SpongeBob SquarePants

This article is about the television series; for the title character see SpongeBob SquarePants (character).

Template:Infobox television SpongeBob SquarePants is a popular animated television series created by marine biologist/animator Stephen Hillenburg. The pilot episode first aired in the US on Nickelodeon after Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards on May 1, 1999. It officially aired on July 17 of the same year with the second episode "Bubblestand/Ripped Pants". The main characters are a humanoid sponge, SpongeBob SquarePants; his dumb starfish pal Patrick Star; the stingy octopus Squidward Tentacles; the cheapskate crab Mr. Krabs; and the overly hyper squirrel Sandy Cheeks, who wears an astronaut suit almost all of the time. Most episodes take place in the town of Bikini Bottom or the surrounding lagoon floor, islets, deep, or at their own houses.

Popularity

SpongeBob has gained a loyal international following with children and adults alike. robbie thompson based on the show, for instance, ranges from Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Kellogg's Cereal, and video games to boxer shorts, pajamas, t-shirts, and manga. It has become a favorite cartoon for television viewers. There have been kids meal tie-ins at Wendy's and Burger King restaurants, so much so when a SpongeBob SquarePants movie promotion ran in 2004, thieves stole nine-foot-high by nine-foot-wide SpongeBob inflatables, wanting Krabby Patties as ransom, and signed by someone who claims to be Plankton. SpongeBob was also featured on VH1's I Love the 90s: Part Deux: 1999 as part of a commentary by Michael Ian Black. More recently, a tie-in beverage for 7-Eleven convenience stores has been created, a pineapple-flavored Slurpee. 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, and in October of 2004, a NASCAR race, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 300, presented by Lowe's and broadcast on TNT.

The cartoon is designed to appeal to older viewers as much as to children. This has a lot to do with the way underwater life and situations are represented, absurdly, as though they are almost equivalent to normal terrestrial lifestyles. Instead of cars, the residents of Bikini Bottom drive boats—with wheels of course. Once, while on a camping trip, Patrick questions how they could have a camp fire on the lagoon bottom—the fire is immediately extinguished with a sizzle. A flurry of bubbles accompany many actions, just to remind the viewer everything is underwater. SpongeBob lives in a pineapple, while his neighbour Squidward lives in an Easter Island head and Patrick lives under a rock. The suggestion is that both have fallen from a tropical island to become underwater habitats. Spongebob's house-pet is a snail named Gary, who only meows like a cat (though characters have shown signs of being able to understand him). In relation to this, underwater worms bark like dogs. Jellyfish are the equivalent of bees (buzzing and stinging), but are collected or appreciated like butterflies and are used for their jelly.

SpongeBob is the first "low budget" Nickelodeon cartoon, according to the network, to become extremely popular. Long had low-budget cartoons been living in the shadow of Rugrats, but SpongeBob aired in 1999 and almost immediately became more popular. SpongeBob is the fourth Nickelodeon show to attract "older" followers (the first was The Ren & Stimpy Show, then Rocko's Modern Life, whose executive producer was SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg, then the Kablam! skit Action League Now!, then The Angry Beavers, then SpongeBob, and after SpongeBob, The Fairly OddParents and Invader Zim took a similar role when they aired in 2001 and the former is now second only to SpongeBob in popularity).

SpongeBob is one cartoon in a long line of shows to put in more "adult" references, and has become so popular with the adult crowd that it has been shown on MTV and Spike TV. A certain quote by Patrick ("It's gonna rock!") has been used as a promo for rock stations. Ren and Stimpy, among others, had followed a similar path.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which was released on November 19, 2004, features a cameo appearance by actor David Hasselhoff whose previous roles were in Baywatch and Knight Rider.

Theme song

The theme song, a sea shanty-style tune, is the principal song used in the series SpongeBob SquarePants. It is sung by Pat Pinney and can be found on the soundtrack, SpongeBob SquarePants: Original Theme Highlights. A cover of the song by Avril Lavigne can be found on the soundtrack for The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. There was also a choral version done for the Christmas special (where the last words "SquarePants" were replaced by "Christmas special").

Theme Song To Spongebob Squarepants

"Captain: Are ya ready kids?
Kids: Aye, aye, Captain
Captain: I can't hear you
Kids: Aye, aye, Captain
Captain: ohhhhhhhhhhh

Captain: Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?

Kids: SpongeBob SquarePants!
Captain: Absorbent and yellow and porous is he?
Kids: SpongeBob SquarePants!
Captain: If nautical nonsense be something you wish
Kids: SpongeBob SquarePants!
Captain: Then drop on the deck and flop like a fish
Kids: SpongeBob SquarePants!

Captain: Ready?
Both: SpongeBob SquarePants!
Both: SpongeBob SquarePants!
Both: SpongeBob SquarePants!
Both: SpongeBob SquarePants!
Captain: SpongeBob SquarePants!
Captain: ah ha ha ha ha ah ha ha ha ..."

History

Pre-television era

(1993-1999)

SpongeBob SquarePants's history can be traced back to 1993 when Rocko's Modern Life first aired, of which one of whose producers was Stephen Hillenburg, a cartoon worker/marine biologist who loved both his careers. When the show was cancelled in 1997, Hillenburg began working on SpongeBob (although some sketches trace back to 1996). Sure enough, he teamed up with creative director Derek Drymon, who had worked on shows such as Doug, Action League Now!, and most recently Hey Arnold!. Drymon had worked with Hillenburg on Rocko's Modern Life as well, as were many crew members including writer Tim Hill and voice actors Tom Kenny and Mr. Lawrence. Also in the original crew 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.

Not everyone who worked on SpongeBob were veterans to other shows, however. Paul Tibbitt was a newcomer to cartoons whose first ever project was SpongeBob, and ended up becoming a key member of the show's crew, writing and storyboard directing most of the whole series.

During production of the show, Stephen Hillenburg 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. This name was once referenced in the show by Mr. Krabs' line, "SpongeBoy, me Bob!". Stephen Hillenburg later thought of and used the name "SpongeBob". The Krusty Krab was originally spelled with the letter C rather than K, but Stephen Hillenburg thought K's were funnier.

Rise to popularity

(1999-2000)

In 1999 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 at the height of its popularity and had already out lived 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. Sure enough, although it struggled a little in its very early days, its ratings flew up. It only took SpongeBob about a year to pass Rugrats as Nick's most highly rated show. With SpongeBob's signature voice (provided by Kenny) and a humorous style that was enjoyable to both younger and older audience backing it up. Many people attribute the "Fall Of Rugrats/Klasky-Csupo/Rise Of Low-Budget Cartoons" to SpongeBob.

Peak years

(2000-2003)

The show began its second season in 2000 with more high-quality animation and even better 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 that managed to attract a very loyal cult following consisting more of teens and adults than little kids. SpongeBob, however, was the leader of all these shows and had by this time started its now famous merchandise line.

2002 also saw a bright side, as the first part of that year saw SpongeBob at its high. The beginning of the third season produced many classic episodes (some of the most quoted too) and focused on the same style and animation concepts too, the year also saw another more low-budget show with popularity (Jimmy Neutron), but things changed late in the year. Hillenburg began to think of leaving the show around this time, and even cancelling it. Fans were devastated and online petitions and slogans were evident all over. Rumors of a movie closing the show in 2004 were all over talk, but fans just wanted more show. The highly extended third season lasted through 2003, with fans on their knees, and 2004, the year that would decide everything. Sure enough, what was thought to be the last episode, "SpongeBob Meets The Strangler/Pranks A Lot" would air in October of 2004 and the movie was to be released in November of that year.

Hiatus

(2003-2005)

The show continued to gain high approval ratings, but then, at the end of summertime, the president of Nickelodeon announced that the show would continue without Hillenburg. Derek Drymon and Sherm Cohen took over production of the show and with the exception of the departure of Hillenburg, the crew was nearly unchanged. The future looked positive for the Nickelodeon cartoon, but fans wondered if the show would achieve its past level of success without Hillenburg.

Season 4

(2005-Present)

Missing image
Fear_of_a_Krabby_Patty.jpg

Fear of a Krabby Patty

The ads for its fourth season first aired publicly during the 2005 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. The new episodes began on May 6. So far, 3 new episodes and 6 segments of new episodes have aired, with more upcoming including an episode about Gary running away and a 6th Mermaidman & Barnacle Boy.

The first new episode of Season 4, "Fear Of A Krabby Patty/Shell Of A Man", premiered on May 6, 2005 and was a huge hit with many fans who had long been bored with the show and many more faithful ones who have been waiting for new episodes for years. It has also been confirmed that there will be a fifth and a possible sixth season for the show in the future. Another SpongeBob movie is possible as well.

Controversy

Despite the show's popularity, SpongeBob has endured much controversy, though this is not new for Nickelodeon; many of its cartoons, including Ren & Stimpy, Rocko's Modern Life, The Angry Beavers, Invader Zim and The Fairly OddParents, have sparked controversy in one way or another before or after SpongeBob. SpongeBob's popularity has made its controversy more noticeable and larger scale.

One of the show's first controversies was about terrorism. The whole controversy started after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when the show received higher ratings than usual. Some people may think that the show may have some form of terrorism, but many fans and other people believe that the paraphrased line, "it's just a show that heals your depressions from terrible things in life" explains the rise in viewers.

SpongeBob had a primarily clean start for its first two seasons and the beginning of the third season. SpongeBob and Patrick's close friendship in many episodes (including an episode where they hold hands) led some viewers to the conclusion that SpongeBob and Patrick were homosexual. The 2002 episode, "Rock-A-Bye-Bivalve", had SpongeBob and Patrick adopt a baby scallop, furthering the rumor. This viewpoint sparked controversy around the news, however this rumor has recently been proven false for numerous reasons. Independent of assumptions, the cartoon's acceptance and optimism have made it popular within parts of the real-life gay community.

More recently, SpongeBob was featured in the pro-tolerance "We Are Family" commercial. The video has sparked controversy because some conservative Christian groups believe that the We Are Family Foundation was using it to promote the normalization of homosexuality in American schools. A spokesman for the foundation suggests that anyone who thought the video promoted homosexuality "needs to visit their doctor and get their medication increased."[1] (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4190699.stm). It has been incorrectly reported that James Dobson, a leading figure among many conservative Christians, believes SpongeBob is homosexual or promotes a 'homosexual lifestyle'.[2] (http://news.toonzone.net/article.php?ID=892), [3] (http://patterico.com/2005/02/10/2647/la-times-issues-spongebob-correction/) (See the section on SpongeBob in the article on James Dobson).

Voice actors and their characters

Tom Kenny: SpongeBob SquarePants, Gary the Snail, French Narrator, Patchy the Pirate, a Squid
Dee Bradley Baker: Squilliam Fancyson, Various Squids, Customers, Vendors
Rodger Bumpass: Squidward Tentacles
Bill Fagerbakke: Patrick Star
Carolyn Lawrence: Sandy Cheeks
Clancy Brown: Eugene Krabs
Doug Lawrence (a.k.a. Mr. Lawrence): Sheldon J. Plankton, Larry Lobster
Lori Alan: Pearl Krabs
Mary Jo Catlett: Poppy Puff
Ernest Borgnine: Mermaid Man
Tim Conway: Barnacle Boy
Stephen Hillenburg: Potty
Brian Doyle-Murray: The Flying Dutchman
Charles Nelson Reilly: The Dirty Bubble
Marion Ross: Grandma Squarepants
Jill Talley: Karen, Plankton's computer wife.

Additional voices in the movie

Main crew

Stephen Hillenburg: Creator/Executive Producer (1999-2004)
Derek Drymon: Creative Director/Writer/Story Editor/Executive Producer (2004-Present)
Sherm Cohen: Art Director/Writer/Executive Prouducer (2005-Present)
Paul Tibbitt: Writer/Storyboard Director/Backing Voice Actor
Merriwether Williams: Story Editor/Writer
Doug Lawrence (Mr. Lawrence): Writer/Story Editor/Voice Of Plankton and Larry
Chuck Klein: Writer/Storyboard Artist & Director
Jay Lender: Writer/Storyboard Artist & Director
Sam Henderson: Writer/Storyboard Director
Kaz: Writer/Storyboard Artist
Aaron Springer: Writer/Storyboard Artist & Director
C.H. Greenblatt: Writer/Storyboard Artist & Director
Bradley Carow: Music
David Wigforss: Special Effects (CG visual effects animator)
Caleb Muerer: Art Director
Andy Rheingold: Executive in Charge of Production
Tim Hill: Writer
Eric Wiese: Writer/Storyboard Artist
Mark O'Hare: Writer/Storyboard Artist & Director
Steven Fonti: Writer/Storyboard Director (1999)
Chris Mitchell: Writer/Storyboard Artist (1999)
Mike Bell: Writer/Storyboard Director (2005-)
Vincent Waller: Writer/Storyboard Artist & Director/Technicial Director (2005-)
Alan Smart: Animation Director
Tom Yasumi: Animation Director
Andrew Overtoom: Animation Director
Sean Dempsey: Animation Director

Characters

Main

SpongeBob SquarePants - A square sponge who lives in a pineapple under the sea. He works at the Krusty Krab with his boring neighbor Squidward (see below).
Squidward Tentacles - A hostile octopus that lives in an Easter Island head between the domiciles of SpongeBob and Patrick (see below). Although loved by the other characters, Squidward appears pessimistic and antisocial.
Patrick Star - A cheerful, naive and unintelligent starfish, who is SpongeBob's best friend. He lives under a rock to the left of Squidward's house.
Sandy Cheeks - Another friend of SpongeBob's, Sandy is an athletic squirrel from Texas. She wears an old spacesuit and lives in the "Treedome" so that she can survive Bikini Bottom's ocean environment.
Eugene H. Krabs - The money-addicted, miserly owner of the Krusty Krab. Commonly known as Mr. Krabs, he is SpongeBob and Squidward's boss. He lives in an anchor with his daughter Pearl, who is literally as big as a whale.

Others

Gary - SpongeBob's pet Snail that mainly says 'Meow'. Very intelligent, as revealed in the episode "Sleepy Time." Gary actually wears shoes, and taught SpongeBob how to tie his shoes. Gary also has a record player in his shell.
Sheldon J. Plankton - The owner of the Chum Bucket and Mr. Krabs's main rival. Usually called by his surname (Plankton). He is determined to steal the secret Krabby Patty formula from The Krusty Krab and run Mr. Krabs out of business.

Episodes

All episodes are shown in correct production order.

Season One

Season Two

Season Three

Season Four

After those, 17 more episodes will air for the season. Some of the confirmed ones include...

Mermaidman & Barnacle Boy VI
Gary's Snail Tales Special featuring Patchy the Pirate
Squidward's Ancestors

Unconfirmed...

An episode of SpongeBob featuring his uncle, Sherm.
An episode of SpongeBob where SpongeBob and Squidward's genes get switched.

Future Seasons

Writers for Spongebob have confirmed that the show will have a fifth season, however, no planned episode list is done. Season six is also possible, but not very likely.

DVD, VHS, And Video Games

DVD & VHS

Themed DVDs

Nautical Nonsense and Sponge Buddies
Halloween
Sea Stories
Tales from the Deep
Lost at Sea
Tide and Seek
Christmas
The Seascape Capers
SpongeBob Goes Prehistoric
SpongeGuard on Duty
Sponge for Hire
Home Sweet Pineapple
Fear of a Krabby Patty
Plankton's Revenge (?)
Gary's Snail Tales (?)

Themed VHS

Nautical Nonsense
Sponge Buddies
Halloween
Sea Stories
Bikini Bottom Bash
Deep Sea Sillies
The Sponge Who Could Fly
Anchors Away
Laugh Your Pants Off
Sponge-a-Rama
Christmas
The Seascape Capers
SpongeBob Goes Prehistoric
SpongeGuard on Duty
Sponge for Hire
Home Sweet Pineapple
Fear of a Krabby Patty
Plankton's Revenge (?)
Gary's Snail Tales (?)

Season Boxsets (only on DVD)

The Complete First Season
The Complete Second Season
The Complete Third Season (coming October 18, 2005)
The Complete Fourth Season (coming in 2006) (?)

Movie (VHS and DVD)

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie 2: The Long Journey Into SpongeBob's Past (possible)

Video Games

GBA Video: SpongeBob SquarePants Volume 1 (Gameboy Advanced)
GBA Video: SpongeBob SquarePants Volume 2 (Gameboy Advanced)
GBA Video: SpongeBob SquarePants Volume 3 (Not Yet Released) (GBA)
Spongebob Squarepants Dual Pack (GBA)
Lights, Camera, PANTS! (Not Yet Released)
Revenge Of The Flying Dutchman (PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, GBA)
SuperSponge (PS)
Battle For Bikini Bottom (PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, GBA, PC)
The Spongebob Squarepants Movie (PS2, Gamecube, Xbox, GBA, PC)

External links

Template:Wikiquote

Nick.com (http://www.nick.com/all_nick/tv_supersites/spongebob/bobintro.jhtml?_requestid=197154) (official site)
SpongrBuddy Mania (http://www.sponge-buddy.net)
SpongeBob SquarePants (http://www.bcdb.com/cartoons/Other_Studios/N/Nickelodeon/Nicktoons_Productions/SpongeBob_SquarePants/index.html) at the Big Cartoon DataBase
Template:Imdb title
Template:Tvtome show
SpongeBob Wiki (http://www.Spongebobwiki.tk/) the Wiki for SpongeBob SquarePants.de:Spongebob Schwammkopf

es:Bob Esponja Pantalones Cuadrados fr:Bob l'éponge is:Svampur Sveinsson he:בובספוג מכנסמרובע nl:SpongeBob SquarePants pl:SpongeBob Kanciastoporty sv:Svampbob Fyrkant ru:СпанчБоб СкверПэнтс

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