SpongeBob SquarePants (1999-)

Description: The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and often nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurably optimistic and earnest sea sponge, and his underwater friends. Dwelling a few fathoms beneath the tropical isle of Bikini Atoll in the sub-surface city of Bikini Bottom, SpongeBob lives in a two-story pineapple. Instead of taking the logical approach to everyday challenges, SpongeBob approaches life in a wayward and unconventional way. Whether searching for the ultimate spatula to perfect his burger flipping technique at the Krusty Krab or just hanging out with his best friend Patrick (an amiable starfish), SpongeBob’s good intentions and overzealous approach to life usually create chaos in his underwater world.
Creators: Stephen Hillenburg, Tim Hill, Nick Jennings
Stars: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass

Photos

Trivia

The show’s creator, Stephen Hillenburg, was a marine biologist. When he pitched the show to Nickelodeon, he brought a fish tank into the boardroom, and explained what was living inside. He then placed a cartoon drawing of SpongeBob into the tank and said “This is SpongeBob, the star of your new show.”

Mr. Krab’s birth date is November 30, 1942. SpongeBob’s is July 14, 1986, as revealed on each characters driver’s license, in dream sequences, in season one, episode fifteen, “Sleepy Time/Suds”.

Stephen Hillenburg stopped making new episodes in 2002 to work on The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004). Nickelodeon had eight unaired episodes, and aired two or three a year.

Squidward makes various references to 11 minutes. Every episode lasts about 11 minutes 30 seconds.

Out of all the Nicktoons to air in the 1990s, this is the only one still in production, and the longest running one (as of April 2020).

To create SpongeBob’s distinctive laugh, Tom Kenny hits his throat with his hand repeatedly while saying, “Ahh.”