SpongeBob SquarePants

SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated comedy television series created by the late Stephen Hillenburg for the children's network Nickelodeon. It centers on the titular character and his many adventures in the fictional town of Bikini Bottom. Premiering on the network May 1st, 1999 (after the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards had aired), it has been running since then.

Premise
The show revolves around its eponymous yellow sponge and his aquatic friends, who include the dumb-founded Partick Star, grumpy next-door neighbor Squidward Tentacles, and Texas-accented squirrel Sandy Cheeks. He has a job as the fry cook in the Krusty Krab (Squidward, who lives next to him, has a job there as the cashier). The Krusty Krab's owner is Mr. Krabs, who speaks with an accent resembling that of a pirate's. SpongeBob occasionally attends boating school, where his teacher Mrs. Puff teaches the class how to drive. To Mrs. Puff's chagrin, SpongeBob always crashes his boat and ends up failing his boating tests.

Along for the ride are Plankton and Karen, who reside in an unsuccessful restaurant known as the Chum Bucket. Plankton frequently tries to get the Krabby Patty Secret formula, but he gets thwarted at every turn.

Facts

 * Much of the show's elements originate from an unpublished 1989 educational comic titled The Intertidal Zone, which was made by the Stephen to teach undersea life to his students.
 * It is the only Nicktoon so far to have been renewed for an eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth season.
 * The show is the fifth longest running American cartoon, behind The Simpsons, Arthur, South Park and Family Guy.
 * It has been a media franchise due to its high popularity, and has generated over $13 million in merchandising revenue. As a result of this, it has spawned three theatrical films (with a fourth one in development), and three spin-off films for Paramount Global's streaming service, Paramount+.
 * It has spawned many notable internet memes over the years, including "SpongeBob betrayed us!", Squidward On A Chair, Mocking SpongeBob and "No! This is Patrick!".
 * Some of the show's characters would go on to be some of the most iconic characters in history, including the titular character, Partick Star, and Squidward. The titular character would eventually become Nickelodeon's mascot.