Help Wanted (SpongeBob SquarePants)

Title Card

Tim Hill

Alan Smart (Animation)

**Help Wanted** is the pilot episode of *SpongeBob SquarePants*. In this episode, SpongeBob gets a job at the Krusty Krab.

## Synopsis

Deep down in the ocean, the audience is introduced to a small little town known as Bikini Bottom; a narrator with a French accent muses on the wonders of undersea life. The narrator introduces the audience to one of his favorite creatures in the sea, SpongeBob SquarePants. Inside the pineapple where he lives, the yellow and porous SpongeBob sleeps soundly in his bed with three mattresses and a diving board attached. On the floor nearby is SpongeBob's pet snail, Gary, who is also asleep, next to SpongeBob is a foghorn alarm clock, which soon loudly goes off and awakens him.

SpongeBob climbs the diving board, and tells Gary that today is "the big day", with Gary giving a simple "meow" in reply. SpongeBob jumps off of the diving board, and lands neatly into an outfit consisting of square pants, a white shirt, and a red tie. To prepare for the day, he goes to a barbell with two stuffed animals attached, and struggles to lift it, barely managing to get one rep before dropping it with a squeak. He then proclaims, "I'm ready!" and runs outside, heading past an Easter Island head with windows and a door, as well as a brown rock with a bamboo weather vane. The rock opens up to reveal a pink starfish, Patrick Star, sticking underneath it, cheering SpongeBob on before peeling off and falling.

Arriving outside the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob psyches himself up to answer the call of the Help Wanted sign in the window and ask for a job as a fry cook. However, his fears get the better of him and he turns to leave, only to find Patrick in his way. The latter convinces the former that he is truly ready for the job, giving SpongeBob the confidence to make his way over.

Squidward Tentacles, a Krusty Krab employee busy cleaning graffiti off the windows, sees SpongeBob approach, and voices his displeasure, wondering why he is coming so early. He then notices the sign, and shrieks in horror, sprinting inside toward his boss and owner of the restaurant, Eugene H. Krabs. Before Squidward can warn him, SpongeBob enters, and confidently states his intention of joining the Krusty Crew. He starts to approach Mr. Krabs and Squidward, but trips and bounces around the restaurant before landing square on his back in front of them.

Mr. Krabs expresses his concern that SpongeBob is not ready for the job, but the latter asks him to reconsider, and have Squidward vouch for him, who takes Mr. Krabs aside and flatly refuses. Giving Squidward a wink, Mr. Krabs approaches SpongeBob, and says that he can apply once he is completed a simple test: purchasing a seemingly rare "hydro-dynamic spatula." SpongeBob eagerly heads out in his new employee hat to find one, leaving Krabs and Squidward to laugh together about his errand.

As SpongeBob runs to the Barg'N-Mart, a convoy of buses arrives at the Krusty Krab. Mr. Krabs literally smells trouble approaching, and soon after, a hoard of anchovies swarms in, and clamors for food. Squidward calls for their attention, asking them to behave themselves, and make a neat single-file line. His request is rejected, and the anchovies grow more ravenous and unruly. Squidward and Mr. Krabs climb into the cash register rowboat as the anchovies form a rolling ocean, but their boat breaks, and they climb a pole to the ceiling. Facing the end, Mr. Krabs and Squidward say their goodbyes and sob.

From the sky, however, arrives SpongeBob, wielding his new flight-capable hydro-dynamic spatula. Leaving the flabbergasted workers behind, SpongeBob flies into the kitchen, and starts whipping up a batch of Krabby Patties. The anchovies are satiated one by one down to the last, leaving behind a huge fat sack of cash. Mr. Krabs jumps with joy and proudly presents SpongeBob with his own nametag. Squidward tries to protest, but Mr. Krabs is too busy cheering, and carting away the money to notice.
Patrick then arrives, and orders a single Krabby Patty, but SpongeBob engages the spatula once more, and sends Patrick flying out of the restaurant with a flurry of Krabby Patties. Squidward haughtily asks Mr. Krabs to come back, and see his new employee at work, as the song reprises one last time.

## Development

"Help Wanted" was written by series creator Stephen Hillenburg, along with Derek Drymon and Tim Hill, and was directed by Alan Smart. Hillenburg also functioned as storyboard director, and Drymon worked as storyboard artist.

He began developing the series in late 1996, after Rocko's Modern Life ended, with Hillenburg approaching Tom Kenny to voice SpongeBob. The original concept for the pilot was based off the film Powpow Highway, in which SpongeBob and Squidward go on a road trip, before changing to SpongeBob getting a job at the Krusty Krab. The original concept was later used in Pizza Delivery.

Hillenburg originally wanted to name SpongeBob "SpongeBoy," with the show being called *SpongeBoy Ahoy!* However Nickelodeon found out that SpongeBoy was a copyrighted name. This was discovered after voice acting for the original seven-minute pilot was recorded in 1997. When Hillenburg found out, he decided to rename him SpongeBob SquarePants. Keeping the 'Sponge' part of his name so people don't confuse him with cheese (As depicted in "Band Geeks" and "What Ever Happened to SpongeBob?"), and chose SquarePants as a family name due to "having a nice ring to it."

## Cast

* Tom Kenny - SpongeBob, Gary, French Narrator and Bus Driver
* Bill Fagerbaker - Patrick
* Rodger Bumpass - Squidward
* Clancy Brown - Mr. Krabs

## Trivia

* This, Reef Blower and Tea at the Treedome is the only time during the first four seasons where there's three segments. This is because Help Wanted is only around eight minutes, while other episodes are eleven minutes, this is also why Reef Blower is around three minutes.
* This is the only episode produced in 1997, all other episodes are produced in 1999 and above.
* Because of copyright issues over the song *Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight*, this episode was omitted from The Complete 1st Season and its re-release. But it was later included in The Complete 3rd Season, its re-release, The First 100 Episodes, 10 Happiest Moments, 100,000,000 Fans Can't Be Wrong, SpongeBob, You're Fired!, The Pilot a Mini-Movie and the Square Shorts and Tea at the Treedome.
	+ It should be noted that it **was** included in the German release of the Season 1 DVDs.

### Differences in the 1997 Version

Help Wanted was originally completed in 1997, but it didn't air until 1999 because the creators wanted to change a few things. Despite this, the 1997 version was used when it aired at the Kids' Choice Awards. The original pilot can be viewed here.

* There's a few sound effects at the beginning that aren't present in the final.
* The intro is completely different, starting after SpongeBob leaves his home instead of before the episode. Also, instead of playing "Hawaiian Train," the "SpongeBob Action Theme" from Hall Monitor plays instead.

* When Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight plays a second time, the screen abruptly cuts to black after showing the Krusty Krab for a few seconds. In the 1999 version, the Krusty Krab remains until the song is completed.
* As the show wasn't picked up yet, the credits roll right after the episode ends.
* The credits font looks slighty different.
* There's multiple errors with the credits in this version:
	+ Rodger Bumpass' name is misspelled as Roger Bumpass.
	+ Bill Fagerbakke's name is misspelled as Bill Fabberbakke.
	+ Tom Kenny is listed twice, first as SpongeBob, and again as the Narrator and Sub Driver. It also doesn't list Gary even though he voiced him.
* The copyright year is 1997, instead of 1999. The copyright info is also more detailed in the 1999 version.
* Instead of "United Plankton Pictures" being shown at the end of the credits, it's a screen showing a SpongeBob doodle with "created by Stephen Hillenburg" at the bottom.

### Differences From the Rest of the Show

* SpongeBob has less holes than later episodes, and looks a bit fatter, his voice also sounds deeper.
* Mr. Krabs' eyelids are bright pink instead of red.
* Patrick's pants are in a slightly different color, not to mention he looks slightly chubbier.
* Squidward's complexion is paler, his laugh is different, the comedic "splat" sound is different, and his nose does not puff in and out when he laughs.
* Gary's eye pupils are red dots and his irises are smaller, and he has a higher, somewhat squeakier tone of voice in the "meow" that sounds a little closer to a realistic cat's meow – although Tom Kenny claims to use a new "meow" for each episode (when Gary is shown meowing).
* Bubble transitions are much choppier.
* Squidward has a row of bamboo sticks behind his house.
* SpongeBob's house only has one window, some other Season 1 episodes like "Boating School" also has SpongeBob's house with only one window.
* Mr. Krabs' office is on the right side of the Krusty Krab as opposed to where it usually is on the left. In one shot, there appears to not have been any door in the usual location at all. It is unknown if this is an error, or a change made later in the show's production.

### Deleted Scene

In the 2007 book Not Just Cartoons: Nicktoons!, there's a picture of the original "SpongeBoy" storyboards, which includes a deleted scene involving Gary the Snail eating cactus. This is a reference to Snails liking cactus.