SpongeBob SquarePants (season 9)
The ninth season of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants, created by former marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg, originally aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on July 21, 2012, beginning with the episode "Extreme Spots" and "Squirrel Record". The series chronicles the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the fictional underwater city of Bikini Bottom. The season was executive produced by series creator Stephen Hillenburg and writer Paul Tibbitt, who also acted as the showrunner.
The season was first announced on January 3, 2011, and premiered on July 21, 2012. A total of 26 episodes were produced for the season bringing the number of episodes up to 204.
Production
The season aired on Nickelodeon, which is owned by Viacom, and was produced by United Plankton Pictures and Nickelodeon. The season's executive producers were series creator Stephen Hillenburg and Paul Tibbitt, who also acted as the series' showrunner. During production of the eighth season, Deadline.com reported on January 3, 2011 that Nickelodeon had renewed the series for a ninth season, with 26 episodes in order, which would push the series over the 200th episode mark.SpongeBob SquarePants became the Nickelodeon series with most episodes, surpassing Rugrats with 172 episodes, having 178 after the eighth season had complete broadcast on television.