SpongeBob becomes the longest-running animated children’s TV show, surpasses Arthur
SpongeBob SquarePants is a beloved animated sitcom that first premiered on Nickelodeon in 1999. The show has been very successful, and on February 22, 2025, it officially became the longest-running animated children’s television series, as reported by ToonHive.
This record was previously held by Arthur on PBS, which ran for 25 seasons from October 7, 1996, to February 21, 2022, with a total of 253 episodes. The series was based on illustrated books of the same name by Marc Brown and the titular character was an aardvark.
As suggested by the name, SpongeBob SquarePants is a sea sponge who "lives in a pineapple under the sea". His partner in crime is his best friend Patrick Star, a pink starfish, who also resides with him in the hypothetical underwater city of Bikini Bottom.
SpongeBob SquarePants - Details explored
As mentioned before, the show first aired in 1999 and is currently in its 15th season. The vibrant colors, child-like enthusiasm of the characters, and the immaculate humor make the show extremely popular even today, with both kids and adults.
The show, created by Stephen Hillenburg, was inspired by his childhood love for the ocean. He is also a marine science educator and has an unpublished educational comic book, The Intertidal Zone, to teach students about life under the sea, which inspired several ideas for the show.
The series revolves around the lives of the residents of Bikini Bottom.
Apart from SpongeBob (voiced by Tom Kenny) and Patrick (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke), we are also introduced to other interesting undersea characters including Squidward Tentacles (Rodger Bumpass), the bored and bitter neighbor and co-worker, Krusty Krab (Clancy Brown), the greedy crab who owns a restaurant, and Plankton (Mr. Lawrence), his nemesis.
The show was developed by Derek Drymon, Tim Hill, and Nicholas R. Jennings, with Stephen Hillenburg (seasons 1–3), Paul Tibbitt (seasons 4–9), Marc Ceccarelli (season 9–present), and Vincent Waller (season 9–present) as the showrunners.
Within a month of its premiere, the show became the highest-rated and most-viewed animated Saturday morning program of that year. It has won several awards since, including four Emmy Awards, six Annie Awards, eight Golden Reel Awards, two BAFTA Children's Awards, and a whopping 21 Kids' Choice Awards.
The show remains one of the highest-rated shows on Nickelodeon and has generated billions in merchandising revenue.
It has inspired several films including the 2004 film The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, a Broadway musical, a comic book series, video games, and two spin-offs, entitled Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, and The Patrick Star Show.
New episodes are released every Friday and can be viewed on Nickelodeon, Prime Video or Paramount+.
