Year 1997 (MCMXCIX) was a common year of the Gregorian calendar that started on a Wednesday. It is the year the original version of "Help Wanted" was made.
| Date | Event(s) |
|---|---|
| January 17 | The pitch bible for the show was written by Stephen Hillenburg. |
| July 1 | "Help Wanted" began production. |
| Unknown date (possibly November 16) | The original pilot version of "Help Wanted" was made. SpongeBoy was renamed as SpongeBob. |