SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout

SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout is a 2019 made-for-television live-action/animated comedy special based on the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants.[1][2] It was written by Kaz and Mr. Lawrence, and was directed by Sherm Cohen, Dave Cunningham, and Adam Paloian. Additionally, Brian Morante and Fred Osmond served as storyboard directors, while Michelle Bryan, Alan Smart, and Tom Yasumi served as animation directors, and Jonas Morgenstein directed the live-action segments. The special, produced as part of the show's twelfth season, originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on July 12, 2019, celebrating the series' twentieth anniversary.[3][4][5]

SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout
Based onSpongeBob SquarePants
by Stephen Hillenburg
Written byKaz
Mr. Lawrence
Directed byMichelle Bryan (animation)
Alan Smart (animation)
Tom Yasumi (animation)
Brian Morante (storyboard)
Fred Osmond (storyboard)
Dave Cunningham (supervising)
Adam Paloian (supervising)
Sherm Cohen (supervising)
Jonas Morgenstein (live-action segments)
StarringTom Kenny
Bill Fagerbakke
Clancy Brown
Rodger Bumpass
Carolyn Lawrence
Mr. Lawrence
Jill Talley
Mary Jo Catlett
Lori Alan
Kel Mitchell
Jack Griffo
Daniella Perkins
David Hasselhoff
Narrated byTom Kenny
Music bySteve Belfer
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersStephen Hillenburg (executive)
Marc Ceccarelli (co-executive)
Vincent Waller (co-executive)
Jonas Morgenstein (live-action segments)
Hema Mulchandani (live-action segments)
Running time44 minutes
Production companiesUnited Plankton Pictures
Nickelodeon Animation Studio
DistributorViacomCBS Domestic Media Networks
Release
Original networkNickelodeon
Nicktoons
TeenNick
Original release
  • July 12, 2019 (2019-07-12)

The television series follows the adventures of SpongeBob SquarePants (voiced by Tom Kenny) in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. In the special, the citizens of Bikini Bottom plan a surprise birthday party for SpongeBob, while he and Patrick Star (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke) tour the surface world and come across their real-life selves.[6][7][8] The live-action portions of the special also feature several guest stars including Kel Mitchell, Jack Griffo, Daniella Perkins, and David Hasselhoff, the latter of whom starred as himself in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.[9][10][11] The special is dedicated to the memory of SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg, who died from complications of ALS in 2018. Upon release, it received generally positive reviews.

Plot

In Encino, California, Patchy the Pirate is attempting to start his boat to get to Bikini Bottom to give SpongeBob his birthday present. Potty the Parrot points out that the boat is out of fuel, so Patchy decides to walk to his destination instead. Down in Bikini Bottom, Gary the Snail awakens SpongeBob and gifts him a special jellyfish net. Meanwhile, at Patrick's rock, Sandy Cheeks has gathered Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Mrs. Puff, Sheldon Plankton, Bubble Bass, and an old man to go over the plans for SpongeBob's surprise birthday party. Patrick is tasked with taking SpongeBob on a sightseeing tour while the rest decorate SpongeBob's house for his party. Patrick walks to SpongeBob's house while Plankton hides in his pocket so he can grab SpongeBob's keys. The aquarium-style bus for the tour arrives on schedule and both SpongeBob and Patrick get onboard.

The bus's tour guide, Rube, announces that they will be visiting the surface land.[12] They arrive on land with a little help from the French Narrator's submarine. When they arrive on the beach, the tour guide gives incorrect information about the creatures who inhabit the area. They soon come to a bean-sponsored party hosted by a wild mascot (Kel Mitchell).

At SpongeBob's house, the others, now joined by Squidward Tentacles, are arguing over the party's theme. Sandy, the peacekeeper, decides they each should divide the house into each of their separate themes, with Mr. Krabs coming up with a Krusty Krab-themed party, Mrs. Puff with a boating school theme, Plankton with a torture theme, Bubble Bass with a Mermaid Man theme, Squidward with a theme based around himself, and Sandy with a karate theme. The party goes into full swing, but chaos soon approaches and begins to tear SpongeBob's house apart.[13] Back on the surface, the tour makes stops at a park (narrowly avoiding an on-course collision with Patchy and Potty) and an office building. The office workers leave for a lunch break, leading the tourists to the Trusty Slab restaurant.

Inside the restaurant, the tourists encounter their human counterparts, including an indecisive customer (played by Patrick's voice actor Bill Fagerbakke), the grumpy cashier Manward (played by Squidward's voice actor Rodger Bumpass), the penny-pinching boss Mr. Slabs (played by Mr. Krabs' voice actor Clancy Brown), an impatient astronaut (played by Sandy's voice actress Carolyn Lawrence), and the energetic fry cook JimBob (played by SpongeBob's voice actor Tom Kenny).[14] JimBob mistakes SpongeBob for some cheese for his Slabby Patty and puts him into a burger. Patrick rescues him, leaving the Slabby Patty without a patty. Shortly after, the restaurant is robbed by a business competitor named Charleston (played by Plankton's voice actor Mr. Lawrence). He is foiled by Mr. Slabs and sent flying toward the dumpster. The tourists leave and encounter a pet store that sells fish. A cheerful lady (played by Pearl's voice actress Lori Alan) mistakes the bus for an aquarium and takes it inside, where she puts it on the shelf.

Things appear to be bleak, but Patrick comes up with the idea to push the bus over the side. They escape the store, taking some of the store's fish with them. As they get back to the beach, the bus accidentally runs over Hasselhoff's foot. Hasselhoff blames Patchy, who uses the bean-sponsored contest's bean cannon to reach Bikini Atoll. Once they reach the ocean, they free the fish from the aquarium and they return to Bikini Bottom. Upon exiting the bus, SpongeBob asks Rube for the birthday song that he asked throughout the special. Before they can sing, Rube leans forward and accidentally hits the pedal, and the bus drives away. Patrick opens SpongeBob's door to see that the house is a mess, but he is oblivious to this. SpongeBob finally arrives at his surprise party to find everyone fast asleep.

Just then, a giant box falls from out of the sky. SpongeBob opens it and finds Patchy's disembodied head. Patchy leads the cast in a birthday-themed version of the show's theme song with a montage of celebrities wishing SpongeBob a happy birthday including David Hasselhoff, Kel Mitchell, JoJo Siwa, Tiffany Haddish, Thomas F. Wilson, Sigourney Weaver, Heidi Klum, Kal Penn, Lana Condor (replaced by John Goodman in alternate airings), Jason Sudeikis, RuPaul, Vernon Davis, Rob Gronkowski, the cast of the SpongeBob SquarePants musical, and Gilbert Gottfried.

As the song finishes, Patrick asks SpongeBob how old he is, only for SpongeBob to be interrupted by TV static with SpongeBob blowing his nose like a flute (as he did in the series' opening sequence).

Broadcast and reception

Viewership

SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout premiered on July 12, 2019 simultaneously across Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, and TeenNick. The three-network premiere was collectively viewed by 2.2 million people in the United States, and it posted year-to-year gains for the network across multiple demographics, most notably, Kids 2-11 (3.3/797K, +57%).[15] The special's premiere date is notable for taking place five days before the 20th anniversary of the series's official premiere, which took place on July 17, 1999.

It aired in other territories on July 12[16] and July 13, 2019,[17][18][19][20] Tom Kenny's 57th birthday.

References
  1. Rearick, Lauren (July 13, 2019). "The Life Lessons "Spongebob Squarepants" Taught Us". Teen Vogue. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  2. Justin, Neal (July 9, 2019). "At age 20, 'SpongeBob SquarePants' is still soaking up the love". Star Tribune. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  3. Lawler, Kelly (July 12, 2019). "Incredibly sweet 'SpongeBob Squarepants' 20th anniversary special has a human Krusty Krab". USA Today. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
  4. Roush, Matt (July 12, 2019). "Worth Watching: Spongebob's Birthday Blowout, 'Point Blank' on Netflix, Showtime's 'Shangri-La'". TV Insider. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  5. Pierce, Scott (July 11, 2019). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' turns 20 with an episode that's surreal, even for him". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
  6. Flores, Terry (July 10, 2019). "'SpongeBob' Voice Cast on Acting Together in Live-Action for 20th Anniversary Special". Variety. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  7. Owen, Rob (July 10, 2019). "Behind the Business of 'SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout'". Variety. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  8. Lang, Jaime (June 9, 2019). "Nickelodeon's Ramsey Naito Talks 'SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout' at Annecy". Variety. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  9. Jones, Marcus (May 22, 2019). "David Hasselhoff joins the SpongeBob SquarePants 20th anniversary special". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  10. Tehee, Joshua (July 16, 2019). "Celebrate 20 years of 'SpongeBob SquarePants' with a Krabby Patty showdown at brewery". The Fresno Bee. Retrieved July 16, 2019.
  11. Roush, Matt (July 12, 2019). "Worth Watching: Spongebob's Birthday Blowout, 'Point Blank' on Netflix, Showtime's 'Shangri-La'". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  12. Shoemaker, Allison (July 12, 2019). "SpongeBob turns 20 and heads for dry land, plus Rupert Friend on this week's eventful Strange Angel". The A.V. Club. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  13. Gay, Verne (July 9, 2019). "'SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout' review: A funny, funky celebration". Newsday. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  14. Bennett, Tara (July 10, 2019). "He's 20! Get Ready for SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout". Syfy. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  15. Andreeva, Nellie (July 17, 2019). "'SpongeBob SquarePants' Renewed For Season 13 By Nickelodeon". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 17, 2019.
  16. Nickelodeon Asia (June 30, 2019). "YOU'RE INVITED!". Facebook. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  17. "SpongeBob Schwammkopf S12E13: SpongeBobs große Geburtstagssause (1) (SpongeBob's Birthday (1))" (in German). Fernsehserien.de. Archived from the original on 2019-07-23. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  18. "20 χρόνια Μπομπ Σφουγγαράκης" (in Greek). Nickelodeon Greece. Archived from the original on 2019-07-13. Retrieved 2019-07-13. Αυτό το Σάββατο 13 Ιουλίου στις 18:30, έρχεται μαραθώνιος και super εορταστικό, ολοκαίνουριο επεισόδιο Μπομπ Σφουγγαράκης!
  19. "A Nickelodeon júliusi újdonságai" (in Hungarian). Gyerek-Világ. 2019-06-08. Retrieved 2019-07-23.
  20. "Bob l'éponge fête ses 20 ans sur Nickelodeon" (in French). Telecablesat Hebdo. 2019-06-20. Retrieved 2019-07-26. samedi 13 juillet, avec un rendez-vous exceptionnel à 11:35 !
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.