SpongeBob SquarePants is one of the most famous and recognizable animated television shows ever created. The show was created by Stephen Hillenburg and premiered on Nickelodeon on May 1, 1999. It takes place in an underwater city called Bikini Bottom, where SpongeBob and his friends live, work, and constantly get themselves into strange and funny situations. The main character, SpongeBob SquarePants, is a cheerful yellow sea sponge who lives in a pineapple-shaped house. He works as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, a restaurant owned by Mr. Krabs, and he absolutely loves his job. SpongeBob is extremely energetic, optimistic, friendly, and excited about almost everything. Even ordinary activities can become huge adventures for him.

SpongeBob's best friend is Patrick Star, a pink starfish who lives under a rock. Patrick is funny because he is often confused and doesn't always understand what is happening. SpongeBob and Patrick spend a lot of time together going jellyfishing, playing games, eating, and getting into trouble. Their friendship is one of the most important parts of the show. Another major character is Squidward Tentacles, who works with SpongeBob at the Krusty Krab. Squidward is very different from SpongeBob because he prefers peace, quiet, music, art, and being left alone. Unfortunately for him, SpongeBob and Patrick live right next door, so he is constantly surrounded by their loud and ridiculous adventures. Squidward often becomes frustrated with them, which creates many of the show's funniest situations.

Mr. Krabs is the owner of the Krusty Krab and is famous for his obsession with money. He loves making and saving money, but he also cares about his daughter Pearl and, despite everything, cares about SpongeBob. The Krusty Krab is famous for selling Krabby Patties, which are extremely popular in Bikini Bottom. The Krabby Patty's secret formula is one of the biggest mysteries in the series. Plankton, who owns the competing restaurant called the Chum Bucket, constantly tries to steal the formula. Plankton is tiny but extremely ambitious, and he wants to become successful by taking the Krabby Patty formula. His computer wife, Karen, is usually much more sensible than he is and often has to deal with his crazy plans.

Sandy Cheeks is another one of SpongeBob's closest friends. Sandy is a squirrel from Texas who lives underwater in an air-filled dome and wears a special suit so she can breathe. She is intelligent, athletic, scientific, competitive, and very proud of being from Texas. SpongeBob also has a pet snail named Gary. Gary mostly communicates by saying "meow," but he is much smarter than he might first appear. Gary behaves somewhat like a cat and is an important part of SpongeBob's life. Pearl, Mr. Krabs' daughter, is a teenage whale who enjoys typical teenage interests such as music, shopping, friends, and fashion. Her relationship with Mr. Krabs is often funny because he doesn't always understand what teenagers want.

Bikini Bottom contains many memorable locations. The Krusty Krab is the most important workplace in the show, while the Chum Bucket is Plankton's restaurant and rival business. SpongeBob's pineapple house, Patrick's rock, Squidward's Easter Island-style house, and Sandy's dome are some of the most recognizable homes in the series. Another recurring location is Mrs. Puff's Boating School, where SpongeBob repeatedly tries to earn his boating license. SpongeBob is a notoriously bad driver, and his attempts to pass the boating test often create disasters for Mrs. Puff.

One of the reasons SpongeBob SquarePants became so popular is its unusual style of comedy. The show uses slapstick, absurd humor, visual jokes, wordplay, exaggerated reactions, strange situations, and ridiculous character behavior. The humor can work for different ages because a young viewer might laugh at SpongeBob falling over while an older viewer might understand a completely different joke happening in the same scene. The animation also uses extremely exaggerated facial expressions, which have become famous in memes and internet culture.