SpongeBob's Truth or Square | |
---|---|
Also known as | Stuck in the Freezer |
Based on | SpongeBob SquarePants by Stephen Hillenburg |
Written by | Luke Brookshier Nate Cash Steven Banks Paul Tibbitt |
Directed by | Andrew Overtoom (animation) Alan Smart (animation) Tom Yasumi (animation) |
Starring | Tom Kenny Bill Fagerbakke Clancy Brown Rodger Bumpass Mr. Lawrence Jill Talley Carolyn Lawrence Paul Tibbitt P!nk |
Narrated by | Ricky Gervais (uncredited) |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers | Stephen Hillenburg Paul Tibbitt |
Running time | 52 minutes |
Production companies | United Plankton Pictures Nickelodeon Animation Studios |
Original release | |
Network | Nickelodeon |
Release | November 6, 2009 |
SpongeBob's Truth or Square (also known as Stuck in the Freezer) is a 2009 made-for-television comedy television film and an hour-long episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants that was produced as the 123rd and 124th episodes of the series. [1] The special originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on November 6, 2009, celebrating the tenth anniversary of the television series. This is the second SpongeBob SquarePants television film, following SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis . Its animation was directed by supervising director Alan Smart, Andrew Overtoom and Tom Yasumi.
In the special, SpongeBob and his friends are accidentally locked inside the Krusty Krab on the day of its "Eleventy-Seventh" anniversary celebration. As they crawl through the ventilation system trying to escape, they look back on shared memories through flashback moments. Meanwhile, Patchy the Pirate is holding a TV Extravaganza, and is waiting for SpongeBob to show up to it, but with no reply, Patchy sets out to Bikini Bottom in a fit of rage.
Truth or Square was written by Luke Brookshier, Nate Cash, Steven Banks, and Paul Tibbitt. Guest stars include Rosario Dawson, Eddie Deezen, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, LeBron James, Tina Fey, Will Ferrell, Craig Ferguson, Robin Williams, and P!nk, with Ricky Gervais having an uncredited voice cameo as the narrator. Upon release, the special attracted an estimated 7.7 million viewers, but was met with mixed reviews from critics; although some generally spoke positively of the special's main animated segments, most criticized the Patchy the Pirate segments, which were described as unfunny and filler.
SpongeBob wakes up one morning and realizes that the Krusty Krab is celebrating its "Eleventy-Seventh" anniversary. He remembers his first visit to the Krusty Krab and tells his pet snail Gary all about it. SpongeBob then leaves to go to the restaurant, but as soon as he exits his house, he bumps into the back of a long line of customers waiting to get inside. SpongeBob jumps on top of every customer in the line, eventually reaching the Krusty Krab.
Mr. Krabs tells SpongeBob and Squidward that the anniversary celebration will be the perfect opportunity for Plankton to steal the Krabby Patty formula. To prevent Plankton from breaking in, Mr. Krabs has hired Patrick Star as a security guard, so he does not have to pay for a real one. SpongeBob spectacularly decorates the Krusty Krab with ketchup, toilet paper, and mustard. When he shows Patrick, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs a Krabby Patty ice sculpture that he made himself, they accidentally trap themselves inside the freezer during an unsuccessful attempt to take the sculpture outside. Mr. Krabs remembers a way out of the freezer through the ventilation system. While finding their way through the maze of air vents, they look back at some memorable moments in their lives.
To get out of the air vents, SpongeBob molds Squidward, Patrick, and Mr. Krabs into a battering ram and breaks out of the shaft, only to find that all the customers have left after waiting for so long without getting any food. Mr. Krabs is heartbroken, but SpongeBob manages to summon all the customers back as he sings a song called "O Krusty Krab". Meanwhile, Plankton finds the perfect opportunity to steal the Krabby Patty secret formula, but fails, having been caught by Mr. Krabs. The "Eleventy-Seventh" anniversary celebration then goes ahead.
Throughout the special, Patchy the Pirate attempts to hold a celebration of the tenth anniversary of when he started the SpongeBob fan club, and attempts to bring in SpongeBob himself. When Patchy is told SpongeBob is not coming, he vows to get him by any means necessary. He travels to Bikini Bottom, but ends up getting eaten by a whale. Inside the whale, he watches some old tapes of the show (including a theme song for Squidward, Patrick, and Mr. Krabs) before the whale sneezes him out, sending him flying back to the studio, where he dreams of meeting SpongeBob. He wakes up and decides he will never meet his hero, but his guests assure him otherwise, causing him to faint again.
Actor/Actress | Character Role |
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Tom Kenny | SpongeBob SquarePants Gary the Snail Harold SquarePants French Narrator Patchy the Pirate Additional voices |
Bill Fagerbakke | Patrick Star Additional voices |
Rodger Bumpass | Squidward Tentacles Security Guard Additional voices |
Clancy Brown | Mr. Krabs |
Mr. Lawrence | Sheldon Plankton Additional voices |
Jill Talley | Karen Plankton Additional voices |
Carolyn Lawrence | Sandy Cheeks |
Paul Tibbitt | Potty the Parrot Patchy's good and bad sides |
P!nk | Herself |
Dave Allen | Abraham Lincoln (credited as "The Guy on the Penny") |
Gregg Turkington | Camera Operator |
Bob Joles | Painty the Pirate |
Production began and ended in 2009.
Truth or Square was written by Luke Brookshier, Nate Cash, Steven Banks, and Paul Tibbitt. The writers have described the television movie as " Seinfeld -esque" that parodies the recycled flashback episodes seen in Seinfeld, Friends and other U.S. shows. [2] [3] The featured song, "We've Got Scurvy", was sung by American singer and actress P!nk. [3] [4]
Truth or Square stars most of the series' main cast members including Tom Kenny, Bill Fagerbakke, Rodger Bumpass, Clancy Brown, Mr. Lawrence, Jill Talley, and Carolyn Lawrence (Mary Jo Catlett and Lori Alan's characters both appear, but they do not speak). In addition to the series' cast, it features Rosario Dawson, Eddie Deezen, Craig Ferguson, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, LeBron James, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog (Robert Smigel), and Robin Williams as guest actors appearing as themselves in the live-action sequences, while Ricky Gervais provided an uncredited vocal cameo as the narrator. [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] Nickelodeon animation president Brown Johnson said "Over the past decade, SpongeBob has become one of the most beloved characters in television history[...] And we're excited to cap off the year's celebration with this star-studded special anniversary event." [5]
Andrew Overtoom, supervising director, Alan Smart, and Tom Yasumi served as the special's animation directors while Luke Brookshier and Nate Cash handled the storyboard direction. This was the first episode of the series to be produced in 16:9 widescreen, this would later be used in "It's a SpongeBob Christmas!" from the eighth season before permanently switching over in the ninth season. It was a part of the series' tenth anniversary celebration. [10] [11]
The title sequence of SpongeBob for the special was made exclusively for the series' tenth anniversary. [12] It was animated in stop-motion animation, with Cee Lo Green performing the theme. [5] [13] [14] Mark Caballero, Seamus Walsh and Chris Finnegan of Screen Novelties animated its opening titles. [12] [15] [16] Finnegan claimed that the crew were "thrill[ed]" to do the title sequence because "the original title sequence is so recognizable and everyone seen it over and over and it's so great in its own way". [12] Executive producer and the episode's writer Paul Tibbitt said "We don't just want to redraw it [the original title sequence], we want it to be something special and different[...] So we thought we would do it in three dimensions[...]" [12] Nickelodeon animation president Brown Johnson lauded the new title sequence and said it is "SO great!" [17] Some traditional animation on scraps of brown paper are intermixed into the stop-motion. [12]
Tibbitt said that the "biggest surprise" for him in the new title sequence was "the treatment of Painty the Pirate in the beginning" as seen in a fortune-teller machine. [12] Mark Caballero, one of its animators, explained "our idea was like our goal is like the more disturbing, the better because I don't think there is a fortune telling machine out there that doesn't disturb when you see it. [12] Tibbitt said "it was a great idea[...] I was just expecting maybe a 3D version of the painting but we got something totally different and it's very cool." [12]
In a press release, Nickelodeon officially announced the special "event" on October 13, 2009. [5] According to the network, the special include "SpongeBob's first visit to the Krusty Krab as a baby, a vintage Krusty Krab TV commercial, how SpongeBob found his beloved pineapple house, and the time that SpongeBob and Sandy got married!" [18] [19] [20] Prior to the official announcement of the television special, Entertainment Weekly broke the news by releasing a clip featuring a scene where SpongeBob and Sandy getting married. [21] [22]
It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on November 6, 2009, as one of many SpongeBob TV events to air that year (with April featuring "SpongeBob vs. The Big One", and July featuring "The Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash" marathon, Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants documentary, and twelve new episodes). [23]
In late 2009, Burger King released tie-in toys based on the episode, featuring the characters in block shapes. [24]
A book adaptation of the special, titled The Great Escape!, was also released. The book was written by Emily Sollinger, published by Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon, and was released on September 8, 2009. [25] [26] Another tie-in book to the special was also released. [27] [28] The book titled Good Times! was written by Erica David, illustrated by the Artifacts Group, and published by Simon Spotlight/Nickelodeon. Good Times! was first released on September 8, 2009, then re-released in 2011. [28] [29]
On November 10, 2009, it was released on a DVD compilation of the same name in the United States and Canada, [30] on November 16, 2009, in region 2, [31] and on October 29, 2009, in region 4. [32] The DVD consists of five season six episodes, a short called Behind the Scenes of the SpongeBob Opening, and karaoke-mode songs: "F.U.N.", "Campfire Song", and "We've Got Scurvy". [33] It was also released in the series' season six DVD compilation. [34] [35] On June 4, 2019, "Truth or Square" was released on the SpongeBob SquarePants: The Next 100 Episodes DVD, alongside all the episodes of seasons six through nine. [36] On April 28, 2020, "Truth or Square" was released on the SpongeBob SquarePants: Bikini Bottom Bash DVD. [37]
The premiere of Truth or Square on Friday, November 6 drew 7.7 million total viewers, ranking as basic cable's number-one entertainment show for the week. [38] It was also ranked as the week's number one program among children in the demographic groups ages 6–11 and 2–11. [39]
Truth or Square received generally polarized reviews from critics and fans, and was criticized mainly due to the Patchy the Pirate segments, with many comparing them to the segments from "Christmas Who", "The Sponge Who Could Fly", and "Ugh". Paul Mavis from DVD Talk said "Truth or Square is a strange mix of some truly memorable animated SpongeBob moments interrupted unfortunately by the largely unfunny Patchy the Pirate segments." [33] He added "All of those amusing moments in Truth or Square, along with the Charlie Brown Christmas ending, make one forget the patchy Patchy segments in Truth or Square." [33] Roy Hrab of DVD Verdict gave the episode a negative review saying "Wow... This is without a doubt the lamest SpongeBob episode I have ever seen[...] In fact, nothing interesting happens at all. The Patchy interludes and reliance on cameos merely draws attention to the episode's lack of substance." [40]
Nancy Basile of the About.com praised the special and wrote, "I had doubts that the recent Truth or Square special of SpongeBob SquarePants would be funny or clever. I was quite wrong." She added that "My kids and I were mesmerized." [41] Jose Strike of the Animation World Network positively reacted to the special and wrote "Truth or Square is a major treat; in fact, I'm so happy I think I'll drop on the deck and flop like a fish..." [42] Ian Jane of DVD Talk said "Truth or Square isn't your typical episode, as it mixes up a lot of live action material in with the more traditional animated sequences to very unusual effect." [43] He added "[...]but there's enough here in terms of the gags and the jokes that even if it's not a classic episode, it's still one worth seeing." [43] Nickelodeon animation president Brown Johnson said that the special is her favorite among the series. [17]
In 2010, Tom Kenny won at the 37th Annie Awards for the Best Voice Acting in a Television Production category for his performance as the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants in the special. [44] [45]
In an October 2023 interview with the Los Angeles Times , Pink expressed regret over performing the "We've Got Scurvy" song used during the special, labeling the song "a real mistake", and stated that she would have not done that retrospectively. [46]
The video game SpongeBob's Truth or Square that was based on the SpongeBob SquarePants television special was released for PlayStation Portable, [47] Wii, [48] Xbox 360, [49] and Nintendo DS. [50] The game was first announced by THQ on May 21, 2009, and was originally titled SpongeBob SquarePants: Happiness Squared before being changed early in development. It was published by THQ, [51] developed by Heavy Iron Studios, [52] and was released on October 26, 2009, in North America. [53]
Eugene Harold Krabs, better known as simply Mr. Krabs, is a fictional character in the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by actor Clancy Brown and first appeared in the series' pilot episode "Help Wanted" on May 1, 1999. The character was created and designed by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg.
"Sailor Mouth" is the first segment of the 18th episode of the second season, and the 38th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 21, 2001. In the episode, SpongeBob reads a "bad word" off a dumpster behind the Krusty Krab, but does not know what it means, which gets him into trouble with others.
"Krusty Krab Training Video" is the second segment of the tenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and the second part of the 50th episode overall, as well as the show's 100th segment. The episode was written by Aaron Springer, C. H. Greenblatt, and Kent Osborne, and the animation was directed by Frank Weiss. Springer and Greenblatt also served as storyboard directors, and Caleb Meurer served as storyboard artist. The segment originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on May 10, 2002.
"Pizza Delivery" is the first segment of the fifth episode of the first season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on August 14, 1999. The segment was written by Sherm Cohen, Aaron Springer, and Peter Burns, and the animation was directed by Sean Dempsey. Cohen also functioned as storyboard director, and Springer worked as storyboard artist.
"Best Day Ever" is the first segment of the 20th episode of the fourth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and the 80th episode overall. The episode was written by Nate Cash, Tuck Tucker, and Steven Banks, and the animation was directed by Larry Leichliter; Cash and Tucker also functioned as storyboard directors. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on November 10, 2006.
"Friend or Foe" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and the 81st episode overall. It was written by Casey Alexander, Zeus Cervas, Mike Mitchell, Steven Banks, and Tim Hill, and the animation was directed by supervising director Alan Smart and Tom Yasumi; Alexander, Cervas and Mitchell also functioned as storyboard directors. The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on April 13, 2007.
The fifth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by former marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, aired on Nickelodeon from February 19, 2007, to July 19, 2009, and contained 20 half-hour episodes. The series chronicles the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. The season was executive produced by series creator Hillenburg and writer Paul Tibbitt, who also acted as the showrunner.
SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis is the first television film and the 92nd episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, and a 2007 made-for-television musical comedy film directed by Andrew Overtoom. It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on November 12, 2007, serving as the twelfth episode of the fifth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It released again on November 23, 2007 with Patchy segments. In the special, SpongeBob and Patrick discover a half of an ancient medallion that helps them and their friends get to the lost city of Atlantis.
The sixth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by former marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, aired on Nickelodeon from March 3, 2008, to July 5, 2010, and contained 26 half-hour episodes, being the first season with a different number of half-hours. The series chronicles the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. The season was executive produced by series creator Hillenburg and supervising producer Paul Tibbitt, who also acted as the showrunner. In 2009, the show celebrated its tenth anniversary on television. The documentary film titled Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants premiered on July 17, 2009, and marked the anniversary. SpongeBob's Truth or Square, a television film, and the special episode "To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants" were broadcast on Nickelodeon, as part of the celebration.
"Pest of the West" is the 16th episode of the fifth season and the 96th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. In this episode, SpongeBob finds that he is a distant relative of SpongeBuck SquarePants, a sheriff from Bikini Bottom's past town who helped save the citizens from the quickest whip draw in town, the evil Dead Eye Plankton. It was written by Luke Brookshier, Tom King, Steven Banks and Richard Pursel, with Andrew Overtoom and Tom Yasumi serving as animation directors. Brookshier and King also functioned as storyboard directors.
"SpongeBob SquarePants vs. The Big One", also known as "The Secret of Kahuna Laguna" and "SpongeBob SquarePants and The Big Wave" is the 11th episode of the sixth season and the 111th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode was written by Aaron Springer who also directed the storyboards, Paul Tibbitt, and Steven Banks, and the animation was directed by Andrew Overtoom and supervising director, Alan Smart. The episode was part of the series' tenth anniversary celebration in 2009. It features guest appearances by Johnny Depp as the voice of Jack Kahuna Laguna, Bruce Brown as the narrator, and Davy Jones as himself. It originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on April 17, 2009.
"To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants" is an episode from the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, acting as the second half of the 16th episode of the sixth season, and the 116th episode overall. It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on July 17, 2009, and was written by Luke Brookshier, Nate Cash and Steven Banks.
SpongeBob's Truth or Square is a 2009 video game based on the 10th SpongeBob SquarePants anniversary episode with the same title. It was released on October 26, 2009, for the Xbox 360, Wii, Nintendo DS and the PlayStation Portable. Altron developed a Nintendo DS version of the game.
"Christmas Who?" is the eighth episode in season two of SpongeBob SquarePants and the 28th episode overall, which serves as the first double-length episode of the series. The episode aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on December 7, 2000. The episode marks the first appearance of both Patchy the Pirate and his pet parrot, Potty in the main show. The episode follows SpongeBob as he learns what Christmas is about, and as he creates excitement for everyone in Bikini Bottom.
"Help Wanted" is the series premiere and pilot episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It first aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on May 1, 1999, following the television broadcast of the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards. The episode follows the series' eponymous protagonist SpongeBob, a yellow anthropomorphic sea sponge, attempting to get a job at a local fast food restaurant called the Krusty Krab.
"SpongeBob's Last Stand" is the eighth episode of the seventh season and the 134th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode was originally released on DVD on March 16, 2010, and aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on April 22, 2010, in celebration of Earth Day.
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"Squid Noir" is the first half of the ninth episode of the eleventh season and the 224th overall episode of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on November 10, 2017. This episode aired as part of a premiere week of new SpongeBob episodes called "You Bring the Color". During the premiere week, users could color in frames from the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song online and had a chance for them to be used in the opening sequence. The original American airing of "Squid Noir" featured each frame of the last minute of the episode also colored by viewers. The episode revolves around Squidward's clarinet suddenly disappearing prior to his open mic performance.
SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout is a 2019 made-for-television live-action/animated comedy special based on the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. It was written by Kaz and Mr. Lawrence, and was directed by Jonas Morganstein. The special, produced as part of the show's twelfth season, originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on July 12, 2019, celebrating the series' twentieth anniversary. The cut version of this episode was released on October 5, 2019. The bonus edition of this episode was released on July 17, 2020, exactly 21 years after the official series premiere in 1999.
Fave episode: 'There's a great new episode that's part of the celebration which will be aired this fall, in which SpongeBob, Patrick, Mr. Krabs and Squidward get struck in the freezer at the Krusty Krab. As they reminisce about the good times, we get new flashbacks: Footage of SpongeBob as a baby, the first Krusty Krab commercials and lots more. We even made a new open in stop motion that is SO great!'
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