SpongeBob SquarePants returned to the airwaves with new pal Johnny Depp, gliding his way to a gnarly ratings victory.
The special SpongeBob vs. the Big One drew 5.8 million viewers in its premiere airing April 17, making it the top-rated kids program on basic cable for the week. The show also won the week with kids 2-11 and 6-11 on both broadcast and cable.
The special, part of SpongeBob’s yearlong 10th anniversary celebration, was the fifth-highest ranking show for the network this year. It also helped pull in online numbers, with the trailer for the special being the no. 1 video for the week on Nick.com.