Original name: Spongebob SquarePants - Season 1
Original channel: Nickelodeon, Nicktoons Network, YTV
Country of origin: United States
Original run: May 1, 1999
Created by: Stephen Hillenburg
Developed by: Derek Drymon, Tim Hill, Nicholas R. Jennings
Written by: Stephen Hillenburg, Derek Drymon, Tim Hill
Creative director: Derek Drymon, Vincent Waller
Composer: The Blue Hawaiians, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield, Steve Belfer, Brad Carow
Starring: Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Carolyn Lawrence, Clancy Brown, Lori Alan, Mary Jo Catlett, Doug Lawrence, Dee Bradley Baker, Sirena Irwin, Jill Talley, Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway

How many sponges do you know who get their own hit cartoon series? The list may be limited, but SpongeBob stands out from the rest. Relentlessly optimistic SpongeBob SquarePants lives in the undersea township of Bikini Bottom, along with an assortment of zany supporting characters. Among them is his best friend, the lovable - but dim - sea star named Patrick; the irritable perfectionist neighbor named Squidward; and an athletic squirrel named Sandy who lives in an undersea treedome. SpongeBob is employed as a fry cook at the local burger place, The Krusty Krab, which is operated by a penny-pinching crustacean named Mr. Krabs. SpongeBob was launched as three shorts on May 1, 1999. It became a series in the summer of 1999, and quickly became one of the highest-rated cartoons on television, eventually even surpassing Rugrats as Nickelodeon's most popular cartoon. The show has had a wide and loyal fan base. In fact, many celebrities are taken away by SpongeBob's antics!