Different direction SpongeBob and Stephen Hillenburg's Company Might have Gone in

[Popeyes Haunted Barnacles]

It's been forever since my last post here, but I just had to really get this out of my mind cause I've been watching old Hanna-Barbera cartoons lately again, and one of the big things I noticed was how in some of the most successful shows that they did, those would get canned after a season or two (i.e. Wacky Races), only for a successful spin-off show like Dastardly and Muttley or The Perils of Penelope Pitstop to get put into production. Some of these shows would have more episodes made than the originals too. I'm sure Superfriends had a ton of spin offs from the same company that were like this.

What if back in 2004 or 2005 after the movie was made that the original SpongeBob series had remained cancelled, but an action adventure spin-off with Sandy had been made instead and I mean this show would have focused on Sandy's life before she ever moved to Bikini Bottom? This show I'm picturing would have had Sandy fighting crime, going outer space, and so many other locations and using her karate skills to outsmart villains, in addition to picking up some judo and getting into some other crazy situations. There would have still been some comedy there, but story and original music and arrangements would have been the much greater focus of this show I had pictured in my head and some of the people who were working on some of the most successful action cartoons of the time and comic book artists would have also been brought in to consult for this show. It would have also been more script driven, but in the way that the second half of Season 9 of SB is.

What if this spin-off had become a huge success in itself and had become nearly as popular as the original show did and cancelled after 3-4 seasons?

I could see both of these properties generating so much for Nick and United Plankton Pictures that the animation studio could have greatly expanded and started to produce other shows for other networks, maybe even getting into live action some more too, literally becoming the Hanna-Barbera of the 21st century. My what could have been. I'm not knocking the creator or anyone who worked on SpongeBob or its episodes, but I think there was a greatly missed opportunity in all of this. Steve wouldn't have had to do much directing either. He could have served as exec producer in name on all these shows and I think it would have been a better deal for everyone on so many fronts, especially from a business perspective.

 

[Purdy]

I could totally see an SB spin-off. I mean if Chester McBadBat could get his own spin-off anybody can.

 

[Grubby Grouper]

That's something I'd love to see but unfortunately today it would be extremely rare. Until you made this topic it was never so clear to me that this used to be how cartoons were done. Marvel and Hanna Barbera are definitely the biggest examples, but it makes me wonder how this concept hasn't been used by more creators or companies. Honestly I wouldn't be upset at all if the original show ended in '04 and we got instead a spin off for each character. It would open up whole new universes and honestly there's way more potential for something like that than just continuing the show, and that's saying a lot since "SpongeBob SquarePants" as a show has nearly limitless possibilities with its plot. Imo I can't see this happening with the show now or any other show in the near future, but it definitely would have been something really cool if it happened.

 

[The Navy]

I myself wonder why Steve didn't try to expand and make shows for other networks after the first SB movie. I guess maybe he was making enough from licensing that he was fine with settling down and retiring.

 

[Popeyes Haunted Barnacles]

That's something I'd love to see but unfortunately today it would be extremely rare. Until you made this topic it was never so clear to me that this used to be how cartoons were done. Marvel and Hanna Barbera are definitely the biggest examples, but it makes me wonder how this concept hasn't been used by more creators or companies. Honestly I wouldn't be upset at all if the original show ended in '04 and we got instead a spin off for each character. It would open up whole new universes and honestly there's way more potential for something like that than just continuing the show, and that's saying a lot since "SpongeBob SquarePants" as a show has nearly limitless possibilities with its plot. Imo I can't see this happening with the show now or any other show in the near future, but it definitely would have been something really cool if it happened.

Of course. I just also remembered how much of a success Yogi Bear became. Yogi Bear started out as just a segment on The Huckleberry Hound Show, which was already one of H-B's most successful shows at the time, but the character became so popular back then, that he was given his own show. That's pretty much what I was thinking for SpongeBob but as more of a hypothetical what if scenario and if SpongeBob had been made back then, I'm pretty sure that's what would have been done, in addition to having the show syndicated for other networks after its cancellation. The Jetsons was like for a long time too after it ended.

Also for this hypothetical spin off, I also thought about how live action would have been incorporated in certain places as well, similarly to what was done on the original show too. It would have still been mostly animated and the animation style would have been similar to the original show too, maybe with a bit more of a modern, slick edge to it.

 

[BagelsinEurope]

Oh my god you came back I missed you so much :wub:

Anyway, this is actually a really good point. With how large the show has gotten, I could see a spin-off happening. I doubt It would get more popular than the original show, though.

 

[OhYeahMrKrabz]

Hmm... sounds Intresting... I think it might be good, i hope, But more Ka-ra-tae and less Science

 

[The Appetizer]

It would be cool for there to be SpongeBob to have a spinoff. I personally would like a MM and BB series showing their adventures. And it would be interesting if United Plankton Pictures created some non-SB shows. Some of the flashbacks in "Mermaid Man Begins" make me wonder what would happen if the studio did precisely this because of the animation.

 

[The Navy]

I would've liked to see a spin off focusing on Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy, but that's pretty much impossible now that Borgnine's dead.

 

[PinkPearl]

Maybe the show is too modern for that to happen, but it's an interesting idea. But despite what some nostalgia-blinded people might think, we would have missed out on a LOT of great post-movie episodes. On the other hand, maybe we're missing out by not doing a spin-off as you suggested. As long as the show is good, it doesn't matter to me.

 

[SpongeRoadie UK]

For that to happen now is almost impossible, I think, cause it's been here for too long and it's gotten stale already. I don't think many people would watch the spin-off of a show many consider to be dead already. Most people who are still following the show (apart from us) are kids, or people who are not really familiar with the cartoon fandom, and I think those people would prefer to see actual SpongeBob instead of a spin-off.

If it had happen back then, it would certainly be better for everyone involved. Darn shame it never happened.