CBS to air 'SpongeBob' Christmas special

U.S. actor John Goodman is to lend his voice to the character of Santa Claus in "It's a SpongeBob SquarePants Christmas!" CBS announced Friday. The new stop-motion animated special is based on the iconic Nickelodeon cartoon series, which is set under the sea and follows the adventures of the titular sponge and his pals. The Christmas program is to debut on CBS Nov. 23. Goodman is best known for his work in the TV sitcom "Roseanne," as well as in the films "Sea of Love," "The Big Lebowski," "Monsters Inc.," "O Brother, Where Art Thou?," "The Trouble with the Curve" and "Argo." He previously played Santa in 1998's "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie." "As the first stop-animation feature for SpongeBob SquarePants, 'It's a SpongeBob Christmas! is inspired by the popular song, 'Don't be a Jerk, It's Christmas,' by Tom Kenny [the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants] and Andy Paley," CBS said in a news release. "In this new special, Mr. Krabs' nemesis, Plankton, vows to get his Christmas wish -- obtaining the Krusty Krab's secret Krabby Patty formula -- by turning everyone bad in Bikini Bottom with the help of his special jerktonium-laced fruitcake."