SpongeBob SquarePants remains Nickelodeon’s second-longest-running and most-popular series and after 21 years, the network is looking to expand its franchise as it has begun development on a spin-off series centered on the titular sponge’s best friend Patrick Star, according to Deadline.
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Sources report that The Patrick Star Show will be in the same manner of The Larry Sanders Show and Comedy Bang! Bang as the titular starfish hosts his own late-night talk show while also featuring other members of the Star family and occasional appearances from the zany roster of SpongeBob characters. The 13-episode series will also feature a large list of new characters, many of whom will be voiced by Bill Fagerbakke alongside his portrayal of the titular character.
The concept of a SpongeBob SquarePants spin-off was first announced in early 2019 when Nickelodeon president Brian Robbins revealed that the network were exploring possible spin-off projects of the hit series, one of which is the CG-animated prequel series Kamp Koral that is set to premiere on sibling streaming platform CBS All Access in early 2021. The new series also marks the latest animated project in the works at the network that also includes Real Pigeons Fight Crime, executive produced by James Corden (Cats), and Middlemost Post from SpongeBob alum John Trabbic III.
First premiering in 1999 and created by the late Stephen Hillenburg, SpongeBob SquarePants centers on the nautical adventures of its titular character and his friends in the underwater town of Bikini Bottom. The series has held the No. 1 kids’ animated series on TV for the past 18 years as it has also grown into being a financial powerhouse for the network, having generated $13 billion in revenue as of 2017.
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Nickelodeon expanded the franchise past its small-screen base in 2004 with the first theatrical venture The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, which garnered over $140 million at the global box office and received generally positive reviews from critics and acclaim from audiences. The film and the series’ continued successes led to the production of a second film, The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water, which brought the animated characters to the real world in CG/live-action hybrid adventure and proved to yet again be a hit, grossing over $325 million at the box office and garnering even higher reviews from critics.
The third film in the franchise The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, the first to be fully-CG animated in comparison to the traditional 2D animation, is set to hit premium VOD platforms and CBS All Access in early 2021.
