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.

 

[Dr.Kisaragi Dr.Kisaragi]

I was big fan of SpongeBob back in the Day after three seasons of big fan the 4th and above make me hate the shoe all I thought was maybe I grew out not until I when back as a 16 where I watch the early season and it brings back why I love this show I'm so mu parents buy all the early season vcd because they suggested you might need and they are right.

 

[Scotty Scotty]

Seasons 1-3 + the first movie were the series' golden age. Everything after that sucked.

 

[TyBoy158]

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

And then he came back around the time of Sponge Out Of Water and steered the ship (hehe) once again until his death in 2018, and because of that, the show has seen a significant uptick in quality over the past few years.

Not as good as Seasons 1-3 and the first movie, of course, but not nearly as bad as it was. There are some cool ideas here and there.

We don't talk about the spinoffs.

 

[SamanthaSamantha's icon]

We don't talk about the spinoffs.

They are just soooooo soulless.

Hot damn!

 

[TyBoy158]

They are just soooooo soulless.

Hot damn!

I will say though, the episode of The Patrick Star Show where they spend the whole thing pastiching internet reviewers (including Bubble Bass as the Nostalgia Critic iirc, which Doug saw) was decent fun.

But yeah, overall, soulless slop that didn't and doesn't need to exist.

 

[Bakuma1997]

Agreed, also Spongebob was a manchild, but a "grounded" one that was able to sustain himself with the charm being that he was a capable person (Unless it was driving) that happened to be an innocent man, some modern season still manage to pull a winner (A Fish named Sandy being one) but overall i prefer to agree with Stephen Hillenburg that the Movie is the true finale

 

[Neb Lleb]

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?

Classic SpongeBob Squarepants (that being Seasons 1 - 4) is honestly the defacto example of cross-generational appeal: As a kid, you watch it for the hilarious hijinks, plotlines, and lovable characters. As an adult, you discover that it covertly taught you lessons about the grown up world and helped give you advice for it.

It's honestly the closest thing to a Simpsons for children there is, and the fact that it gets even better as a grown up is a true testament to the golden age of western animated television and the talent who made it possible.

 

[Frickinfrik]

Yes, it was the cartoon I watched the most as a kid. I loved it so much that as a toddler, I went into someone else’s house just to watch it. Shame that it fell into seasonal rot. It doesn’t feel like the same show anymore. I liked the first 3 seasons, I also liked Season 4 too. Even if Season 4 has a few stinkers. Season 4 had several good episodes too.