SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout is a 2019 made-for-televisionlive-action/animatedabsurdistcomedy special based on the Americananimated television seriesSpongeBob SquarePants. It was written by Kaz and Mr. Lawrence, and was directed by Sherm Cohen, Dave Cunningham, and Adam Paloian. Additionally, Brian Morante and Fred Osmond served as storyboard directors, while Michelle Bryan, Alan Smart, and Tom Yasumi served as animation directors, and Jonas Morgenstein directed the live-action segments. 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 television series follows the adventures of the title character in the underwater city ofBikini Bottom. In the special, the citizens of Bikini Bottom plan a surprise birthday party for SpongeBob, while he and Patrick tour the surface world and come across their real-life selves. The live-action portions of the special also feature several guest stars including Kel Mitchell, Jack Griffo, Daniella Perkins, and David Hasselhoff. The special is dedicated to the memory of SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg, who died from complications of ALS in 2018. Upon release, it received generally positive reviews.
Plot
In Encino, California, Patchy the Pirate is attempting to start his boat to get to Bikini Bottom to give SpongeBob his birthday present. Potty the Parrot points out that the boat is out of fuel, so Patchy decides to walk to his destination instead. Down in Bikini Bottom, Gary awakens SpongeBob and gifts him a special jellyfish net. Meanwhile, at Patrick's rock, Sandy has gathered Patrick, Mr. Krabs, Mrs. Puff, Plankton, Bubble Bass, and an old manto go over the plans for SpongeBob's surprise birthday party. Patrick is tasked with taking SpongeBob on a sightseeing tour while the rest decorate SpongeBob's house for his party. Patrick walks to SpongeBob's house while Plankton hides in his pocket so he can grab SpongeBob's keys. The aquarium-style bus for the tour arrives on schedule and both SpongeBob and Patrick get onboard. The bus's tour guide, Rube, announces that they will be visiting the surface land. They arrive on land with a little help from the French Narrator's submarine. When they arrive on the beach, the tour guide gives incorrect information about the creatures who inhabit the area. They soon come to a bean-sponsored party hosted by a wild mascot. At SpongeBob's house, the others, now joined by Squidward, are arguing over the party's theme. Sandy, the peacekeeper, decides they each should divide the house into each of their separate themes, with Mr. Krabs coming up with a Krusty Krab-themed party, Mrs. Puff with a boating school theme, Plankton with a torture theme, Bubble Bass with a Mermaid Man theme, Squidward with a theme based around himself, and Sandy with a karate theme. The party goes into full swing, but chaos soon approaches and begins to tear SpongeBob's house apart. Back on the surface, the tour makes stops at a park and an office building. The office workers leave for a lunch break, leading the tourists to the Trusty Slab restaurant. Inside the restaurant, the tourists encounter their human counterparts, including an indecisive customer, the grumpy cashier Manward, the penny-pinching boss Mr. Slabs, an impatient astronaut, and the energetic fry cook JimBob. JimBob mistakes SpongeBob for some cheese for his Slabby Patty and puts him into a burger. Patrick rescues him, leaving the Slabby Patty without a patty. Shortly after, the restaurant is robbed by a business competitor named Charleston. He is foiled by Mr. Slabs and sent flying toward the dumpster. The tourists leave and encounter a pet store that sells fish. A cheerful lady mistakes the bus for an aquarium and takes it inside, where she puts it on the shelf. Things appear to be bleak, but Patrick comes up with the idea to push the bus over the side. They escape the store, taking some of the store's fish with them. As they get back to the beach, the bus accidentally runs over Hasselhoff's foot. Hasselhoff blames Patchy, who uses the bean-sponsored contest's bean cannon to reach Bikini Atoll. Once they reach the ocean, they free the fish from the aquarium and they return to Bikini Bottom. Upon exiting the bus, SpongeBob asks Rube for the birthday song that he asked throughout the special. Before they can sing, Rube leans forward and accidentally hits the pedal, and the bus drives away. Patrick opens SpongeBob's door to see that the house is a mess, but he is oblivious to this. SpongeBob finally arrives at his surprise party to find everyone fast asleep. Just then, a giant box falls from out of the sky. SpongeBob opens it and finds Patchy's disembodied head. Patchy leads the cast in a birthday-themed version of the show's theme song with a montage of celebrities wishing SpongeBob a happy birthday including David Hasselhoff, Kel Mitchell, JoJo Siwa, Tiffany Haddish, Thomas F. Wilson, Sigourney Weaver, Heidi Klum, Kal Penn, Lana Condor, Jason Sudeikis, RuPaul, Vernon Davis, Rob Gronkowski, the cast of the SpongeBob SquarePants musical, and Gilbert Gottfried. As the song finishes, Patrick asks SpongeBob how old he is, only for SpongeBob to be interrupted by TV static with SpongeBob blowing his nose like a flute.
Broadcast and reception
Viewership
SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout premiered on July 12, 2019 simultaneously across Nickelodeon, Nicktoons, and TeenNick. The three-network premiere was collectively viewed by 2.2 million people in the United States, and it posted year-to-year gains for the network across multiple demographics, most notably, Kids 2-11. The special's premiere date is notable for taking place five days before the 20th anniversary of the series's official premiere, which took place on July 17, 1999. It aired in other territories on July 12 and July 13, 2019, Tom Kenny's 57th birthday.
Reception
SpongeBob's Big Birthday Blowout received generally positive reviews upon its release. Common Sense Media gave the special a 3/5.
