Who lives in a prequel that’s made with CG? SpongeBob SquarePants!

Here’s what’s happening in the world of television for Thursday, March 4. All times are Eastern.
Top pick
Today a streaming service becomes a new streaming service, but it’s still the old streaming service, but with some new stuff and a plus sign. CBS All Access is dead. Long live Paramount Plus!
Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years (Paramount Plus, 3:01 a.m., complete part one of season one, six episodes): There’s a lot that could be said in regards to Kamp Koral, a show that may have been conceived and created against the late Stephen Hillenburg’s best wishes, though the fact that current and past SpongeBob writers are working on the show lends it a strong pedigree. Controversy aside, this SpongeBob SquarePants spin-off isn’t that bad of a yarn. In placing younger versions of the cast in a generic summer camp under the sea, the show manages to push a bit beyond winking references to its predecessor, engaging with some pretty funny, nonsensical gags (including a great bit where the captured jellyfish in SpongeBob’s net somehow transform into anything but jellyfish.) The elastic, frantic 3D animation can be overwhelming in spots, but it’s quite appealing overall, particularly in an episode that takes place in the evening, which has cinematic levels of lighting quality to it. Kamp Koral’s struggles are mostly meta: Why does this even exist? While centering the story on younger versions of established characters, the series doesn’t find many new things to say—even the dialogue and jokes haven’t been simplified for a presumably younger audience. In fact, the forced, static setting limits the storytelling capabilities immensely, with several moments of obvious padding and muddled direction. Ultimately, Kamp Koral is just SpongeBob SquarePants redux with a youthful CG coat of paint. [Kevin Johnson]
The Real World Homecoming: New York (Paramount Plus, 3:01 a.m., series premiere): While SpongeBob gets a prequel, the original cast of The Real World gets an unexpected sequel. In Homecoming, the seven strangers who once blazed a trail for those who wished to stop being polite and start getting real reunite in the very first Real World loft. Keep an eye out for Alex McLevy’s coverage.