SpongeBob SquarePants has been on Nickelodeon’s airwaves since 1999, making it one of the longest-running animated series in TV history. Finally, after more than 20 years, SpongeBob’s best pal Patrick is getting his own TV series. Patrick, congrats. (You still might need a new agent.)
Deadline has the news, including a surprising description of the show; this apparently won’t be another cartoon in the style of SpongeBob SquarePants, but more of a meta-showbiz comedy in the style of a Space Ghost Coast to Coast:
The Patrick Star Show is in the vein of The Larry Sanders Show and Comedy Bang Bang!, with Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) hosting his own late-night talk show. I hear the series would revolve around Patrick and his family. Fagerbakke is being joined by a largely new cast voicing new characters, with SpongeBob cast members expected to make occasional appearances, reprising their roles.
Reportedly “voiceover recordings already have started for the project,” which is being guided by the same creative team as the main SpongeBob SquarePants series. This sounds like it will appeal more to the character’s older fans than young kids — but at this point it feels like the older SpongeBob fans outnumber the young ones by a very wide margin.
Meanwhile, the latest SpongeBob movie, Sponge On the Run, recently had its theatrical release canceled and will instead premiere on PVOD and CBS All Access in 2021.