The popular cartoon franchiseSpongebob SquarePantsis continuing to grow. Patrick Star, the beloved starfish and Spongebob’s best friend, has his own show this time around.The Patrick Star Showwas released on Hulu and Nickelodeon on July 9th, 2021. It seems like an obvious choice for a spinoff, asSpongebob Squarepantsis the longest-running cartoon on Nickelodeon. When thetrailer was first releasedin May, Twitter users were outraged at the series, claiming that Stephen Hillenburg, the original creator who passed away in 2018, wouldn’t have wanted this.
The reasoning behind many fans' frustration tracks back to 2009 when Hillenburg was interviewed forTelevision Business International. When asked about aSpongebobspinoff focusing on other characters, Hillenburg said he didn’t believe a show revolving around a side character would work. He claimed that the original show is about Spongebob and his relationships with other characters, but those side characters didn’t need their own show. In particular, Hillenburg thought that a show surrounding Patrick would be “a bit too much.”
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Spongebob Squarepantswas first released on Nickelodeon on May 1st, 1999. The show revolves around Spongebob, an extremely happy and opportunistic yellow sponge who lives in a Pineapple in Bikini Bottom along with his snail Gary. The show chronicles his adventures, including his job as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, where he is constantly disliked by his coworker and neighbor Squidward Tentacles, as well as his relationship with his starfish best friend, Patrick.Spongebob Squarepantsis acomedy for both young and old fansand is still on the air today.
The new spinoffThe Patrick Star Showis a prequel andwill focus on Patrick’s own talk show. There will be new and old characters, but the show will mainly focus on the Star family. Bill Fagerbakke is reprising his role as Patrick, Tom Wilson is voicing Patrick’s dad Cecil Star, Cree Summer is Patrick’s mom Bunny, Dana Snyder is Patrick’s grandpa GrandPat, and Jill Talley will voice Patrick’s sister Squidina.= Each episode will surround Patrick’s everyday life in Bikini Bottom with his family and best friends. Fans looking forward to the show will be thrilled to know that originalSpongebob Squarepantscharacters will be making cameos. These include Plankton (Mr. Lawrence), Mr. Krabs (Clancy Brown), Squidward Tentacles (Rodger Bumpass), Sandy Cheeks (Carolyn Lawrence), and even Spongebob Squarepants. (Tom Kenny). With original characters returning, the prequel looks a little more promising.
The announcement ofThe Patrick Star Showisn’t the first timeSpongebob Squarepantsfans were upset about Nickelodeon going against Hillenburg’s wishes. When Stephen Hillenburg passed away in 2018 of ALS, just six months later, anotherSpongebobspinoff calledKamp Koralwas announced.The show is also a prequel, focusing on a 10-year-old Spongebob and his friends at sleepaway camp. Fans were livid, stating that Nickelodeon and Viacom were using Hillenburg’s adored cartoon as a cheap cash grab.Kamp Koralwas released on Paramount+ in March of 2021.
The show announcement upset so many fans that a petition was even created to cancel the remake. A fan named Marcus Turner started apetitionbegging Nickelodeon to cancel theKamp Koral spinoff. He was so furious at Nickelodeon for using Hillenburg’s recent death as a way to milk theSpongebobfranchise as much as possible. Many fans agreed, as the petition to cancelKamp Koralcontinues to grow every day, and it currently has over 7,000 signatures.
Not only were fans upset, but so were original crew members ofSpongebob Squarepantsas well.Paul Tibbit, the former showrunner ofSpongeBob,tweeted: “I do not mean any disrespect to my colleagues who are working on this show. They are good people and talented artists. But this is some greedy, lazy executive-ing right here, and they ALL know full well Steve would have HATED this. Shame on them.” If an original crew member was upset about this, fans seem to be right that this is nothing but a greedy way to continue the loved franchise.
ThePatrick Star Showgoes against the wishes of Stephen Hillenberg yet again. Stephen Hillenburg was a marine biologist and animator who wanted to share his love of the ocean and aquatic animals with children worldwide. What started as a creative and unique show for all ages has turned into two pointless spinoffs that don’t have the same magic asSpongebob Squarepants.With the amount of negative attention surroundingKamp Koraland the number of petitions to cancel it, it seems thatThe Patrick Star Showis doomed before it barely begins.
With most originalSpongebobfans well into adulthood, it seems thatThe Patrick Star Showis mainly aimed at the younger generation. It’s upsetting that younger fans won’t get the original magic that Hillenberg brought toSpongebob Squarepants,but reboots and spinoffs are just a staple in 2021, and this isn’t seeming to change. As upset as original fans are about the spinoff, the show just isn’t created for them anymore.
