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==Synopsis==
  
==Synopsis==

Revision as of 14:37, March 19, 2020

"Help Wanted" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season one. In this episode, SpongeBob gets a job at the Krusty Krab.

Characters

Synopsis

Help Wanted 004

Deep down in the ocean, the audience is introduced to a small 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 the yellow and porous SpongeBob lives, he is sleeping soundly in his bed with three mattresses and a diving board attached to the rear. On the floor nearby is SpongeBob's catlike pet snail, Gary, who is also asleep. Next to SpongeBob is a foghorn alarm clock, which soon loudly goes off and wakes him.

Upon his awakening, SpongeBob climbs the diving board and tells Gary that it is "the big day." 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 struggles to lift a barbell with two stuffed animals attached, barely managing to get one rep before it is dropped 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 SpongeBob's neighbor, a pink starfish, Patrick Star, sticking underneath it, cheering SpongeBob on before peeling off and falling.

Arriving outside the Krusty Krab, SpongeBob prepares himself 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. Patrick convinces SpongeBob that he is truly ready for the job, giving SpongeBob the confidence to proceed.

Squidward Tentacles, a Krusty Krab employee busy cleaning graffiti which disparages him off the windows, sees SpongeBob approaching, 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, Mr. Krabs. Before Squidward can warn him, SpongeBob enters, and confidently states his intention of joining the Krusty Krew. He starts to approach Mr. Krabs and Squidward, but trips on a loose nail 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 SpongeBob asks him to reconsider, and
Help Wanted 100

"ANCHOVIES!"

consult Squidward on SpongeBob's skills; Squidward takes Mr. Krabs outside SpongeBob's earshot and denies SpongeBob has the necessary skills. They return, and Mr. Krabs 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 they do not believe that such a cooking implement exists.

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. Seemingly coming to terms with their impending demise, Mr. Krabs and Squidward say their farewells and weep.

Help Wanted 120

Sea of Anchovies

From above, however, arrives SpongeBob, wielding his new flight-capable hydro-dynamic spatula. Leaving his baffled future co-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, inside an otherwise wrecked restaurant. Mr. Krabs jumps with joy and proudly presents SpongeBob with his own name tag. Mr. Krabs is too busy cheering and carting away his profits to notice Squidward's protests.

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 grossly overcompensated flurry of Krabby Patties. Squidward haughtily asks Mr. Krabs to come back, and see his new employee at work.

Production

Early Sketches

Development

"Help Wanted" was written by series creator Stephen Hillenburg, along with Derek Drymon and Tim Hill, and was directed by Alan Smart.[1] Hillenburg also functioned as a storyboard director, and Drymon worked as storyboard artist.[1][2] He began developing SpongeBob SquarePants into a television series in late 1996 upon the cancellation of Rocko's Modern Life earlier the same year.[3][4]

Hillenburg's original idea for the pitch was that the writers would write a storyboard for a possible episode and pitch it to Nickelodeon.[5] One of the original ideas was to write an episode with SpongeBob and Squidward on a road trip, inspired by the 1989 film Powwow Highway.[5] Even though the idea would later be substantially developed, Hillenburg gave up on the storyboard idea for the initial pitch.[5] The crew resurrected the road trip idea during the first season and used a many of their original ideas for the episode "Pizza Delivery."[5]

SB pg 50

Original storyboard drawn 1997 and was titled "SpongeBoy Ahoy!"

Originally the character was to be named "SpongeBoy", and the show SpongeBoy Ahoy![6][7] However, the Nickelodeon legal department discovered that the name "SpongeBoy" was already trademarked for a mop product.[6][8] This was discovered after voice acting for the original seven-minute pilot was recorded in 1997.[6] Upon finding this out, Hillenburg decided that the character's given name still had to contain "Sponge" so viewers would not take the character to be a block of anthropomorphic cheese. (Characters in-universe would remark on his somewhat cheese-like appearance in "Band Geeks" and "What Ever Happened to SpongeBob?"). Hillenburg ultimately decided to name the character "SpongeBob." He chose "SquarePants" as a family name, as it referred to the character's square shape, and it had a "nice ring to it." Despite the early renaming, SpongeBob would be called SpongeBoy in a few episodes such as "Squeaky Boots" and "It's a SpongeBob Christmas!"[9]

In an interview with Cyma Zarghami, she told "their [Nickelodeon executives'] immediate reaction was to see it again, both because they liked it and it was unlike anything they had ever seen before."[10] Hillenburg said the character construction in the episode was loose, but the character development was already "pretty strong."[11] Cavna rewatched the episode in 2009 and said "so much of the style and polish are already in place."[12][12]

Stephen Hillenburg and Derek Drymon were having dinner and came up with the idea for "Help Wanted" based on an experience Hillenburg had in the Boy Scouts.[5] Hillenburg and writer Tim Hill worked it into an outline.[5] In 1997, while pitching the cartoon to Nickelodeon executives, Stephen Hillenburg donned a Hawaiian shirt, brought along an "underwater terrarium with models of the characters," and Hawaiian music to set the theme. The setup was described by Nick executive Eric Coleman as "pretty amazing."[13] When given money and two weeks to write the pilot episode "Help Wanted", Hillenburg, Derek Drymon, and Nick Jennings returned with – described by Nickelodeon official Albie Hecht – "a performance [I] wish [I] had on tape."[14] Although described as stressful by executive producer Derek Drymon, the pitch went "very well;" Kevin Kay and Hecht had to step outside because they were "exhausted from laughing," making the cartoonists worried.[14] With help from Tim Hill and art director Nick Jennings, Hillenburg finished the pitch and sold SpongeBob SquarePants to Nickelodeon.[5] Drymon said, "the network approved it—so we were ready to go."[5]

SpongeBob SquarePants aired its first episode, "Help Wanted," along with sister episodes "Reef Blower" and "Tea at the Treedome," on May 1, 1999, following the television airing of the 1999 Kids' Choice Awards. The series later made its "official" debut on July 17, 1999 with the second episode, "Bubblestand/Ripped Pants."[15] This episode was reaired on July 24, 1999 ,along with "Reef Blower/Tea at the Treedome" to consider it official.

Differences from the rest of the series

The pilot episode was made and recorded in 1997, so it has many differences to the rest of the series. However, the original version of the episode had many other minor differences corrected later. For example, this and a few other early episodes have SpongeBob's bed on the right, while the rest of series proper has it on the left; this is also the only episode where his blanket is solid blue, as opposed to purple with flowers.

Differences in voices are another example. SpongeBob's voice is slightly lower, and Patrick's voice is even deeper than the one he would have going forward. The designs and colors for characters are also different.

Help Wanted 097

Squidward with pale cyan skin, and Mr. Krabs with light red eyelids

  • SpongeBob has fewer holes than he does in other episodes. He also looks a slightly fatter, and his shoes are slightly larger. SpongeBob's walking is not accompanied by any sound effects.
  • Mr. Krabs' eyelids are bright pink as opposed to the same shade of red as the rest of his body.
  • Patrick's pants are a slightly different shade of green, 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 an actual cat's meow; Tom Kenny claims to use a new "meow" for each episode where Gary is shown meowing, and the recording of this episode was much more removed from the rest of the series than consecutive episodes, even across different seasons, are from each other, explaining the more consistent "meow" throughout the rest of the series.
  • The characters' tongues have a black outline instead of red.
SpongeBob SquarePants Original Theme Clip 1997

SpongeBob SquarePants Original Theme Clip 1997

1997 Intro

SPONGEBOB 1997

Miscellaneous:

  • The animation used for bubble transitions are much choppier.
  • Squidward appears to have rows of bamboo poles behind his house, as in the concept art.
  • There is only one window in the front of SpongeBob's house. This was a feature of some other early episodes, such as "Boating School," but after 1999, it is almost always depicted with multiple windows on the front.
  • Mr. Krabs' office is on the right side of the Krusty Krab as opposed to its position the left for the duration of the series. In one shot, there is nothing visually to suggest there was a 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.
  • The original 1997 version uses a different intro with SpongeBob Action Theme. It plays after Patrick says, "Go SpongeBob." The more familiar intro was used when the series officially aired.

Music

( ‣ ) Associated production music
( • ) Original music
( ◦ ) SpongeBob music
 ‣ Hawaiian Train - Victor Cavini [Title card (1999 version)]

 ‣ Aloha Oe - George K, Hans Haider, Queen Lili'uokalani [The opening]
 ‣ Honolulu March - George K, J Dounfrey, Hans Haider ["Today's the big day, Gary."]
 ‣ The Land is Ours - Gregor F. Narholz [SpongeBob lifts his teddy bear weights.]
 ‣ Grand Orchestral Fanfare - Gregor F. Narholz [SpongeBob lifts his teddy bear weights.]
 ‣ Honolulu March - George K, J Dounfrey, Hans Haider ["I'm ready, I'm ready, I'm ready..."]
 • SpongeBob Action Theme - Brad Carow [title card (1997 version)]
 ‣ Next Door Neighbour - Rick Cassman, Vyvyan Hope-Scott ["The Krusty Krab, home of the Krabby Patty."]
 ‣ The Land is Ours - Gregor F. Narholz [Patrick encourages SpongeBob.]
 ‣ Grand Orchestral Fanfare - Gregor F. Narholz ["Who's a big yellow cube with holes?"]
 ‣ Honolulu March - George K, J Dounfrey, Hans Haider [SpongeBob runs to the Krusty Krab.]
 ‣ Oyster Girls - Robert Alexander White ["Permission to come aboard, captain!"]
 ‣ The Rake Hornpipe - Robert Alexander White [Mr. Krabs gives SpongeBob a test.]
 ‣ Bartmania A - Guy Moon ["That sounded like hatch doors."]
 ‣ Menace from the Deep - Robert Cornford ["That smell... a kind of smelly smell."]
 ‣ Bartmania A - Guy Moon [Anchovies rush into the Krusty Krab/Anchovies pick up the boat/"All hands on deck! Get your anchors out of your pants!"]
 ‣ Death Trap - Gregor F. Narholz ["Batten down the hatches, Mr. Squidward!"]
 ‣ Bossa Cubana - Gerhard Narholz [SpongeBob shops for a hydro-dynamic spatula at Barg-'N-Mart.]
 ‣ Battle at Sea - Johnny Pearson ["Climb, Mr. Squidward! Climb!"]
 ‣ Reach for the Stars - Richard A. Harvey [SpongeBob returns.]
 ‣ The Main Event - Gregor F. Narholz [The hydro-dynamic spatula is revealed.]
 ‣ Living in the Sunlight, Loving in the Moonlight - Tiny Tim [Montage of SpongeBob making Krabby Patties/Ending.]

Release

Reception

"It's hard to believe that when we started work on this maybe a dozen people knew what a "SpongeBob" was. I fell in love with the characters and drawings at first sight. "Havin[sic] a Wonderful Time" by Tiny Tim is one of the greatest songs ever recorded - (sorry, Beatles!)"

Trivia

General

  • This is the only season 1 episode not featured on the Complete First Season DVD and The First And Second Seasons DVD, due to copyright issues with the song "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" by Tiny Tim, which is played during the episode. However, on the German DVD release of Season 1, the episode is actually included.[16]
  • This is the only episode to be produced in 1997.
  • The beginning of the episode, in which SpongeBob says, "Today's the big day, Gary," can be seen on a TV in the 2002 comedy film Orange County.
  • SpongeBob is shown to have a pet scallop that he keeps in a birdcage. The scallop makes occasional appearances throughout the series.
  • The French narrator is the first character to speak in the series.
  • It is revealed that SpongeBob's first words were "May I take your order?"
    • It is also revealed that SpongeBob built a spatula out of toothpicks in the wood shop.
  • SpongeBob states that he has been training his whole life to join the Krusty Crew. These aspirations are further manifest in the episode "Friend or Foe."
  • SpongeBob mentions the episode title when he says, "There it is. The finest eating establishment ever established for eating: The Krusty Krab, home of the Krabby Patty. With a Help Wanted sign in the window."
  • This is one of the seven episodes in which the 1986-2002 Paramount logo is plastered with the 2002-2011 Paramount logo. The others are "Squeaky Boots," "F.U.N.," "Squidward the Unfriendly Ghost," "Employee of the Month," "Karate Choppers," and "Rock Bottom."
  • There is an old SpongeBob online game based on this episode called Anchovy Feeding Frenzy.
  • On September 7, 2013, there was a live script reading with the voice actors at Universal Studios Hollywood for this episode as part of SpongeBob Fan Shellabration.[17]
  • This episode was finished in 1997, but did not air until May 1, 1999, because the cast wanted to change various things. Similar stretches of time between production of pilot episodes and their premiere on television are somewhat regular.[18]
  • The end credits for the 1997 and 1999 versions of "Help Wanted" have several differences including:
    • In the cast credits in the 1997 version, Bill Fagerbakke's name is misspelled as "Bill Fabberbakke."
    • In the cast credits in the 1997 version, Patrick Star's name is misspelled as "Partick Star."
    • Gary the Snail who was voiced by Tom Kenny is not credited in the 1997 version.
    • Carolyn Lawrence who voiced Sandy is not credited in the 1997 version. This is due to the 1997 version of "Help Wanted" not being paired with "Tea at the Treedome."
    • In the credits in the 1997 version, Erik Wiese's name is misspelled as "Erik Weise."
    • Near the ending of the 1997 version, instead of the United Plankton Pictures, Inc. logo being displayed, there is a logo with the "Created By" text above, the SpongeBob sketch drawing in the middle, and the "Stephen Hillenburg" text below. This is due to the fact that the United Plankton Pictures, Inc. company did not exist during the production of the 1997 version.
    • At the ending of the 1997 version, there is an early Nicktoons logo that has a small and short copyright notice with a production date of 1997. The ending of the 1999 version has a more detailed and prolonged copyright notice with a production date of 1999.
  • In a video called "Firsts from the First Episode" uploaded by the SpongeBob SquarePants Official YouTube channel, the song "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" is replaced with "12th Street Rag 3."[19] According to Derek Drymon, this is because Nickelodeon did not want to pay Tiny Tim's estate for the rights yet another time.[20]
    • For unknown reasons, "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight" is actually played in another video called "Krusty Krab Pizza 🍕 + BONUS Music Moments," uploaded by the SpongeBob SquarePants Official YouTube channel.[21]
    • In the Latin American version of that video, called "Primero Primero," the song was replaced with "Greenhorn Rag."
  • In the Croatian dub, this episode is called "Tražimo Kuhara," which translates to "We are Looking for the Fry Cook."
  • In the Azerbaijani voiceover, this episode is called "İşçi tələb olunur," which translates to "Workers Are Required."
  • In the French dub, this episode is called "Bienvenue à bord," which translates to "Welcome Aboard."
  • In the Italian dub, the episode is called ''Cercasi Aiuto'' which translates to ''Wanted Help''. Also, when SpongeBob comes in with red lights flashing and flying with the spatula, singing a heroic tune, it is actually the 20th Century Fox theme.
  • This episode first aired in Denmark on April 29, 2002, practically three years after its American premiere.[citation needed]
  • This is the only episode in seasons 1-4 with more than one sister episode. The sister episodes being the only short in seasons 1-4, "Reef Blower" and "Tea at the Treedome."

Errors

Stephen Hilleburg error in Help Wanted

Should be written as "Stephen Hillenburg"

  • Stephen Hillenburg's name in the "Written By" section of the opening credits is misspelled as "Stephen Hilleburg," missing the "N" in his surname.
  • When Patrick says, "Who's ready?," his eyelids are pink instead of purple.
Help Wanted 058

Red collar error

  • The last time SpongeBob says, "I'm ready!" his collar turns red.
    • The same is true in the final shot of making Krabby Patties for the anchovies.
  • After Squidward looks back to see SpongeBob, the arrow in the graffiti is gone.
  • When SpongeBob walks inside the Krusty Krab and says, "I've been waiting my entire life to join the Krusty Krab crew!," the Krusty Krab's lights are off, but when he says, "And now I'm ready," the lights are on. However, the storyboards show this could've been done on purpose.
  • When Mr. Krabs and Squidward hit the pole, a frame of what looks like the alternate or inverted background for the credits appear.
  • When Mr. Krabs says, "Climb Mr. Squidward! Climb!," Squidward's upper teeth are purple.
  • When Squidward says, "Mr. Krabs!," the anchor illustration on his hat disappears for a split-second.
  • When SpongeBob throws Krabby Patties at the anchovies, a few do not make it to their mouths.
  • One shot shows four buses pulling up to the Krusty Krab, but a few shots later, there are five parked.
  • When Mr. Krabs jumps every time he says, "Hip, hip!" his white undershirt disappears for a split-second.

Videos

References

  1. ^ a b SpongeBob SquarePants: 10 Happiest Moments. DVD. Paramount Home Entertainment, 2010.
  2. ^ Mavis, Paul (September 16, 2010). SpongeBob SquarePants: 10 Happiest Moments. DVD Talk. Retrieved on September 20, 2013.
  3. ^ Hillenburg, Stephen (2003). The Origin of SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete First Season (DVD). Paramount Home Entertainment. 
  4. ^ Banks, p. 9
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Drymon, Derek. "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants", Hogan's Alley #17, Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Retrieved on September 21, 2012. 
  6. ^ a b c Farhat, Basima (Interviewer) (December 5, 2006) (mp3). Tom Kenny: Voice of SpongeBob SquarePants - Interview (Radio production). The People Speak Radio. http://www.thepeoplespeakradio.net/archives/mp3/tps-2006-12-05-kenny.mp3. Retrieved November 8, 2008. 
  7. ^ Pittenger, Kenny. "The Oral History of SpongeBob SquarePants", Hogan's Alley #17, Bull Moose Publishing Corporation. Retrieved on September 21, 2012. 
  8. ^ Banks 2004, p. 31
  9. ^ Neuwirth 2003, p. 51
  10. ^ Bauder, David (July 13, 2009). SpongeBob Turns 10 Valued At $8 Billion. Huffington Post. Retrieved on May 22, 2013.
  11. ^ Cavna, Michael (July 14, 2009). The Top Five 'SpongeBob' Episodes: We Pick 'Em. The Washington Post. Retrieved on May 28, 2013.
  12. ^ a b Cavna, Michael (July 14, 2009). The Interview: 'SpongeBob' Creator Stephen Hillenburg. The Washington Post. Retrieved on May 28, 2013.
  13. ^ Coleman, Eric (2003). The Origin of SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete First Season (DVD). Paramount Home Entertainment. 
  14. ^ a b Hecht, Albie (2003). The Origin of SpongeBob SquarePants. SpongeBob SquarePants: The Complete First Season (DVD). Paramount Home Entertainment. 
  15. ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/11/arts/television-radio-the-tide-pool-as-talent-pool-it-had-to-happen.html
  16. ^ https://www.amazon.de/SpongeBob-Schwammkopf-komplette-erste-Season/dp/B00HW5250Y/ref=sr_1_4_sspa?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1540771083&sr=1-4-spons&keywords=SpongeBob+Schwammkopf+-+Die+komplette+Season+1&psc=1
  17. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3FlaYx8nzk
  18. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNfLaA5uzUg
  19. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ePTwcztSIM&t=0m58s
  20. ^ http://cartoonician.com/the-oral-history-of-spongebob-squarepants/
  21. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL3tyVOtpiM&t=3m59s

External links

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