SpongeBob's Atlantis SquarePantis
A 2007 musical TV film featuring David Bowie as an Atlantean king.
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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 seventeenth episode of the fifth season. It was written by Casey Alexander, Zeus Cervas, Steven Banks, and Dani Michaeli, and features British musician and actor David Bowie as the voice of Lord Royal Highness. The special attracted an estimated 9.22 million viewers, becoming the most watched episode of the entire series, though it received mixed reviews from critics and audiences.
- Type
- Television film / episode
- Series
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- First aired
- November 12, 2007
- Director
- Andrew Overtoom
- Writers
- Casey Alexander, Zeus Cervas, Steven Banks, Dani Michaeli
- Guest star
- David Bowie as Lord Royal Highness
- Viewership
- 9.22 million (most watched episode of the series)
Lore & Background
In the special, SpongeBob and Patrick discover half of an ancient medallion that helps them and their friends reach the lost city of Atlantis. The group, joined by Squidward, Mr. Krabs, and Sandy, travels to Atlantis via a bus that runs on 'song fuel,' while Plankton secretly follows to steal the city's weapons. Inside Atlantis, they meet Emperor Lord Royal Highness, voiced by David Bowie, who gives them a tour. SpongeBob and Patrick accidentally pop the 'World's Oldest Bubble,' leading to a chase, and Plankton is captured after firing an ice-cream-shooting tank. The episode ends with the friends returning to Bikini Bottom.
Reader's Guide
Atlantis SquarePantis holds significance as the first made-for-television film of the SpongeBob SquarePants series, running 45 minutes as an extended episode. Its premiere on November 12, 2007, preceded a 12-hour SpongeBob marathon and drew 9.22 million viewers, making it the most watched episode in the series' history. The special is notable for featuring David Bowie in a guest voice role, which Bowie described as 'the Holy Grail of animation gigs.' Despite its high viewership, the episode received mixed reviews from critics and audiences, with the Patchy the Pirate subplot receiving mixed to negative reviews. The film was released on DVD and inspired a video game of the same name for multiple platforms.
Did You Know?
- David Bowie guest starred as the voice of Lord Royal Highness, calling it 'the Holy Grail of animation gigs' on his blog.
- The Patchy the Pirate subplot received mixed to negative reviews from critics and audiences.
- The film includes 33 minutes of animation and was storyboarded by Casey Alexander and Zeus Cervas.
More in Characters & Voices
Elsewhere in SpongeBob SquarePants
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