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SpongeBob, the
character, the legend

It's been 10 years since he made his TV debut

By Louisa Ada Seltzer
Jul 23, 2009

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Everyone it seems has an opinion on SpongeBob SquarePants. Kids love him. Parents cringe at him. Celebrities want to pal up with him. And Viacom is happy to profit from him.

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.

A look at this week’s top TV draws
THURSDAY, JULY 23
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	NBC	“Today” (N)	Media Life fave Martha Stewart makes one of her regular appearances.
8 p.m.	CBS	“Big Brother” (R)	It’s Thursday, meaning someone will be evicted.
9 p.m.	Fox	“So You Think You Can Dance” (R)	The series’ 100th episode will see the field cut to six dancers.
9 p.m.	ESPN2	“Women’s Softball” (S)	The championship game of the World Cup from Oklahoma City.
9 p.m.	USA	“Burn Notice” (D)	Strickler offers to help Michael get back to business.
10 p.m.	Bravo	“Fashion Show” (R)	Season finale. The first-season winner is selected.
FRIDAY, JULY 1724
Time	Network	Program	Description
7 a.m.	ABC	“Good Morning America” (N)	Musical artist Sean Paul performs.
8 p.m.	NBC	“The Chopping Block” (R)	Series finale. The final pairs remodel their places and plan menus, then a winner is selected.
8 p.m.	Disney Channel	“Wizards of Waverly Place” (K)	A vampire-owned sandwich shop threatens business at Waverly Sub Station.
8 p.m.	ESPN	“Soccer” (S)	Italians AC Milan face off against English club Chelsea in Baltimore.
9 p.m.	Fox	“Mental” (D)	A drug dealer is murdered and the only witness is his autistic daughter.
9 p.m.	Sci Fi Channel	“Eureka” (D)	Dr. Fontana reopens Section Five.
SATURDAY, JULY 25
Time	Network	Program	Description
3 p.m.	CBS	“PGA Golf” (S)	Third round of the Canadian Open.
3:30 p.m.	ABC	“WNBA Basketball” (S)	The annual all-star game, live from Uncasville, Conn.
4 p.m.	Fox	“Major League Baseball” (S)	The weekend suite of regional games.
8:30 p.m.	Fox	“Cops” (R)	A taillight violation turns into a drug bust.
9 p.m.	ESPN2	“MLS Soccer” (S)	Beckham and the Galaxy take on Kansas City.
10 p.m.	ABC	“Dirty Sexy Money” (D)	Nick tries to bring Kiki back from Maryland.
SUNDAY, JULY 26
Time	Network	Program	Description
3 p.m.	CBS	“PGA Golf” (S)	Final-round coverage of the Canadian Open, won last year by Chez Reavie.
8 p.m.	CBS	“Big Brother” (R)	This week’s nominations for eviction ate revealed.
9 p.m.	NBC	“The Storm” (M)	First of a two-parter about a tycoon who can alter weather.
9 p.m.	Food Network	“Next Food Network Star” (R)	Emeril Legasse works with the final three contestants.
9 p.m.	HBO	“True Blood” (D)	In Dallas, Bill runs into someone from his past.
10 p.m.	Lifetime	“Army Wives” (D)	Joan and Evan face each other in a war games exercise.
10:30 p.m.	HBO	“Entourage” (C)	Turtle goes to Ari for career advice.
A = awards show or special, C = comedy, D = drama, DD = daytime drama, G = game show, K = kids, M = movie, N = news/documentary, R = reality, S = sports, T = talk/variety show.