Nickelodeon’s favorite ocean sponge, SpongeBob SquarePants, is hitting 20 years old this year with the biggest celebration across land and sea.
Nick will pay tribute to the iconic TV show and its memorable characters with “The Best Year Ever.”
The year of events and collaborations will kick off on Friday, July 12, with the premiere of “SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout.” The original one-hour special will feature the voice actors behind SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Sandy, Squidward, and Plankton, alongside their animated characters. Patrick and SpongeBob will travel to the water’s surface while their Bikini Bottom neighbors set up SpongeBob’s surprise party. There, the two friends will find their voice actors during the lunchtime rush at the Trusty Slab restaurant.
Along with the special, Nickelodeon’s lineup of new SpongeBob episodes this summer will put the characters in new scenarios, including SpongeBob closing the gap in his teeth and Plankton and Karen somehow having a baby.
The party will continue as the famed fry cook gets his first cosmetics line, a new mobile app, a Cynthia Rowley wetsuit in today’s New York Fashion Week runway show, and a pop-up exhibit across the U.S., featuring work from international artist Romero Britto.
Alpha Group will also launch a new line of SpongeBob SquarePants collectibles, toys, plush, and novelties this year, some of which are available on Amazon, while the others will be for sale at retailers nationwide later this year. The new collection will include a Masterpiece Meme line of vinyl figures highlighting fan-favorite viral memes and SpongeBob toys with Nickelodeon slime.
SpongeBob’s 20th birthday will mark the year he officially becomes a YouTuber. His new YouTube channel will feature memorable SpongeBob SquarePants moments, music from the show, and new content, including a Shane Dawson-style series called “Bikini Bottom Mysteries.” Fans will watch as SpongeBob exposes scandals, secrets, and unsolved mysteries. Please, don’t make him say, “tea.”
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies will close out the undersea bash with The SpongeBob Movie: It’s a Wonderful Sponge, premiering in summer 2020.
“The tiny residents of Bikini Bottom have held the world’s attention for a remarkable 20 years, and we owe it all to the monumental creator Stephen Hillenburg,” EVP of animation production and development at Nickelodeon, Ramsey Naito says in a statement. “This anniversary special is a love letter to everyone in the universe of SpongeBob, from the fans across the globe to the incredible creative team, crew, and talent who continue to bring these great characters to life.”
Maybe Nickelodeon can throw a “Sweet Victory” performance into the schedule to make up for the Super Bowl LIII Halftime Show fiasco.
Photo: Nickelodeon
