Down Under

Down Under
Show Info
Premiere Date	October 3, 2010
End Date	November 4, 2011
Status	Ended
Type	Spin-Off
Genre	Drama, mystery, thriller
Seasons	2
Episodes	23
Rating	PG-13
Production
Created By	tvguy
Showrunner	tvguy
Writers	tvguy

Down Under is a spin-off created by tvguy347. Down Under was originally called "(SBC): Down Under," but "SBC" was dropped within the first few episodes. It instantly became a hit on SBC, and was the second most viewed spin-off for nearly two years before being surpassed in 2012. Down Under received praise and was popular throughout its initial run, but has since been panned as one of the worst stories ever made. Despite this, it has been credited as inventing the SBC genre, wherein a spin-off/literature makes use of SBC members as its characters.

It has been rebooted twice, in 2012 and 2018 with the titles Down Under: Lotus and Down Under '18 respectively, but neither attempt panned out.

Plot

The show focuses on the SBC/TV.com (and later SBM) users being virtually sucked into Bikini Bottom while on the Xat chatbox. They have no clue what happened, how it happened, or what is going on. They initially are separated, but then find Spongebob. Doodlebob then shows up and shoots Spongebob with an bow and arrow. The friends flee to a cave. They then learn that Bikini Bottom was taken over. The show then carries on, becoming a drama/comedy/thriller type of show. Following the events of the Pilot, the show introduces the series' main antagonist: The Mastermind. The Mastermind is a manipulative fish that first comes into the show in S1E3. The Doodles, a group of crazy doodles, are introduced in Episode 1. We won't explain anymore, as it will spoil! But the show is home to everyone's favorite serial killer, The Admiral.

List of Episodes

Season 1: "The Zapping First Season"

Number	Title	Post Date
1.	Pilot	October 3, 2010
2.	Mysteries of a Madman	October 5, 2010
3.	The Mastermind	October 7, 2010
4.	Take to the Skies	October 9, 2010
5.	Visions	October 11, 2010
6.	Halloween Gone Wrong	October 20, 2010
7.	Become Alive	October 30, 2010
8.	Bikini Bottom	November 28, 2010
9.	Houston, We Have a Problem	December 6, 2010
10.	Out There Somewhere	December 12, 2010
11.	Thirty-One	December 19, 2010
12.	Listening in on Death	December 22, 2010
13.	Christmas in Bikini Bottom	December 24, 2010
14.	Cat and Mouse	January 2, 2011
15.	Fish's Anatomy	January 9, 2011
16.	Cope with Life	January 22, 2011
17.	Under the Dome	January 30, 2011
18.	Rubies Are Red	February 20, 2011
19.	Maneater	March 4, 2011
20.	The Merger	March 27, 2011

Season 2: "Red and Black"

Number	Title	Post Date
21.	Violets Are Blue	June 5, 2011
22.	Last Day on Earth	June 22, 2011
23.	Setup	August 10, 2011

Controversy

The show has sparked controversy. 4EverGreen was offended when his character was killed off in the show, which resulted into a short argument. Down Under was also involved in a controversial argument about how teenj supposedly refreshed his Team Spongebob page to be the Number 1 spin off. Down Under was once again involved in an enormous blowout between Mothra, 70s, and Elastic on SBC regarding Elastic ripping off Mothra's spin off she did, riffing Down Under.

Characters

Down Under uses actual users who have been transformed into fish. It uses almost all members, excluding a few. It also features several original characters, such as The Mastermind. Since creation, Down Under has inspired many spin offs revolving around Spongebob and friends in another dimension or world. This shows how popular the show is. It has also inspired other spin offs to use season nicknames. tvguy347 has stated himself that he is proud of the work's popularity, and that he isn't annoyed by the stories similar to Down Under, but instead is rather flattered.

Season Names

Each season of the show has its own unique subtitle. Season 1 was "The Zapping First Season", Season 2 was "Red and Black" and Season 3 would've been "Worlds Under."

Reception

The series was initially well received by critics throughout its original run and became the second spin-off to reach 2,000 views in SBC history. At its peak, Down Under was the second most-viewed spin-off on SBC. However, later reviews criticized the show for a convoluted and unfocused narrative. After being riffed on Jjs' Riffing Theater 3000, Down Under has been universally panned and recognized as one of the worst spin-offs ever written, including by tvguy. Prior to the jjs riffing of Down Under, the show was riffed on two other occasions by Elastic Dog and Mothra. The Season 1 episode "Christmas in Bikini Bottom" has gained particular notoriety for featuring a sex scene between SBM administrators abney317 and ssj.

Nonetheless, Down Under is credited as the first spin-off in the SBC genre, wherein SBC members are featured as characters.

Movie

It was announced that a movie had been given the green light and was already in production. It was expected to be released in August 2011 between the third and fourth episodes of Season 2 of the show. Following to the show's cancellation, the movie was left unfinished and unpublished for several years. On March 31, 2017, tvguy posted the unfinished movie after reading the Jjs' Riffing Theater 3000 episodes wherein Down Under is riffed.

Chart Performance

The below chart represents Down Under's peak position on the Top 10 Most Viewed Spin Off Chart for the years since its debut. It fell off the list in 2014.

2010	2011	2012	2013
#10	#2	#4	#7

Awards

Down Under won several awards during its run:

Best New Spin Off: Down Under won its first Spinny at the April 2011 7th Spin Off Awards as the Best New Spin Off.

Best Male Main Character: Down Under won its second Spinny at the April 2011 7th Spin Off Awards for the nomination of "70s."

Most Emotional Scene: Down Under won its third Spinny at the April 2011 7th Spin Off Awards for the scene concerning 70s and his deceased mother.

tvgiu was also inducted into the Hall of Fame at the April 2011 7th Spin Off Awards.

Best Location: Down Under won its fourth Spinny at the July 2011 8th Spin Off Awards for the location of Bikini Bottom.

Best Season Premiere: Down Under won its fifth Spinny at the July 2011 8th Spin Off Awards for the episode "Violets Are Blue."

In total, Down Under won five Spinnys and became the 2nd most viewed show on SBC.