Graveyard Shift

"Graveyard Shift" is the first part of the 16th episode of the second season, and the 36th episode overall, of the American animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. The episode was written by Mr. Lawrence, Jay Lender and Dan Povenmire, and the animation was directed by Sean Dempsey. Lender and Povenmire also served as storyboard directors. The episode was copyrighted in 2001 and aired on Nickelodeon in the United States on September 6, 2002. The series follows the adventures and endeavours of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. In the episode, Squidward and SpongeBob are forced to work 24 hours a day by their boss Mr. Krabs. Squidward soon becomes bored, and tells SpongeBob a made-up story to scare him off the night shift. After scaring SpongeBob, Squidward tells him that the story is fictional. However, later that night, real events in the story begin to occur. The episode featured stock footage of Max Schreck as Count Orlok from the 1922 silent film Nosferatu. Episode writer Lender proposed the idea as a gag at the end of the episode, which series creator Stephen Hillenburg accepted. Before the idea of Count Orlok, Lender thought of "Floorboard Harry", an idea that was deleted. The episode received critical acclaim upon release. Plot Squidward eagerly prepares to leave work at the Krusty Krab as it closes. When he refuses to take a last-minute order from a customer, Mr. Krabs overhears the conversation and asks the customer if he would give the Krusty Krab money if they stayed open later, and he agrees. Mr. Krabs is inspired to create a night shift, leaving an eager SpongeBob and an annoyed Squidward to work 24-hours a day.