Spongebob Squarepants is undoubtedly one of Nickelodeon's most enduring brands, having been in continual production since it was first unveiled in 1999. Since then, the show has been such a massive success for Nickelodeon that the yellow sponge is practically synonymous with children's entertainment and youthful glee. So it only makes sense that the company would eventually want to diversify their Spongebob inspired offerings. With that on the table, Nickelodeon has released a first-look teaser image of their latest Spongebob prequel series, Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years.
The premise is pretty simple: the show is a CG animated spin off depicting Spongebob and friends as young children at Kamp Koral. This is supposedly where Spongebob meets characters like Patrick, Sandy, Squidward, and Mr. Krabs for the first time. The voice cast of the original show are all reprising their iconic roles, with the addition of two new characters, Nobby and Narlene, who are narwhal siblings that also attend the camp. The show is set to release a 13 episode series in 2021, though if it is received well there's always the possibility of more episodes down the line.
Of course, the idea that all of the major players in Spongebob's life were both around in his formative years and stayed nearby through adulthood is pretty convenient. It would also seem to contradict the original series, where certain episodes depict Spongebob meeting characters like Sandy for the first time. Then again, it is a children's show, and Spongebob Squarepants has never exactly been worried about maintaining strict continuity. It's probably best to not worry about these kinds of things and just enjoy the show for what it is.
The image itself is about what anyone would expect too: Pretty much every significant returning character is in the shot making some sort of pose that gets across the most recognizable aspects of their personality. It is worth noting that Plankton and Mr. Krabs seem to be depicted as chef and a camp counselor respectively, which indicated they are still older than the rest of the cast. This suggests that Kamp Koral is indeed a prequel, and not just a "Spongebob Babies" style spin off. Either way, folks will know for sure how it all plays out when the show finally releases in 2021.
Kamp Koral: Spongebob's Under Years will release on CBS All Access in 2021.
Source: Variety