Have you ever, ever felt like this? Have strange things happened, are you going round the twist? Ghosts, vikings, magical underpants, runaway shadows… Round The Twist is an offbeat comedy series that will enchant the entire family.
When the Twist kids – Pete, Linda and Bronson – and their Dad leave the city for a quiet life in the coastal town of Port Niranda, they get more than they bargained for. The lighthouse the Twists have moved into is haunted, and Port Niranda is a town where the weird and unexpected regularly occurs.
Starring:
Dad - Richard Moir
Pete - Sam Vandenberg
Linda - Tamsin West
Bronson - Rodney McLennan
Mr Gribble - Frankie J Holden
Matron Gribble - Judith McGrath
Gribble Jnr - Lachlan Jeffrey
Rabbit - Stuart Atkin
Tiger Gleeson - Cameron Nugent
Nell - Bunney Brooke
Fiona - Daisy Cameron
Miss James - Robyn Gibbes
Mr Snapper - Esben Storm
Hugh - Justin Connor
Jill - Lauren Taylor
Twisted Lunchbox is brought to you by Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF). The ACTF is a national non-profit children’s media production and policy hub. The ACTF is a leading body for Australian children’s media; enabling the production, development and distribution of high quality, culturally relevant and distinctive entertainment for Australian children, and children around the world. The ACTF is well known for the production of some of Australia’s most iconic kids’ tv shows, including ‘Round the Twist’, ‘Mortified’, 'Lockie Leonard', ‘You’re Skitting Me’ and much more!
Prior to his passing, the marine biologist-turned-animator had an idea for a third feature film starring Bikini Bottom's happy-go-lucky fry cook (voiced by Tom Kenny). That idea eventually became The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, the first film in the series to be completely animated with 3D techniques. The project ended up being written and directed by Tim Hill, a writer who's been with the long-running TV show since it first aired all the way back in 1999.
Speaking with SYFY WIRE during a virtual press junket, Hill states that his ultimate goal for Sponge on the Run, premiering on Paramount+ on March 4, was to "stick to the characters and the show. You see them on a new adventure and kind of expect Steve Hillenburg's original idea about the show. Pretty much make it a really fun road trip with some great cameos and just wacky adventures. [I wanted] to make it as silly as I could. That was the main thing."
The filmmaker also reveals that the story was directly inspired by the Season 4 episode "Have You Seen This Snail?," in which SpongeBob's pet snail, Gary (also voiced by Kenny), runs away from home. "[Stephen] wanted to springboard off of that idea for the movie," Hill explains.
Sponge on the Run takes that concept and broadens the scope. Instead of running away from home, Gary is mysteriously "snail-napped" and taken to "The Lost City of Atlantic City," the Vegas-inspired domain of King Poseidon (Matt Berry, Harvey Beaks, The IT Crowd, What We Do in the Shadows). The king's right-hand man (or fish, rather) is the Chancellor, voiced by Reggie Watts (SYFY's Wild Life), who, by his own admission, has kind of been living under a SpongeBob-less rock for the past two decades — just like Patrick Star!
"The funny thing is I knew of SpongeBob and all my friends loved [it]," he says. "In the '90s, I didn't have TV, so I only got SpongeBob in little slices and doses [from] people saying lines and stuff like that."
Watts describes his time working on Sponge on the Run as his chance to undergo "trial by fire [and become involved in the universe.
"I was really excited because many of my friends, when I told them I was doing it, they were freaking out," he continues. "It was great — my whole thing was I just wanted to find a character voice that worked for the character and make sure that grooved with the scenes. Of course, knowing that Matt Berry was [involved], I'm a huge Matt Berry fan, so I wanted to make it extra good for everybody."
To prepare for his dive into the ocean, Watts started with the very first episode ("Help Wanted") and then jumped through the various seasons in order to give himself a crash course in SpongeBob SquarePants.
"I just went through years [and] skipped ahead and saw how it was 4:3 aspect ratio and then it got wider. That was really, really fun," he continues. "It was cool to understand that this is a show that really speaks to all ages and it's so silly and so ridiculous and irreverent. It was really nice to discover it at my age. It took me [this long to go] 'Oh, this is what this is? Oh, this is awesome!'"
To retrieve Gary, SpongeBob and Patrick (Bill Fagerbakke) team up for another epic road trip that takes them to Atlantic City. They meet some strange characters along the way, including a wise spirit guide named "Sage" — portrayed by Keanu Reeves' head in the middle of a desert tumbleweed.
"He's great. He's super focused and really professional," Hill says of the John Wick star. "He's a really nice guy, he was a joy to work with, actually — probably one of the best experiences I've had. He knew his lines, he wanted to do it his way, but really right and we agreed on a lot, so it worked out really well. But he was really focused, which I was very happy with."
Keanu Reeves Sponge on the Run. Credit: Paramount+/Nickelodeon
After so many years of seeing SpongeBob as a mainstay of the 2D environment, Kenny wasn't sure if the iconic character would translate well into the realm of CG. It was a scary thought; almost as scary as a live-action pencil sinking into the ocean and spawning a host of evil illustrations. ME HOY MINOY!
"To be honest, you're never really sure how that's gonna work. To me, SpongeBob is so thoroughly 2D in my brain," the veteran voice actor tells us. "They experimented with that [CG animation] in the prior movie, Sponge out of Water, where they did that sequence where Sponge and the gang came up out of the water into the live-action world. That was Steve Hillenburg and the guys dipping their toe into the possibility of a 3D/CG SpongeBob. Like, 'Could that work and could you get that same squash and stretch animation bounce that you get in traditional animation?' Because most CG doesn't have that and they figured out a way to do it. Really, it's just marrying the new technology with the determinedly old-school traditionalist sense that the show has always had since the beginning."
The film also features the voice talents of Clancy Brown ("Mr. Krabs"), Rodger Bumpass ("Squidward"), Carolyn Lawrence ("Sandy"), Mr. Lawrence ("Plankton"), and Awkwafina ("Otto"). The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run arrives on Paramount+ (aka CBS All Access) on Friday, March 4. Nickelodeon's prequel series, Kamp Koral, debuts the same day. Click here for all the spongeriffic info!
CALLING ALL GOOFY GOOBERS! (ROCK!) Are ya ready for a deep dive into the world of SpongeBob SquarePants? The SpongeBob YouTube channel is THE PLACE for all fan-favorite SpongeBob moments! We’re serving up everything from legendary scenes to remixes of classic songs to deep dives into Bikini Bottom lore. Be sure to check back every week for Music Mondays, Wumbo Wednesdays, and Flashback Fridays! Subscribe now at https://www.youtube.com/SpongeBobOfficial!
Shop SpongeBob!: https://www.spongebobshop.com - SpongeBob face masks now available, with ALL proceeds going to charity!
Following a slew of fake and satirical candidates running for President during the 2016 US election cycle, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) regulatory agency clamped down, removing unverified names from its listings and threatening legal action - and it looks like SpongeBob SquarePants, the titular character from Nickelodeon's beloved animated series of the same name, could be in trouble.
Filings with the US Federal Election Commission indicate that the would-be presidential candidate could soon face a lawsuit if their name is found to be fake.
FEC records indicate that on Sunday, February 21, someone under the name of Nickelodeon’s fictitious cartoon sponge filed paperwork to run for President of the United States on the Republican Party ticket.
Although it's not unusual for television and film stars to run for office, with action film star and champion bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger serving as the governor of California for eight years, and reality personality Donald Trump serving as president for one term, incidentally both also on the GOP ticket. However, it is probably a first for an animated character, especially since Bikini Bottom is not in the United States. Although Bikini Bottom is fictional, the town is set under Bikini Atoll, a real island that's part of the Marshall Islands.
However, everything about this story seems, well, fishy. For example, the person who submitted the paperwork for "SpongeBob Edward SquarePants" registered themselves as Perch Perkins, the famous field reporter for Bikini Bottom News in the TV show, and the address given is the Nickelodeon Animation Studios in Burbank, California. Also, the principal campaign committee is listed as the Krusty Krab, the fictional restaurant where SpongeBob works as a fry cook on the show - however, rather than having a Bikini Bottom address, it uses the address of DirecTV’s corporate office in El Segundo.
On Thursday, February 25, the FEC decided to find out what exactly was going on with this bizarre filing by sending a litter to Nickelodeon Studios that carries a substantial warning about “knowingly and willfully making any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation to a federal government agency,” and seeking clarification about “the true, correct, or complete candidate name and principal campaign committee name.”
The letter, of course, is entirely real, but the listed response date of April 1 - April Fools Day - only adds to the surreal nature of this story.
FEC press officer Judith Ingram told Sputnik that the agency began sending the letters out in 2017, and the recipient has 35 days to clarify the veracity of their filing. If they fail to do so, they could face charges that would result in a substantial fine and could land them in jail for up to five years - or even eight years, if the offense involves international or domestic terrorism.
The rule was drafted after the 2016 elections in which more than 1,850 joke candidates appeared, some of whom garnered not-insignificant results in polls, such as Deez Nuts, who polled as high as 9% in some early presidential primaries, as well as candidates named Harambe, and Queen Elsa Ice.
Nickelodeon did not respond to inquiries by Sputnik.
Sputnik reached out to the email address listed on the FEC filing for the Krusty Krab, and this is the response they received:
“I'm Perch Perkins, the campaign manager for Mr. SquarePants. I wasn't aware about the name verification form, but I will let him know. The campaign will be announced within the next four weeks, with more details regarding his campaign via social media.”
On the extremely long shot that the jellyfishing, burger-flipping, gap-toothed sea sponge is, in fact, pursuing the nation’s highest office, NickALive! is ready to sit down for an interview at the earliest available time.
It’s too bad whoever’s behind this didn’t list SpongeBob’s best friend Patrick Star instead, since he actually ran for President in a special seven-episode Nickelodeon event in 2007, handily defeating his challenger, Larry the Lobster, in votes cast by fans.
Follow NickALive! on Twitter, Tumblr, Reddit, via RSS, on Instagram, and/or Facebook for the latest Nickelodeon and SpongeBob SquarePants News and Highlights!
Classic Rugrats Comic Strip for February 27, 2021 | Nickelodeon
Rugrats, provided to Creators Syndicate by Nickelodeon, based off the popular animated television series has been created for children and family's to laugh and enjoy together.
Follow these comics and their take on real episodes of the show and their own spin on hilarious adventures.
