That ever cheerful talking yellow sponge squeezed out another huge night of ratings with the SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS Lost In Time primetime special, which aired Feb. 20, 2006, at 8 pm on Nick. The half-hour special episode marked the highest-rated program on all TV with kids 2-11 for the year behind the Super Bowl, and the highest-rated broadcast on all of Nickelodeon since 2001. Lost In Time was the highest-rated episode of SPONGEBOB ever with kids, scoring triple digit increases among all demos.
SPONGEBOB triumphed with kids 6-11, averaging a 18.1/3.6 million K6-11, up +197% versus year-ago levels. Among kids 2-11, the special averaged a 16.1/5.2 million K2-11, up +176% versus last years like time period. With tweens 9-14, the sponge squeezed an impressive +223% increase over last year, earning a 12.4/2.5 million T9-14. And 8.6 million total viewers (P2+) tuned-in to watch SpongeBob in his time traveling adventure (up +209% versus last year), marking the most watched Presidents Day ever on Nick.
Also that Monday, Feb 20, GO, DIEGO, GO delivered its highest ratings ever at 10:00 am and bested its competition. The episode, A BooBoo on the Pygmy Marmoset, which aired as part of a three-hour GO, DIEGO, GO! marathon, averaged a 11.0/1.4 million kids 2-5, up +33% over year-ago levels. Among persons 2+, approximately 3.0 million viewers tuned in, with a 1.3/6 rating/share and lifting +13% versus year-ago benchmarks. This episode of Diego also saw a huge increase with adults 18-49, earning a 1.2 rating and rose +109% (versus year-ago).
The Lost In Time episode, featuring SpongeBob in an outrageous journey when he is transported to the Middle Ages, repeats Feb. 23 at 2:00 & 8:00 pm, Feb. 24 at 2:30 pm, Feb. 25 at 9:00 am, March 10 at 8:30 am and March 23 at 8 pm.
A freak jousting accident at a medieval-themed restaurant finds SpongeBob and Patrick in a historic version of Bikini Bottom where they are mistaken for great knights. The duo is then entrusted to save King Krabs daughter, Princess Pearl, from the clutches of the evil wizard, Lord Plankton.
Launched in July 1999, the Emmy-nominated series, SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS has been the most watched animated series for kids on television for the past five years. SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS is consistently one of the top rated kids shows on television, with the Saturday play of the series ranking as the number one rated program among kids 2-11. Adult viewers also continue to tune-in and have increased by 31% since the premiere of the show in 1999.
SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS is created and exec produced by Stephen Hillenburg, who previously worked as a writer, director and creative director on Nickelodeons animated series, ROCKOS MODERN LIFE. Paul Tibbitt served as a director and writer on SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS for the first three seasons and is exec producer of the fourth. The series is a Nicktoons Production, produced at the Nicktoons Studio in Burbank, California.
Nickelodeon, in its 26th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. The company includes television programming and production in the U.S. and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeons U.S. television network is seen in more than 89 million households and has been the number-one-rated basic cable network for more than ten consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc.
