The tenth season of the American animated television series ''
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...
'', created by
marine biologist
Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many scientific classification, phyla, family (biology), families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others th ...
and animator
Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, producer, director, and marine science educator. He is known for creating the Nickelodeon animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants' ...
, aired on
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
in the United States from October 15, 2016, to December 2, 2017. The series chronicles the exploits and adventures of the
title character
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. This season, which opened with "Whirly Brains" and finished airing with "The Incredible Shrinking Sponge", is the shortest in the show's history, containing 11 half-hours only instead of the usual length of 26.
The season was first announced on May 21, 2012. It was
executive produced by Hillenburg, and was the first season of the show not to involve long-time crew member and former
showrunner
A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
Paul Tibbitt
Paul Harrison Tibbitt IV (born May 13, 1968) is an American animator, television producer, writer, storyboard artist, songwriter, voice actor, and director, best known for working on the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. After ''Sponge ...
. The showrunners for this season were
Marc Ceccarelli
Marc Scott Ceccarelli (born January 4, 1968) is an American animator, director, producer, and writer. He won the 2018 British Academy Children's Awards in International Animation and the 2018 Daytime Emmy Award in Outstanding Children's Animated ...
and
Vincent Waller
Vincent Paul Waller (born September 30, 1960) is an American writer, storyboard artist, animator, and technical director. He has worked on several animated television shows and movies, the most notable ones being ''The Ren & Stimpy Show'' and ' ...
, who also acted as supervising producers.
The show received several accolades during the run of its tenth season, including the
2017 Kids' Choice Award for
Favorite Cartoon. The series was also nominated in various international versions of the Kids' Choice for the same category. Similarly, the show was nominated for a
BAFTA Children's Award
The British Academy Children's Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). They have been awarded annually since 1996, before which time they were a part of the main British Acad ...
(Kids' Vote for Television), which it lost to ''
The Next Step''. The ''SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete Tenth Season'' DVD was released in
region 1 on October 15, 2019, and region 4 on October 7, 2020.
Production
The season aired on
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
, which is owned by
Viacom Viacom, an abbreviation of Video and Audio Communications, may refer to:
* Viacom (1952–2006), a former American media conglomerate
* Viacom (2005–2019), a former company spun off from the original Viacom
* Viacom18, a joint venture between Par ...
, and was produced by
United Plankton Pictures
Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, producer, director, and marine science educator. He is known for creating the Nickelodeon animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' ...
and
Nickelodeon Animation Studio
Nickelodeon Animation Studio is an American animation studio owned by Paramount Global. It has created many original television programs for Nickelodeon, such as ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', ''The Fairly OddParents'', ''Rugrats'' and ''Avatar: The ...
. The season's only executive producer was series creator
Stephen Hillenburg
Stephen McDannell Hillenburg (August 21, 1961 – November 26, 2018) was an American animator, writer, producer, director, and marine science educator. He is known for creating the Nickelodeon animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants' ...
, who was announced to have returned to the series in January 2015. This is the first season since the
fifth that former showrunner and long-time crew member
Paul Tibbitt
Paul Harrison Tibbitt IV (born May 13, 1968) is an American animator, television producer, writer, storyboard artist, songwriter, voice actor, and director, best known for working on the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. After ''Sponge ...
did not work on as an executive producer, and the first in the show's history without Tibbitt's involvement. The season is also the first to be run completely by Waller and Marc Ceccarelli, who had replaced Tibbitt as
showrunner
A showrunner (or colloquially a helmer) is the top-level executive producer of a television series production who has creative and management authority through combining the responsibilities of employer and, in comedy or dramas, typically also th ...
s during the ninth season. Prior to this, Waller served as the
creative director and an occasional writer and
storyboard
A storyboard is a graphic organizer that consists of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence. The storyboarding process, i ...
director of the series, while Ceccarelli served as a staff writer and storyboard director (and eventually, the series'
animatic
A storyboard is a graphic organizer that consists of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence. The storyboarding process, in the ...
director).
Ben Gruber
Benjamin Peabody Gruber (born January 2, 1972) is an American television producer and screenwriter. He is known for his work on ''Superjail!'', '' Breadwinners'', '' Teen Titans Go!'', and ''SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePant ...
, the co-creator of
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim
Dult is a village in Batala in Gurdaspur district of Punjab State, India. It is located from sub district headquarter, from district headquarter and from Sri Hargobindpur. The village is administrated by Sarpanch an elected representati ...
and often abbreviated as s is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television Television channel, channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programme ...
's ''
Superjail!
''Superjail!'' is an American adult animated television series produced by Williams Street. It follows the events that take place in an unusual prison. The pilot episode aired on television on May 13, 2007, and its first season began on September ...
'', joined the team of writers for this season.
In September 2013, it was reported that the tenth season was in production and expected to air in 2014; however, season nine was elongated into and past that year, due to production of ''
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water''.
During production of the season, Hillenburg disclosed that he was diagnosed with
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that results in the progressive loss of motor neurons that control voluntary muscles. ALS is the most comm ...
, a terminal illness that affects and causes the
death of neurons that control the brain and the spinal cord. He released a statement to the ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' magazine after his diagnosis, in which he affirmed that he would continue to work on ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' "for as long as
e is
E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plura ...
able." He stated further, "My family and I are grateful for the outpouring of love and support. We ask that our sincere request for privacy be honored during this time." At the time, Hillenburg was in the early stages of the disease, according to a source close to him. He later died of the illness on November 26, 2018, during production of the series'
twelfth season.
Cast
The tenth season features
Tom Kenny
Thomas James Kenny (born July 13, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for voicing the titular character in ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and associated media. Kenny has voiced many other characters, including Heffer Wolfe in ''R ...
as the voice of the title character
SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...
and his pet snail Gary. Kenny also played a number of incidental roles, including Prickles the worm, a guest character who has a major role in "House Worming". SpongeBob's greedy and money-obsessed employer at the Krusty Krab,
Mr. Krabs
Eugene Harold Krabs, better known as simply Mr. Krabs, is a fictional character in the American animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants
''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy tel ...
, is voiced by
Clancy Brown
Clarence John "Clancy" Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles.
Brown's film roles include Viking Lofgren in ''Bad Boys'' ...
.
Rodger Bumpass
Rodger Bumpass (born November 20, 1951) is an American actor. He is known for his long-running role as Squidward Tentacles on the American animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. He voices several other characters on the show as ...
played the voice of
Squidward Tentacles
Squidward Q. Tentacles is a fictional character voiced by actor Rodger Bumpass in the Nickelodeon animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. Squidward was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. He f ...
, an arrogant and ill-tempered
octopus
An octopus ( : octopuses or octopodes, see below for variants) is a soft-bodied, eight- limbed mollusc of the order Octopoda (, ). The order consists of some 300 species and is grouped within the class Cephalopoda with squids, cuttle ...
, while SpongeBob's best friend
Patrick Star
Patrick Star is a fictional character in the American animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. He is voiced by actor Bill Fagerbakke and was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. He first appea ...
is voiced by
Bill Fagerbakke
William Fagerbakke ( ; born October 4, 1957) is an American actor. He voices Patrick Star in the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and played Michael "Dauber" Dybinski on the sitcom ''Coach''. He also appeared in 12 episodes of the sitco ...
.
Other members of the cast are
Mr. Lawrence
Douglas Lawrence Osowski, known professionally as Mr. Lawrence, is an American voice actor, writer, animator, storyboard artist, director, and comedian. He is best known for his work as a writer and voice actor for the Nicktoons ''Rocko's Mode ...
as
Plankton
Plankton are the diverse collection of organisms found in Hydrosphere, water (or atmosphere, air) that are unable to propel themselves against a Ocean current, current (or wind). The individual organisms constituting plankton are called plankt ...
, Mr. Krabs' business rival;
Jill Talley
Jill Talley (born December 19, 1962) is an American actress and comedian. She is a main cast member on the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', in which she voices Karen Plankton. Her other voice roles include Sarah Dubois on Adult Swim's ...
as
Karen
Karen may refer to:
* Karen (name), a given name and surname
* Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors
People
* Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand
** Karen languages or Karenic l ...
, Plankton's sentient computer sidekick;
Carolyn Lawrence as
Sandy Cheeks
Sandra Jennifer "Sandy" Cheeks is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon franchise ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. She is an anthropomorphic squirrel who wears a diving suit and lives underwater. Sandy is voiced by Carolyn Lawrence and first ap ...
, a squirrel from
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
;
Mary Jo Catlett
Mary Jo Catlett (born September 2, 1938) is an American actress. She is a main cast member on the animated series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', providing the voice of Mrs. Puff. She is also known for originating the role of Ernestina in the 1964 Bro ...
as
Mrs. Puff
Mrs. Puff is a fictional character in the Nickelodeon animated series, animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' and List of SpongeBob SquarePants films, all three films based on the franchise. Voiced by Mary Jo Catlett, Mrs. Puff debu ...
, SpongeBob's boating school teacher; and
Lori Alan
Lori Alan (born July 18, 1966) is an American actress and voice actress. She has played a long-running role as Pearl Krabs on the animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants''. She also voiced Diane Simmons on ''Family Guy'', the Invisible ...
as
Pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
, a teenage whale who is Mr. Krabs' daughter.
In addition to the regular cast members, episodes feature guest voices from many ranges of professions, including actors, musicians, and artists. For instance, former
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...
president
Ed Asner voiced the grumpy old fish in "Whirly Brains".
J. K. Simmons
Jonathan Kimble Simmons (born January 9, 1955) is an American actor, considered one of the most prolific and well-established character actors of his generation. He has appeared in over 200 films and television roles since his debut in 1986. He ...
voiced Maestro Mackerel, a
conductor with a short temper, in "Snooze You Lose". Mackerel is a nod to the abusive music instructor Terence Fletcher in the 2014 film ''
Whiplash
Whiplash may refer to:
* The long flexible part of a whip
* Whiplash (medicine), a neck injury
** Whiplash Injury Protection System (WHIPS), in automobiles
Film and television
* ''Whiplash'' (1948 film), a US film noir about a boxer
* ''Whiplas ...
'', a role for which Simmons won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while worki ...
. ''
Seinfeld
''Seinfeld'' ( ) is an American television sitcom created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. It aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, over nine seasons and List of Seinfeld episodes, 180 episodes. It stars Seinfeld as Jerry Seinfeld ( ...
'' actor
John O'Hurley
John George O'Hurley Jr. (born October 9, 1954) is an American actor, comedian, singer, author, game show host and television personality. He is known for his portrayal of J. Peterman on the NBC sitcom ''Seinfeld'', and was the sixth host of the ...
, who had previously voiced King Neptune in season 1's "
Neptune's Spatula
The first season of the American animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', created by former marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, aired on Nickelodeon from May 1, 1999, to March 3, 2001, and consists of 20 half-hour epis ...
" and season 6's "
The Clash of Triton
"The Clash of Triton", also known as "Neptune's Party", is the 26th and final episode of the sixth season of the American animated television series ''SpongeBob SquarePants'', and the 126th episode of the series overall. It originally aired on Ni ...
", reprised his role for "Trident Trouble".
Steve Buscemi
Steven Vincent Buscemi ( ,As stated in interviews by Buscemi himself, some may insist that his pronunciation of his own name is "wrong" because it does not match the original Italian pronunciation as well. It is not uncommon for people to pronou ...
and
Joe Pantoliano
Joseph Peter Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American character actor who has appeared in over 150 films, television and stage productions.
After his early roles in the television series ''M*A*S*H'' and the 1983 comedy ''Risky Busin ...
guest star in "The Getaway" as two crooks. This is the first season not to feature guest appearances from
Ernest Borgnine and
Tim Conway
Thomas Daniel "Tim" Conway (December 15, 1933 – May 14, 2019) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and director. From 1966 to 2012 he appeared in more than 100 TV shows, TV series and films. Among his more notable roles, he portrayed the ...
as the superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy; Borgnine died during production of the previous season, so their characters were retired and limited to non-speaking cameo appearances for later season 9 episodes and onwards.
Reception
The season has received generally positive reviews from media critics. During the run of the tenth season, ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' received several awards and nominations. At the
2017 Kids' Choice Awards
The 30th Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on March 11, 2017, at the Galen Center on the University of Southern California campus in Los Angeles and was broadcast live on Nickelodeon and either live or with tape delay across all of ...
, the program won its fourteenth award for
Favorite Cartoon. The program also received a pending nomination at the
British Academy Children's Awards
The British Academy Children's Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). They have been awarded annually since 1996, before which time they were a part of the main British Aca ...
for the International category, which it lost.
Episodes
The tenth season of ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' consists of 11 episodes (22 segments, 1 short), which are ordered below according to Nickelodeon's packaging order, and not their original production or broadcast order. It is the shortest season, lacking the usual 26-episode length.
DVD release
The DVD boxset for season ten was released by
Paramount Home Entertainment
Paramount Home Entertainment (formerly Paramount Home Media Distribution, and originally Paramount Home Video) is the home video distribution arm of Paramount Pictures, a division of Paramount Global.
The division oversees PPC's home entertainme ...
and Nickelodeon in the United States and Canada on October 15, 2019. This is the only DVD set so far to not include any bonus features.
Notes
References
External links
Season 10at
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spongebob Squarepants (Season 10)
2016 American television seasons
2017 American television seasons
SpongeBob SquarePants seasons