The History of By HAYDEN FREY and JACOB WILLIAMS
Background *Stephen Hillenburg, the creator of the show, originated the idea in 1989 *His inspiration came from a comic book called The Intertidal Zone *Spongebob was originally going to be named Spongeboy and the series was going to be called Spongeboy Ahoy! *The series was officially aired on May 17, 1999. *The series has continually been aired on Nickelodeon throughout the years. *The show was originally aired to children between the age of 2 and 11. *A few years after the premiere, 40% of the 2.2 million viewers were between the ages of 18 and 34. *Today, the series is considered an instant classic, and includes over 200 episodes
Audience *The show was originally aired to children between the age of 2 and 11. *A few years after the premiere, in 2002, 40% of the 2.2 million viewers were between the ages of 18 and 34. *Today, millions of viewers, from a range of ages, tune into Spongebob episodes daily *SpongeBob is clever without being impenetrable to young viewers and goofy without boring grown-ups to tears. It's the most charming toon on television, and one of the weirdest. And it's also good, clean fun, which makes sense because it is, after all, about a sponge ~Joyce Millman * It's charming and whimsical, but clever enough to appeal to teens and college-aged kids, as well. ~Laura Fries *In addition to the show, multiple movies were produced which appealed to all ages as well.
Behind the Scenes *The producer of the show is Paul Tibbitt who is an American comedian. He became the producer in 2004, after the creator, Stephen Hillenburg resigned *The show has a board of 5 writers who collectively develop each episode in a timely manner Tibbett *The writers are Luke Brookshier, Merriwether Williams, Mr. Lawrence, Derek Drymon, and head writer, Steven Banks. Banks
Characters Spongebob Squarepants (Tom Kenny) The main character of the show who resembles a kitchen sponge and lives in a pineapple in a town called Bikini Bottom. In addition, he is intrigued by jellyfishing and enjoys his job as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke) Spongebob s neighbor and best friend. Patrick is an unintelligent, and lazy starfish who lives under a rock, next to Spongebob s pineapple. He spends most of his days wandering the town and waiting for Spongebob to get home
Characters (continued) Squidward Tentacles (Rodger Bumpass) Spongebob and Patrick s neighbor that lives in a tiki head. He plays the clarinet and hates when his neighbors interrupt his musical genius. Also, a big fan of all forms of art. Plankton (Mr. Lawrence) The main antagonist of the series. Owner of the Chum Bucket, which rivals the Krusty Krab. Lifelong goal is to steal the Krusty Krab Formula. Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown) Owner of the famous Krusty Krab, also is Spongebob s boss. He is obsessed with money and lives in an anchor. Known for being a cheapskate. Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence) A squirrel from Texas who lives in a dome. On her spare time she likes to be a scientist and practice karate.
Concept of the Show The show follows a sea sponge named Spongebob Squarepants who lives in a pineapple under the sea in a town called Bikini Bottom. Spongebob works as a fry cook at a stingy restaurant called the Krusty Krab. In addition, the show follows the relationships between Spongebob and the citizens of his town including characters like Patrick Star, Sandy Cheeks, his grumpy neighbor, Squidward Tentacles, and his cheap boss, Mr. Krabs.
Comedy Involved in the Show Spongebob includes an array of comedy that appeals both to the younger generation and the older generation. In each episode, there are jokes that are easy to understand, and appeal to children. In addition, there are jokes, and themes that would typically go unnoticed to a child but would spark interest and humor in adults. Generally, Spongebob includes different types of humor that appeal to all types of viewers
Ratings and Legacy *When Spongebob was first aired, it nearly went to the top of the charts immediately. *The main competitor was Rugrats, but quickly they surpassed them and never looked back. *Today, Spongebob is the most viewed show on Nickelodeon and continues to make new episodes frequently. *It is considered one of the great animated shows of our generation as people consistently are able to identify Spongebob and the types of concepts he symbolizes.
Lasting Influence *The series ultimately redefined the world of animation and shifted the way people watch cartoons. It essentially made it acceptable for adults to watch cartoons. Spongebob introduced a new world of cartoons like Family Guy, and South Park, which typically appeal to an older generation. In addition, it influenced general cartoons to become more sophisticated and push the boundaries of comedy, without being explicit. Overall, Spongebob had a significant impact on the world of cartoons and how people interact with them in our world today
Bibliography Hartman, Holly. "Fast Facts on SpongeBob SquarePants." Infoplease. Infoplease. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://www.infoplease. com/spot/spongebobfacts.html>. "Spongebob Squarepants Characters and Friends Character: Spongebob Squarepants." Spongebob Character Information. Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://members.outpost10f.com/~lindax/spongebob/character_spongebob.html>. "SpongeBob SquarePants." â From SpongePedia, the Biggest SpongeBob-wiki in the World! Web. 16 Nov. 2015. <http://en. spongepedia.org/index.php?title=spongebob_squarepants>.