What if Cartoon Network got SpongeBob?

KeldeoKitty

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I always heard discussions on what if Nick got Adventure Time, but what if Cartoon Network got SpongeBob? Would the show have actually ended on the creators terms and and CN would just move on, or would it become the same cash cow that Nick made it into. And would the show be any different?
 

hobbyfan

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Considering how long SpongeBob has been on the air at Nick, compared to what CN's longest running shows have been, it wouldn't have had the same kind of longevity at CN.
 

Zanneck

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Hopefully ended after 3 seasons and then GOOD RIDDANCE.
CN has made far too many shows in the 2010s I prefer over this big dumb yellow sponge, honestly.
 

Dr.Pepper

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I don’t think it would have lasted as long and wouldn’t have been as popular. It would probably be on the same level as Ed Edd n Eddy.
 

Spacething7474

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The show would’ve been in widescreen quite earlier, like around season 5 or 6 (I say this because various CN shows have been in widescreen since around 2006).
 

SkyPikachu

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The show would’ve been in widescreen quite earlier, like around season 5 or 6 (I say this because various CN shows have been in widescreen since around 2006).
Wonder if that's a good or bad thing since in 2006 wide-screen wasn't the norm and have footage cut off on each side would have sucked.
 

Markus Nelis

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If Cartoon Network had SpongeBob, it would've been spammed in the schedule with TTG so there isn't much a difference besides CN not giving any show to air over 15 years.
 

Neo Ultra Mike

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It is more likely that Cartoon Network would have treated SpongeBob just like Ben 10.

Yeah that wouldn't of happened at all. You do know why Cartoon Network constantly keeps rebooting and making more Ben 10 right? Though it was a fairly hit show in terms of ratings and success airing on TV, Ben 10 is such a big hit because of it's TOY SALES. Like thankfully we don't live in an age where all children's show are dependent on selling off toys and merchandise but that's still important for a bunch of shows, especially boys action shows. And Ben 10 is a juggernaut in that regard, netting CN millions upon millions in the various figures and collecitables from that series. You would not see that with Spongebob however as Spongebob is not an action show thus does not have the same kind of toyline that would really be made or even bought so yeah it would be different.

Honestly as others have said I would not see Cartoon Network still airing Spongebob if they had managed to acquire the series and have it come out in the same time as Nick did in this alternate timeline. Most of CN's longest running series do go on as long as the creators wish to keep making them and if there is an end point CN is fine with stopping the show and having it fully wrap up. And heck even for all of the 2000's did not have a show go past 6 seasons in terms of length at all. Which is more flexiable now but yeah in terms of just one overall straight show without any revivals or spinoffs the longest is still about 10 years and still at most only having like 9-10 seasons. Nick is pefectly fine milking a show that maintains popularity as long as it possibly can for the few series that actually do stick around. I mean before Spongebob they had Rugrats which was long past it's due when it ended and same case for stuff like The Fairy Oddparents and possibly The Loud House if it continues on throughout all the 2020's. Even IF Spongebob maintained a super popular level at CN as it did Nick I don't see it expanding past it's life span nearly as much. It's possible it could end more on a whimper but eh I would see it getting at most the same 10 year about 5-6 seasons treatment Ed Edd n Eddy got. Certainly would not be on today which kind of is a good and bad thing especially as Spongebob rebounded now to actually being good again.
 

KeldeoKitty

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Also if Cartoon Network got SpongeBob, Nick would still milk Klasky Csupo and or Fairly Odd Parents to this day.
 

AdrenalineRush1996

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Also if Cartoon Network got SpongeBob, Nick would still milk Klasky Csupo and or Fairly Odd Parents to this day.
Or Fairly Odd Parents would've aired on Cartoon Network had Butch Hartman stayed on the network than moving to Nickelodeon since he worked on Dexter's Laboratory and Johnny Bravo before moving networks.
 

Low Spark of Lyman

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The only good thing that would come from this is Nickelodeon wouldn't overly rely on this show and other Nicktoons would've had time to grow

Unless they found some other show to dominate their schedule. No, I don't know what other show that might be. Nor am I saying it would be likely, especially when one could say SpongeBob was lightning in a bottle (though another show could have been).
 

90'sKid

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Unless they found some other show to dominate their schedule. No, I don't know what other show that might be. Nor am I saying it would be likely, especially when one could say SpongeBob was lightning in a bottle (though another show could have been).
I would say that Fairly Oddparents would have become the show Nickelodeon milked. It was already second fiddle to SpongeBob once Rugrats ended.

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90'sKid

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Maybe, but I'm allowing for unexpected possibilities as well.
Oh I don't blame you, the thing about "what if" stories is that there are unanticipated variables. Had we rewound the clock, things could have turned out very differently than we would think. There is no guarantee that FOP would have become Nick's golden boy. It could just have easily been Jimmy Neutron (who was already pretty popular), Danny Phantom or even an unexpected contender like Catscratch or El Tigre.

It's interesting to speculate how things would have been had Nickelodeon not endulged in the Sponge so much.

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