Is SpongeBob being set up long term to become an institution?

PhilipB

PhilipB

Sussudio Enthusiast
I saw for the first time today a UK advert for the new SpongeBob movie on TV (incidentally, whilst watching The Simpsons). It got me thinking about how the first movie seemed such a big deal to me 10 years ago, and how much of a big deal it must be to 10 year olds today. Which got me thinking even more...

When was the last time a cartoon became so popular and so much of a money maker, that it would last not one generation of kids but two, and at this point, possibly even more? There's only really a handful of cartoons or cartoon characters that have had that sort of staying power. The biggest one is obviously Mickey Mouse, and the rest of the Disney characters. The Disney brand is on an equal footing with brands like Apple, McDonalds and Coke in terms of recognition.

Most cartoons last a few years and then end, remaining popular for a short time before kids move on to the next new thing. SpongeBob has bucked that trend with its staying power, and I think it's fair to say that ever since Kim Possible was renewed past the usual Disney Channel episode limit, more cartoons have been staying on the air for longer. But SpongeBob has outlasted even some of those shows, and there's no sign of stopping.

So to my question: is Nickelodeon setting up SpongeBob to become an institution? A cartoon that becomes the 'flagship' of the channel, and ends up having several reboots and spin offs over the coming years, and perhaps even decades.

What if SpongeBob... never really ends?
 
I've thought about this too... I could see it becoming as long as The Simpsons. Though everyone will continue to only talk about the first three seasons.
 
I saw a UK advert whilst watching Pokemon Advanced on Citv.

I can see SpongeBob lasting for years and years.
 
Unlike timeless franchises like Looney Tunes or Scooby-Doo, SpongeBob doesn't really have the power to last long through movies and spin-offs. Like Rugrats, it's going to end at some point in the future. After all, some shows can't last for an eternity.

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There was a recent Bloomberg Business article that touched on this (link) and the answer seems to be that SpongeBob is heading in that direction and in some respects is there already.
 
SpongeBob never dies.


No but seriously, I think you got something going here. It's such a big cash cow that they'll never let it go! Like John Cena
 
I honestly wouldn't be surprised. Like Mickey Mouse. Dipping up and down from glory days to sad irrelevance, here and back again repeatedly for the next hundred years or so.
 
I've accepted this fact, it's pretty much been this way since the show hit 10 years back in 09 but it does have the 50/50 chance of ending when like Tom Kenny or another person very important the show unfortunately passes.
 
It's not exactly timeless, though. This show has a default spine. Default voice actors, default settings, default plot lines and default status quos. Shows like Mickey Mouse, The Looney Tunes, Tom and Jerry and Scooby Doo are flexible. They're not exactly "shows", they're just a collection of spineless original characters with no default backgrounds to fulfill. So, yes, I think it would end. The show is not designed to be disjointed. However, judging by it's success and how marketable it is, it could live as long as The Simpsons (though, that's not healthy), and it could be picked up for a spin-off after it ends, but trust me, it won't feel like SpongeBob.
 
Old Man Leeroy Jenkins said:
Unlike timeless franchises like Looney Tunes or Scooby-Doo, SpongeBob doesn't really have the power to last long through movies and spin-offs. Like Rugrats, it's going to end at some point in the future. After all, some shows can't last for an eternity.

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like poke'mon.exsplain that how it's still on?and why oh i know this question.in the first movie there is speculation that ash has been the same age ever since he was got in the blast of mew and mew two and thus turned to stone thus keeping him from aging.but still it has been on for almost 20 years and it will be 20 years next year.and spongebob isn't far behind maybe by like 3 or 4 years.that's in american years because poke'mon didn't come to america till like mid 1996.

100-Percent-Spongy said:
SpongeBob never dies.


No but seriously, I think you got something going here. It's such a big cash cow that they'll never let it go! Like John Cena
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oooh.burn.hah ha if you get the joke.
 
todd phillips said:
like poke'mon.exsplain that how it's still on?and why oh i know this question.in the first movie there is speculation that ash has been the same age ever since he was got in the blast of mew and mew two and thus turned to stone thus keeping him from aging.but still it has been on for almost 20 years and it will be 20 years next year.and spongebob isn't far behind maybe by like 3 or 4 years.that's in american years because poke'mon didn't come to america till like mid 1996.


oooh.burn.hah ha if you get the joke.
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The Pokemon TV series didn't start until 1997.
 
I keep saying it over and over. SpongeBob is this generation's Scooby Doo. He'll live on for a really long time, just like with Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, and many other iconic characters. There's just a lot there that I think people will be able to identify with even 60 years down the road, especially with the Sponge's optimism and so many other things. For the most part, SpongeBob cartoons are timeless in a lot of ways.

If it doesn't have that kind of staying power, I can see it living on in print especially.
 
Popeye Q. Krabs said:
I keep saying it over and over. SpongeBob is this generation's Scooby Doo. He'll live on for a really long time, just like with Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny, and many other iconic characters.

If it doesn't have that kind of staying power, I can see it living on in print especially.
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This is an extremely dark thing to say, but what would happen to the show/franchise if someone like Tom Kenny or Roger Bumpass died? They'd either have to cancel the show, or search everywhere to find people who can exactly mimic those voices.
 
BabySmitty said:
This is an extremely dark thing to say, but what would happen to the show/franchise if someone like Tom Kenny or Roger Bumpass died? They'd either have to cancel the show, or search everywhere to find people who can exactly mimic those voices.
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That's true and it's been done with the cartoons I'm talking about. Look at who voices Goofy. Obviously not the same Pinto Colvig that voiced him originally but I think Bill farmer comes pretty close and there are a lot of people out there that can mimic more voices than you think. One of the voices of Mickey died several years ago and they were still able to get someone else in to do their own version of the character. Fred Flintstone even has James Arnold Taylor who can do an almost exact replica of Alan Reed's version of the character.

I don't condone the practice but just saying that it can be done.
 
Popeye Q. Krabs said:
That's true and it's been done with the cartoons I'm talking about. Look at who voices Goofy. Obviously not the same Pinto Colvig that voiced him originally but I think Bill farmer comes pretty close and there are a lot of people out there that can mimic more voices than you think. One of the voices of Mickey died several years ago and they were still able to get someone else in to do their own version of the character. Fred Flintstone even has James Arnold Taylor who can do an almost exact replica of Alan Reed's version of the character.
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A lot of those voices are kind of... stock voices, though? Know what I mean?
Finding someone to replace Patrick would be fairly easy, since that's such a stereotypical "stock" voice.
Finding someone to pretty much exactly imitate Tom Kenny or Roger Bumpass would be really difficult.
 
BabySmitty said:
A lot of those voices are kind of... stock voices, though? Know what I mean?
Finding someone to replace Patrick would be fairly easy, since that's such a stereotypical "stock" voice.
Finding someone to pretty much exactly imitate Tom Kenny or Roger Bumpass would be really difficult.
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That's very true. It might be harder to actually find someone but isn't Popeye's voice extremely unique too? Billy West does one of the best imitation voices that I've ever heard for the character and he learned how to do the voice of these characters and more by just constantly practicing and imitating the cartoons he grew up with as a kid.
 
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