The fourth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by former marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, was announced on September 22, 2004.[1] It premiered on May 6, 2005 with the episodes "Fear of a Krabby Patty" and "Shell of a Man," and ended on July 24, 2007 with the episode "Squid Wood."
Unlike the previous seasons' DVDs, season 4's was split into volumes. The volume one DVD was released in Region 1 on September 12, 2006, the volume two DVD was released in Region 1 on January 9, 2007, the season set was released its entirety in Region 2 on November 3, 2008, and on November 13, 2012, the entire collection of episodes from season 4 was released on DVD in Region 1.
Production
Although series creator Stephen Hillenburg wanted the show to end after release of The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie to prevent it from "jumping the shark" and because SpongeBob SquarePants had peaked in popularity, Nickelodeon wanted more episodes to be produced in accordance with high ratings and series-based merchandise sales. Thus, the show was renewed for a fourth season.[2] However, Hillenburg resigned as the showrunner and appointed Paul Tibbitt.[3]
On May 16, 2004, former writer Jay Lender said on the now defunct SpongeBob Area that there would be more episodes made: "I believe Nickelodeon is making a handful of new episodes right now, 10 or fewer. Steve's involvement is limited, but the show is in good hands with Paul Tibbitt."[4] Despite concerns over a possibly similar situation over what happened with The Ren & Stimpy Show and its creator, Lender said "that's not what's happening here" and assured that "Steve and Derek are exactly as involved as they want to be with the new episodes."[5] Former writer Sam Henderson also stated that the show was back: "I know that SB is going back into production, but I'm not involved (at least I think). I know that Paul Tibbitt is in charge and Steve Hillenburg & Derek Drymon are not."[6] He theorized that as to the reason of why these new episodes were being made was "that they want to be able to have an even 65. The real money in television is when a show is rerun in syndication, and 65 is the minimum amount to be eligible."[5]
Kaz was called up by Paul Tibbitt to return at some point as well: "Paul called me a few weeks ago to work on a SpongeBob or two. He said he wouldn't be ready for me until late June and July. Of course I said YES. He told me that Nickelodeon ordered four new half-hours. Ten makes more sense -- ----, why not do one more whole season? I believe the characters are strong enough work out 24 more stories. I'm not sure what Paul Tibbitt is thinking about. I know that Carl Greenblatt (my second writing/storyboard directing partner) did a freelance storyboard for one of the new episodes under Paul Tibbitt. [this would end up being the season premiere "Fear of a Krabby Patty"] There's no gag order on information as far as I know."[5] However, by July 2004, he never got the call back and eventually went off to work on Camp Lazlo.[7]
On July 5, 2004, Jay Lender responded to two emails about a new season he had gotten from both of SBM's moderators, now confident that there would be new episodes, and (as Kaz said) there would be four half-hours.[8] As far as he was aware, the show would still be staffed by series veterans, production began a few months before, and these episodes were likely part of the fourth season. It was likely that these episodes weren't coming before the movie, (although stranger things had happened) and it was possible that they wouldn't even come at all (Lender said "Nick would be crazy not to make more but I wouldn't bet my life on them following through---they're famously fickle about these things.")[9]
However, luck had turned its way, because by September 2004, the season was publicly announced, gaining a 15 or 16-episode extension to make another 20-episode season.[1] In November 2004, Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, and the rest of the crew confirmed that they had completed four new episodes for broadcast on Nickelodeon in early 2005,[10][11] and planned to finish about 20 total for the then-fourth season.[10][11] In particular, Kenny said, "Kids were happy watching them for the 3,000th time. It was the parents who've been busting my chops for new episodes."[12] He remarked that it would be "the same show, the same sponge."[12]
Originally, the season was pushed ahead to premiere on Monday, January 17, 2005, but it wasn't delivered on time and ended up debuting on its originally intended airdate.[13] It was also considered to air on May 10[14] and May 24.[15]
Throughout the year, more episode titles and premises would be rumored and confirmed. The first was "Fear of a Krabby Patty" on February 4.[16] "Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy VI: The Motion Picture" was confirmed on February 23.[17] An episode featuring Krabs' mom and Patchy were confirmed on February 26[18]; the first would be "Enemy In-Law," and the other would end up being "Have You Seen This Snail?" While the latter didn't necessarily feature Patchy, he made a small cameo in the opening and helped market the episode.
"Molting," the original title for "Shell of a Man" was confirmed on March 17.[19]
The original plot of "Dunces and Dragons" was confirmed on April 24.[20]
"SquidBob TentaclePants" was rumored as early as May 10.[21]
List of episodes
Title card | # | Title | U.S. airdate | U.S. viewers (millions)
|
---|---|---|---|---|
61a | "Fear of a Krabby Patty" (tr • ga) | May 6, 2005 | ||
The Krusty Krab opens up for 24 hours as part of Plankton's plan, and it causes SpongeBob to become afraid of Krabby Patties. | ||||
61b | "Shell of a Man" (tr • ga) | May 6, 2005 | ||
Mr. Krabs molts and loses his shell just before meeting up with his Navy buddies, so SpongeBob dresses up in it and takes his place. | ||||
62a | "The Lost Mattress" (tr • ga) | May 13, 2005 | ||
SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward try to get back Mr. Krabs' lost mattress. | ||||
62b | "Krabs vs. Plankton" (tr • ga) | May 13, 2005 | ||
Plankton sues Mr. Krabs over an injury, and SpongeBob serves as Krabs' lawyer. | ||||
63 | "Have You Seen This Snail?" (tr • ga) | November 11, 2005 | ||
Gary runs away from home after being neglected by SpongeBob. | ||||
64a | "Skill Crane" (tr • ga) | May 20, 2005 | ||
Squidward attempts to win a prize from the skill crane. | ||||
64b | "Good Neighbors" (tr • ga) | May 20, 2005 | ||
SpongeBob and Patrick annoy Squidward on his Sunday off. | ||||
65a | "Selling Out" (tr • ga) | September 23, 2005 | ||
Mr. Krabs retires and leaves the Krusty Krab under new management. | ||||
65b | "Funny Pants" (tr • ga) | September 30, 2005 | ||
Fed up over SpongeBob's constant laughter, Squidward tricks him into thinking he lost it. | ||||
66 | "Dunces and Dragons" (tr • ga) | February 20, 2006 | ||
SpongeBob and Patrick end up in the Middle Ages, and have to go on a quest to defeat Planktonamor. | ||||
67a | "Enemy In-Law" (tr • ga) | October 14, 2005 | ||
Plankton falls in love with Mr. Krabs' mother, Betsy Krabs. | ||||
67b | "Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy VI: The Motion Picture" (tr • ga) | October 7, 2005 | ||
SpongeBob and Patrick find out that a Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy movie is in production using actors, so they make their own with the real heroes. | ||||
68a | "Patrick SmartPants" (tr • ga) | October 21, 2005 | ||
Patrick gets smarter after falling off a cliff and knocking his head off. | ||||
68b | "SquidBob TentaclePants" (tr • ga) | November 4, 2005 | ||
Thanks to Sandy's faulty invention, SpongeBob and Squidward get morphed together. | ||||
69a | "Krusty Towers" (tr • ga) | April 1, 2006 | ||
Mr. Krabs turns the Krusty Krab into a hotel. | ||||
69b | "Mrs. Puff, You're Fired" (tr • ga) | April 1, 2006 | ||
Mrs. Puff gets fired and is replaced by a stricter teacher. | ||||
70a | "Chimps Ahoy" (tr • ga) | May 5, 2006 | ||
Sandy's bosses visit to see her inventions, but if they don't like anything, she must leave Bikini Bottom. | ||||
70b | "Ghost Host" (tr • ga) | May 5, 2006 | ||
The Flying Dutchman stays with SpongeBob to reclaim his dignity. | ||||
71a | "Whale of a Birthday" (tr • ga) | May 12, 2006 | ||
Mr. Krabs sends SpongeBob to get Pearl a birthday present. | ||||
71b | "Karate Island" (tr • ga) | May 12, 2006 | ||
SpongeBob becomes "king of karate" and travels to Karate Island with Sandy. | ||||
72a | "All That Glitters" (tr • ga) | June 2, 2006 | ||
SpongeBob breaks his spatula, and is forced to replace it. | ||||
72b | "Wishing You Well" (tr • ga) | June 2, 2006 | ||
Mr. Krabs opens a wishing well. | ||||
73a | "New Leaf" (tr • ga) | September 22, 2006 | ||
Plankton turns the Chum Bucket into a gift shop. | ||||
73b | "Once Bitten" (tr • ga) | September 29, 2006 | ||
Gary's biting causes the Bikini Bottomites to think that he has a disease. | ||||
74a | "Bummer Vacation" (tr • ga) | October 13, 2006 | ||
Mr. Krabs forces SpongeBob to take vacation time off work. | ||||
74b | "Wigstruck" (tr • ga) | November 17, 2006 | ||
SpongeBob finds a wig and starts wearing it. | ||||
75a | "Squidtastic Voyage" (tr • ga) | October 6, 2006 | ||
SpongeBob and Patrick shrink themselves so they can retrieve a clarinet reed stuck in Squidward's throat. | ||||
75b | "That's No Lady" (tr • ga) | November 25, 2006 | ||
Patrick disguises himself as a woman to avoid getting kicked out of town. | ||||
76a | "The Thing" (tr • ga) | January 15, 2007 | ||
SpongeBob and Patrick think Squidward is an animal and call him "Smelly." | ||||
76b | "Hocus Pocus" (tr • ga) | January 15, 2007 | ||
SpongeBob thinks he turned Squidward into an ice cream cone. | ||||
77a | "Driven to Tears" (tr • ga) | February 19, 2007 | ||
Patrick gets his driver's license, and rubs it in SpongeBob's face. | ||||
77b | "Rule of Dumb" (tr • ga) | February 19, 2007 | ||
Patrick becomes a mean tyrant when he is crowned king. | ||||
78a | "Born to Be Wild" (tr • ga) | March 31, 2007 | ||
SpongeBob and Patrick are convinced that a ferocious biker gang is coming to Bikini Bottom. | ||||
78b | "Best Frenemies" (tr • ga) | March 31, 2007 | ||
Mr. Krabs and Plankton team up to infiltrate the new Kelpshake restaurant. | ||||
79a | "The Pink Purloiner" (tr • ga) | February 19, 2007 | ||
SpongeBob thinks Patrick stole his jellyfishing net. | ||||
79b | "Squid Wood" (tr • ga) | July 24, 2007 | ||
SpongeBob makes a miniature Squidward, who everyone likes better than the real Squidward. | ||||
80a | "Best Day Ever" (tr • ga) | November 10, 2006 | ||
SpongeBob's "best day ever" doesn't go as planned. | ||||
80b | "The Gift of Gum" (tr • ga) | February 19, 2007 | ||
Patrick gives SpongeBob a glob of gum for Best Friends Day, but SpongeBob wants to get rid of it. |
Trivia
- This is the first season of several things:
- The first season of the main series to not premiere while the previous season was still airing, having premiered seven months after season 3 ended.
- Season 2 of The Patrick Star Show also did not premiere while the previous season was still airing, having aired one day after the end of season 1.
- The first season to not include a framing device hosted by Patchy the Pirate in the double-length episodes.
- This is also the first season since the first where Patchy does not appear outside of the special opening for double-length episodes.
- The first season to have Paul Tibbitt as the showrunner. Because of this, he is credited as a supervising producer in every episode beginning with this season up to the season 9 episode "SpongeBob You're Fired."
- Despite Stephen Hillenburg lending the showrunner role over to the former, he had a small advisory role in which he reviewed each episode and offered suggestions to the show's production crew.
- The first season to have Barry Anthony compose music for the show. He would continue to compose new music for future seasons until he retired in 2014, and later passed away in 2016.
- The first season of the main series to not premiere while the previous season was still airing, having premiered seven months after season 3 ended.
- Starting with this season:
- Episodes now have their sisters normally premiere as 11-minute increments and rarely premiere them together, which was used earlier with "Hooky"/"Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy II" and "Shanghaied"/"Gary Takes a Bath."
- The episodes become PAL-pitched in other countries. The only exceptions are "The Lost Mattress"/"Krabs vs. Plankton" and "Enemy In-Law"/"Mermaid Man & Barnacle Boy VI: The Motion Picture."
- The only exception is airings in the Netherlands, UK and Ireland, as it becomes PAL-pitched in the next season for the UK and Ireland and in season 6 for the Netherlands.
- This is the last season to have episodes released on VHS.
References
- ^ a b Nick soaks up 20 more "SpongeBob" episodes
- ^ Heintjes, Tom (September 21, 2012). The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants. Cartoonician. Retrieved on February 15, 2018.
- ^ Bauder, David (July 13, 2009). SpongeBob Turns 10 Valued $8 Billion. Retrieved on February 15, 2018.
- ^ New Episodes? Post #1 - SpongeBuddy Mania
- ^ a b c New Episodes? Post #4 - SpongeBuddy Mania
- ^ New Episodes? Post #3 - SpongeBuddy Mania
- ^ It's official! - SpongeBuddy Mania
- ^ It's official! - SpongeBuddy Mania
- ^ It's official! post #3
- ^ a b 10 secrets of SpongeBob SquarePants. The Chicago Tribune (November 19, 2004). Retrieved on August 18, 2013.
- ^ a b Ten secrets of the SpongeBob movie. Today. Retrieved on August 18, 2013.
- ^ a b SPONGEBOB READY FOR HIS FOURTH TV SEASON. The Cincinnati Post (May 2, 2005). Retrieved on November 2, 2013.
- ^ https://www.sbmania.net/forums/threads/season-4.1089/#post-17631
- ^ https://www.sbmania.net/forums/threads/season-4-in-may.1388/#post-21584
- ^ https://www.sbmania.net/forums/threads/fear-of-a-krabby-patty.1240/#post-23926
- ^ https://www.sbmania.net/forums/threads/fear-of-a-krabby-patty.1240/
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20050305231509/http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/41068.htm
- ^ https://www.sbmania.net/forums/threads/season-4-episodes.1425/
- ^ https://www.sbmania.net/forums/threads/fear-of-a-krabby-patty-info.1650/
- ^ https://www.sbmania.net/forums/threads/season-4-all-the-info-about-the-episodes-in-may.2280/#post-36950
- ^ https://www.sbmania.net/forums/threads/new-episodes.2468/#post-39437
- ^ a b Broadcast and Cable Nielsens: Week Ending May 8, 2005
- ^ a b Broadcast and Cable Nielsens: Week Ending May 15,** 2005 **Mistakenly listed as May 8, 2005.
- ^ Arts, Briefly; Cowboys and Snail Score
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Friends (NBC): Ratings Recap
- ^ Ratings for Basic Cable Networks - Associated Press
- ^ a b Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending April 2, 2006
- ^ a b Cable Series by Total Households, week of 01/15/07-01/21/07
- ^ a b c d Cable Series by Total Households, week of 2/19/07-2/25/07 - Zap2it
- ^ a b Weekly SpongeBob Ratings, Page 14
- ^ Broadcast & Cable Nielsens: Week Ending November 12, 2006