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1987 United States & Canada TV series or program

Adventures in Odyssey
The AIO logo, 1991 to present.
Created by	Phil Lollar & Steve Harris
Starring	Hal Smith (1987 - 1994) Katie Leigh Paul Herlinger (1995 - present) Will Ryan Walker Edmiston (1987-2007) Dave Madden Alan Young Earl Boen Townsend Coleman Steve Burns Chris Anthony Corey Burton Jonathan Taylor Thomas
Country of origin	United States & Canada
No. of episodes	radio: 645 (at present) video: 17 books:15 Lists
Production
Producer	Focus on the Family
Running time	17-30 minutes per episode But can go to two hours
Original release
Network	syndicated
Release	November 21, 1987 – present

Adventures in Odyssey, also known as AIO or simply Odyssey, is an Evangelical Christian-themed radio drama/comedy series created by Focus on the Family in 1987.

The series centers on the fictional town of Odyssey, and in particular, an ice cream and discovery emporium called "Whit's End," and its proprietor, John Avery Whittaker. Episodes range from comedic to melodramatic and usually feature thematic and Bible references. Characters openly discuss Christianity and sometimes Bible stories are retold.

Having completed its 20th year, AIO has spanned 645 half-hour radio episodes collected into 51 albums, 13 pilot episodes, 56 Official Odyssey Podcasts , 17 animated videos, 15 books, two music album, and three edutainment computer games, in addition to related merchandise and the Passages and Kidsboro spin-off book series. The show has also produced two official behind the scenes guides and a DVD trivia game modeled after Disney's Answer That. The show can be heard on hundreds of radio stations in the United States, Canada and around the world.

History

Beginnings

In the spring of 1986, Focus on the Family founder James Dobson interviewed Bruce Wilkinson on the subject of media influence in modern society. Wilkinson told Dobson that complaining about media programming was not enough – that Christians should produce their own programming as a replacement.

In response, Dobson called on Steve Harris to launch a radio series. Focus on the Family hired Phil Lollar, a filmmaker and screenwriter, to assist Harris in creating the program. Lollar named the town "Odyssey" and the name of the program's main character was chosen: John Avery Whittaker. "Whit's End" was created, and Lollar wrote detailed histories and descriptions of Odyssey, John Avery Whittaker, and Whit's End. In early fall, Focus on the Family decided to finance a 13-episode test series called Family Portraits, which would determine whether the idea would fly or fail. The pilot was written and produced and it aired on January 5, 1987. Because of the positive audience response, it was decided to go full-force with Odyssey. In November 1987, the first Odyssey episode aired, originally titled Odyssey USA.

The First Eight Years - 1988 to 1996

A major change occurred in April 1988, after only 19 episodes of the new program. It was argued that the inclusion of "USA" in the program's name would alienate listeners outside the United States (and, in particular, in Canada). The show's name was then shortened to Odyssey for several episodes, until finally changing to its present title, Adventures in Odyssey. During this time, over 300 episodes were written and major storylines were introduced. Over 25 albums were also released containing episodes from the radio series.

The most significant change to Odyssey came in January 1994, when Hal Smith (Whit) died of a heart attack. With that, the voice of the main character was gone. Of course, a number of yet-unaired episodes had been recorded, but after all those episodes had aired, Whit disappeared from Odyssey. In 1996 Whit returned, and since that time has been voiced by Paul Herlinger.

1997-2008

After eight years of non stop production, the format and schedule of production needed a change. Therefore, a break was called and from December 1996 to September 1997 production halted on Adventures In Odyssey.

When the show came back there were significant changes. All previous child characters were discontinued and new ones brought in, with the exception of Rodney Rathbone. New storylines were introduced and new writers were used. Production-wise, the season approach, like television, was introduced and has been used since then.

In February 2007, Walker Edmiston, voice of Tom Riley and Bart Rathbone, died. He had been one of the core actors since the show's start.

2008 was the 20th anniversary of the show. To commemorate this milestone several nostalgic episodes were aired in the Spring of 2008 including a two part episode that brought back several of the former kids from the early years and a re imaging of the popular 1989 broadcast, "The Imagination Station".

The 2007-2008 season wrapped up all existing story arcs. On the May 14, 2008 Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast it was announced that the Adventures in Odyssey production and writing teams would be taking a break to re-evaluate the show and plan its future path. No new episodes will air until September 2009.

Structure

Format

AIO does not fall cleanly into a particular category. Episode plots range from the farcical (e.g., #440: "I Slap Floor") to the extremely serious (e.g., #499, "Exit"). In all, approximately one-third of all episodes fall in the purely comic category, a third in the purely dramatic category, and the remaining third are hybrid. However, all episodes are written to convey some moral, and a Bible reference verse, and are written to be both entertaining and acceptable to all age groups.

Most radio episodes are written to fit in a half-hour broadcast window, though it is not uncommon for a single episode to span multiple half-hour segments, divided into numbered parts (each carrying their own production number).

Initially, each AIO episode began and ended with a short story segment, usually around two minutes total, involving the program's host, Chris. These "wrap-arounds" introduced and highlighted the subject of the episode; at the end, Chris would give the Bible verses supporting the theme of the particular episode, as well as production credits and, occasionally, contact information for Focus on the Family. It was eventually decided that these wrap-arounds were so elaborate that they detracted from the main story and Odyssey plotline. Starting in 1991, Chris's role was reduced to a brief introduction ("Hi, this is Chris. Welcome to Adventures in Odyssey!"), followed by John Campbell's AIO music theme. However, Chris retained the role of concluding each episode with a recapitulation and biblical reference.

The theme song has remained the same since the beginning, although there have been variations.

Broadcasts

AIO is broadcast through thousands of radio stations in the United States and Canada. Originally, AIO broadcast once a week on Saturday, and almost every week would air a new episode - several years went by with a new episode broadcasting every single week. Once the show had become popular in the early 1990s, radio stations began requesting that AIO also air on the weekdays. By this time several hundred episodes had been recorded and the daily Adventures in Odyssey broadcasts began. The daily show consisted only of older episodes, and most of these episodes had to be updated to match changes that had occurred in the program. Once the older episodes had all been updated, the format of new AIO episodes was changed so that future episodes could be re-broadcast without modifications.

Releases

See Album list for more information.

AIO has released a total of 51 albums, containing episodes from the radio drama. All albums are now available on compact discs. In 2006 Focus on the Family said that album 45 would be the last album to be released on both cassette and CD, limiting future releases to CD only.

Themes

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Some serious topics dealt with in AIO include:

Death and the afterlife, in #211 & #212: "The Mortal Coil, Parts 1 & 2" & #241: "Forever...Amen" (dealing with miscarriages)
Abortion, in #134: "Pamela Has a Problem"
Espionage and terrorism in #290 & #291: "A Name, Not a Number, Parts 1 & 2
Spiritual warfare in #122 & #123: "Castles and Cauldrons, Parts 1-2"
Mind control and ethics in the Novacom saga
Creationism versus evolution in #68: "Choices"
Addiction in #288: "The Twilife Zone", #350: "The Time of Our Lives", and #537, "My Girl Hallie"
Bigotry in #129: "Not One of Us"
Guardian angels in #144: "Someone to Watch Over Me", #406: "Malachi's Message", and #540: "The Girl in the Sink"
The Underground Railroad and slavery in #314, #315, & #316: "The Underground Railroad, Parts 1 - 3"
Separation of church and state in #214: "The Living Nativity"
Historical revisionism in #308: "Subject Yourself"
Frivolous lawsuits in #306: "A Victim of Circumstance"
Divorce in #592: "Now More Than Ever", #597: "Out of Our Hands", #603: "The Family Next Door", #615: "Only by His Grace", & #626 & #627: "Life in the Third Person Parts 1 & 2"
Adoption in #605 & #606: "The Chosen One Parts 1 & 2"

Characters

Main article: List of Adventures in Odyssey characters

John Avery Whittaker, voiced by Hal Smith (1987 - 1994) and Paul Herlinger (1996 - present)
Connie Kendall, voiced by Katie Leigh
Eugene Meltsner, voiced by Will Ryan (1988-2000, 2005-present)
Katrina Shanks-Meltsner, voiced by Pamela Hayden and Audrey Wasilewski
Bernard Walton (character), voiced by Dave Madden
Tom Riley voiced by Walker Edmiston (1987 - 2007)
Jack Allen, voiced by Alan Young
Jason Whittaker, voiced by Townsend Coleman
Bart Rathbone, voiced by Walker Edmiston (1987-2007)
Wooton Bassett, voiced by Jess Harnell
Rodney Rathbone, voiced by Steve Burns
Dr. Regis Blackgaard, Edwin's twin brother, voiced by Earl Boen.
Edwin Blackgaard, Regis's twin brother, also voiced by Earl Boen.
Chris, the show's announcer, voiced by Chris Anthony

Plot arcs

Blackgaard saga

Main article: Blackgaard saga

The "Blackgaard saga" is the one of the main AIO storylines. The saga was broadcasted over a total of 11 years. The saga includes the 11-part Darkness Before Dawn series, originally broadcasted in 1995. The saga was generally about the ongoing battle between John Avery Whittaker and his nemesis, Dr. Regis Blackgaard.

Applesauce saga

Main article: Applesauce saga

In the "Applesauce saga," a dangerous computer program is discovered, named Applesauce. Also in the episodes, Richard Maxwell burns down the barn of Tom Riley. The saga began when Connie Kendall and Eugene Meltsner accidentally activating Applesause, causing the electronics in Whit's End to go haywire. Whit erased Applesauce in The Battle II, and there is no known copy of it.

Eugene and Katrina

One of the most popular plot arcs in AIO concerns Eugene Meltsner's relationship with Katrina Shanks. Eugene and Katrina's relationship was plagued by numerous miscommunications and misunderstandings, which were largely a result of Eugene's lack of experience when it came to matters of the heart. They did, however, eventually get married. They also have made a trip together to Africa, to find Eugene's father.

Novacom saga

Main article: Novacom saga

The largest continuous plot arc on AIO, the "Novacom saga" spanned 29 episodes originally aired over 20-months. It was about the Novacom Corporation, a media conglomerate who attempted to brainwash Odyssey and the rest of the world. Much of the television programming they run is controversial and violent, which quickly turns Whit, and many other AIO characters against Novacom. Later it is learned that Novacom tried to control the mind.

Special show types

In addition to normal shows, which involve characters in the Odyssey fictional universe, a few other formats are frequently used (in, perhaps, 10% of episodes). These divergent formats are usually connected to Odyssey by such devices as inventions of John Avery Whittaker, for instance.

BTV

BTV is a television show in Odyssey that is hosted by Bernard Walton. BTV episodes consist of several different segments that focus on a common topic. Usually the topics deal with Biblical topics with a few extra historical and scientific tibits thrown in.

KYDS Kids Radio

Kids Radio is a radio station run out of Whit's End. While it doesn't necessarily broadcast continually it has been used to tell many stories. A few of the broadcasted shows have included The Twilife Zone (a parody of The Twilight Zone, an idea which started much earlier through normal characters' dream sequences and turned into a Kids Radio program), The Jimmy Barclay Show, Candid Conversations with Connie, "Ask Mitch", (later changed to "Ask Doctor Wise") and O.T. Action News.

The Imagination Station

The Imagination Station is undoubtedly the most often-used plot device, outside of the major characters and "Whit's End"/Odyssey as a whole, in AIO. Indeed, it is almost a character itself, having evolved throughout the AIO storyline and playing a major role in most AIO plot arcs. The Imagination Station is one of John Avery Whittaker's inventions. People can use the station to experience historical and biblical events in a seemingly more-immersive version of virtual reality. The general concept is similar in many respects to the Star Trek holodeck. The station is typically used for educational and for other productive reasons; however, on one occasion the fictional corporation Novacom attempted to exploit its technology to enslave the entire world. In the video series episode "The Knight Travellers", the Imagination Station is used by the villain as a mind-control device, redesigned as the "Manipulation Station".

The Room of Consequence

The "Room of Consequence", another of Whit's inventions, was introduced in episode #236, "Into Temptation". The idea is that just as the Imagination Station allows individuals to step into the past, the Room of Consequence allows them to see a possible future, usually extrapolated from the decisions the person is making in the present. Unlike the Imagination Station, the Room of Consequence does not appear to allow for significant interaction with the future environment.

The Room of Consequence plays a much smaller role in AIO than the Imagination Station, with only ten episodes including it to date.

The Transmuter

The Transmuter is another one of John Avery Whittaker's inventions. Just as The Imagination Station allows a person to experience the past, and The Room of Consequence allows a person to see a possible future, the Transmuter allows a person to experience the present from another person's point of view. This lets you experience events from a perspective you normally wouldn't be able to see. It debuted in episode #419, "Another Man's Shoes". The Transmuter is described as bearing a resemblance to the weight scales in a doctor's office.

Criticisms

The "Split episodes" era

The "Split-episodes" era refers to a time period when two quarter-hour episodes were written and designed to air within the same half-hour time slot. This format was not popular with most listeners and the split episode format was discontinued.

Officer David Harley

Officer Harley made his first appearance in the third AIO episode, "Lights Out at Whit's End." His final appearance was on a 2 part arc called "The Return of Harley" in 1989.

Officer Harley was a local Police Officer that was not too bright but had a good heart and good intentions. His appearance on the show caused some negative responses from parents, who thought that his persona would send the wrong message about real police officers. Although the Adventures in Odyssey team did not agree with the negative feedback, they eventually decided to drop his character from future shows. Will Ryan, who voiced Officer Harley, was then given a new main character (Eugene Meltsner). Soon thereafter, a strikingly similar character named Harlow Doyle was introduced, though being that he was a private investigator rather than a uniformed officer, his bumbling antics could bring humor to the series without casting the police in a bad light.

Only three episodes that include Officer Harley are still re-aired unedited or included in updated album releases. The majority of Officer Harley's shows were later re-recorded and released in 1990 with new episode titles and different characters. The rest of his shows were slightly edited to remove him, or permanently pulled from future broadcasts.

Edited Episodes

Various episodes have been edited for inclusion on tapes, CDs, and re-broadcasts, and there have been complaints. The most well known edits occurred in the Harley episodes, but there have been additional changes over the years. Almost all of the approximately first hundred episodes have had their introductions and closings partially re-recorded or completely removed. Most of these changes occurred when the daily Adventures in Odyssey broadcast began in the early 90s. Since the old episodes would be re-broadcast periodically on this show, they were updated to match the newer episodes of the time, but this led to a shorter running time for many early episodes. The unedited episodes have not been available for over a decade, and recent releases such as the "Lost Episodes" continue to use edited versions.

Notes

Phil Lollar, The Complete Guide to Adventures in Odyssey (Focus on the Family, 1996), p. 3. ISBN 1-56179-466-X
Ibid., p. 4.

References

Sources

External links

v t e Adventures in Odyssey
Episodes Characters Books Category

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