Nickelodeon Celebrates 10 Years of Pop Culture Icon SpongeBob SquarePants

July Anniversary Marked by Original One-Hour Documentary on VH1; TV Marathon
Featuring 11 Brand-New SpongeBob Premieres; Extensive Digital Content; and
Pro-Social Initiative

BURBANK, Calif., June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 17, 1999SpongeBob SquarePants
premiered on Nickelodeon and signaled the birth of a series and character that
would become one of the most beloved and popular in television history. To
commemorate SpongeBob's 10th anniversary, Nickelodeon is giving its fans the
"Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash Weekend." Airing from July 17-19, the 50-hour
programming event hosted by Patchy the Pirate will include an unprecedented 11
SpongeBob premieres and a top-10 countdown of celebrities' favorite SpongeBob
episodes. Leading up to the anniversary, Nickelodeon's sister channel VH1
will premiere Square Roots: The Story of SpongeBob SquarePants, the first
original SpongeBob SquarePants TV documentary from critically acclaimed
producers Creadon O'Malley (Wordplay, I.O.U.S.A), on Tuesday, July 14 at 9
p.m. (ET/PT).

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090624/NY37465 )

Over the last 10 years, the porous brainchild of creator Steve Hillenburg has
grown from a single Saturday morning kids' show to a certified pop culture
maverick. Since its launch in July 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has emerged as
a pop culture phenomenon with 70 million viewers monthly, and has been the
number-one animated program with Kids 2-11 for more than seven consecutive
years. The show is seen in 171 markets in 25 languages and is the most widely
distributed property in MTV Networks' history.

Following is a rundown of the Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash Weekend (all times
ET/PT):

On Tuesday, July 14, at 9 p.m., VH1 will premiere Square Roots: The Story of
SpongeBob SquarePants, the first full-length original SpongeBob SquarePants
documentary from acclaimed producers Creadon O'Malley. Commissioned by
Nickelodeon to commemorate the anniversary of the series' first episode, the
documentary chronicles the beloved character's journey to international pop
culture icon status and showcases the series' impact on everyone from
President Barack Obama, kids across the globe and San Quentin inmates who
readily sing its catchy theme song. The one-hour documentary, features an
opening song from Avril Lavigne and commentary from creator Steve Hillenburg,
cast and crew members, industry experts, fanatics and celebrities like LeBron
James, Ricky Gervais and Rosario Dawson.

On Friday, July 17, at 8 p.m., Nickelodeon kicks-off the 50-hour marathon with
the premiere of "To SquarePants or Not to SquarePants", which follows
SpongeBob after his square pants have shrunk in the dryer. Unable to find a
new pair, he tries round pants, but no one seems to recognize him as SpongeBob
RoundPants.

The fun continues on Saturday, July 18, at 10 a.m. with the top-10 most
memorable SpongeBob episodes as picked by fans on Nick.com. The night will be
capped off with The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie at 8 p.m.

On Sunday, July 19, a top-10 countdown of celebrities' favorite episodes will
air at 10:00 a.m. The weekend-long marathon culminates with 10 all-new
premieres beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Nickelodeon's celebration will continue this fall with the debut of an
hour-long TV movie event, "Truth or Square," featuring celebrity guest stars
Will Ferrell, Ricky Gervais, Craig Ferguson, and Robin Williams, among others.
The special finds SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward and Mr. Krabs locked inside a
giant freezer on the night of the Krusty Krab's anniversary celebration.
While trapped, the friends look back on shared memories with shocking reveals.

Digital:
Leading up to the "Ultimate SpongeBob SpongeBash Weekend", fans can enjoy an
in-depth SpongeBob experience on SpongeBob.com
(http://spongebob.nick.com/bash) - the ultimate online destination where fans
of all ages around the world can soak up all things SpongeBob with new content
including a new SpongeBob online gaming event featuring 10 new games.
Beginning the week of June 15, kids can cast their vote on SpongeBob.com
(http://spongebob.nick.com/bash) for the top ten most memorable SpongeBob
episodes, which will air on Nickelodeon during the "Ultimate SpongeBob
SpongeBash Weekend".

Tom Kenny's (voice of SpongeBob SquarePants) celebrity playlist of his top 25
favorite SpongeBob SquarePants episodes will be available exclusively for
purchase for $29.99 on iTunes beginning July 13. SpongeBob has also made his
debut on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/spongebob) and Twitter
(http://twitter.com/happysquared). SpongeBob on Facebook includes videos, fine
art images, fan-posted pics and SpongeBob posters. SpongeBob's best pal,
Patrick is also on Facebook
(http://www.facebook.com/pages/Patrick-Star/50403195950). SpongeBob on Twitter
features daily affirmations from the absorbent one such as "bubble blowing is
all in the technique."

Pro Social:
SpongeBob is a featured part of Nick's ongoing pro-social campaign, The Big
Green Help (http://www.biggreenhelp.com/#), which is devoted in part to
raising awareness about the oceans and water conservation through SpongeBob
and You Save the Big Blue - in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense
Council and the National Wildlife Federation. This summer, Nickelodeon
introduces all-new SpongeBob-themed public service on-air announcements that
teach kids about the importance of water conservation.

SpongeBob SquarePants is executive produced by creator Stephen Hillenburg, who
previously worked as a writer, director and creative director on Nickelodeon's
animated series Rocko's Modern Life. Hillenburg graduated from the California
Institute of the Arts with a master's degree in experimental animation and
studied marine biology and art as an undergraduate.

Paul Tibbitt served as a director and writer on SpongeBob SquarePants for its
first three seasons and is currently executive producer. He wrote some of the
show's most memorable episodes, such as "Ripped Pants" and "Mermaid Man &
Barnacle Boy." Tibbitt was one of the co-writers and storyboard artists on
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.

SpongeBob SquarePants is a Nicktoons Production and is produced at the
Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, Calif.

Nickelodeon, now in its 30th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for
kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in
everything it does. The company includes television programming and production
in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online,
recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television
network is seen in more than 98 million households and has been the
number-one-rated basic cable network for 14 consecutive years. For more
information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all
related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA,
VIA.B).

SOURCE Nickelodeon

Nicole Parker, Nickelodeon/LA, +1-818-736-3613, Nicole.Parker@nick.com; Maria
Poulos, Nickelodeon/NY, +1-212-846-6283, Maria.Poulos@nick.com