List of SpongeBob SquarePants episodes

This is a list of SpongeBob SquarePants, an American animated television series created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. Since its debut on May 1, 1999, 188 episodes of the series have been broadcast; its ninth season premiered on July 21, 2012. The series is set in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom, and centers on the adventures and endeavors of SpongeBob SquarePants (Tom Kenny), an over-optimistic sea sponge that annoys other characters. The majority of the show characters includes: a starfish named Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke), SpongeBob's best friend; Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown), a miserly crab obsessed with money and SpongeBob's boss at the Krusty Krab; Squidward Tentacles (Rodger Bumpass), an arrogant and ill-tempered octopus; Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence), a squirrel from Texas; and Plankton (Mr. Lawrence), a small green copepod and Mr. Krabs' business rival.

Many of the ideas for the show originated in an unpublished, educational comic book titled The Intertidal Zone, which Hillenburg created in the mid-1980s. He began developing SpongeBob SquarePants into a television series in 1996 upon the cancellation of Rocko's Modern Life, another Nickelodeon television series which Hillenburg previously directed. The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, a feature-length film, was released in theaters on November 19, 2004 and grossed over US$140 million worldwide. SpongeBob SquarePants is produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studios and Hillenburg's production company, United Plankton Pictures. Several compilation DVDs have been released. In addition, the first eight seasons have been released on DVD, and are available for Regions 1, 2 and 4 as of March 12, 2013[update ].

SpongeBob SquarePants has earned widespread critical acclaim, and has been noted for its appeal towards different age groups. During the second season, it became Nickelodeon's No. 2 children's program, after Rugrats. Nearly 40 percent of its audience of 2.2 million were aged 18 to 34. In season three, SpongeBob SquarePants passed Rugrats and earned the title of being the highest rated children's show on cable.Forbes called the show "a $1 billion honeypot," and said the show is "almost single-handedly responsible for making Viacom's Nickelodeon the most-watched cable channel during the day and the second most popular during prime time." SpongeBob SquarePants has been nominated for a variety of different awards, including 17 Annie Awards (with six wins), 17 Golden Reel Awards (with eight wins), 15 Emmy Awards (with one win), 13 Kids' Choice Awards (with 12 wins), and four BAFTA Children's Awards (with two wins).

Season 1 (1999-2000)
Main article: SpongeBob SquarePants (season 1)