Appointment TV

"Appointment TV" is a SpongeBob SquarePants episode from season 11. In this episode, the long-lost episode of "Mermaid Man" is finally showing on TV, but SpongeBob may not make it home in time to watch

Characters

• SpongeBob SquarePants
• Patrick Star
  • Barnacle Star/Barnacle Boy
• Gary the Snail
  • Dirty Bubble
• Eugene H. Krabs
  • Captain Tightwad
• Squidward Tentacles
  • Doctor Negative
• Sheldon J. Plankton
  • Man Ray
• Mrs. Puff
  • Atomic Flounder
• Sandy Cheeks
  • Miss Appear
• Bubble Bass' friends
• Larry the Lobster
  • Mermaid Man
• Flying Dutchman ^(cameo)
• Old Man Jenkins ^{(fat and green)}
• Santa Claus ^{(Cameo on one of SpongeBob's VHS tapes)}
• French Narrator
• The Moth ^(cameo)
• Sinister Slug ^(cameo)
• Impound worker ^(debut)
• Bikini Bottomites
  • Incidental 41
  • Fred
  • Mable
  • Old Man Walker
  • Dennis
  • Lonnie
  • Sylvester
  • Nazz-Mimi
  • Mable-Monica

Synopsis

The episode begins with SpongeBob talking about the two-part special episode of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy in The Case of the Curious Cliff Hanger that has never been seen is finally airing on TV, and how he is fully prepared to watch it when it airs after the day's shift at the Krusty Krab.

At the Krusty Krab, the day is going very slowly, making SpongeBob annoyed. When the day is finally over, he rushes to get to his house, but is stopped by Mrs. Puff, as she needs him to fix her flat tire. After doing that, he continues rushing to his house, only to get stopped by Patrick, who needs him to find his rock at the Impound Yard. Afterwards, Sandy needs him to do a chore, but after he hears two fans of Mermaid Man talking about how no real fan would miss the show, he leaves Sandy and continues rushing to his house.

However, SpongeBob is constantly stopped by several people as they need him to do their tasks. SpongeBob finally goes back home, hoping that he can at least watch the recorded version, only to see his VCR going haywire and all the other things he set up getting ruined and bursting into flames, which sets his house on fire. He cries so loudly everyone can hear him, and his friends feel guilty for taking advantage of SpongeBob.

To compensate for this, they bring SpongeBob, who is in a depressed state, to see a live performance of the episode on an amphitheater. SpongeBob loves their show and thanks them for showing the love they had for him to make up for missing his show. The episode ends with Old Man Jenkins asking everyone what they are doing at his amphitheater, but this makes everyone run away, despite him just wanting to have a role in the play.

Running gags

• SpongeBob saying "But 'Mermaid Man'" when helping someone.

Production

The episode was confirmed by Vincent Waller on March 29, 2018.

Storyboards

• File:AppointmentTVBoard1.PNG
• File:AppointmentTVBoard2.PNG

Music

( ‣ ) Production music

( • ) Original music

( ◦ ) SpongeBob music

 ‣ Moloka'i Nui A - Kapono Beamer [Title card]

 ‣ Marching to Honolulu - Kapono Beamer [Opening]
 • Weak Fanfare - Stephen Hillenburg [Mermaid Man Poster]
 • Unicorns and Rainbows - Nicolas Carr ["...so I can relive the magic..."]
 • ? ["...over and over forever!"]
 • Vibe Q Sting - Nicolas Carr ["Hmm, but which tape to use?"]
 ‣ Victory Chords - [ProjectSAM Symphobia Colours: Animator] ["Oh, here we go!"]
 ‣ Ensemble Gliss - [ProjectSAM Symphobia Colours: Animator] [SpongeBob puts tape in VCR]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks 36A - Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob goes to work]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks 3D - Jeremy Wakefield ["But today is moving so slowly."]
 • Lopey Sailor's Jig - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr [Everything is slowly at the Krusty Krab]
 • Monster Wave WO Sax - Nicolas Carr, Fabian Fernandez [SpongeBob runs out of the Krusty Krab]
 • Nude Sting - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob bumps into Mrs. Puff's boat]
 ‣ Midget March - Cedric Palmer [Mrs. Puff asks SpongeBob to help her change the tire of her boat]
 • 12th Street Rag with Bass - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob tries to replace the tire of Mrs. Puff's boat]
 • Vibe Q Sting - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob thinks for a second]
 • Great Idea Patrick - Nicolas Carr [SpongeBob gets an idea]
 ‣ Happy Links 6-9 - Paul Fenoulhet [Mrs. Puff drives home]
 ‣ Happy Links 1-5 - Paul Fenoulhet ["I still have time to get home before my show, if I pick up the pace."]
 ‣ Happy Links 6-9 - Paul Fenoulhet [Patrick asks SpongeBob to help him to get back his rock]
 ‣ Walking on the Beach A - Mac Prindy, Kapono Beamer [Patrick looking for his rock at Impound Yard]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks 2A - Jeremy Wakefield ["Wait, wait, Patrick! Could you give me a...ride?"]
 ‣ Kitsch Twist - Harold Geller, Desmond Champ [Sandy asks SpongeBob help]
 ‣ Eight Comical Cuts - Ronald Hanmer [SpongeBob runs home]
 • Mr Krabs Happy Jig - Michael Bolger, Nicolas Carr ["Boy-o, you gotta help me sort me loose change!"]
 ‣ Four More Comical Cuts - Ronald Hanmer [SpongeBob runs home again]
 • Seaweed 2 - Steve Belfer [Montage of SpongeBob helping different people]
 ‣ Clumsy A - Bernd Gesell [SpongeBob arrives tired at home]
 ‣ Dramatic Cue (G) - Ronald Hanmer [VCR spits out mangled tape and SpongeBob's house ends up on fire]
 • Salt Water Works - Nicolas Carr, Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob crying]
 ‣ O Makalapua B - Kapono Beamer ["All right, listen up. SpongeBob has helped every single one of us dozens of times over. But we ain't been very helpful to him today."]
 • M'Wanna - Sage Guyton, Jeremy Wakefield [SpongeBob is depressed at home]
 ‣ Piano Flourish 2 - Sam Fonteyn [Plankton comes out on stage]
 • ? ["It's time for the exciting conclusion to...!"]
 ‣ The Old Pianoplayer - Hans Conzelmann, Delle Haensch [Start of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy play]
 ‣ Relentless Chase - Keith Nichols ["You should give up while you can, Mermaid Man."]
 ‣ Rescued - Keith Nichols [End of play]
 • He's Our Mermaid Man - Andrew Goodman, Eban Schletter [Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs, Sandy, Mrs. Puff, Gary, and Plankton sing this.]
 ‣ Moloka'i Nui A - Kapono Beamer [SpongeBob thanks everyone for the play]
 • Hot Steel and Slide Licks 2A - Jeremy Wakefield ["Cheese it, everyone! It's Old Man Jenkins!"]
 • Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy Action Theme - Nicolas Carr, Michael Bolger, Pat Irwin [Ending]

Release

• This episode is available on the SpongeBob SquarePants Vol. 19 and The Complete Eleventh Season DVDs.

Trivia

General

• SpongeBob owns the following VHS tapes:
  • "How to Make a Bed"
  • "Krusty Krab Training Video"
    • The bottom of the spine reads "POOP," an obvious reference to the abbreviation "People Order Our Patties," from said episode.
  • "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town"
  • "Mr. Krab's Birthday Party"
  • "Plankton Ruins Mr. Krab's B-Day"
  • "SpongeBob's Birth" (the tape SpongeBob uses to record the episode over)
• When this episode first aired, it was paired up with "Bubbletown," but since it has re-airing with its sister episode, "Karen's Virus."
• This episode was originally going to air on October 23, 2018, but due to Brian Robbins appointed to be the new president of Nickelodeon, it was delayed to October 28, 2018.
• A clip from this episode appears in the Nickelodeon's Unfiltered episode "Cactus Pop Tarts."
• A Krusty Kids Meal appears on SpongeBob's wall.
• When this episode premiered in Wallonia, it was paired up with "Spin the Bottle."
• Some objects from older episodes reappear in this episode:
  • SpongeBob's wringer from "Stuck in the Wringer"
  • Toothy Toothpaste from The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
  • The Mermarang from "Shuffleboarding" (seen in a poster)
  • The Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy-themed Krusty Kid's Meal from "Mermaid Man vs. SpongeBob"
  • Tan Accelerator from "Sun Bleached"
• SpongeBob acting like a crossing guard is a nod to "Hall Monitor."
• SpongeBob is revealed to own a Mermaid Man wristwatch.
• SpongeBob references "Home Sweet Pineapple" when he hugs his house and says "Home sweet pineapple!"
• Squidward's backyard retains its appearance from "Bunny Hunt."
• This episode is similar to "Best Day Ever," as SpongeBob plans to do something, but his plans are ruined and then his friends make it up to him in the end.
  • This episode is also similar to "The Sponge Who Could Fly," "Overbooked," and "The Abrasive Side," as SpongeBob does multiple favors for his friends.
• SpongeBob previously watched a lost episode of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy with Patrick in "The Bad Guy Club for Villains."
• This is the first episode to use Molaka'i Nui (a) as title card music since "Picture Day."
• This is the second episode in which Plankton wears a Man Ray helmet.
• When SpongeBob sets his VCR to record so he can "relive the magic over and over forever," he does his "Imagination" pose from "Idiot Box."
• Squidward and Mr. Krabs wear their Doctor Negative and Captain Tightwad outfits from "Mermaid Pants."
• Sandy wears her Miss Appear outfit from "Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy V."
• The badly-played fanfare accenting the shot of the poster for the lost episode of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy (also heard in "A Flea in Her Dome" and "Mermaid Man vs. SpongeBob") was performed by Stephen Hillenburg himself according to a tweet from sound designer Jeffrey Hutchins.
• This episode premiered during a Nickelodeon airing of Aliens in the Attic.
• The French title of this episode is "L'Épisode À Ne Pas Manquer," which means "The Must-See Episode."

Cultural references

• One of SpongeBob's videotapes references the 1970 Rankin/Bass Christmas special Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town.
• The book Mrs. Puff was reading alludes to Gone with the Wind.

Errors

• When SpongeBob says, "Play," only the left half of his mouth moves.
• When Sandy spins SpongeBob around to make him face the amphitheater, the 5 o'clock shadow on his face disappears.
• The VHS tape that is called "Mr. Krab's Birthday Party" should actually be called "Mr. Krabs' Birthday Party" because his last name is "Krabs," not "Krab."

Videos

File:Appointment TV (Promo) United States SpongeBob SquarePants

File:SpongeBob SquarePants Mermaid Man Nickelodeon UK