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| TV This Week | |
character, the legend It's been 10 years since he made his TV debut Jul 23, 2009
This month marks the 10th anniversary of the premiere of “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and tonight at 10 p.m. Nickelodeon airs a documentary about the earnest character’s beginnings and his impact on pop culture. “Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants” originally aired on sister network VH1 last week. It includes commentary from “SpongeBob” fans such as Ricky Gervais, LeBron James and Rosario Dawson, as well as kids around the world and even a surprising rendition of the cartoon theme song sung by inmates at San Quentin prison. “SpongeBob” actually has academic roots. Creator Stephen Hillenburg was a marine biologist before becoming a cartoonist, and he once drew a comic book to teach kids about the ocean that featured an early version of SpongeBob. The cartoon has risen on the appeal of SpongeBob’s personality. He’s an innocent who works hard and rarely has an inkling why he annoys the more sophisticated, and cynical, folks around him. Though parents may cringe at the sound of the theme song, it’s more because of its ubiquitousness--you can't get away from him if you have children-- than because of the show itself, which teaches children not about oceanography but about self-acceptance, following one’s heart, and being a true friend. “SpongeBob” has been one of the top shows among kids 2-5 for a decade, and it’s also popular among total viewers. Last weekend Nickelodeon ran a 50-episode “SpongeBob” marathon, and nine of those episodes finished among the top 18 shows on basic cable last week, according to Nielsen.
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