Nickelodeon
The somewhat infamous — depending on how old and online you are — banned episode of the classic and long-running Nickelodeon cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants has resurfaced on streaming.
The episode “Mid-Life Crustacean” — which was first released in January 2003 in tandem with “The Great Snail Race” and was originally removed from network rotation back in 2018 (and therefore was subsequently never uploaded to Paramount’s streaming service — has resurfaced on streaming despite previously being wiped, albeit with a catch.
According to an eagle-eyed Twitter user and cartoon fan, “Mid-Life Crustacean” can be found via Paramount+ but if and only if you’re accessing it through Amazon Prime Video and not the actual Paramount+ app.
Woah, didn’t see this coming!
It looks like Nickelodeon has officially lifted the ban on the #SpongeBobSquarePants episode “Mid-Life Crustacean”, at least in terms of streaming. It’s back on Paramount+,…IF you’re accessing it through Prime Video and not its own separate app. pic.twitter.com/gA3DoE2i2V
— Jason the Cartoon Fan 🍉 (@JasonSt77097165) July 16, 2023
Speaking to The New York Times about the episode back in 2021, a spokesperson for Nickelodeon said “following a standards review in which we determined some story elements were not kid-appropriate.”
The elements in question are a result of Mr. Krabs going for a night out with SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star, which sees the trio conduct a “panty raid.” As it turns out, though, the undergarments actually belong to Mr. Krabs’ mother.
SpongeBob SquarePants, which first premiered on Nickelodeon in May of 1999, is currently the second-longest-running animated children’s show. Only Arthur, which premiered in 1996, has been on the air longer, however, that series officially concluded in 2022 which means SpongeBob will pass it in the coming years.
The series is also the fifth-longest-running animated show in the history of American television, behind only The Simpsons, South Park, Arthur, and Family Guy (which also premiered in 1999 and was actually canceled for a couple of years).
Featuring characters such as the titular SpongeBob, Patrick Star, Mr. Krabs, Squidward Tentacles, Sandy Cheeks, and more, SpongeBob is only of the highest-grossing media properties in American pop culture, having made over $13 billion in merchandising revenue (as of 2019). At the time of this writing, there have been 13 seasons and 288 episodes of the show.