SpongeBob SquarePants Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Nickelodeon is commemorating SpongeBob SquarePants’ 20th anniversary with the “Best Year Ever,” a tribute that is set to kick off this summer.

The “Best Year Ever” celebration will commence on Friday, July 12, with the premiere of “SpongeBob’s Big Birthday Blowout.” The one-hour mixed live-action and animated special will feature the voice talent behind SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Sandy, Squidward and Plankton, who will play live-action doppelgänger versions of the animated characters they voice. The special will follow Patrick and SpongeBob as they travel to the surface—where they come across these doppelgängers at The Trusty Slab restaurant—and include a surprise party for SpongeBob thrown by the residents of Bikini Bottom.

For the anniversary celebrations, Nickelodeon will also roll out a new product line by toy partner Alpha Group featuring figures that showcase SpongeBob’s iconic meme moments. Collaborations with lifestyle brand Cynthia Rowley for a SpongeBob wetsuit and international mixed-media artist Romero Britto, and the launch of a dedicated YouTube channel and mobile game are in the works as well. Coming summer 2020 is the Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies theatrical, The SpongeBob Movie: It’s a Wonderful Sponge.

“The tiny residents of Bikini Bottom have held the world’s attention for a remarkable 20 years and we owe it all to the monumental creator Stephen Hillenburg,” said Ramsey Naito, executive VP of animation production and development at Nickelodeon. “This anniversary special is a love letter to everyone in the universe of SpongeBob, from the fans across the globe to the incredible creative team, crew and talent who continue to bring these great characters to life.”