20 years of SpongeBob SquarePants


20 years of SpongeBob SquarePants

Nickelodeon is celebrating 20 years of SpongeBob SquarePants this July with a one-hour special, "SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout," featuring for the first time the celebrated voice cast behind SpongeBob (Tom Kenny), Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke), Squidward (Rodger Bumpass), Mr. Krabs, Sandy, and Plankton playing human versions of their animated characters and guest star David Hasselhoff (Baywatch). The all-new mixed live-action and animated special premieres Saturday, July 13, at 4:00 pm (AEST) on Nickelodeon.

"SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout" is a tribute to one of the most iconic TV series and characters ever created, and in a series first, invites the talented voice cast to the screen to take their well-deserved curtain call for their efforts in bringing the series' characters to life.

In the episode, Patrick and SpongeBob journey to the surface world, where the duo come across a few familiar faces during lunchtime rush at The Trusty Slab restaurant. Meanwhile the Bikini Bottom residents set up a surprise birthday party for SpongeBob.

Donning his famous lifeguard attire, Hasselhoff guests as himself in the special, where he runs into a little trouble in an ocean kayak and on the beach. Hasselhoff also notably played himself in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie. His return is a special nod to his original performance for fans around the world.

"I experienced the world of SpongeBob first-hand when I appeared in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which was an amazing experience," said Hasselhoff. "After making that cameo, kids around the world recognized me from the movie. How awesome to now come back to be part of the 20th anniversary special. I got to interact with Tom Kenny and SpongeBob. It also was a heart-warming tribute to Steve Hillenburg. Happy 20th SpongeBob. Hooray!!"

"Steve Hillenburg gave me the gift of a lifetime when he asked me to voice his porous alter ego, SpongeBob SquarePants." Said Kenny. "He changed my life and all of our lives. To reach the 20-year mark is a huge milestone and we wanted to celebrate by throwing a big party Bikini Bottom style. SpongeBob only comes up to the surface world on special occasions and this time one stop on his journey is The Trusty Slab restaurant. Stepping on the set and acting alongside my friends and fellow cast members was a true out of body experience. Fans are truly going to love it."

Additional guest stars in the special include Kel Mitchell (All That), Jack Griffo (The Thundermans) and Daniella Perkins (Knight Squad).

SpongeBob launched July 17, 1999, and has reigned as the number-one kids' animated series on TV for the last 17 years, generating a universe of beloved characters, pop culture catchphrases and memes, theatrical releases, consumer products, a Tony award-winning Broadway musical and a global fan base. The "Best Year Ever," leads up to the Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies theatrical, The SpongeBob Movie: It's a Wonderful Sponge, coming summer 2020.

SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout will air on Nickelodeon (Foxtel channel 701, Fetch channel 146) on Saturday, 13th July at 4:00 pm.

SpongeBob SquarePants is also available on Nick Play. Download the free app from the Apple Store and Google Play.

Twenty Milestones For 20 Years Of Spongebob Squarepants

1. SpongeBob SquarePants has been on air for 20 years with 12 seasons, two-feature movies and a Broadway musical.
2. SpongeBob SquarePants is shown in 208 countries and translated into an incredible 55 languages worldwide.
3. SpongeBob SquarePants has smashed the record for longest-running Nickelodeon animated series, surpassing previous titleholder Rugrats, which produced 172 episodes. When the newest season ends, SpongeBob's tally will be at 270 instalments and counting.
4. Paramount Pictures' The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, is the second-highest-grossing film based off an animated television show, grossing $325 million worldwide.
5. The famous yellow sponge's cinema fame will continue with a third feature-length movie coming to cinemas mid-2020 in It's A Wonderful Sponge.
6. The series is the recipient of five Emmy Awards: Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program for Tom Kenny (2018), Outstanding Children's Animated Series (2018), Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing (2014), and Outstanding Special Class Animated Program (2010), along with a special honour presented to Stephen Hillenburg at the 2018 Daytime Emmy Awards for his contribution and impact in the animation field.

7. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical received 12 Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical.
8. In the era of social media, SpongeBob is one of the most memed characters of all time, with social accounts dedicated to SpongeBob memes gathering more than 1.8 million fans.
9. SpongeBob has collected over 55 million social followers.
10. The series has had plethora of celebrities feature as guest voicer-overs including; Victoria Beckham, Johnny Depp, Amy Poehler, David Bowie, Kristen Wiig, LeBron James and Scarlett Johansson.
11. Even more extensive is his list of celebrity fans including Barack Obama who lists SpongeBob as his favourite TV character of all time.
12. Pharrell Williams threw himself a SpongeBob themed party to celebrate his 41st birthday. The music extraordinaire celebrated his special day by transforming New York City's Cipriani into Bikini Bottom for a bash starring Nickelodeon's "pineapple under the sea" resident.
13. The voice of SpongeBob, Tom Kenny is a multi-talented voice actor who also voices Gary and the narrator of the show, amongst other characters.
14. SpongeBob has strutted his stuff down plenty of runways including his 2014 debut at Milan Fashion Week for Italian label Moschino.
15. Continuing to float above New York in the Macy's Thanksgiving parade since its debut in 2004 (only missing one year, 2007 due to weather conditions), the 44-feet tall, 41-feet long and 34-feet wide Square balloon is a showstopper as it struts down New York's most famous parade route.
16. SpongeBob was originally created by the late Stephen Hillenburg, a marine biologist turned animator, as part of an educational comic to teach kids about ocean conservation.
17. SpongeBob is the first ever Nickelodeon TV character to visit the Great Barrier Reef, where he attended the launch of Nickelodeon Australia's ocean conservation program for kids Junior Citizens of the Reef which took place on World Oceans Day, June 8, 2019.
18. A new species of tulip was named after SpongeBob in Holland in 2010 and San Francisco State University discovered a new mushroom species and named it after SpongeBob in 2011.
19. Pantone has created an official SpongeBob Pantone colour and a Patrick Pantone colour in honour of SpongeBob's 20th anniversary.
20. The SpongeBob SquarePants franchise has garnered $13 billion in lifetime retail sales of consumer products.

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