Season 10(2016-2017)

The tenth season of the American animated television series *SpongeBob SquarePants*, created by former marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, began airing on Nickelodeon in the United States on October 15, 2016. It finished airing in the US on December 2, 2017. It opened with the episode "Whirly Brains", and concluded with "The Incredible Shrinking Sponge". 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, and was the first season of the show not to involve long-time crew member and former showrunner Paul Tibbitt. The showrunners for this season were Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller, who also acted as supervising producers. It is the shortest season, containing 11 episodes instead of the usual 26-episode length.

The show received several accolades during the run of its tenth season, including the 2017 Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Cartoon. The series was also nominated in various international Kids' Choice Awards ceremonies for the same category. The show received a pending nomination at the BAFTA Children's Awards for the International category as well.

<Season 9

>Season 11

## Contents

 [hide]

* 1Production
* 2Cast
* 3Reception
* 4Episodes
* 5Notes
* 6References
* 7External links

## Production[edit]

The season aired on Nickelodeon, which is owned by Viacom, and was produced by United Plankton Pictures and Nickelodeon. The season's only executive producer was series creator Stephen Hillenburg, who was announced to have returned to the series in January 2015. This was the first season since the fifth that former showrunner and long-time crew member Paul Tibbitt did not work on as an executive producer, and the first in the show's history without Tibbitt's involvement; as confirmed by Vincent Waller, Tibbitt stopped working on the series in 2016 to focus on directing the third *SpongeBob* film.[1] The season is also the first to be run completely by Waller and Marc Ceccarelli, who had replaced Tibbitt as showrunners during the ninth season. Prior to this, Waller served as the creative director and an occasional writer and storyboard director of the series, while Ceccarelli served as a staff writer and storyboard director (and eventually, the series' animatic director). Ben Gruber, the co-creator of Adult Swim's *Superjail!*, joined the team of writers for this season.

In September 2013, it was reported that the tenth season was in production and expected to air in 2014; however, season nine was elongated into and past that year, due to production of *The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water*.[2] According to a tweet by Vincent Waller, production of season 10 began on October 12, 2015.[3]The 11-episode length of the season was announced on March 20, 2017.[4]

During production of the season, Hillenburg disclosed that he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a terminal illness that affects and causes the death of neurons that control the brain and the spinal cord.[5] He released a statement to the *Variety* magazine after his diagnosis, in which he affirmed that he would continue to work on *SpongeBob SquarePants* "for as long as [he is] able." He stated further, "My family and I are grateful for the outpouring of love and support. We ask that our sincere request for privacy be honored during this time."[6] Hillenburg is in the early stages of the disease, according to a source close to him.[7]

## Cast[edit]

The tenth season features Tom Kenny as the voice of the title character SpongeBob SquarePants and his pet snail Gary. Kenny also played a number of incidental roles, including Prickles the worm, a guest character who has a major role in "House Worming". SpongeBob's greedy and money-obsessed employer at the Krusty Krab, Mr. Krabs, is voiced by Clancy Brown.[8] Rodger Bumpass played the voice of Squidward Tentacles, an arrogant and ill-tempered octopus,[9] while SpongeBob's best friend Patrick Star is voiced by Bill Fagerbakke.[10] Other members of the cast are Mr. Lawrence as Plankton, Mr. Krabs' business rival;[11] Jill Talley as Karen, Plankton's sentient computer sidekick;[12] Carolyn Lawrence as Sandy Cheeks, a squirrel from Texas;[13] Mary Jo Catlett as Mrs. Puff, SpongeBob's boating school teacher;[14] and Lori Alan as Pearl, a teenage whale who is Mr. Krabs' daughter.[15][16]

In addition to the regular cast members, episodes feature guest voices from many ranges of professions, including actors, musicians, and artists. For instance, former Screen Actors Guild president Ed Asner voiced the grumpy old fish in "Whirly Brains". J. K. Simmons voiced Maestro Mackerel, a conductor with a short temper, in "Snooze You Lose".[17] Mackerel is a nod to the abusive music instructor Terence Fletcher in the 2014 film *Whiplash*, a role for which Simmons won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.[18] *Seinfeld* actor John O'Hurley, who had previously voiced King Neptune in season 1's "Neptune's Spatula" and season 6's "The Clash of Triton", reprised his role for "Trident Trouble". Steve Buscemi and Joe Pantoliano guest star in "The Getaway" as two crooks. This is the first season not to feature guest appearances from Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway as the superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy; Borgnine died during production of the previous season,[19] so their characters were retired and limited to non-speaking cameo appearances for later season 9 episodes and onwards.

## Reception[edit]

During the run of the tenth season, *SpongeBob SquarePants* received several awards and nominations. At the 2017 Kids' Choice Awards, the program won its fourteenth award for Favorite Cartoon.[20] The program also received a pending nomination at the British Academy Children's Awards for the International category.[21]

## Episodes[edit]

See also: List of SpongeBob SquarePants episodes

The tenth season of *SpongeBob SquarePants* consists of 11 episodes[22] (22 segments, 1 short), which are ordered below by production number and not their original broadcast order. It is the shortest season, lacking the usual 26-episode length. Showrunner Vincent Waller stated that this was due to accounting and contractual issues.[23]