In the underwater, aquatic world known as Bikini Bottom, a French narrator introduces SpongeBob SquarePants, an ecstatic, hyperactive, optimistic, naive, annoying, but rather friendly young Yellow Tube Sponge preparing to fulfill a lifelong dream and passion by applying for a fry cook job at a fast food restaurant, The Krusty Krab, much to the annoyance of the restaurant's cashier and SpongeBob's grumpy neighbor, an octopus named Squidward Tentacles. SpongeBob then becomes nervous and reconsiders applying for a job at the restaurant until his best friend, a starfish named Patrick Star, convinces him otherwise. Humored with SpongeBob's vulnerability, gullibility, and impenetrable enthusiasm and innocence, both Squidward and the restaurant's proprietor, Mr. Eugene Krabs, a crab decide to manipulate SpongeBob, whom they secretly consider unqualified for the position, by sending him on an impossible errand to purchase a seemingly rare high-caliber spatula. Soon after his anxious departure, five buses containing crowds of ravenous tourist anchovies stop at the Krusty Krab, its abundance of passengers furiously demanding meals. Unable to satisfy the anchovies hunger and alarmed by the mob, Squidward and Mr. Krabs are left to helplessly deal with the unsatisfied crowd. Not before long, SpongeBob returns from his errand, having fulfilled the request of Mr. Krabs and found a mechanical spatula, which he uses in speedily whipping up bundles of Krabby Patties for the anchovies and satisfying their hunger. After the mob subsides, SpongeBob is welcomed as a Krusty Krab employee, much to Squidward's dismay. After Mr. Krabs leaves, Patrick orders a Krabby Patty and is hurled from the establishment upon a mostly unseen, and audibly manic, reprise of SpongeBob's cooking feat. The episode ends with Squidward calling for Mr. Krabs. "Help Wanted" was written by series creator Stephen Hillenburg, Derek Drymon, and Tim Hill, and the animation was directed by the show's supervising director, Alan Smart. Hillenburg also functioned as storyboard director, and Drymon worked as storyboard artist. Hillenburg initially conceived the show in 1994 and began to work on it shortly after the cancellation of "Rocko's Modern Life" in 1996. Hillenburg's original idea for the pitch was that the writers would write a storyboard for a possible episode and pitch it to Nickelodeon. One of the original ideas was to write an episode with SpongeBob and Squidward on a road trip, inspired by the 1989 film "Powwow Highway".