If you asked actor Bill Fagerbakke 22 years ago if he thought that gig voicing a very dense, pink starfish under the sea would still be going, he likely would have laughed you out of the room. But, that's exactly what's happened as his vocal performance as Patrick Star in just about every official iteration of
SpongeBob SquarePants storytelling has secured the character as an all-time animation icon.
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For more than two decades, Patrick has played the loyal, and deeply enthusiastic echinoderm sidekick to SpongeBob with aplomb. But now, Nickelodeon is shining the spotlight on Patrick and his equally odd family in the spin-off series,
The Patrick Star Show, which
premieres on Friday, July 9, at 7 p.m. ET/PT. A prequel to the main
SpongeBob SquarePants series, the new show will reveal who helped Patrick become the starfish we know and love. We'll meet his parents Cecil (Tom Wilson) and Bunny Star (Cree Summer), his ambitious sister, Squidina Star (Jill Talley), and his bombastic GrandPat Star (Dana Snyder).
Despite being the vocal custodian of the character since Patrick's inception, Fagerbakke admits to
SYFY WIRE in a recent Zoom interview that he had no idea a Patrick-centric series was even in the works until
SpongeBob executive producers, Vincent Waller and Marc Ceccarelli, surprised him with the idea a few years ago.
"I got to see some of the early artwork and that was really great," Fagerbakke recalls, although he admits that he didn't get to share too many of his own ideas for the series during these early stages. "That's a pretty rare deal for a carny/voiceover actor to get that kind of input. [Laughs.]"
It wasn't until the full cast for The Patrick Star Show was secured and revealed to one another that the actor input came into the mix as they worked their magic voicing their characters for the episodes. And for Fagerbakke and actress Jill Talley, who has voiced Karen Plankton and countless incidental voices on SpongeBob SquarePants since 1999, The Patrick Star Show marked their first chance to actually work together as siblings Patrick and Squidina Star.
"We've worked together for 20 years, but we haven't worked together because Karen and Patrick haven't had a lot of interaction, so it's really fun to get to play together," Talley says of their new dynamic. "And even now, we're working from our homes because of the pandemic. But I can't wait to be back in the studio together doing that."
Hardcore Bikini Bottom fans may know that a version of Squidina Star first appeared on-screen in the 2018 episode "Goons on the Moon," where she was voiced by Talley. But, with one line of dialogue and no more impact on the show's narrative, even Talley forgot she originated the character. She admits the producers had to remind her, and play back the audio to jog her memory about how Squidina even sounded.
"They found it," Talley recalls with a laugh. "But, then there's the realization that any audience member isn't going to remember it either. So you can take that little bit of information, and tweak it and make it a little different if you want. I used that as the jumping-off point when they played that little sound clip of one line of dialogue from years ago, and went from there."
What The Patrick Star Show presents is a very different Squidina, who serves as her big brother's booker and producer on the house-based variety show they put on daily for their pet sea urchin, Ouchie, and a few curious neighbors. She's clearly the more focused of the two, with potentially a big Hollywood, behind-the-scenes career ahead of her. But for now, she's just got her hands full wrangling her unfocused brother.
Their dynamic is a very different one than we've seen for the excitable starfish before, and Fagerbakke says it was delightful to have something so different for Patrick to play against.
"The [writers] really set it down in the dialogue that there is this connection; a great familial, sibling bond between Patrick and Squidina that is just there and you recognize it automatically," Fagerbakke says, adding that he felt that connect as soon as he read the script. "I love that that's one of the instant things that happens, almost subconsciously, when you're [reading] well-written content. All these mechanisms just fire in your brain and you go, 'Oh, that's what that is!' You recognize it, and you just go with it. We don't have to get together and go, 'So, what do you think?' What do you see coming at us?' It's just all there and I feel like there's a lot of natural combustion with the characters that works together in a great organic way. And then, what Jill has done with the performance, that lifts it up even more."
Talley adds that Squidina is just tickled by her brother as well, which makes for a very uplifting show overall. "Patrick's character is entertaining the audience of one, Ouchie. But I think Squidina is entertained by him as well, in the way that a brother and a sister have inside jokes, and can make each other laugh really hard. That's already there," she says. "It's like Bill said, it's written in. And it's fun to play that as well."
The Patrick Star Show premieres on Nickelodeon on Friday, July 9, at 7 p.m. ET/PT, followed by the launch of
Middlemost Post at 7:30.
Starfish Sidekick Takes Over: ‘The Patrick Star Show’ Producers Marc Ceccarelli & Vince Waller Tell All
***This article was written for the August ‘ 21 issue of Animation Magazine (No. 312)***
Is the world ready for a surreal animated universe headlined by Patrick Star (voiced by Bill Fagerbakke), SpongeBob’s goofy sidekick? The top brass at Nickelodeon and exec producers
Marc Ceccarelli (SpongeBob SquarePants), Vincent Waller (SpongeBob SquarePants) and Jennie Monica (SpongeBob SquarePants) definitely believe in the spellbinding potential of The Patrick Star Show.
Following on the heels of that other SpongeBob spinoff Kamp Koral, this new animated offering follows a younger Patrick living at home with his family, where he hosts his own variety show for the neighborhood from his television-turned-bedroom.
In addition to Fagerbakke, who reprises his role as the not-so-bright, pink echinoderm, the show also features the voices of Tom Wilson as Patrick’s fun-loving dad who always puts his family first; Cree Summer as his loving mom who is a kooky oddball; Jill Talley as his eight-year-old little sister (and Squidward’s grandmother, Grandma Tentacles); and Dana Snyder as GrandPat Star, Patrick’s genius grandpa. SpongeBob regulars Tom Kenny, Rodger Bumpass, Carolyn Lawrence, Clancy Brown and Mr. Lawrence are also featured in the spinoff.
No Rules Allowed
“One of the best things about this show is that there are very few rules!” says Waller, who along with Ceccarelli is also overseeing Kamp Koral and the original SpongeBob SquarePants series. “There are about 15 different art styles involved.”
Adds Ceccarelli, “It’s a much more surreal show than SpongeBob, because it’s all told through Patrick’s perspective. Patrick is easily distracted, so the show kind of feels like that. There are a lot of distractions and digressions. It’s not as story-centric as SpongeBob or Kamp Koral. The stories are constantly interrupted by fake commercials and other shows. The structure of the show follows a lot of classic TV tropes.”
According to the exec producers, they tried to imagine what it would be like if Patrick were to program a whole TV network. “It’s a sitcom. It’s a variety show. It’s a space show, a barbarian show, a prehistoric show, a comedy horror show — and they’re all Patrick-centric.”
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| Vincent Waller | Marc Ceccarelli |
We also get different versions of Patrick in each one of the genres the show incorporates in each episode. As Waller explains, “For example, the space show features a seriously unhelpful robot called PatTron. In the midseason finale, one of the stage managers goes to the green room and says, ‘Pat, you’re up!’ and eight Pats stand up because we have eight versions of Patrick on the show.”
Of course, the various visual styles are wild and eclectic to match each TV world. For example, the space show is inspired by UPA cartoons with flatter, designy-style animation. There is also a stop-motion segment, produced by the talented folks at Screen Novelties studio (The Legend of Boo-kini Bottom), which takes viewers to a world that is inspired by 1940s-era Frankenstein/Dracula-type horror movies. Then, there’s the prehistoric show which follows a sepia-tinged Squigglevision theme with lines crawling across the screen!
The show’s traditional animation is produced by Rough Draft Studios. “They have done an amazing job switching to watercolor on paper backgrounds,” says Waller. “The textures and depths that the artists are getting are really amazing. There’s an episode in which Patrick actually goes inside his dad, and we see inside his father’s body, and I couldn’t believe how delightfully lush they made those interior paintings look.”
Don’t Adjust Your Screen!
While the show is script-driven, many of the writers are former storyboarders who worked on SpongeBob SquarePants. “Many of them became script writers, but they still come at it from a very gag-driven visual place,” says Waller. “They also know what puts board artists through hell, so they know what to avoid as they write the scripts!”
Since Waller and Ceccarelli work on three Bikini Bottom shows at the same time, they have gotten used to very long hours. “We get up at five to go over the scripts and the animatic and to approve the designs of the shows,” says Ceccarelli. “Then we have meetings until six, and then we spend three hours after that preparing for the next day!” Waller adds, “Being trapped in your house because of the COVID lockdown made it a lot easier to spend so much time working. Marc and I were really surprised by how well things worked out when we switched to doing it all virtually.”
As Patrick gets ready to steal the limelight, the producers hope audiences will welcome this new addition to the Sponge-verse. “Viewers should prepare for more insanity than they’re used to,” warns Waller. “I hope they have as much fun watching it as we had making it. During the day, my wife says, ‘I hear you laughing over there! You must be having fun!’ And I am. My job is really fun!”
The Patrick Star Show premieres on Nickelodeon on July 9 at 7 p.m.
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'SpongeBob Squarepants' spin-off 'The Patrick Star Show' to debut July 9
Fans of SpongeBob Squarepants rejoice: The absorbent and yellow and porous character's best friend, Patrick Star, is getting his own show that will premiere July 9.
Nickelodeon has released the first trailer for The Patrick Star Show, and it seems the Paramount+ series will track the affable echinoderm's entry into the world of show business.
Bill Fagerbakke reprises his role as the voice of the titular pink starfish. The show also will feature Tom Wilson voicing Patrick's dad, Cecil Star, and Cree Summer as Patrick's oddball mom, Bunny, as well as his genius grandfather GrandPat, voiced by Dana Snyder, and Patrick's kid sister Squidina, who is played by performer Jill Talley.
Naturally, other members of the SpongeBob gang also will appear in the new series -- the second small-screen spin-off from the flagship, which was created by the late Stephen Hillenburg, who died of ALS at age 57 in 2018.
Clancy Brown, who recently appeared in the Oscar-winning Promising Young Woman, has played irascible Mr. [Krabs] since the original show's launch in 1999. He tells ABC Audio that the SpongeBob franchise is a tribute to its creator.
"SpongeBob is the most amazing wave of all," the veteran character actor marvels. "Steve Hillenburg created something just completely magical and original and has lasted forever and will continue to last forever."
Brown says he's "really happy that it's getting expanded into different iterations with [the spin-off] Kamp Koral and the movie and The Patrick Show and all that stuff...You know, it's about time that that happened, and we're having a lot of fun with it."
He adds of the creative team, "So we're all keeping Steve near and dear to our hearts, and we're making these things, and we love doing it."
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Bill Fagerbakke & Jill Talley Interview: The Patrick Star Show
We speak to Bill Fagerbakke & Jill Talley on the upcoming SpongeBob spin-off, The Patrick Star Show, which is set to make its debut on July 9.
Fans of SpongeBob SquarePants love his good friend Patrick Star as much as the title character himself, so what could be more fitting than to give him his own spin-off series? Titled The Patrick Star Show, the spin-off centered on SpongeBob's close buddy will hit Nickelodeon on July 9th with 13 episodes. Even better, it's bringing back several SpongeBob voice actors.
These include Bill Fagerbakke as Patrick Star and Jill Talley as Squidina Star. Talley previously voiced numerous different characters on SpongeBob, most notably Karen Plankton, while Fagerbakke made Patrick into the staple of SpongeBob that he is today. SpongeBob fans will certainly want to mark their calendars for the debut of The Patrick Star Show.
We speak to Fagerbakke and Talley about their roles in The Patrick Star Show, what's it's been like returning for the Patrick-centered spin-off, and what the show has in store for SpongeBob fans.
Bill and Jill, how are you doing today?
Bill: Hey, great!
Jill: Hey Brad!
Bill: So, are we supposed to rant, or are you going to rant?
Haha, nah, you guys go ahead and rant! Let's start with your role on the show and what it's been like being a part of it.
Bill: Oh, man, it's, what a gift to be given. First, I had to been able to do this great character for a couple decades and work with all of these wonderful people. And now, they're doing this whole right turn with Patrick, and just exploring the world of Bikini Bottom even further. And now, this actor Jill you see before you, I don't think we've ever had dialogue together. We've worked together for 20 years -
Jill: That was in my contract, Bill. I said 'Whatever happens, I don't want to talk to Bill!'
Bill: I am not going to talk to that robot lady! So, we've never spoken really in an episode, and here we are and I get to work with Jill after working with Tom [Wilson] for 20 years, and now Jill and I get to have this great dynamic. It's really cool, it's so much fun, it's so goofy. I love it.
Jill, what was experience like for you?
Jill: Well, I think the transition to playing Bill's sister, Patrick's sister, is an easy one because we've been friends now for 20 years. We know each other really well, we know each other's families. In a weird way, SpongeBob, it sounds so corny to say, it's like a family. But it really is, I mean, in the time that we've worked together, we've had kids, our kids have graduated, there have been weddings, there have been babies born, we've lost the creator of the show [Stephen Hillenburg], which was devastating for all of us, and we had that experience together. So, we kind of are a family, so playing a character that's Bill's sister is not that hard. I mean, it kind of comes naturally, cause I feel almost like his sister. The more attractive, smarter, sister if you will! No, it feels natural, you know, and the transition feels pretty fun and natural, I'm excited.
So, what can SpongeBob fans really expect from The Patrick Star Show?
Bill: You know, I think the things that we really love about SpongeBob and the things that we love about how SpongeBob lives in Bikini Bottom and interacts with every moment of every day, I think that all of those dynamics are right in the Patrick show, only with a different flair. Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller have taken this new kind of twist into more - it's almost incoherent. It really jumps around, and it take surprising steps. It's a show within a show within a show within a show, and it's really wonderful. I find it dazzling, and I sure hope that folks and all the fans enjoy it.
Jill, what are some things you're really looking forward to SpongeBob fans seeing out of The Patrick Star Show?
Jill: Well, I think they're in for such a treat, because this show is kind of like if you could take a journey into the mind of a kid. It's just like 'What's happening, what's next?' You know how like kids can just conjure anything or make up anything, that's what this show's going to do, and the animation is going to be crazy different, like here and there. And the writing is going to be so similar, in the sense that you have the same world and some of the same characters, but it's going to be different in the directions that it goes and the twists and turns, and there's going to be a lot of surprises. I think people are going to love it, it's going to be really fun.
Sounds like it's going to really be something for SpongeBob fans. Bill and Jill, thank you guys so much for your time, and looking forward to seeing The Patrick Star Show drop come this July.
Jill: Thank you!
Bill: Awesome, thank you for the time!
Take care!
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'THE PATRICK STAR SHOW' ACTORS ARE PART OF SPONGEBOB NOW, WHICH MEANS THEIR KIDS THINK THEY'RE COOL
hether you’re an uber-fan of the SpongeBob SquarePants cartoon or have only casually dipped your toe into the Bikini Bottom waters, you can't help but wonder, “Who — or what — could have raised Patrick Star?”
Sure, the pink starfish is lovable, hilarious, and a loyal friend. But he’s also dumb as a rock. Frankly, we've worried for him. So, if you're like us and pondered his origins, we can assure you that context is coming inside Nickelodeon’s brand new animated series, The Patrick Star Show, which premieres on Friday, July 9, at 7 p.m. EST.
Set slightly before the SpongeBob SquarePants series' timeline, the series introduces audiences to the family who shaped that crazy starfish, including parents Cecil (Tom Wilson) and Bunny Star (Cree Summer), his talent booker little sister, Squidina Star (Jill Talley), and his grumpy genius GrandPat Star (Dana Snyder).
In reality, Patrick’s family is brought to life by some of the most well-known animation vocal artists in this modern era of animation. Take actress Cree Summer (Bunny), who is beloved as Freddie Brooks in the seminal live-action sitcom, A Different World. But, her first animation role was in 1983 as Penny in Inspector Gadget. Since then, she’s brought to life now classic characters like Elmyra Duff in Tiny Toons and Susie Carmichael in Rugrats.
Playing her co-parent, Cecil Star, is Tom Wilson, best known as Back to the Future’s Biff Tannen. However, in the animation world, he’s the voice behind countless Bikini Bottom citizens like Flats the Flounder, as well as characters in Gargoyles, Pinky and the Brain, and Tales of Arcadia.
Dana Snyder embodies GrandPat Star, but he's also the iconic voice of Master Shake in the Aqua Teen Hunger Force, as well as The Alchemist in The Venture Bros., and The Penguin in recent DC animated series.
These are all veteran voice actors, yet all of them are genuinely delighted to be part of one of animation’s most enduring franchises. SYFY WIRE spoke with the trio about where they found their character voices, how the new show has upped their familial cool, and how playing a Star ranks on their resumes….
Cree, you have young kids. Did getting cast in The Patrick Star Show gain you any cool points at home?
Cree Summer (Bunny Star): I have two daughters — Brave Littlewing, who is 10, and Hero Peregrine Stormborn, who is 8 — and they watch SpongeBob on purpose. [Laughs.] When I told them I was going to be part of The Patrick Star Show, they went crazy. The thing about doing cartoons when you are a parent is your kids don't really care about the cartoons you are on, and rarely do they watch them. But this was a really good "in" and I got some points with my daughters on this one.
Tom Wilson (Cecil Star): SpongeBob has meant so much to my family. I have four children and my daughter in third grade won a SpongeBob competition. Her sons are now watching SpongeBob and Kamp Koral, so to be a part of that for so long is just so wonderful and I'm so happy.
Cree, do your kids get excited when you have to voice from home?
Summer: No, I record everything from what my daughters lovingly call "Mama's toilet office." [Laughs.] I spend hours and hours in the toilet. It's a living!
Dana, you've played a lot of smart characters. GrandPat Star is supposedly the brain of the family. What's his most genius moment?
Dana Snyder (GrandPat): He's pretty crazy. He is a genius, so probably everything. Everything is attacked from a point of genius, so everything he does just gets smarter than the last thing he did. And the first thing he did was very smart. Borderline genius, so at this point, he's so old that he can't make a non-genus move to save his life. And it's unfortunate because he's in a house full of dolts.
What's the inspiration for his voice?
Snyder: I kind of based him on a very masculine version of Diane Rehm from NPR, who has spastic vocal cords. But, just a little bit more manly. You can hear his diaphragm is going crazy. [Laughs.]
What's it been like adding your character to the Bikini Bottom universe?
Snyder: Well, he's just a grizzled old Marine who thinks his family are boobs, and wouldn't be able to fight their way out of a paper bag, let alone fake their way out. The stuff he gets to do in there, it's very fun because one week he's a gladiator, and the next week he's back in the '20s at the Speakeasy, and then he's fighting dinosaurs. I feel very lucky to be able to be a part of this.
Summer: Tom's been in this universe for a long time. I am brand-spanking-new into the breach. So you know, for me of course excitement and then also just that feeling of "Wow, I hope they like this crazy Bunny chick and Grandma Tentacles, Squidward's grandmother." But, more than anything, probably just excitement. What an honor to be part of such an established, incredible franchise. I mean, you just feel it going in that you're a part of something really special.
Wilson: I am so thrilled to be a part of it. From the very beginning of SpongeBob, God bless him, for [creator] Stephen Hillenburg, I would do Reg the bouncer of the Salty Spitoon. "Hey, Welcome to Salty Spitoon! How tough are you?" And then Stephen would come up with another character and say, "Tom, could you make it like lower? Can you do it with more gravel and louder?" It was a joke, because every time it was, "Yeah, could it be louder? More psychotic?" So now, I finally get to play Patrick's dad which makes me so happy because it's so close to my voice. I'm not screaming my head off and fighting people. It's so wonderful. [Laughs.]
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'The Patrick Star Show' Calls Spin-off An 'Adventure' | Access
Patrick Star has his own show! At the drive-in premiere for "The Patrick Star Show"& "Middlemost Post," the cast of the "Spongebob" spin-off promised that the "story telling is so crazy" on the upcoming animation series. Longtime voice of Patrick Star, Bill Fagerbakke, gushed about his beloved character and teased that his new show will be an "adventure." Plus, actress Becky Robinson talked about Nickelodeon's new series, "Middlemost Post." The two new shows are set to premiere back to back Friday, July 9, at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT) and 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. (Video Credit: Peach Hill Media)
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The Talk - SpongeBob's Bill Fagerbakke Says Voicing Patrick was like Being in 'the Beatles' to Young Kids
Thursday (July 1) on "The Talk" Bill Fagerbakke, star of upcoming SpongeBob spin-off, "The Patrick Star Show," shares how he knew his character was a hit. He reveals, "That was actually a big indicator for me, when maybe season two of the show I'd roll into the elementary school, [my daughters] were about, at that time, six and eight. I'd roll into the elementary school in my minivan, and it was like the Beatles. There would be 20 eight year olds going 'Patrick!'...Then I got a little more suave with it and I realized I had a tool I could use. Anytime the kids had a friend [over], or whatever, boom, I just lay a little, 'is mayonnaise an instrument' [in Patrick's voice], and suddenly this kid would open up and be relaxed, and I could connect with all their friends. It became a wonderful part of my parenting experience.""The Patrick Star Show" premieres Friday, July 9 on Nickelodeon.
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‘The Patrick Star Show’s Bill Fagerbakke And Cree Summer Preview Nickelodeon’s Newest Series: ‘A Big, Gelatinous Pile Of Impulses’
(CBS) – The Patrick Star Show comes to Nickelodeon on Friday, July 9th as Spongebob Squarepants’ longtime companion gets his very own spinoff show! Along for the ride will be several new characters including Patrick’s parents, grandfather and even members of the Squidward Tentacles’ clan.
CBS’ Matt Weiss spoke to Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick Star) and Cree Summer (Bunny Star; Patrick’s mom) for a previous of the new show and what it’s like to voice a big, gelatinous pile of impulses.
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MW: Bill, Cree, hello there! The Patrick Star Show comes to Nickelodeon on Friday, July 9th, 7PM ET/PT. SpongeBob is such a long, successful show and now Patrick has his own spinoff at last! Bill, you’ve been a part of the Spongebob franchise from the beginning, what was it like when you got the news?
BF: To think about Patrick, in a world where he’s not linked to SpongeBob full time was pretty scary. Because that’s to me why Patrick is engaging is his relationship with SpongeBob. But Vincent Waller and Mark Checker really have developed this great family and world in Patrick’s home.
He does a show every night in his room produced by his sister, and it just goes nuts. Cree Summer is my mom Tom Wilson is my dad, and Jill Talley is my sister. It’s so much fun. I think fans of the show will really appreciate it.
MW: Cree, as Bill mentioned, you’re playing the mom, Bunny star. What can you tell us about her?
CS: [character voice] Well, I can tell you that I’m not just a mom. I’m also a greeter at the local prison. I grew up in a really small country under the sea called Clocknod. I was the first member of my family to graduate from Clocknod College. I had a major in pseudo science and a minor in nonsense.
[normal voice] Bunny is a sweet, caring mother she babies her boy Patrick Starr.
I also get to play Granny Tentacles. [character voice] Who is Squidward’s grandmother and she is about as delicate and sweet as a little piranha.
MW: That’s amazing you can just launch into those characters so seamlessly. That must be a fun party trick.
CS: It is. Like I always say to Bill our schizophrenia is a real asset.
BF: It’s a requirement.
CS: That’s right, you got to be just a little on the [character voice] wee woo.
MW: [Laughs] Bill, can you talk about the show’s format? It’s a little bit different than a typical cartoon.
BF: It’s almost like they gave some people, really seasoned, talented animation writers, they gave them the opportunity to do what they wanted and this is what happened. It plays with the idea of narrative. It goes along and one story, and then boom, you’re in a completely different environment, in a completely different style of animation.
You’ll suddenly be in stop motion, and black and white, and then bam, it goes into some weird outer space story. Then it really plays with storytelling in such an entertaining way. We’re all having a blast. I think fans of, what’s that show again, SpongeBob, I think they’ll also enjoy it. [laughs]
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MW: Cree, you’re playing Patrick’s mom, you’re playing Squidward’s grandmother, what other characters are we going to meet?
CS: Oh, you get to meet Grand Pat, Patrick’s ancient grandfather who bless his little soul, he’s a genius, surrounded by nincompoops, you can imagine that is just perpetual frustration. Also, Patrick’s dad, who is just 90% kindness and 10% doesn’t know what’s going on.
[character voice] But that’s why we made Patrick. The apple doesn’t fall far from the sea.
BF: [character voice] She’s so funny.
CS: [character voice] Thank you dear. [laughs]
MW: What is Patrick like in this show? How is he different from the Patrick that we’re used to seeing?
BF: I don’t really know. For the purpose of public discussion, I guess that we need to have terminologies in terms of where is he? How old is he? What does he know? None of that applies to me when I’m doing the character.
I don’t know. It’s not like I’m playing someone’s life story on camera. Chronology doesn’t resonate with me personally. Patrick is just a big, gelatinous pile of impulses. That’s where I go. I certainly enjoy the process.
MW: Wow, what a quote, a big gelatinous pile of impulses. I’ve never heard someone say that during an interview. That’s a first for sure.
BF: [character voice] Score!
CS: [character voice] Well done, son. Well done. [laughs]
MW: [Laughs] All right, last question here before I let you go for both of you. Any parting words for the fans out there as we get ready for July 9th?
CS: Get ready and strap on because this trip is going to be far out!
MW: I think we’re all very excited. Thank you so much for the time and all the best to you both!
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Stars of new Spongebob Spinoff, Bill Fagerbakke & Cree Summer, talk the Patrick Star Show
SpongeBob SquarePants has a new spinoff, and this time Patrick isn’t just a Starfish, he’s the star!
The series debut of The Patrick Star Show premieres on Friday, July 9, at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon. Produced by Nickelodeon Animation Studio, each series will continue to roll out new episodes Friday nights on Nickelodeon and debut internationally in the fall.
The Patrick Star Show is the second spinoff of the number-one animated series SpongeBob SquarePants and follows a younger Patrick Star living at home with his family, where he hosts his own variety show for the neighborhood from his television-turned-bedroom. In the premiere episode, “Late for Breakfast,” Patrick presents a show about food after missing out on a hearty breakfast. Then in “Bummer Jobs,” Patrick and SpongeBob experience the wonders of the workforce.
Longtime voice of Patrick Star, Bill Fagerbakke lends his voice as the young adult Patrick alongside new cast members: Tom Wilson (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Cecil Star, Patrick’s fun-loving, happy-go-lucky dad who always puts his family first; Cree Summer (Rugrats) as Bunny Star, Patrick’s loving, sea star mom who is a kooky oddball; Jill Talley (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Squidina Star, Patrick’s 8-year-old little sister who drinks her coffee from a sippy cup; and Dana Snyder (The Penguins of Madagascar) as GrandPat Star, Patrick’s genius grandpa, and the most intelligent member of the Star family. Summer also voices Grandma Tentacles, Squidward’s grandma.
Additional cast members include veteran actors Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward Tentacles), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy Cheeks), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton).
Marc Ceccarelli (SpongeBob SquarePants), Vincent Waller (SpongeBob SquarePants) and Jennie Monica (SpongeBob SquarePants) are co-executive producers of the series. The Patrick Star Show is developed for television by Claudia Spinelli, SVP of Animation Development, Nickelodeon, with production overseen by Kelley Gardner, Vice President, Current Series, Animation, Nickelodeon.
Since its launch July 17, 1999, SpongeBob SquarePants has reigned as the number-one animated series on TV for the last 18 years, while generating a universe of beloved characters, pop culture catchphrases and memes, theatrical releases, consumer products, a Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical and a global fan base. SpongeBob SquarePants is the most widely distributed property in ViacomCBS Networks International history, seen in more than 170 countries and territories, translated in 30+ languages, and averaging more than 100 million total viewers every month. SpongeBob SquarePants was created by Stephen Hillenburg and produced by Nickelodeon in Burbank. The character-driven cartoon chronicles the nautical and sometimes nonsensical adventures of SpongeBob, an incurable optimist and earnest sea sponge, and his undersea friends.
Nickelodeon, now in its 42nd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of ViacomCBS Inc. (Nasdaq: VIACA, VIAC).
Bill Fagerbakke as “Patrick Star”
Bill Fagerbakke voices “Patrick Star,” SpongeBob’s best friend, in Nickelodeon’s iconic hit series SpongeBob SquarePants. Fagerbakke gives voice to the character throughout the SpongeBob feature film franchise, as well as in the original series Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years and the highly anticipated original series The Patrick Star Show.
Fagerbakke is best known for his portrayal of “Dauber” in long-running comedy series Coach. In 2014, he concluded a series-long recurring as Jason Segal’s dad in How I Met Your Mother. He was most recently seen on Netflix’s critically acclaimed true-crime dramatic mini-series, Unbelievable. Other recent television credits include a recurring role on Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here and guest starring roles on BLACKISH and MOM.
Additionally, Bill recurred on the hit series Heroes and Oz. In 2011, Fagerbakke appeared in the Academy Award® winning film The Artist. His other feature film credits include roles in Funny Farm, Loose Cannons, The Secret of My Success, The Baby Makers and Halloween 2. In addition to his animation and on-camera roles, Fagerbakke spent time in NY in various Broadway and Off-Broadway productions. His distinctive voice has also been heard in Disney’s animated feature film The Hunchback of Notre Dame, the television cartoon series Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz, All Hail King Julien, Transformers, Handy Manny, Dumb and Dumber, Gargoyles and many others.
He currently resides in Topanga, California.
Cree Summer as “Bunny Star”
Cree Summer voices “Bunny Star”, Patrick’s loving, sea star mom who is a kooky oddballand “Grandma Tentacles”, Squidward’s grandma, in The Patrick Star Show. She got her first acting role at the age of 14 as “Penny” in Inspector Gadget. Summer is best known in voiceover for her role as “Susie Carmichael” in Rugrats.
She has voiced hundreds of roles over her extensive career including recent incarnations of cartoons past, the Ducktales reboot and The Muppet Babies reboot. Her many recent credits include: DC Super Hero Girls, The Loud House, Puppy Dog Pals, Vampirina, and Tigtone.
She recently started voice directing on the hit show Lazor Wulf with several other shows yet to be announced. She can be seen currently recurring on Better Things and has many other Live Action roles coming soon. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
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INTERVIEW: Voices of THE PATRICK STAR SHOW family discuss becoming a part of the SpongeBob franchise
"You're like the new in-law that's suddenly in this tight loving family that's awesome and been around for decades."
As the SpongeBob SquarePants producers have admitted, they don’t aren’t limited by previously established continuity for the sake of story and comedy. Hence the changes to the family tree of SpongeBob’s best buddy Patrick Star in the aptly titled The Patrick Star Show spinoff. In their place are Cecil Star, Patrick’s fun-loving, happy-go-lucky dad and Bunny Star, and his kooky mom, voiced by Tom Wilson and Cree Summer. And of course, there’s also Patrick’s genius grandpa fittingly named GrandPat Star voiced by Dana Snyder.
While Wilson has been providing voices for various characters in the original SpongeBob cartoon for over two decades, this spinoff marks the first time working in the SpongeBob franchise for Summer and Snyder.
The Beat had the chance to chat with the voice actors but being part of such an illustrious animated property as well as the experience of working with Tom Kenny who not only voices SpongeBob but is also the voice director on The Patrick Star Show.
The Patrick Show premieres Friday, July 9, at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon
The Patrick Star Show is the second spinoff of the number-one animated series SpongeBob SquarePants and follows a younger Patrick Star living at home with his family, where he hosts his own variety show for the neighborhood from his television-turned-bedroom. In the premiere episode, “Late for Breakfast,” Patrick presents a show about food after missing out on a hearty breakfast. Then in “Bummer Jobs,” Patrick and SpongeBob experience the wonders of the workforce.
The longtime voice of Patrick Star, Bill Fagerbakke lends his voice as the young adult Patrick alongside new cast members: Tom Wilson (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Cecil Star, Patrick’s fun-loving, happy-go-lucky dad who always puts his family first; Cree Summer (Rugrats) as Bunny Star, Patrick’s loving, sea star mom who is a kooky oddball; Jill Talley (SpongeBob SquarePants) as Squidina Star, Patrick’s 8-year-old little sister who drinks her coffee from a sippy cup; and Dana Snyder (The Penguins of Madagascar) as GrandPat Star, Patrick’s genius grandpa, and the most intelligent member of the Star family. Summer also voices Grandma Tentacles, Squidward’s grandma.
Additional cast members include veteran actors Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants), Rodger Bumpass (Squidward Tentacles), Carolyn Lawrence (Sandy Cheeks), Clancy Brown (Mr. Krabs), and Mr. Lawrence (Plankton).
Marc Ceccarelli (SpongeBob SquarePants), Vincent Waller (SpongeBob SquarePants), and Jennie Monica (SpongeBob SquarePants) are co-executive producers of the series. The Patrick Star Show is developed for television by Claudia Spinelli, SVP of Animation Development, Nickelodeon, with production overseen by Kelley Gardner, Vice President, Current Series, Animation, Nickelodeon.
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INTERVIEW: Bill Fagerbakke & Jill Talley keep the sibling revelry in THE PATRICK STAR SHOW
"That kind of freedom of play is so wonderful and so beautiful to be a part of. We're not bound by a single narrative."
When Nickelodeon announced Kamp Koral, the first spinoff of the network’s tentpole franchise SpongeBob SquarePants, fans were definitely thrown for a loop most especially by the new CG animation. Viewers will then be pleased to see that Nickelodeon is going back to basics with 2D for The Patrick Star Show, a second SpongeBob spinoff focusing on his dimwitted best buddy Patrick Star and his kooky family.
For over 20 years actor Bill Fagerbakke has been voicing Patrick and is now set to take center stage. But he’s not the only familiar cast member. Joining Fagerbakke is Jill Talley, the voice of Plankton’s computer wife Karen and a plethora of other characters in the main SpongeBob cartoon, who now voices Patrick’s little sister Squidina.
Ahead of the premiere of The Patrick Star Show, The Beat had the chance to talk with Fagerbakke and Talley about the tone of the show as well as working with Tom Kenny who also happens to be Talley’s husband.
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‘The Patrick Star Show’: SpongeBob’s starfish sidekick gets new series
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| Patrick and SpongeBob in the “Bummer Job” episode of “The Patrick Star Show.” Courtesy of Nickelodeon |
TV’s latest talk-show host is already underwater.
Patrick Star, the enthusiastic, dim-bulb starfish — and best pal to SpongeBob SquarePants — is headlining his own spinoff series, “The Patrick Star Show,” an animated series in which Patrick hosts an imaginary talk show while gallivanting with his friends and learning life lessons.
It premieres Friday at 7 p.m. on Nickelodeon and stars Bill Fagerbakke, who’s voiced Patrick since “SpongeBob SquarePants” premiered in 1999 and on its CGI spinoff series “Kamp Koral,” which streams on Paramount+. (He will continue as a cast member in both shows.)
“It was a heady kind of terror with which I greeted this,” Fagerbakke, 63, told The Post. “SpongeBob is so revered by his fans and it was really hard for me to think of Patrick without being in concert with SpongeBob, so I was very concerned.
“But the creative team here [Marc Ceccarelli, Vincent Waller and Jennie Monica] is really great and it fits and it’s so unique in its narrative style,” he said. “It’s almost like watching ‘Monty Python’s Flying Circus’ … it just jumps from one thing to another. I really think fans of ‘SpongeBob’ will enjoy it.”
Fagerbakke has played Patrick in over 270 episodes of “SpongeBob SquarePants” and “Kamp Koral,” not to mention three big-screen “SpongeBob” movies in 2004, 2015 and 2020. The good-natured starfish, who lives in Bikini Bottom with SpongeBob, Squidward et al. is extremely popular with fans and is the first “SpongeBob” character to get his own series.
“It was something that [Nickelodeon president] Brian Robbins wanted to explore,” Fagerbakke said. “He gave the creative team the freedom to do this. It’s unusual — when you’re studying theater in college, nothing prepares you for something that lasts over 20 years.”
Each 11-minute episode of “The Patrick Star Show” features the protagonist tackling a variety of situations in quick-cut vignettes, interspersed with his TV gig hosting “The Patrick Show,” including the requisite cooking segment, commercials (for the Chum Bucket) and other meta elements. In the premiere episode, Patrick’s show revolves around food after he misses breakfast; in “Bummer Jobs,” Patrick and SpongeBob work as bag boys at the Scuttle-N-Save, paint fences and learn the value of hard work.
“For me, the bottom line is celebrating your creativity,” Fagerbakke said. “I think that’s something that appeals to young people and there’s always a special regard for family and friendship — and when you pair that with the unique humor and creativity of ‘SpongeBob,’ it’s a stew that resonates so well.”
And, for the first time in the “SpongeBob” oeuvre, we meet Patrick’s family: his happy-go-lucky father and loving mother, Cecil and Bunny Star (Tom Wilson, Cree Summer), his younger sister Squidina (Jill Talley) — who doubles as the announcer/producer for Patrick’s talk show — and his grandfather, GrandPat Star (Dana Snyder).
“I think his parents appeared once in an episode of ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’ where Patrick brings his parents home and then after a while realizes they’re the wrong people,” Fagerbakke said. “At the end of the episode, his actual parents appear. That was the only sighting of his mom and dad, so this is essentially a new concept.”
In addition to SpongeBob, there are appearances from other Bikini Bottom denizens including Squidward, Sandy Cheeks, Mr. Krabs and Plankton. Tom Kenny, who plays SpongeBob, is directly involved in “The Patrick Star Show.”
“He’s our session director,” Fagerbakke said. “There’s obviously no one who knows this world and its sensibilities better than him, so that’s invaluable. It means a lot of hours for Tom to do just one episode.”
Fagerbakke said he does have some input into the character, given his long history with Patrick.
“There are occasionally moments like that,” he said. “There’s so much work that goes into one moment, visually and on the page, so [each episode] is very specifically created by the time I see [the script]. In many ways it’s a finished product; there are occasions, though, where I’m certainly happy to contribute when I can. With ‘SpongeBob’ we developed an approach years ago where we do it as written and then get a ‘free pass’ for any ideas or ad-libs and we all take that very seriously.
“It’s not just about making each other laugh, but coming up with something germane.”
And, Fagerbakke said, Patrick has not been spoiled by the fact that he’s now headlining his own series.
“He’s extremely loyal and fun loving — essentially he’s a gelatinous pile of impulses,” he said. “He’s really an animal of instinct and craving.”
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What About Family? Tom Wilson, Cree Summer, And Dana Snyder Talk About The Patrick Star Show [Exclusive Interview]
Since the release of F9 a few weeks back it seems like all we can talk about is how family can overcome anything. The idea has been showcased in memes and clips all over social media and they have been hilarious. So with that let’s stick to the theme of family. Tonight on Nickelodeon we are finally going to have the pleasure of getting to know the family of one of pop cultures’ favorite animated characters. The one and only Patrick Star.
Nickelodeon’s The Patrick Star Show will have us traveling back in time to a younger starfish. In this series, Patrick Star still lives at home with his mom, dad, sister, and grandpa. This features a lot of returning voice actors that will continue to fill your cup of classic Spongebobesque fun!
Here is the synopsis for Nickelodeon’s The Patrick Star Show
The Patrick Star Show follows a younger Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke) living at home with his family, where he hosts his own show for the neighborhood from his television-turned-bedroom. His little sister, Squidina (Jill Talley), works behind the scenes to make sure Patrick’s show is always running smoothly, while his parents, Bunny (Cree Summer) and Cecil (Tom Wilson) and his grandpa, GrandPat (Dana Snyder), each support Patrick in their own hilariously absurd ways. The Star family’s unpredictable adventures often inform, integrate, and sometimes even interfere with Patrick’s TV show, but one thing is for sure: his bizarre life always makes for great television!
With the premiere of the series, LRM Online’s Emmanuel Gomez spoke with the voice actors that will be bringing Patrick’s family to life. It’s a world-class list of names that include Cree Summer, Tom Wilson, and Dana Snyder. You will recognize each name from various other projects. During our conversation, we talked about what to expect from Patrick Star’s family. Each of the voice actors talks a bit about what makes their characters so special. Be sure to check it out below!
The Patrick Star Show and Middlemost Post, premiering back to back Friday, July 9, at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT) and 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
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Bill Fagerbakke And Jill Talley On What To Expect From The Patrick Star Show [Exclusive Interview]
Since 1999 we have followed that pop-culture phenomenon that lives in a pineapple under the sea. Spongebob Squarepants has been plastered all over media including the television show, films, comic books, theme park rides, and endless merch. But ever since there has been the title sponge character, there has also been a loyal starfish friend by the name of Patrick Star. Despite the fact that he lacks common sense and is lazy, he has also captured the hearts of audiences everywhere.
It is because of that, Nickelodeon will debut a new animated series featuring everyone’s favorite starfish titled, The Patrick Star Show. On July 7th, we will travel back in time to a younger Patrick. One that still lives at home with his parents Bunny and Cecil. As well as his younger sister Squidina. In this series, he is a host for a neighborhood talk show that he does from his bedroom.
If you’re a long-time fan of the Spongebob content, The Patrick Star Show should be right up your alley. Continuing to voice Patrick will be voice actor Bill Fagerbakke. This series should be a lot of fun. It will be interesting to see what kind of wacky content will be featured on Patrick’s show.
Here is the synopsis for Nickelodeon’s The Patrick Star Show
The Patrick Star Show follows a younger Patrick Star (Bill Fagerbakke) living at home with his family, where he hosts his own show for the neighborhood from his television-turned-bedroom. His little sister, Squidina (Jill Talley), works behind the scenes to make sure Patrick’s show is always running smoothly, while his parents, Bunny (Cree Summer) and Cecil (Tom Wilson) and his grandpa, GrandPat (Dana Snyder), each support Patrick in their own hilariously absurd ways. The Star family’s unpredictable adventures often inform, integrate, and sometimes even interfere with Patrick’s TV show, but one thing is for sure: his bizarre life always makes for great television!
Ahead of its release in a few weeks, LRM Online talked with two of the stars of The Patrick Star Show. Voice actors Bill Fagerbakke and Jill Talley. As mentioned before Fagerbakke will continue to voice Patrick. Talley will be the voice of his sister Squidina. During the interview, we talked about what to expect from this new series. Talley lets us know if Squidina is going to steal the show and we find out their thoughts on Patrick’s lasting impact on them. You can listen to the interview down below!
The Patrick Star Show and Middlemost Post, premiering back to back Friday, July 9, at 7:00 p.m. (ET/PT) and 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
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‘SpongeBob Squarepants’ spin-off ‘The Patrick Star Show’ debuts today
Fans of SpongeBob Squarepants, rejoice: The Patrick Star Show debuts today on Paramount+.
Bill Fagerbakke [FOG-ger-bahk] reprises his voice role as the titular pink starfish. The show also features Tom Wilson voicing Patrick’s dad, Cecil Star, and Cree Summer as Patrick’s oddball mom, Bunny. There’s also Patrick’s genius grandfather, GrandPat, voiced by Dana Snyder, and Patrick’s kid sister Squidina, who’s played by Jill Talley.
Patrick and Bunny gave ABC Audio a hint about the new series, which has him becoming a TV personality.
Patrick says, “Well, I just like to do whatever my bossy little sister tells me what to do, because she gets so mad, so we do a show every night! And we have fun…And my mom gives me sandwiches, and there are these two old guys in the house that I always forget who they are.”
Bunny interjects, “That’s your dad and your grandfather, dear. But I understand they’re hard to recognize — they change their clothes.”
Fagerbakke has voiced Patrick Star since SpongeBob Squarepants launched on Nickelodeon in 1999. He tells ABC Audio it’s “beautiful” to have had the job for this long.
“To be able to have something with such continuity and to have personal relationships with people you work with for over 20 years. That’s something one never expects,” says Fagerbakke. “And man, do I appreciate it.”
Summer adds, “This SpongeBob universe is so beloved that it…just keeps going and keeps growing. And so to be a part of something that is loved this deeply is just an honor.”
Other members of the SpongeBob Squarepants gang also appear in the new series, the second small-screen spin-off from the flagship show created by the late Stephen Hillenburg, who died of ALS at age 57 in 2018.
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Catching up with voice actor Bill Fagerbakke on Coast Live
HAMPTON ROADS, Va. - "The Patrick Star Show" is the second spinoff of the number-one animated series SpongeBob SquarePants and follows a younger Patrick Star living at home with his family, where he hosts his own variety show for the neighborhood from his television-turned-bedroom. Bill Fagerbakke, who voices Patrick Star, and Cree Summer, who voices Bunny Star, join us with all the details!
The series debut of "The Patrick Star Show" premieres on Friday, July 9, at 7:00 p.m. on Nickelodeon.
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The Patrick Star Show's Cast Joyfully Delve Into Their Wacky, New Roles
The Patrick Star Show cast discussed portraying new characters in the upcoming animated show and what makes the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise work.
The Patrick Star Show is the latest spin-off of the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise, focusing on Patrick's wacky musings and adventures while creating a "television show" alongside his family. An overly silly experience that feels perfectly in-tune with its mother series, The Patrick Star Show was a pleasant surprise to the cast when they first learned about it.
During an interview ahead of The Patrick Star Show's July 9 premiere on Nickelodeon, CBR spoke with the cast of the series -- Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Thomas F. Wilson (Cecil Star), Jill Talley (Squidina), Cree Summer (Bunny) and Dana Synder (GrandPat) -- about taking the franchise in a new direction and discussed what they loved most about their new roles.
When he first learned about the new series, Fagerbakke -- who has played Patrick Star since the beginning of SpongeBob SquarePants -- was actually taken aback by the concept of doing a show without SpongeBob SquarePants' lead. Fagerbakke shared his initial thoughts on the idea, stating, "Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and now Stan Laurel, let's take you over there and now you be funny. It was really hard for me to think about doing stuff without SpongeBob. Because in my mind, Patrick is amusing because SpongeBob is so awesome, and he just kind of spins off of that. Then I saw what [Co-Executive Producers] Vincent Waller and Marc Ceccarelli had created, and my brain blew up because it's really inventive and unique animated story-telling. I'm tickled pink and so happy and grateful to be a part of it."
Reflecting on the SpongeBob SquarePants franchise's evolution over two decades, Wilson observed, "In every story, the audience sticks around when the characters care about each other. It helps you care about them. It makes them seem like they have a good heart, and through all the insanity they love each other. That makes loveable characters that [the audience] want to watch and then watch again because they want to be a part of that family. "
Wilson has appeared in many minor roles over the years in SpongeBob SquarePants, but he relished being given the chance to play a more innocent and well-meaning character with Cecil, Patrick's goofy and well-meaning father. Wilson shared, "When you've tried to beat up SpongeBob as many times as I have... I just wanted somebody to love like my son Patrick, after being like 'Welcome to the Salty Saloon, how tough are 'ya?' All those things... Playing a happy, crazy-supportive Dad is the stuff of dreams. Being a part of the Spongebob universe for as long as I have, it's an honor to be a part of something that's brought such joy and positivity to the whole world. To be able to continue that in such an imaginative way, in such an explosion of the Spongebob universe from Patrick's mind and imagination, it's just the icing on the cake."
For Summer and Talley, who portray Patrick's mother Bunny and his sister Squidina in the new series respectively, The Patrick Star Show was the perfect chance for them to further explore the SpongeBob SquarePants universe. Summers recalled, "I was a seagull in one of the movies, on the fringe of the universe. So now, I'm elated and delighted to really be a part of the universe. When you join a show that's so beloved and has gone on so long, it really is an honor." Meanwhile, the ultimate joy of the new show for Talley was that she was so "excited to work with Bill." Talley shared, "Even though I've worked with him for twenty years now, Karen has always been with Plankton. And now I get to be with Bill and play his sister and we get to interact, and it's really exciting for me and fun. I'm so happy to be a part of this universe."
Snyder on the other hand, who plays Patrick's cranky elder GrandPat Star, is a fresh face to the franchise. Despite a storied career in voice acting, Snyder has never worked in the SpongeBob SquarePants universe. "It's a thrill of my life," Snyder explained. "It's amazing, it's incredible. The closest I ever got to Spongebob was that I recorded in the place where they once recorded in. It's a great honor for me to be a part of this humongous loving world that's been going strong for [over twenty years]. I'm elated... I feel like there's been a clerical error but I'm not going to tell them."
The Patrick Star Show stars Bill Fagerbakke, Tom Wilson, Cree Summer, Jill Talley, Dana Snyder, Tom Kenny, Rodger Bumpass, Carolyn Lawrence, Clancy Brown and Mr. Lawrence. The series premieres Jul. 9 on Nickelodeon.
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Double the Fun Tonight on Nickelodeon!
What do you get when you bring together a rain cloud and a starfish?
A night of fun at the drive-in!
Nickelodeon hosted a double-feature drive-in experience to celebrate the premiere of their new series “The Patrick Star Show” and “Middlemost Post.”
On “The Patrick Star Show,” the second spin-off of the #1 rated animated series “SpongeBob SquarePants,” fans will see a younger Patrick Star as the host of his own variety show straight from his bedroom!
On “Middlemost Post,” Nickelodeon’s first animated series in five years, fans will follow a former rain cloud, a brawny mailman, and a magical pet walrus as they deliver packages to the residents of Mount Middlemost.
Watch the casts talk about the shows below!
Catch the back-to-back premieres of “The Patrick Star Show” and “Middlemost Post” tonight at 7 p.m. (ET/PT) and 7:30 p.m. (ET/PT) on Nickelodeon.
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‘Patrick Star Show’ Cast on What Fans Can Expect From the Sea Star's Origin Story
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The A.V. Club sat down with Summer to talk about her return to the Sponge-iverse, as well as how her career has ebbed and flowed over the years.
The Patrick Star Show (2021)—“Bunny Star”and “Grandma Tentacles”
Cree Summer: I got this job just like I get any other gig: I auditioned. Luckily, my dear friend Tom Kenney, who plays SpongeBob, is the voice director on this show. So I guess I got a sweet spot.
I got cast to play Patrick’s mother, Bunny Star, who is about as sharp as a sea sponge. I also play Squidward’s grandmother, Grandma Tentacles, and she is about as sweet as a baby piranha.
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From Help Wanted to Headliner: Bill Fagerbakke Still Loves Being Patrick Star
After 20 years of being SpongeBob's loyal sidekick, The Patrick Star Show is giving Patrick's voice an exciting new challenge
When Bill Fagerbakke first auditioned for the role of Patrick Star in SpongeBob SquarePants over two decades ago, he had no idea what he was getting into.
"There was Stephen Hillenburg, this just unassuming, quiet guy, really obviously very bright, sitting there with the little cassette recorder," Fagerbakke recalls. "And he showed me pictures of the characters, which were delightful of course, but I didn't really know what was going on. I didn't really understand it...I frankly just saw it as just some weird preschool kind of Strawberry Shortcake or something."
Several months later, Fagerbakke received the pilot episode in the mail: Help Wanted. He sat down to watch. "And I was just overcome with delight."
"Just the coin dropped, and I finally got it. I saw all this incredible wit, and creativity, and rhythm, and color, and the depth of the culture of it. Man, it was just, it was such a discovery for me..and then at that point, you just think, 'Well, I hope this thing gets a chance,' because you never know."
It is now apparent, of course, that SpongeBob got its chance and more. Over two decades, more than 200 episodes, 13 seasons, a number of movie and video game adaptations, and a pile of awards later, Fagerbakke's goofy, empty-headed sidekick character is now getting his own spin-off: The Patrick Star Show. Fagerbakke is thrilled.
Remembering Stephen Hillenburg
Fagerbakke says it's hard to precisely pin down what it is about SpongeBob SquarePants that has captivated audiences for so long. He names a number of people central to its creation and continuation over the years, including his fellow voice actors, Derek Drymon, Aaron Springer, and members of the crew and art teams he doesn't normally get to work as closely with.
"Their creativity and their talent just knocks you out when you see the script," he says. "But so many things have to fall in place, because at the end of the day, it is a collaboration between a lot of people. And Stephen cast it, I think, so perfectly. Oh my God, Tom Kenny, it started with Tom. He recognized the importance of that. And he'd cast Tom, that was the first thing he did once he moved into the whole casting process, was he wanted that voice to be right.”
But at the heart of it, Fagerbakke keeps coming back to Hillenburg. From the start, he says Nickelodeon "handled [SpongeBob] really well," giving Hillenburg the freedom to develop SpongeBob organically, season by season. Hillenburg eventually resigned as showrunner following the third season, though he remained around as an executive producer and continued to offer advice alongside occasional, more direct involvement. He passed away in 2018.
The coin dropped, and I finally got it. I saw all this incredible wit, and creativity, and rhythm, and color, and the depth of the culture of it.
"What a unique, wonderful person he was," Fagerbakke says of Hillenburg. "Really brilliant. And obviously, I'm certainly eternally grateful, but he also, in a way, affected our culture, managing to mix his love for the ocean and for the creatures of the ocean with his love for animation. It's pretty amazing.
"Stephen was able to keep that sense of cleverness and innocence at the same time, which is extraordinarily difficult. But he did it, because of who he is. And the people running the show, the people writing the show, Vincent Waller and Marc Ceccarelli, I think they really honor Steve's creation. They're really determined to represent that. And they do a great job."
Patrick, the star
Fagerbakke tells me that The Patrick Star Show poses an interesting new challenge for his character. Patrick, he says, has always existed and been funny and interesting in his relationship to SpongeBob. And while SpongeBob does appear in The Patrick Star Show, ultimately it's not about the yellow square dude. It's about Patrick and his relationships with his family, his friends, and the world of his imagination.
But Fagerbakke says he feels the writing team handled Patrick's independence splendidly.
"I was very concerned, just because it was hard for me to imagine how [The Patrick Star Show] would work," he says. "But God, they created this thing. And it's just every time I see what's happened with the Patrick Show, I'm just struck by it as...It strikes me as a writer's delight, because it has such a freewheeling narrative and changes willy-nilly, and that's always really great. I think it takes a lot of courage to write like that. You have to trust your audience will go with you as you suddenly take a right turn and go into a different animation style. But it's wonderful. I'm very proud of it."
Fagerbakke is full of praise for his fellow actors, too, calling SpongeBob voice actor Tom Kenny a "national treasure" and expressing delight at being able to finally work more closely with Jill Talley, who normally plays Karen (Plankton's computer wife) in SpongeBob SquarePants. Patrick and Karen rarely interact, but in The Patrick Star Show, Talley voices Patrick's sister Squidina, meaning the two are constantly able to play off one another.
"She's fantastic," he says. "[Squidina] is such a great character. Squidina is just delightful, and she's the producer of the Patrick show. And they have this great relationship where she was the little sister, but she's always kind of playing the adult. And then the parents are voiced by Tom Wilson and Cree Summer, both of whom I've worked with before in the past, and are really deeply talented people, and Dana Snyder [GrandPat]."
It strikes me as a writer's delight, because it has such a freewheeling narrative and changes willy-nilly.
Though Fagerbakke has obviously finished recording the entirety of The Patrick Star Show's first season, he hasn't yet gotten to watch all the episodes the whole way through, so he wasn't able to pick a favorite episode just yet (though he did call out the recent episode "Lost in Couch" for its different animation style twists and turns as being particularly "fantastic").
And he does have a favorite relationship to portray in The Patrick Star Show, alongside Patrick's relationships with SpongeBob and Squidina — and it's not what you'd expect.
"This is kind of an odd thing, but it's Patrick and the space, because it's in his bedroom and he's got all this weird stuff. So I would anticipate that if we did do more of the Patrick Show, that would be a fun thing to really further develop his relationship with his space. And there's a time machine, and there's just a lot of stuff that's going on in his room that I would like to have more fun with. But, there are untold riches in the brains of every one of those writers, and I just wait with relish to see what comes next."
The one big downside of Fagerbakke's work on The Patrick Star Show, he says, was the fact that the entire show was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic. That situation understandably meant everything had to be created remotely, and he wasn't able to play off his fellow actors in quite the same way he was used to.
There's something about being in the room with your fellow performers, because everything they do contributes to what you're doing.
"I was so bummed," he says. "Obviously as actors, we're always hoping something gets picked up, etc, that it gets renewed or whatever. And I got to say, the primary reason I want that to happen with the Patrick Show is I want to be in a room with all these guys, because they're so good.
"I know a lot of voiceover actors, they can just do it wherever they are, in whatever circumstance. And I do my best in that regard, but there's something about being in the room with your fellow performers, and you're telling the story, because everything they do contributes to what you're doing. It all relates to each other, and it informs me. And we've done a little bit of group recording through the Zoom, etc, but it's weird. You're in this weird freaking physical relationship with this laptop that's stacked up on top of a bunch of junk. Because I record on my feet, and I like to use my body a lot.
"And it's just odd. Wah wah wah, I'm lucky to have the job, sure as shit. But I do look forward to — excuse my language — I do look forward to returning to the studio with my other actors."
Patrick, Perfected
Over 200 episodes later, Fagerbakke is still having a blast with the twists and turns the series and spinoffs have taken over the years. But for him, no episode of SpongeBob has yet managed to top Help Wanted in his heart.
"It's in so many ways, a perfect standalone cartoon. It's eight minutes long, and it has such a rich feel, an immediately recognizable cast of characters, and relationships, and types. And it features what remains my favorite line in the entire run of the series, which is from Squidward, because he's anxious that he sees his annoying neighbor applying for a job where he works. And then to his relief, he hears Mr. Krabs clearly sending SpongeBob on a fool's errand, because he's not taking the application seriously."
In the episode Fagerbakke is referring to, Mr. Krabs sends SpongeBob to find "a hydrodynamic spatula with port and starboard attachments and turbo drive," an item which shouldn't exist at all. (Of course, in pure cartoon silliness, SpongeBob will eventually find one at the local Barg'N-Mart).
"Squidward is so relieved that clearly Mr. Krabs does not want to hire him. So as soon as SpongeBob runs off, he goes up to Mr. Krabs and goes, [here Fagerbakke jumps into Squidward's voice for his rendition of the line] 'A hydro-what? Mr. Krabs, you're horrible.'
"It floored me. That line just killed me because it was such an adult sophistication in the humor, but yet it would still fit completely within this world. And then the use of that wonderful Tiny Tim song [Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight] as SpongeBob is making Krabby Patties for all the anchovies was just delightful. And again, for me, such an epiphany of realizing what I had stumbled into there.
"You know, in your position as a young animator, you don't know if you're going to get another chance, and you don't know if this thing's going to get picked up. And [Hillenburg] had been working on these characters for a long time. This had been something he'd been cooking up in his mind for a long time. And boom, then Nickelodeon says, 'Yeah, we'll go ahead and produce that pilot.' And you can tell, every frame of it is perfect, and he put so much of his heart and soul into that. It's a great testament, I think, to his passion."
After all these years, Fagerbakke still adores Patrick, a love that shines through at every moment during our interview. I ask if there's any untrodden ground for Patrick that he'd like to eventually explore with the character, and he jokingly hops into character for a moment to say, "I want to do a musical!" before telling me truthfully, no. He just looks forward to the next episode, whatever it may be.
What does Fagerbakke love so much about Patrick, after all this time?
"I love his raw honesty," he says. "He's utterly guileless. He's pure in his own way. He's kind of like a modern-day Caliban from the Tempest, Shakespeare's Tempest, which I actually played a long, long, long, long time ago. He's very much of the earth. He's a base creature, and his loyalty and devotion to SpongeBob, and the simplicity of his moment-to-moment whim, it's really great to play.
"And this is all just nuts. It makes no sense to play a character this long. And I have never, ever gotten tired of it. It entertains me so much. He makes me laugh. And it remains a manner of therapy for me when I go in and I let Patrick take the wheel. And next thing I know, I'm walking out of the studio feeling exhausted, but elated."
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Originally published: June 21, 2021.
