Season 3 (SpongeBob SquarePants)

## Season 3

The **third season** of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by former marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, aired on Nickelodeon from October 5, 2001 to October 11, 2004, and consists of 20 episodes. The series chronicles the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. The season was executive-produced by series creator Hillenburg, who also acted as the showrunner. Season 3 was announced on September 20, 2000. It began on October 5, 2001 with the episode "Just One Bite" and ended on October 11, 2004 with the episode "Pranks a Lot."

The season was well received by media critics and fans. During its run, SpongeBob SquarePants became the highest rated children's show on cable, with over 50 million viewers a month. The show received several recognitions, including its nomination at the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Children's Program. The episodes "New Student Starfish" and "Clams" were nominated for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour) category, while the entry "SpongeBob B.C. (Ugh)" won the same category. The season was also the first time the show received a nomination at the Kids' Choice Awards and won. It won the 2003 Kids' Choice Awards for Favorite Cartoon, and also won the following year's Kids' Choice Award for the same category. Celebrities—including Justin Timberlake, Kelly Osbourne, Britney Spears, Bruce Willis, Noel Gallagher, rapper Dr. Dre, and Mike Myers—have been reported to be fans of the show.

Several compilation DVDs that contain episodes from the season were released. The SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete 3rd Season DVD was released in Region 1 on September 27, 2005, Region 2 on December 3, 2007, and Region 4 on November 8, 2007.

## Trivia

* This is the first season for several things:
	+ The first season not to have a holiday episode.
	+ The first season where Grubby Grouper, Kevin C. Cucumber, Monty P. Moneybags, and Dougie Williams do not appear since their debuts.
	+ The first full season to have all of its episodes released in the 21st century.
	+ The first season where the track "Hawaiian Train" does not play.

* This was the last season of several things:
	+ The last season where the tracks “Dramatic Climax” and “War Blowers” are used to date.
	+ The last season to have Sérgio Moreno as part of the Brazilian Portuguese voice cast.
	+ The last season to be animated with digital ink-and-paint.
	+ The last season to have Hiroyuki Tsuru as part of the Japanese voice cast.
	+ The last season to have Paul Gillman as part of the Latin American Spanish voice cast
	+ The last season to feature Stephen Hillenburg as the showrunner.
	+ The last season to use the makerbob art style.
	+ The last season of the series to be produced before the release of *The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie*.
* This is the only season for several things:
	+ The only season in which the music tracks "Gator" and "Hello Blues" do not play.
	+ The only season until the sixth season to feature Officer Nancy O'Malley.
	+ The only season in which Sandy's Treedome appears in only one episode in the finale.
	+ The only season until the tenth season not to have an episode featuring Pearl plays a major role.
	+ The only season to have Sam Henderson worked on the show.