy to live in, such as Patrick's rock, SpongeBob hollowed-out pineapple, and the Easter Island Head Squidward lives in.
Surrounding towns include Rock Bottom, New Kelp City, and Ukulele Bottom.
Inhabitants
Bikini Bottom's populace, like that of the rest of the series, consists of various anthropomorphic fish, whales, crabs, sponges, squid, starfish, anchovies, lobsters, sharks, and most other forms of sea life, including sea monsters. Some forms of sea life, like jellyfish, seahorses, snails, and worms aren't anthropomorphic, and are treated like pets or wild animals. For example, snails represent cats, and worms represent dogs. The first known land creature to live in Bikini Bottom was the Dark Knight, an ancestor of Sandy Cheeks, before the 12th century. Sandy is the only land creature seen living in modern Bikini Bottom. Land creatures like humans, bugs and birds are rarely seen. Inhabitants of Bikini Bottom are called "Bikini Bottomites".
History
The history of Bikini Bottom can be traced back to the Permian period. During a time-travel incident, Squidward accidentally invents the sport of jellyfishing. Years later, SpongeGar, Patar, and Squog, ancestors of SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward, discover fire.
In the Medieval Era, Bikini Bottomshire is under the rule of King Krabs, ancestor of Mr. Krabs, and is under attack by the evil wizard, Planktonomor, ancestor of Plankton. SpongeBob and Patrick are transported to this time after a jousting accident, which fulfills a prophecy. Princess Pearl, the daughter of King Krabs, is kidnapped by Planktonomor's fire-breathing jellyfish, and taken hostage at Planktonomore's tower. Fulfilling the prophecy, SpongeBob and Patrick save Princess Pearl and defeat Planktonomor. Later, during a parade celebrating SpongeBob and Patrick's heroic deeds, King Krabs invents the Krabby Patty, which would be passed down through the Krabs family, the formula being kept secret.
Sometime in the late 19th century in the Old West, one of Plankton's ancestors, Dead-Eye Plankton, takes over Bikini Gulch and renames it Dead-Eye Gulch. A big, western-style showdown happens between Dead-Eye Plankton, and SpongeBob's ancestor, SpongeBuck SquarePants.
On November 30, 1942, Eugene Krabs was born, along with the birth-friend, Sheldon Plankton. In his childhood, he is discovered as a financial genius. Soon, he went to Poseidon Elementary. The two opened up a restaurant but an argument began between them and they became bitter rivals. Mr. Krabs fell into a deep depression, which seemed endless; however, a bankrupt retirement home, gave him hope. Mr. Krabs decided to buy the building and rename it, marking the establishment of the Krusty Krab. The financial success of the Krusty Krab took off and became a premier eating establishment in Bikini Bottom.
In the present time, Bikini Bottom has had various occurrences of destruction. In "Dying for Pie", a bomb pie falls on Squidward's face, causing a nuclear explosion. In "Sandy, SpongeBob, and the Worm", an Alaskan Bull Worm strikes Bikini Bottom, making Sandy hunt it down. Bikini Bottom is moved away, but the worm crushes it. In "Wormy", while Sandy is out of town, SpongeBob and Patrick release a butterfly out of fear. They proceed to cause mass hysteria that leads to the city's destruction. Global warming also takes effect in the short "The Endless Summer." Another atomic explosion occurs in "The Krusty Plate" when SpongeBob decides to clean with his "nuclear cleaning gun" on maximum power.
It is revealed in the episode, WhoBob WhatPants? that Bikini Bottom's population is 738.
Entertainment
In Bikini Bottom, entertainment contributes to the social interaction within the city. The Krusty Krab houses shows such as The Annual Squidward Tentacles Talent Show, a weekly talent show, and The Komedy Krab, a comedy show. The city has a popular cinema, The Reef, but it is destroyed in the episode "Something Smells", however it reappears in later episodes. Bikini Bottom also has many forms of media, such as news, magazines, radio, and television that contribute to Bikini Bottom's wide spread of news and entertainment. The city paper is called the Bikini Times. It features the regular news, as well as daily comics. There is another newspaper that is called the Bikini Bottom Inquirer, a parody of The National Inquirer. There also are boy bands and rock bands; the first being Boys Who Cry, a parody of The Cure's single "Boys Don't Cry"; Stingray 5000, a possible parody of Powerman 5000, who had released a record entitled "You Rock My Clams"; and Ned and the Needlefish.
Krusty Krab
The Krusty Krab, owned by Eugene H. Krabs, is the most popular restaurant in Bikini Bottom. It has two main employees: SpongeBob SquarePants, the fry cook, and Squidward Tentacles, the 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 named Jim who left on account of Mr. Krab's small salary. Sheldon J. 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, the kitchen, and a restroom. The building's exterior is based on a New England lobster trap. In the front, the Krusty Krab has a parking area, even though boats are usually not seen in it. In the back of the Krusty Krab, a dumpster is seen in most episodes. The Krusty Krab has regular hours from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm, but is closed on Sunday.
The food served at the Krusty Krab consists of its specialty, the world-famous Krabby Patty burgers, as well as several other options including Kelp Fries, a parody of french fries, Coral Bits, Dr. Kelp, a parody of Dr. Pepper soft drink, and Silly Meals, a parody of McDonald's happy meals. The menu is similar to that of Checkers Drive-In, McDonald's, Burger King, and Hungry Jack's. They have also sold Krusty Krab pizzas in "Pizza Delivery".
Continuity
There seems to be little continuity between the episodes, as often the characters meet a horrible fate only for everything to be returned to normal. Numerous examples are as follows:
- In numerous episodes, the Krusty Krab is completely destroyed seemingly beyond repair, usually due to a mishap caused by SpongeBob.
- In "Clams", Mr. Krabs is eaten (spare his head and left arm) by a giant clam.
- In "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost", SpongeBob traps Squidward in a giant bubble and sends him to the surface, where he is swarmed by seagulls.
- In "Wishing You Well", Mr. Krabs, in an attempt to prove to SpongeBob that magic doesn't exist, wishes that he was steamed and served with melted butter, which comes true seconds later.
- In "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy IV", SpongeBob uses the gadgets in Mermaid Man's utility belt to shrink Bikini Bottom and its inhabitants down to microscopic size, much smaller than Plankton.
Characters
Popularity
SpongeBob SquarePants was 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, 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. Though the show debuted in 1999, SpongeBob did not become hugely popular 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. 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 are jokes most children would not understand. Numerous marine biology in-jokes are woven into the show. There are also many water jokes made. The most common one is the one in which you set a fire under the sea.
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 and raising children.
Unlike other Nickelodeon shows, SpongeBob features well-known independent musicians who contribute to its soundtrack. Alternative rock bands such as Wilco, The Shins, The Flaming Lips and Ween, 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. The episode drew total 8.8 million viewers, the biggest audience in the show's eight-year history.
The TV movie Atlantis SquarePantis referenced numerous other movies or stories. David Bowie's character Lord Royal Highness and the locals looked remarkably like the Blue Meanies from Yellow Submarine. When the characters arrived at his habitat, he fell down as he proceeded down the red carpet, similar to what Willy Wonka did in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Charlie 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 features a cameo appearance by actor David Hasselhoff, in a parody of his role from the Baywatch TV series.
Merchandising and marketing
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 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 was released in Europe and other international markets in early 2007 at about the same time a Catscratch Happy Meal was released in the United States and Canada. 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.
In Japan, they had a kids meal tie-in with KFC which featured different toys based on the TV series.
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.
As a tie-in beverage for the SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, 7-Eleven convenience stores created a pineapple-flavored Slurpee in 2004, which was discontinued in 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 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.
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.
Pictures of SpongeBob SquarePants also started to appear on the labels of 8 oz. cans of Green Giant cut green beans and frozen packages of Green Giant green beans and butter sauce which featured free stickers in 2007 as part of an initiative to get kids to eat their vegetables.
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 Junior nuclear reactor, and Herman the shark says "Boy, that SpongeBob will endorse anything!"
A SpongeBob SquarePants 2009 calendar has been released featuring the caption on the bottom right corner of the front cover, "Celebrating his 10th Anniversary!", which will be on May 1 and July 17, 2009 respectively.
Production
Creation
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.SpongeBob's signature voice, provided by Tom Kenny, and humorous style was enjoyable to both younger and older audiences.
Broadcast
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 2003.
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
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
TV advertisements for SpongeBobs 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 sixth season, which consisted of thirteen episodes, unlike the usual twenty.
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
In addition to standard 11 minute episodes. Nickelodeon has produced double length episodes as specials. Nickelodeon aired the first special "Have You Seen This Snail?" in November 2005. In 2006, the special Dunces and Dragons was broadcast to kick off the new season. 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 premier 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 then the usual "SpongeBob SquarePants".
Future
A primetime SpongeBob SquarePants 10th Anniversary documentary special has been announced for summer 2009, discussing the history of the cartoon, and its impact on popular culture. Also, a beta version of a new SpongeBob website debuted January 9, 2009. A week of new premiere episodes is planned for March 2009, featuring the episode "Grandpappy the Pirate" starring Dennis Quaid as Mr. Krabs' grandfather. It has also been announced that Johnny Depp will be doing the voice of the surf guru in the upcoming episode, "SpongeBob vs. the Big One," coming in April 2009. In November 2009, Nickelodeon will debut an hour-long TV movie where SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs are locked inside the Krusty Krab freezer on the night of the restaurant's anniversary celebration. While they are trapped inside, the friends look back on their shared memories with "shocking" reveals.
Cast
- Bill Fagerbakke: Patrick Star
- Brian Doyle-Murray: The Flying Dutchman
- Carlos Alazraqui: miscellaneous characters
- Carolyn Lawrence: Sandy Cheeks
- Clancy Brown: Eugene Krabs
- Clea Lewis: miscellaneous characters
- Dee Bradley Baker: Squilliam Fancyson, miscellaneous characters
- Frank Welker: animal vocal effects, talking Gorilla ("I Had an Accident")
- Jill Talley: Karen (Plankton's computer wife)
- Lauren Tom: miscellaneous characters
- Lori Alan: Pearl Krabs
- Mary Jo Catlett: Mrs. Puff
- Mr. Lawrence: Sheldon J. Plankton, Larry Lobster, miscellaneous characters
- Ollie Young: miscellaneous characters
- Paul Tibbitt: Mama Krabs ("Sailor Mouth", "Mid-Life Crustacean") Potty the Parrot
- Rodger Bumpass: Squidward Tentacles, Dr. Gill Gilliam
- Sara Paxton: miscellaneous characters
- Sirena Irwin: miscellaneous characters
- Stephen Hillenburg: Potty the Parrot
- Thomas F. Wilson: miscellaneous characters
- Tom Kenny: SpongeBob SquarePants, Gary the Snail, Narrator, Patchy the Pirate, Mr. SquarePants, miscellaneous characters
Guest appearances
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie)Alton Brown: Nicholas Withers ("House Fancy")Amy Poehler: Grandma ("Have You Seen This Snail?")Billy West: King Neptune ("SpongeBob vs. the Patty Gadget")Charles Nelson Reilly: The Dirty BubbleChristopher Guest: Stanley SquarePants ("Stanley S. SquarePants")Dan Green: The Old Mayor of New Kelp City (Who Bob, What Pants?)David Bowie: Lord Royal Highness ("Atlantis SquarePantis")David Glen Eisley: SpongeBob singing "Sweet Victory" ("Band Geeks")David Hasselhoff : self (The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie)Ernest Borgnine: Mermaid ManGene Shalit: Gene Scallop ("The Krusty Sponge")Gene Simmons: Sea Monster ("20,000 Patties Under the Sea")Ian McShane: The Leader of Vikings ("Dear Vikings")Jeffrey Tambor: King Neptune (The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie)Jim Jarmusch: self ("Hooky")John Di Maggio: BlackJack SquarePants ("BlackJack")John Lurie: self ("Hooky")John O'Hurley: King Neptune ("Neptune's Spatula")John Rhys-Davies: ManRayJunior Brown: Sandy Cheeks ("Texas"; sang the last line: "I want to go home.")Kevin Michael Richardson: King Neptune ("Party Pooper Pants")Marion Ross: Grandma SquarePants ("Grandma's Kisses," "BlackJack")Mark Hamill: The Moth ("Night Light")Martin Olson: The Chief ("Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V")Nigel Planer: Dr. Marmalade ("Chimps Ahoy")Pantera: "Pre-Hibernation" performers ("Pre-Hibernation Week")Pat Morita: Master Udon ("Karate Island")Patton Oswalt: Jim ("The Original Fry Cook")Ray Liotta: One of the Bubble Popping Boys (Who Bob, What Pants?)R. Lee Ermey: Prison Guard ("The Inmates of Summer")Rik Mayall: Lord Reginald ("Chimps Ahoy")Scarlett Johanson: Princess Mindy (The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie)Steve Kehela: Narrator ("Krusty Krab Training Video")Tim Conway: Barnacle BoyWeen: "Loop de Loop" is on a record Gary the Snail plays for SpongeBob to teach him how to tie his shoes in "Your Shoe's Untied."Johnny Depp: Surf guru Jack Kahuna Laguna in the upcoming episode "SpongeBob vs. The Big One."Dennis Quaid: Mr. Krabs' grandfather in the episode "Grandpappy the Pirate".
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 | 2000-2006 (left the show to work on Chowder on Cartoon Network) | | Sage Guyton | Music | | | Sam Henderson | Writer, Storyboard Director | | | Tim Hill | Writer | | | Stephen Hillenburg | Creator | 1999 – present | | Executive Producer | 1999 – 2004 | | Writer | 1999 – present | | Storyboard Director | 1999 – present | | Kaz | Writer, Storyboard Artist | | | Chuck Klein | Writer, Storyboard Artist & Director | | | Doug 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 Supervisor | |
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 | December 3, 2007 | 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 | November 3, 2008 | TBA | This two disc boxset includes the first 18 episodes from Season 4. | Season 4
Volume 2 | 20 | January 9, 2007 | November 3, 2008 | 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 | 21 | November 18, 2008 | TBA | TBA | On July 28, Nickelodeon and Paramount announced that SpongeBob SquarePants: Season 5, Vol. 2 will be released on 11/18/08. It will contain 21 episodes over two DVDs. The specific episodes included hasn't yet been announced. Extras will include original animatics, music videos, and a "Spongebob underwater talk show". |
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) | Episodes: "New Student Starfish" and "Clams" | 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) | Episode: "SpongeBob B.C. (Before Comedy)" | 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) | Episodes: "Fear of a Krabby Patty" and "Shell of a Man" | 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) | Episodes: "Bummer Vacation" and "Wigstruck" | 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 | | 2008 | Emmy Awards | Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour) | Episodes: "The Inmates of Summer" and "The Two Faces of Squidward" | Nominated | | 2008 | Philippines Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite Cartoon | | Won |
Episodes and media releases
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 | 21 | February 19, 2007 | November 23, 2007 | | Season 6 | 20 | March 3, 2008 | March 20, 2009 | | Season 7 | 26 | TBA | TBA |
Films:
| Title | Release Date | Note | Length |
|---|
| The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie | November 19, 2004 | Theatrical Movie | 3-Part | | Atlantis SquarePantis | November 12, 2007 | TV Movie | 2-Part |
Controversies
In 2005, SpongeBob appeared in a Sister Sledge video with other cartoon characters. Some right wing groups in the USA attacked the video as promoting homosexuality. SpongeBob is seen as an icon for adult gay men in the US because he regularly holds hands with his friend, Patrick. However Stephen Hillenburg states SpongeBob is not gay and he is asexual.
Shorts
Astrology With SquidwardPatrick the SnowmanPlankton's Holiday HitsHow The You-Know-Who Stole You-Know-What!12 Days of NickmasThe Endless SummerA 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.What if SpongeBob were Gone?- promotional shorts where Sandy, Pactrick, and Mr. Krabs try to do things when SpongeBob is gone missing.
Music
SpongeBob SquarePants theme song is primarily based on the sea shanty, "Blow the Man Down". It is sung by Painty the Pirate, voiced by Patrick Pinney, and can be found on the soundtrack SpongeBob SquarePants: Original Theme Highlights. This song is popularly misattributed to "Weird Al" Yankovic. A cover of the song by Avril Lavigne can be found on The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (soundtrack). Another cover by the Violent Femmes, which aired as a commercial on Nickelodeon to promote Season 2, can be viewed in the special features of the Nautical Nonsense/Sponge Buddies DVD. A choral version was recorded for the SpongeBob Christmas special where the last repetition of "SpongeBob SquarePants" was replaced by, "It's the SpongeBob Christmas special." The theme song is occasionally utilized as marching cadence. An instrumental version of the opening theme is used in Italy. Traditional sea shanties are used for the musical themes in the show. Most commonly used is that of "Drunken Sailor". In the episode "Krusty Krab Training Video," a young Eugene Krabs is shown walking to a soda vending machine, la-laing the shanty "Blow the Man Down." The majority of the background music used in SpongeBob SquarePants comes from the Associated Production Music library, some of which have also been used in shows such as The Simpsons, Ren & Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life, The X Factor, Camp Lazlo, My Gym Partner's a Monkey, Bill Nye The Science Guy, and The Adventures of Pete and Pete. For competition-based episodes, some of Sam Spence's NFL Films music is used (such as "A Golden Boy Again" used in episodes such as The Fry Cook Games and "Ramblin' Man from Gramblin" is used in Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V. "The Lineman" is also used extensively in Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy episodes.) Ironically, one of Spence's more famous songs for the NFL Films library of music is an orchestral version of "Drunken Sailor" called "Up She Rises", first suggested by Steven Sabol to his father Ed because he liked the song at summer camp.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 usually sampled from the above-mentioned APM music libray, and are from time to time performed by classic steel guitar artists.A number of songs are written and recorded by surf instrumental guitar-based rock bands, including The Woodies and The Langhorns. The MelTones' songs "Kung Fu Saturdays," "Polynesian Adventure" and "Rocket Sled To Oahu" were used in the series. The Surfdusters' songs "Henpecker", "Dementia" and "Kona Angel" were also used in the series.In the episode "Prehibernation Week," the music is played by the heavy metal band Pantera. Whenever 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.The episode "Band Geeks" ends with a shortened version of the song "Sweet Victory", which was written and performed by David Glen Eisley and Bob Kulick.
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.
Channel details
| Country | Channel | Title |
|---|
| United States | Nickelodeon, Nicktoons Network | SpongeBob SquarePants | | Canada | YTV, VRAK.TV | SpongeBob SquarePants | | Bulgaria | Diema Family | ?????? ??? ????????? ???? (SpongeBob SquarePants) | | Germany | Super RTL, Nickelodeon | SpongeBob Schwammkopf (SpongeBob SpongeHead) | | Japan | Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network | ????·?? (Suponji Bobu) | | France | Nickelodeon, Télétoon | Bob l'éponge (Bob the Sponge) | | Israel | Israel 10, Nickelodeon | ??????? ????????? BobSfog MichnasMeruba (BobSponge PantsSquare) | | Indonesia | Global TV | SpongeBob SquarePants | | Malaysia | TV9, Astro-Nickelodeon | | Italy | Italia 1, Nickelodeon | SpongeBob | | Netherlands | Nickelodeon | SpongeBob SquarePants | | Belgium | Nickelodeon | | United Kingdom | Nickelodeon, Nicktoons | SpongeBob SquarePants | | Ireland | TG4. | SpongeBob SquarePants (Voiced Over in Gaeilge) | | Australia | Nickelodeon | SpongeBob SquarePants | | El Salvador | Nickelodeon | | Brazil | Nickelodeon | | Russia | Nickelodeon, TNT | ????? ??? ?????????? ????? | | Denmark | Nickelodeon | SvampeBob Firkant | | Sweden | Nickelodeon | SvampBob Fyrkant | | Finland | Nickelodeon | | United Arab Emirates | Nickelodeon | | Pakistan | Nickelodeon | | Thailand | Nickelodeon | | Philippines | Nickelodeon, Nick on TV5 | | Singapore | Nickelodeon | | Hong Kong | Nickelodeon, ATV World | ????? | | Macau | Nickelodeon | | Taiwan | ETTV Yoyo | ???? | | India | Nickelodeon | | Bangladesh | Nickelodeon | | Sri Lanka | Nickelodeon | | Vietnam | Nickelodeon | | South Korea | Nickelodeon, EBS | ???? ????; ???? ???? | | New Zealand | Nickelodeon | SpongeBob SquarePants | | Spain | Nickelodeon | Bob Esponja | | Portugal | Nickelodeon | Bob Esponja Calças Quadradas | | Turkey | CNBC-e | SüngerBob KareSort | | Greece | Star Channel | ?p?µp Sf????a????? (Bob Sfougarakis) | | Mexico | Nickelodeon | Bob Esponja | | Iceland | Stöđ 2, MTV Europe | Svampur Sveinsson |
Footnotes
- 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.
External links
Wikis
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