Hoppin' clams! "SpongeBob SquarePants" turns 25

In the 25 years since his debut on Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants, the animated character who lives in a pineapple under the sea, has also appeared in video games, three feature films, and even a Broadway musical. For the voice actors behind SpongeBob and other denizens of Bikini Bottom, the show - a gentle, silly reminder about the value of optimism and friendship - also reminds us of the kid inside us all. Lee Cowan reports.
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[@Hecuba107]

SB: Hey, Patrick. Patrick: What? SB: I thought of something funnier than 24. Patrick: Let me hear it. SB: 25!

[@chrisfinch8637]

Mrs. Puff: That’s enough! 🤣

[@Hecuba107]

@@chrisfinch8637 😳

[@Mod1]

@@chrisfinch8637lol

[@DoofenSpyroDragon16]

Really thought they were gonna reference that!

[@rajadhejayalath]

@@DoofenSpyroDragon16 they did on the nickelodeon channel! (some sort of an intro to the nickelodeon choice awards hosted by spongebob)

[@sonofdragon5530]

If it wasn’t for Hilberg, SpongeBob would have never made such an icon in the animated business, R.I.P

[@AlfonsGSAndersson]

Hillenburg, if you are correct.

[@dahharo3565]

@@AlfonsGSAnderssonwho tf else

[@josephstalin1789]

​@@dahharo3565 Hilberg

[@joeybaseball7352]

Spongebob did something that very few things had ever been able to do before it. Be both equally appealing to kids and adults. It was the first program in Nickelodeon's history, that had a large amount of its viewership be comprised of childless adults. That never happens. Toddlers, children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly all equally have the same love for Spongebob.

[@datguyyo]

Ren and Stimpy & Rocko’s Modern Life: ARE WE A JOKE TO YOU?

[@joeybaseball7352]

@@datguyyo Those are very enjoyable programs, for sure. But it's laughable at best to compare them to the popularity of Spongebob.

[@chrisfinch8637]

“I love the young people.”😂

[@supersteve1585]

But not anymore sadly, the story style for newer episodes have changed. Wish they could bring back the witty jokes that made it iconic instead overwhelming physical jokes.

[@joeybaseball7352]

@@supersteve1585 Spongebob as an IP is bigger than it's ever been. The show itself is something completely different.

[@jeanmank6342]

When friend Ernie Borgnine called my then-young daughter answered and screamed in terror: "Mermaid Man is on the phone!"

[@chrisfinch8637]

It’s lovely of how I got to know Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway, Charles Nelson Reilly, Marion Ross, and Mary Jo Cattlett, just because of this show.

[@chrisrockett5897]

AAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW...

[@CrossOfBayonne]

Yup, This show marked the birth of meme culture. Ernest was also in McHale's Navy a WWII show popular in the 60s

[@borntoclimb7116]

True

[@TrentonDominy]

This cartoon has basically been with me my entire life now. At 26 I still watch SpongeBob.

[@sketchnotes2246]

Same

[@tackywhale5664]

Right with you on that one, buddy. It’s just one of those shows that will never get irrelevant.

[@BillyMLover28]

Same! I still love SpongeBob at 32. 🫶🏻

[@Rajshikari24]

We're gen z

[@mattkominsky7308]

Same

[@bizmen81]

Never thought that "Is Mayonnaise an instrument" would be on Sunday Morning!

[@chrisfinch8637]

Mayonnaise is not an instrument, and neither is horseradish. 😅

[@cedriciibullard3280]

I actually have a shirt that says the exact same thing 😂😂

[@josephtafur]

CBS and Nickelodeon are both own by Paramount Global

[@SBPepperminion]

The generations past Millennials and Gen Z will never see a cultural phonominon like SpongeBob the way we do.

[@norkshit]

Excuse me? The obvious cultural phenomenon for Gen Alpha and onwards is skibidi toilet.

[@SBPepperminion]

@@norkshit Thus, why they'll never understand what that sponge means to us.

[@VanessaLeavitt]

Gen X here and I love Spongebob. I guess I never fully grew up. lol

[@namesurname4666]

@@norkshit not really, there are still foreigners that don't know it and spongebob was popular in countries where it wasn't even dubbed

[@nes96]

​@@norkshit Onwards? doesn't even exist yet

[@brianrunyon266]

Say what you will about the seasons after the first movie, but, the voice acting is still top notch. RIP, Steve Hillenberg.

[@joeybaseball7352]

Spongebob is way bigger than the show. He's a part of pop culture history.

[@itscrumbelivable]

Spongebob's one of the most stable jobs in the American animation industry. Anyone who's anyone ends up there for a stint sometime. It serves a very important place in the American animated ecosystem.

[@BigJDawg4523]

Absolutely

[@scruffd0g193]

Absolutely, it’s surpassed as just a show more of a pop culture icon.

[@screamingatstars66]

Tom Kenny is a genius. Rip Steven Hillenburg too :(

[@amandastroup37]

I love this show. I can't believe it's the 25th anniversary of SpongeBob SquarePants.

[@jonathanhahn6955]

Me Too :-)

[@TBird100636]

We can all thank former Nickelodeon president Geraldine Laybourne for developing and green lighting the project that would become Nicktoons with her co-worker Vanessa Coffey. Had those 3 original Nicktoons (which debuted August of 1991) had not been so successful, we probably wouldn't have had SpongeBob Squarepants and numerous other Nicktoons.

[@10Redbluff]

Thank you for props out to "Gerry" as well as Vanessa. It must be said that Mary Harrington and Linda Simensky were crucial on the playing field in the beginning as well.

[@miss-astronomikal-mcmxcvii]

Wow, so basically all of the people who greenlighted the Nicktoons project were all WOMEN! Did not know that. 👏👏👏

[@norkshit]

​@@miss-astronomikal-mcmxcvii Change the name to Nicoleodeon 😂

[@BigJDawg4523]

That is heartwarming that fans come to the cast to just say thank you for their childhoods.

[@keyefaddis7897]

Glad the cast is still cooking. Now bring back the better writers.

[@Key-Knight87]

That's what I'm saying 😂😂 Super good that the cast are still having fun, but the vibes just doesn't hit the same ..

[@naturekate1995]

Agreed, seasons 1-4 were great!!

[@HeckmanFT7]

If it wasn't for SpongeBob, Nickelodeon would never reach the massive popularity it is today Rest In Power, Hillenberg EDIT: Yes I already heard the Rugrats were the first to gain Nickelodeon some massive property but it could not top the iconic sponge

[@ranelgallardo7031]

Rugrats: Am I a joke to you?

[@ElseAndrecool]

Hey Arnold?

[@667mumble]

If only Stephen Hillenburg were with us to celebrate it. R.I.P ❤

[@Tech_Bus_Dev]

My granddaughter started watching when she was two years old in 2003. She just graduated from college in May 2024, I have heard that she occasionally watches when not busy doing Grown Up duties.

[@tobechukwuolumba7337]

Happy 25th to the most incredible animated show in the history of television, and a childhood memory.

[@SpongeSebastian]

One of those few multigenerational franchises that continues to entertain future generations! I don't know what was in that secret formula of Steve Hillenburg's creation that's made SpongeBob so beloved, but we can't get enough of it!

[@VXVGuestRelations]

So happy for our friend Tom on the upcoming 25th anniversary of Sponge Bob!

[@NintendoTV64]

Happy 25th Anniversary to one of the greatest cartoons ever made, and RIP Stephen Hillenburg. Long live SpongeBob!

[@Yukimi6345]

He’s our hero. Also a freaking legend. 🥹❤️

[@King_Sponge95]

Idc how people feel about the modern season but this show will forever be goated

[@caseycat]

Seasons 1-3 and the movie are best spongebob

[@khaliljuanjohnson2024]

I can't believe it's actually been 25 years since the show aired, and I'm looking forward to more new episodes in season 14.

[@catkafcatkaf]

I watch this since Was little with my older sister and now I am 22 years and I watch all of the episodes and season and this tv show never gets old till the day I die

[@Rubberman202]

The "NO, THIS IS PATRICK" clip they showed STILL makes me laugh! I love how timeless Spongebob's humor can be!

[@tormado]

Imagination 🌈

[@tombeddow8397]

The first 3 seasons of SpongeBob are the greatest run of cartoon episodes of all time. Those episodes brilliantly appeal to both kids and adults in a way that no cartoon has ever done or ever will again.

[@landonleys9619]

Happy 25th birthday to my favorite and iconic Nickelodeon show SpongeBob SquarePants looking forward to see him host the Kids’ Choice Awards on Saturday

[@Jobe826]

I was 9 when SpongeBob debuted and I never thought I would like a Nicktoon as much as Rugrats but SpongeBob was such a funny show. Even as an adult I sometimes go back and watch a few classic episodes. (Especially to see where the memes originated lol)

[@Sahilprakash1999]

You know Tom Kenny is one of my favorite voice actors best-known for his role as SpongeBob SquarePants i love him

[@JoseMorales-lw5nt]

When you're old enough to have a banned episode, thanks to 9/11! Apparently, there's a 2001 episode that got pulled from rotation due to one scene in which Squidward runs into the Crabbie Patty kitchen while it's burning. The prolonged screams from the old Squid were deemed too much by the network and wouldn't be re-aired for a couple of years.❤

[@rhyancoleman6462]

Just One Bite

[@GTWDude]

That was the episode “Just One Bite” which involved Mr Krabs utilizing a security system that had a bucket of gasoline falling on top of squidward and lighting him on fire. Apparently the real reason that scene was pulled was because Nickelodeon later believed it was too violent to air for a young audience. The pull was done around the time of 9/11 so it makes sense that some would associate it with that.

[@TylerRakstis]

Happy 25th anniversary to one of the longest running shows and a childhood favorite for us millennials.

[@VelvetMagician]

And Zoomers

[@robroy6374]

Gen Y you mean.

[@micahcaraballo5917]

I’m almost 30 years old and I am a die-hard SpongeBob fan!! I grew up watching all the DVDs as a kid and it even got me into drawing my own cartoon characters! I even have an old friend now in his 80s who admits he loves watching SpongeBob as well! Not too many modern cartoons can accomplish having a broad appeal to multiple generations of people!

[@vcos24]

My life wouldn’t be the same without SpongeBob. Thanks for this segment and all the memories. Happy 25th to SpongeBob the legend!

[@joeym5243]

I've always found it ironic that the voice actor for Squidward has the world record for most spongebob memorabilia.

[@MissJen-78]

I am 46 and was a teenage mom. My son is 28 now. We love SpongeBob through and through, all these years!!!!❤🥹

[@ValiantPixel]

I’m only 4 months older than SpongeBob. We are basically childhood friends.

[@ashrithreddy5967]

Happy 25th anniversary of SpongeBob Squarepants

[@Sagadali523]

I'm very happy that SpongeBob has still alive for over 25 years' worth of episodes. I'm just a teen, but I watched a show from the start, I'm really glad that this became my life. If you are really an adult who saw the start of the show as a kid, just to be sure that you deserve a veteran discount and this franchise. From now on, the voice actors still got the same sound. This is truly masterpiece that Stephen Hillenburg is a true king for creating this amazing show, rest in peace legend ❤

[@DandreaMBrady]

My favorite scene from SpongeBob SquarePants is the “Sweet Victory.” I was getting Aerosmith vibes when SpongeBob started singing. It was AWESOME 🤩

[@plaidcoolflyer0247]

SpongeBob came out May 1st, 1999.

[@teddyfurstman1997]

Happy 25th to our Sea Sponge. RIP Stephen Hillenberg.

[@samuelalicea5513]

4:55 Meow.

[@keatonlitzenberg1762]

This video brought back so many childhood memories. SpongeBob was literally my childhood.

[@brl0522]

It has lasted because it’s funny.. it’s just plain and simple funny

[@dubisbetterthansub5254]

The acting talent on this show is also highly underrated. Clancy Brown in Shawshank Redemption and Bill Fagerbakke in Oz, for example. Clancy also voiced Lex Luthor for over a decade, Long Feng in Avatar, and had a minor role in LOST, too.

[@Spongenadoaltaccount]

Happy Birthday to the best show on Earth!! 🎁🎊🎈🎂🎉

[@Bobsburgers123]

I honestly love how all of the actors look like there having so much fun with these characters even 25 year later.

[@SparkleRanger]

These guys are going to make me cry!! Happy 25th birthday SpongeBob!!!

[@keithkeith9867]

Happy 25th Birthday 🎂🎊🎁🎈🎉 and Anniversary Mr. SpongeBob SquarePants 🧽💛🎆🎇 from Nickelodeon!

[@syedhoque8009]

I first watched SpongeBob when I was a kid. I remember the very first episode Help Wanted.

[@alecjmariano2066]

Happy 25th Birthday 🥳 to Spongebob Squarepants

[@GamerKru1996]

I cant believe SpongeBob is already been on tv for 25 years. I feel old now. I was 3 years old when it first aired on tv

[@AlexMcGillvrey]

And ever since its debut, every kids' cartoon that came after wanted to be like SpongeBob.

[@meganann3876]

SpongeBob helped me through some dark times. The show reminded me how to laugh again when I was younger.

[@nicholasstocker8864]

Happy Birthday to my childhood icon!

[@MrAllmotorB]

Thank you for my childhood 😊

[@TylerAmolsch]

Battle for Bikini Bottom and The Cosmic Shake.

[@DoofenSpyroDragon16]

I have not played the Cosmic Shake but I wanna get it, it looks cool!

[@JG0o15]

SpongeBob’s show is 25 years old, but he’s actually gonna be 38

[@njjeff201]

My 6’1” fire Chief neighbor loved SB!! He was always quoting him. RIP Ray

[@chrisfinch8637]

Over the years of SpongeBob SquarePants, there have been a lot of unique, emotional, hilarious, and even classic moments, that have been remembered by fans for many years. And without the magic from the late Stephen Hillenburg, and all stars and staff behind the show, this show wouldn’t be what it is, after 25 years. So grateful it has come this far, and so grateful to see it making more history than what it was thought of, when it first started.

[@JoshuaModerwell]

I just can't believe that SpongeBob SquarePants has been airing on Nickelodeon for 25 years longer than every other show that has aired on Nickelodeon, especially after Steve Hillenberg had died on November 26, 2018. I'll never forget when I had gotten into SpongeBob SquarePants ever since it had first aired on May 1, 1999.

[@user-sq5eg8vz6j]

SpongeBob is one of the few cartoons that is still very relevant today and not forgotten nostalgia. I pretty sure SpongeBob has surpass The Simpson in terms of popularity and internet memes.

[@saxmaster121]

I’m 26 years old and I have been watching SpongeBob for ever 😂😅❤

[@chroylikesfish]

Spongebob Seasons 1-3 might be one of the best cartoons. People of all ages can love it

[@MorrisWilsonFvcks]

I still can't believe spongebob lasted for that long. I grew up with spongebob and now I'm going to turn 30 in a few weeks.

[@ranelgallardo7031]

Fun SpongeBob fact: It’s the first Western world cartoon aired on TV in Afghanistan and Iraq after their US led invasion in 2001 & 2003 respectively.

[@BenjamintheTortoise]

We love the SpongeBob team for giving us ridiculous giggles for 25 years!! Many thanks, much love 😊💞

[@jmentone]

As much as I hold seasons 1-3, a.k.a. the golden age of SpongeBob, in high regard and wish that modern SpongeBob would kind of phase out or at least come back to old. It is a victorious feeling, knowing that the cartoon that you love and grew up on will be known & watched by the rest of humanity for the rest of time. There truly will be only one pineapple under the sea. RIP Hillenburg.

[@TheGoodMMADog]

I’m 31. This show was peak entertainment as a kid and still holds value today. It makes me happy that it’s so well loved.

[@mymeilarose]

I love that spongebob from 90s and 00s It from kids and adults

[@Pinkee589]

🎉Happy Birthday Spongebob🎉

[@Peepimus]

Now that’s a SpongeCAST for ya.!.!

[@coomtothebroom778]

I remember watching the first episode of SpongeBob and thinking it wouldn’t last beyond 3 episodes. Boy, was I wrong. Glad to see that so many people have gotten so much enjoyment from the show for so long.

[@AZITHEMLGPRO]

1:55 I thought that was tucker carolson for a sec 😂

[@depressedtwentysomething3494]

I grew up on Spongebob, and this video makes me so happy

[@Dan-hc1ow]

You know it's a hit when your wife loves the theme song.

[@andrewapurcell]

I cant thank SpongeBob enough. HE (the character) has instilled for me an amazing ability to bounce back and look for the positives in life and that young at heart that still carries on to this very day. It became normal for me growing up. SpongeBob literally changed my life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

[@Mayito_Tamps]

Spongebob Never Gets Old

[@heirloomcottagedesigns9063]

Co cute! Love SpongeBob!

[@malikpalmtreeaquatic4860]

🎉🎉 you made my childhood extra special!

[@giraffegirltheskatebirdsfa2490]

What’s funnier than 24 years? 25 years!

[@wesleythompson2481]

I love SpongeBob SquarePants so much. I really enjoyed watching every episode and season, all three feature movies, and two spinoffs Kamp Koral and The Patrick Star Show. I am grateful that the show is still running on for 25 years!!!!!!!! Stephen Hillenburg did an awesome job creating the show with his aquatic knowledge of marine biology and love of animation and will always be remembered😍🥰💛💖💜💙🧽🌈🦄📱

[@dp7534]

Have loved Sponge Bob sine watching through my now grown kids, at 58 years old. He is the Ultimate Optimist!! Never fails to make inspire and make me have belly laughs!! Thank you to the incredible cast for brining us All such joy over the years! Please don’t ever stop!!😍👍

[@SonofTuscon99]

Fun fact: SpongeBob and I came into this world exactly 75 days apart.

[@Mr.Strickland410]

Fun fact: no one cares.

[@SonofTuscon99]

@@Mr.Strickland410 fair enough.

[@andrewross9732]

SpongeBob and me goes back since I was a baby.

[@borntoclimb7116]

This show spechial the first 3 seasons are a true gem of the cartoon world. So many theories and memes about SpongeBob are flooding the Internet.

[@velavideoentertainment]

I know fans (myself included) have had their say about how SpongeBob went downhill after season 4 becoming Nickelodeon’s cash cow. But the fact that the cast clearly love what they do, hang out together, meet people at cons and continue to entertain generations with both new and old episodes. It’s beautiful.

[@Coopanimates_]

I gotta command Stephen Hillenburg for Spongebob and what it's become. Him and the show are parts of the reasons why I wanna make cartoons/animated projects myself.

[@EBTheOriginalMaster]

25 years later and Tom Kenny still sounds amazing as SpongeBob

[@BIGMAMAC00M]

It’s unbelievable that SpongeBob is 25 now! I was a little baby when I watched it for the first time, one of the best cartoons of my childhood by far. I had SpongeBob everything as a kid and I mean everything! It’s so amazing to see the show still going to this day and I hope it keeps going for some more. ❤

[@PatrioticKoreanAmerican]

SpongeBob: Hey, Patrick. Patrick: What? SpongeBob: I thought of something funnier than 24! Patrick: Let me hear it.

[@Hecuba107]

@@PatrioticKoreanAmerican 25!

[@gabrielwilcox8827]

Me too I love SpongeBob like he was a good friend. Happy 25th anniversary SpongeBob SquarePants!!!!🎉🎉🎉

[@ayyooadam]

One of the greatest tv shows ever. Thank you for MY CHILDHOOD ❤

[@MsKitcloudkicker]

7:45 “at a time when we all feel underwater….” What poetry 🥹🥲🥲

[@quinweaver8065]

Wow, that is the best interview ever

[@pepsidude8919]

One of my most favorite childhood animated TV series ever!

[@diamondbrown7285]

Thank you for the great content! 🇨🇦

[@joedigital3000]

Thank you for such a positive story

[@kobyschechter8163]

The most well written show I’ve ever watched. What makes it amazing is that you understand it better as you get older. Not all the jokes are kid friendly. Even as a 22 year old, whenever I need a good laugh I watch an episode.

[@josephhenderson5800]

Here’s to 25 years of SpongeBob SquarePants

[@iambchop4360]

What’s funnier than 24….. 25😂