Cartoons Old SpongeBob still kind of rules

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

I know that this feels weird for an adult to say, but I had a ton of genuine joy while watching old SpongeBob episodes I caught on TV.

They were all from around 2001 (if the copyright at the end is to be believed) and they made me laugh just as hard now as they did back then.

I can understand why Nickelodeon just won't let this one die, but those first few seasons truly were magical... they do feel like old Simpsons in all the best ways, from the rubbery - clearly hand-drawn - animation to the comedic timing and set up of the jokes.

And then, of course, there's this gem:

What do you all think? Have you long written off this one like I had or do you still have some nostalgic affection for it?

 

[Samatonic Samatonic]

Old Spongbob episodes were slower paced and had more charm, the characters weren't too over the top except when creativity was shown, for example when spongbob first got his job and fended off the anchovies in the Krusty Krabs.

Specially the voice actor acting as a pirate with his regal parrot . And, least I forget, the real life elements shown in the sceens, that (might have) inspired many other shows like Chowder and Misadventures of Flapjack.

 

[werewolfx]

There's a distinct shift in "good" right after the first movie. up until first movie, show was solid, after it changed in a way that's hard to pin down.

 

[JoeJoe45]

OK kids, now go back to grandpa's time and watch the first 8 seasons of "The Simpsons" or your dad's time of the first 6 seasons of "South Park" and then you will start to understand them better. Unless they still "At the Sto", then watch "Married with Children" so maybe you can be happy with their choices.

 

[werewolfx]

OK kids, now go back to grandpa's time and watch the first 8 seasons of "The Simpsons" or your dad's time of the first 6 seasons of "South Park" and then you will start to understand them better. Unless they still "At the Sto", then watch "Married with Children" so maybe you can be happy with their choices.

Seasonal Rot is a problem with all shows, south park has mitigated it a bit by being topical and taking a week to produce each episode. Simpsons takes far too long in production to be topical but they still try, and fail for the most part.

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

There's a distinct shift in "good" right after the first movie. up until first movie, show was solid, after it changed in a way that's hard to pin down.

I agree.

The movie definitely disrupted things (I should know — I went to see it).

People compare it to "Homer's Enemy" as the time The Simpsons stopped feeling like itself and I can at least see it.

 

[Nuxx.exe]

Hillenburg left as showrunner after season 3/The 1st movie, so that's when things started to slip downhill. Sure there's a few good ones here and there afterwards, but it's not the same

 

[werewolfx]

Hillenburg left as showrunner after season 3/The 1st movie, so that's when things started to slip downhill. Sure there's a few good ones here and there afterwards, but it's not the same

Mystery Solved.