NEW YORK -- Nicklodeon's new cartoon, SpongeBob SquarePants, has beaten The WB Television Networks Pokemon as the top-rated Saturday-morning children's show during the past month, Nick officials said last week.

SpongeBob, Nick's first original Saturday-morning series, debuted July 17, and it has averaged a 4.9 national rating among kids two through 11, or 1.9 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research.

Pokemon finished in second place with a 4.5 rating, or 1.7 million viewers.

Nick has picked up an additional 20 episodes of SpongeBob, which will begin airing in 2000.