<P> SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon . The series chronicles the adventures and endeavors of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom . The series' popularity has made it a media franchise, as well as the highest rated series to ever air on Nickelodeon, and the most distributed property of MTV Networks . As of late 2017, the media franchise has generated $13 billion in merchandising revenue for Nickelodeon . </P> <P> Many of the ideas for the series originated in an unpublished educational comic book titled The Intertidal Zone, which Hillenburg created in 1989 . He began developing SpongeBob SquarePants into a television series in 1996 upon the cancellation of Rocko's Modern Life, and turned to Tom Kenny, who had worked with him on that series, to voice the title character . SpongeBob was originally going to be named SpongeBoy, and the series was to be called SpongeBoy Ahoy!, but both of these were changed, as the name was already trademarked . </P> <P> Nickelodeon held a preview for the series in the United States on May 1, 1999, following the television airing of the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards . The series officially premiered on July 17, 1999 . It has received worldwide critical acclaim since its premiere and gained enormous popularity by its second season . A feature film, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, was released in theaters on November 19, 2004, and a sequel was released on February 6, 2015 . On June 24, 2017, the series began airing its eleventh season with the episodes' The Check - Up / Spot Returns .' In May 2017, the show was announced to be renewed for a 12th season . </P> <P> The series has won a variety of awards, including six Annie Awards, eight Golden Reel Awards, two Emmy Awards, 12 Kids' Choice Awards, and two BAFTA Children's Awards . Despite its widespread popularity, the series has been involved in several public controversies, including one centered on speculation over SpongeBob's intended sexual orientation . In 2011, a newly described species of fungi, Spongiforma squarepantsii, was named after the cartoon's title character . </P>

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