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Editorial 68: The Blessed Small Town

This year Focus on the Family is asking fans to share their “One Grand Impact” story. In one of the prompts, they encourage you to discuss “how Adventures in Odyssey has blessed you”. That wording got me thinking. God really has used this show to be a blessing. Not only has AIO made a positive impact, it’s touched and blessed each one of our lives in ways that are hard to express. In my latest editorial, The Blessed Small Town, I write about how Adventures in Odyssey has blessed my life and spiritual journey. You can check out Editorial 68 and then leave your thoughts in the comments. You can share your "One Grand Impact" story here: ​www.adventuresinodyssey.com/1000th

From AIO Update • 7 days ago

When does the Green Ring Conspiracy end? (AIO Era Five Breakdown)

This article is part of a series on Adventures in Odyssey Eras. (This is a note to you! I’ve been working on this article in my limited free time for the better part of the last several weeks. I’ve been whipped around between personal situations, almost literally, meaning I haven’t had as many chances to work on this series as I should’ve. This article was intended to go alongside a What’s Odyssey Podcast episode that would’ve released a few weeks ago. In any case, I wanted to get it out before the release of Album 77, since this new series will point out the very pivotal nature of that new Album. I was going to start by describing this era first, which encases the Green Ring Conspiracy and its domino-effects. Soon, we’ll run through the rest of the eras chronologically. For now, enjoy this post!) Back in April, the fifth episode of the What’s Odyssey Podcast ended with the promise of an infographic timeline of all of Odyssey’s events broken down into the five Eras described in that episode. I wasn’t able to do it, because that ended up being a very hectic and fast-paced time for me, and I never got around to it. So I’m writing this article now as a sort of apology for that. Now, the original premise of that was supposed to be a sort of explanation of how every Adventures in Odyssey saga is connected, but phase out of each other into separate periods of AIO’s long history, which are its eras. That’s sort of what we ended up seeing in the podcast, but again, it was a rushed time for me and we didn’t really get around to the full depth of what I wanted. However, at the time of writing this, I recently read Polehaus53’s article on what I’ve always called the Green Ring/TTB saga and was very impressed. The main premise can be summarized in one quote: Why are The Green Ring Conspiracy Saga and The Ties That Bind Saga considered two separate stories? I argue that their plot connections are way too deep to be considered separate. It got everything I’ve always believed right, except for the conclusion. The Green Ring/TTB does end, but it ends the same way Novacom did, if you’ll remember from our series on it a few years back. In the article, Polehaus53 referred to this connection as the USAIO (United Sagas of Adventures in Odyssey). We do have a name for this here in at AWB, but as mentioned in that podcast episode, we simply refer to this concept as the Adventures in Odyssey “eras”. For example, Novacom has a domino effect that spans all the way until 2008, although that domino effect is split in two, which we covered on the podcast. Anyway, this post from Obsessors has me reinspired to do a new series that will be the sort of conclusion to both their post and the fifth What’s Odyssey Podcast episode. It’s finally time to break down Odyssey step by step, but let’s start with the Green Ring/TTB since it’s the most recent one that’s been brought up and it’s the most fascinating. As Polehaus explained, this saga (yes, I will continue to refer to it in the singular) revolves around two main albums, The Green Ring Conspiracy and The Ties That Bind. This saga is originally seeded in what I defined as the transitional period between eras four and five (that is, 2008 through 2010). That initialization is clearly defined in Square One and A Thankstaking Story, which establish the main characters that show up in successive albums. Thus, Album 52 is the genesis of both this lengthy saga and the fifth era of Odyssey. To redefine the bounds of the era, it lasts all the way from the Green Ring intro in 2011 until either 2020 or 2022 (I lean more toward 2021, more on that in a second). The Green Ring Conspiracy’s direct aftermath takes place during the albums in between GRC and TTB, but it’s mainly these three albums: Album 54: Clanging Cymbals, Album 55: The Deep End, and (more obscurely), Album 58: The Ties That Bind. That more direct aftermath is reflected mostly in Penny and Jason’s storylines that are (again, mostly) wrapped up in the first two albums I mentioned there. There is, however, one major plot point that is left hanging immediately after GRC ends. That is the one that involves Buck and Mr. Skint. Skint’s plot won’t begin to tie up for another six years after the Green Ring’s release (or about two years in Odyssey time, as I’ve calculated), but Buck’s is set up immediately with the episodes To Mend or Repair and Child’s Play. And yes, Life Expectancy and its introduction of Jules is part as well, though I firmly believe Jules’ and Buck’s storylines are originally two, and end up intertwined into one. Buck also does something else for us as we move into The Ties that Bind. His time in Juvy gives us a pretty concrete timeframe for the amount of time between the two major albums. I typically use Ohio penal code for things like this, since it’s a pretty good reference and reflects a lot of laws seen elsewhere in Odyssey (pun intended). It would seem that Bucks’ charges would put him in a detention center for anywhere from three to six months. Since he had multiple charges (fraud, kidnapping/holding, etc.), the six-month option is probably the most likely. Within this, we can also put in a few estimates on when other less major events between the albums happen. For example, A Penny Saved and A Penny Earned only happen mere days or a week after the last events of Album 53. The Labyrinth occurs anywhere from a few days to about two weeks after, and concurrently with those events. Subsequently, Home Again happens a few weeks after that, which puts Child’s Play and To Mend or Repair an even place in between. That’s all an aside though, but it still shows the clear connection between the two albums. It also reveals Buck’s centrality to this saga. Buck, as I’ve realized, is actually the major character that brings both the saga and the entire era together. We see this when we finally arrive at the opening scenes of Album 58. Within moments, Buck is reintroduced and proves pivotal, but he’s not the only one with a pivotal storyline. So to lay it down, when The Ties That Bind (the album) ends, there are two major storylines left hanging. Each of them is introduced with a question. The first, which ends up dominating the next couple of albums, is Wooton and Penny’s. That is introduced with Wooton’s proposal at the end of the last episode of The Ties that Bind. Throughout Album 59, there is an even combination of Buck’s storyline and Wooton and Penny’s. Polehaus53 pointed out that they combine in Dinner Roll Models, and that’s correct. Then what will be the further development of Buck’s story is posed at the end of Let’s Get Together by Matthew. I’ve made a distinction here, but it’s important to note the very integral link between The Ties that Bind and Taking the Plunge, because they really are the same album, so much so that I’ve taken to referring to the episodes in Taking the Plunge as The Ties that Bind Parts 15-20 for years now. This is why when it concludes, we begin to see the end, or really the beginning, of those two storylines finally falling into place, right before a new wrench is thrown in. Albums 60 is just about entirely the setup for the Bassett wedding. Whit tells Connie and the Bassets he’ll be taking a break from the events of the past couple weeks, which encompasses the Ties that Bind but probably GRC as well, which is realized in The Feud for Mason County. However, not one moment after that “break” from all the immediate domino effects of the two major sagas that we are introduced to the last major figure of this Adventures in Odyssey era: Morrie Rydell. As another time perspective, we see that Whit does not appear in Album 61 at all until A Very Basset Wedding. Parker for President and The Key Suspect happen within days of each other, and the events of Old Tricks do as well, so they all likely happen simultaneously with the Feud of Mason County. With the temporary break from Wooton and Penny, attention is finally directed toward Buck and his side of the aftermath. It’s important to note that from this point in the era forward, “Album 62: Let’s Put on a Show!” is the only album outside of its successor and the Buck-focused “Trial by Fire” that does not include a Rydell episode. It brands itself uniquely on top of this, as an album of “Relationships and New Beginnings.” Needless to say, this is a turning point in the era’s narrative. It’s also important as it reintroduces Jules, who’ll end up as Buck’s girlfriend, and concretely places Jason in his role as manager of Triple J Antiques, which ties up another loose end from before The Ties That Bind. There’s one last missing piece as well, which Matthew mentions a few episodes prior, and that’s Jay. His storyline and character development begin to sprout in the Club in the episode There and Back Again, which comes out just a few months after Album 62. It’s important to note that Wilson Knox also comes along to essentially replace Jack, who is canonically officially retired. In real life, this was due to the passing of Alan Young, which occurred in 2016. In Album 63, we get the development of Buck and the Bassetts post-TTB adaptations. It kicks off with the Bassett return first, then moves into Buck’s further growth of the relationship with Jules that was hinted at in Legacy. In Under the Surface, Jay’s story is continued through the official non-Club introduction of Buddy. The Club begins to introduce a young lady who will soon be a bigger character at Whit’s End, Renee Carter. We also get a respin on the Dinner Roll Models-style story as Buck and Wooton both have concurrent stories in the same episode. Out of the Picture is very pivotal to the entire era, because it shows the main shift in the GRC/TTB narrative. We see the peak development of Wooton’s then-20-year-old character arc, but that’s a story for another time. This episode also moves into a story arc that involves digging into Buck’s past, which will ultimately lead to the next major specific Green Ring episode, The Long End, and ultimately to Buck’s adoption. This post-Album 62 character arc, originally seeded in Crash Course, is the fruition of everything leading up to it, from the events of 2012’s Album 55 to The Ties that Bind. And just when you think this is going to be the huge conclusion to everything, a new card is thrown into the deck that is Jillian Marshall, who will end up being key to the 28 Hours (arc? It seems too soon to say). In any case, we see three things in both Expect the Unexpected and Trial by Fire. We see Detective Polehaus, the hardened detective who was essential to both the stories of GRC and TTB, become his own character, showing his humanity to both the citizens of Odyssey (and the greater metropolitan area) and to the audience in The Toy. We see Eugene and Katrina’s security as Buck’s foster parents reaffirmed in Divided We Fall, which shows the move toward Buck’s eventual home. We see Ted Humphries, shown at the very beginning of The Green Ring Conspiracy, displayed in a moral light during Breaking News. We see the continuation of the Rydell arc outside of the context of Emily (another aspect we’ll focus on later), in The Good in People. And we see a whole ton of payoff that includes another Wooton/Buck crossover, Jillian integration, and Connie and Penny restructuring, especially in the light of the Bassetts (still relatively recent) marriage. And finally, at the very end of Trial by Fire, it’s the three-part penultimate payoff to seven years of Buck’s character development. Where the Labyrinth tied up the main plot seed, the conspiracy with Grote, and where A Very Bassett Wedding concludes a love story found in that very first 2011 album, we see The Long End wrap the element of what happened on the grounds of Odyssey. The two pulled-apart crooks went their separate ways and are now reunited. And, it is a direct sequel to the newer saga that starts at the end of Under the Surface. And I would be confident to say this is where the Green Ring Saga ends, except for one loose end, which Adventures in Odyssey and its staff just had to complete, throwing a monkey wrench into this whole era. And that monkey wrench…is Penny. Yep. I always believed her storyline was the one addressed the most quickly. The very second episode after the Green Ring ended had her name in the title! But nope, there’s another loose end. We’ll get to that in a second though, because we’re very close to the end of this thing. But since I’ve started going down the era-breakdown road, let’s buckle down and wrap up now. I do believe that for its part, The Long End closes a chapter in this very lengthy era, and opens a third one. This third (and final) chapter of this Adventures in Odyssey era is the one that really leans into the side of things that doesn’t deal with TTB/GRC. Initially, that’s the Rydell arc, which kicks into high gear over the next three albums, spanning into 2019 and 2020. The pinnacle of More Than Meets the Eye is A Sacrificial Escape, which got several fans buzzing on its debut. There’s also Nightmares by Constance, which began to inspire “Jillson” (eghhh) talks. The subsequent album serves as a sort of sequel to both these episodes, with direct sequels in Good Job! and Further from the Truth, respectively. A Wise Surprise is also thrown in as a sort of sequel to the Wise episodes that are, at this point, four to five years past in our time. And finally, June (or October) 2020 arrived with the album that has always been a personal thorn in my side, Album 69, the album in which every episode belonging to it is a sequel to itself. It begins with The Rydell Revelations, which commences both what I believe is the turn-around point for the Rydell saga and the beginning of the end for this Adventures in Odyssey era. Let’s summarize the rest of this era before we get to the complicated parts. It’s important to remember that while the side of the Rydell arc that focuses on the Rydells (rather than Emily Jones, more on that in a later article) kicks in beginning with Album 70, a new development begins in this album as well. The Christmas Bells teases a completely new character arc that will ultimately involve Olivia Parker. A couple years back, I made the point of recognizing that this new arc was secured by the moral quandary Olivia dealt with in The Clown Hero. But this raises another interesting spin. From that point until the present, AIO makes a point of incorporating Club episodes (and later comics) into their “mainstream” works. It occurred more subtly with this example, but moved in closer, especially in light of the soon-to-be upcoming “new Club app”, although most fans didn’t know it at the moment. Other times we can see this are the Odyssey team’s whole “Club suggestion box” deal, and the recent introduction of Renee into mainstream albums. That “Club suggestion box” is also what I believe led to the production of the much-praised “28 Hours”. Finally, an entire storyline began and wrapped in the Club in September and October of 2023. But back to 2021. Around this time, the conversation surrounding the Rydell arc began to move south, especially with the release of “The Team”. We saw this recognized in the same album, with four of its six episodes dedicated to the intriguing “One of Three” saga (as it was then known). It’s important to see that this is where Zoe Grant makes a huge debut as the deuteragonist of this arc. We also see Connie and Ms. Adelaide play big roles in this saga. What’s interesting is, until the last few episodes of this short arc, Whit doesn’t appear at all, and when he does, it’s only briefly, just as with the Bassett’s saga. This could be related to the concurrent negative light Whit had recently received, but I believe it’s more. Throughout the second and third chapters of this era, Whit shows up as a main guide or character less and less. The exception to this is of course Rydell, but even he admits he intentionally stepped away from that arc. That’s something we’ll look into deeper in a few weeks, but it’s important to keep in mind as a defining factor of this era. Speaking of characters stepping away, November of 2021 marks the time this era is thrown for a loop. This is where the trickiness comes in. Before the release of Album 75 last year, my default assumption was that Era Five ended around Album 70, or more likely Album 72 with Buck’s adoption. But here’s what makes this strange. The passing of Will Ryan meant Odyssey had a giant elephant in the room, with very few options. Odyssey was able to successfully record Buck’s adoption, which secured down a major plotline that had been running for 11 years at that point. The question then was “What happens to the Meltsner family?”. Even as I’m writing this, I’ve now found that rather than the 2021-2024 period being a transitional period, as I initially believed, there isn’t much of a transition between Eras Five and Six, but it is there. The monkey wrench that threw a hole into my theory was As Far As It Depends on Me, which made the annoying decision to uncover the Green Ring Saga once again. It was my understanding that Penny’s direct involvement in the saga was concluded now twelve years ago with the episodes that literally had her name in them. I see now that AIO had bigger plans up their sleeves. So let’s deconstruct this last, very important chapter of the era. This third chapter is a chapter of conclusions. Yes, Buck’s adoption kicks it off. It concludes the decades-long saga, but especially those last portions involving Out of the Picture and The Long End. Then, we see Jillian’s introduction payoff in 28 Hours, where she is really the star of the show. Buck and Jules’ relationship seeded, or rather hinted at, in Legacy, Part 1, and the rest of Album 62 finally pays off in the last episode of Album 74. Years and years of Renee’s character development show in her mainstream debut, where she is inducted as an employee of Whit’s End. And then, Album 75. The big 75. The spotlight in this album is focused on The Best is Yet to Come, but let’s direct our attention away from that for a second. As Far As It Depends on Me is where the unseen gem lies, because until now, the presumptive conclusion of the Green Ring Conspiracy was The Long End. But this episode puts a more symbolic, and honestly more fulfilling capstone on this lengthy saga. As far as I’m concerned, and to answer the question posed by this article, this is where the Green Ring Conspiracy and Ties That Bind saga ends, and where it’s supposed to end. But it’s not where the era ends. There’s one more saga to wrap up, and the Rydell arc. Take a look at a clip from my article on Realizations at the end of 2023: For all intents and purposes (even if I don’t agree with the moral implications), the Album 75 episode I glossed over, “Two’s Company, Four’s a Crowd”, intentionally sets up both Emily’s reconciliation with Whit and budding “friendship” (ugh) with the Rydell’s for the three-part episode we see kicking off Album 76. Indeed, this entire album is a reprisal of Album 69 in its three-part Rydell, three-part Jules/Buck format. So where As Far As It Depends on Me is the cutoff for the GRC/TTB, this episode is the cutoff for the entire era. That brings us to the present. The absolute present, as when this article releases, there will only be a few hours remaining until the release of Album 77: A New Perspective. There is only one episode in this album that intrigues me, if not concerns me. That is “Painted Into a Corner”, the episode featured on cover, since it shouldn’t be directly related to the TTB arc, but rather the greater Wooton arc as a whole, which, as I explained earlier, I’ll be writing a seperate, more thorough article on soon. So there you have it! A breakdown of one of the most complicated eras in Odyssey history! Of course, there are things I glossed over, such as family introductions, like the Calhouns, the increasing obsolescence of the Parkers (which I have written about by the way), and other more minor sagas that have been sprinkled across the decade. All in all, though, I think this article gives a well-rounded explanation of this very complex concept, and I hope you enjoyed this lengthy read! TL;DR: The Green Ring/Ties that Bind Saga is the main focus of one of Adventures in Odyssey’s longest eras. It has three major chapters: the intro and set-up, which includes the transitional period from 2010-2011, the bulk of the era’s most important events, which lasts from 2011-2016 and gives us the main characters on whom we focus, and finally, part three, where more minor sagas take on the scene while the major one wraps up. Those minor sagas include but are not limited to, the Rydell arc, the Olivia arc, and the introduction of a new generation of families, such as the Calhouns and Perkins. It is one of the most pivotal periods of Odyssey, because it covers the rise and fall of multiple main characters and sagas. Once again, thanks for reading. We’ll be covering the release of Album 77 as it happens, as well as breaking down the other four AIO eras. For now, see you soon!

From AIO Writer's Block • a week ago

Eugene’s Puzzles 2024

Greetings and salutations! Here are the solutions to these perplexing puzzles. July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 The post Eugene’s Puzzles 2024 appeared first on Focus on the Family.

From Clubhouse Magazine • 2 weeks ago

Analyzing Chris’ Wraps: “Red Wagons and Pink Flamingos”

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to a new idea I had for posts where I analyze the wrap-ups AIO host Chris Anthony Landsdowne gives at the end of the episodes! What do I mean by analyzing the wraps at the end of episodes? Well, usually Chris is the one who bridges the overall message and plot of the episode that the listeners have just heard. And she always does an excellent job at it. But there are some times when I want to add on to what she says or think that there’s another message that is being communicated that she doesn’t talk about. So, in this post I will examine what she says and additionally add my own thoughts. Once again, this is a new idea I had. Not sure how it’s going to turn out, so let’s see how this goes. Red Wagons and Pink Flamingos This is an episode on friendship, a topic which I have always been interested in. We see in the episode how best friends Erica Clark and Kim Peterson come into conflict (over Kim being late to Erica’s birthday party) and Erica decides to stop being friends with her. They stop speaking with each other. Meanwhile, Jack Allen and Jason Whittaker come into conflict over video game machines in Whit’s End. However, Jack doesn’t talk to Jason about it although he is bothered by it.Jack speaks with Erica and through this exchange, each of them realize that they need to address their conflicts. Jack and Jason come up with a compromise, and Erica apologizes with Kim, and they make up. At the end of the episode, Chris says, Matthew 5 verses 23 and 24 say, “So, when you offer your gift to God at the altar and you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there at the altar. Go and make peace with him.” When we have fights with people, God wants us to drop everything and make up with them. He places a lot of importance on forgiveness and resolving conflicts. We may have arguments with other people, but we should never let that keep us from being friends, and remembering to say, “I’m sorry”. Chris Anthony, at the end of “Red Wagons and Pink Flamingos” I think Chris does a good job of capturing the basic message of this episode: the importance of addressing conflict in a friendship. Conflict is bound to arise in every relationship. When one friend does wrong to the other, it is best to address it. “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.Matthew 18:15 (ESV) There is a degree of humility involved in listening and correcting the error of your ways. But I think that what this episode really emphasizes is that it is important to remember the friendship. Just because a conflict arises, each party should remember the love they have for the other and keep this in mind as they work through it. After all, if you really are friends, I think that the parties should put every effort into trying to resolve it in a kind and loving way. This is much better than either party taking on the attitude that the other is in the wrong from the start. Prejudice isn’t quite the word I’m looking for, perhaps ‘preconceived idea’?? I don’t know, I just think it may be best not to go in assuming that either party is right/wrong. Both sides should take on an attitude of humility and be willing to listen to each other. Although we don’t hear the dialogue between them, Jack and Jason are able to come to an agreement and sort out their issues. And I am sure that both of them would agree that there is a level of humility needed in order to resolve conflict. Being willing to let it go is also important. Bringing up the conflict will not do much good. Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends.Proverbs 17:9 (ESV) In the case of this episode, Erica is holing a grudge against Kim and continually brings it up. She allows that memory of the conflict to infect every interaction she has with Kim. She forgets, as Jack points out, that she and Kim are friends. Being willing to let go of a conflict (regardless of whether it be resolved) is another part of forgiveness. If either party is unable or unwilling to forgive, then there’s not much hope of any resolution taking place. Repeating the matter will not go far in coming to a resolution.The episode “Split Ends” comes to mind. It has a similar theme and message, actually. Liz and Mandy have had a major conflict and eventually resolve it. Mandy says, “Good friends just move on, I think.” We also see this in the current episode with Erica and Kim being able to be friends again and heading off to the movies. Chris says, “When we have fights with people, God wants us to drop everything and make up with them. He places a lot of importance on forgiveness and resolving conflicts.” I completely agree here. Close friendships are not easy to form. If one is able to achieve a good, close, virtuous friendship, I would consider it a blessing. But conflict will eventually arise. What can be more important than preserving that friendship? All work should go towards resolving conflict. Put effort into it, but also remember the love and respect that each party has towards each other. And be willing to forgive and move on. Overall, I think that Chris does an excellent job in the wraps for this episode! She touches on the main themes and uses a great passage of scripture to back up her main point. Whew, this was definitely a more unique post! I think it worked well, I enjoyed doing analysis of and adding on to Chris’ wraps. What do you think about this new idea for posts? Should I try some more? What do you think about Chris’ wraps for this episode? I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback, so feel free to leave a comment! In other news, Album 77 begins releasing in the Adventures in Odyssey Club this month. You’ll be hearing our thoughts on it at some point in the future. Stay tuned. -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 weeks ago

Review of “The Ark’s the Thing”

Hello all! Polehaus53 here. Jeremiah from Adventures for Odyssey Fans reached out to us some time ago expressing interest in doing some posts on the Odyssey Obsessors. It's good to have you, Jeremiah! We hope you all enjoy his review of "The Ark's the Thing".-Signed, Polehaus53 In this episode, Whit puts Emily and Olivia in charge of directing a play for VBS. Unfortunately, they only had 3 actors, Keegan, Miles Plisowsky, and Darcy Plisowsky. They ran in to several problems, Keegan asked too many questions, Miles didn’t memorize his lines, and Darcy didn’t like the feeling of being her brothers wife. Eventually, things got better and the play turned out good. Now, about the characters: Keegan This was Keegan’s first episode appearance. He was mentioned by his sister in episode #930 “Judge Me Tender”. We know pretty much nothing about him, besides that he’s a Christian, smart, and that he asks a lot of questions. Miles Plisowsky This was Miles’s 3rd appearance on the show. Before this, he appeared in episode #914 “Hurricane Perkins” and #961 “Survivor Boy”. We also know little about Miles, but that he has a twin sister, his dad’s in the military, and he’s easily persuaded. He’s also friends with Wyatt Perkins. Darcy Plisowsky This was Darcy’s 2nd appearance on Adventures In Odyssey. She appeared earlier in episode #914 “Hurricane Perkins”. Meaning that she didn’t appear on the show for over 60 episodes! She has a twin brother Miles, she likes making new friends, and she’s friends with Bridget Perkins. My Thoughts I personally really liked this episode, the reasons being: I like dramas and plays. I enjoyed the story’s moral and plot. I also liked how Mr. Whittaker handled the situation. I really enjoy Emily as a character, and she helped make the story better. Conclusion In conclusion, this episode was great. The characters in the story and the choices they made fit the episode perfectly. Hope you guys enjoyed it!

From Odyssey Obsessors • 4 weeks ago

Editorial 67: The Case of the Secret Zoom

​I had an experience last year that I will never forget. It was both surreal and full of surprises. It was the day I talked to Katie Leigh, the voice of Connie, and Townsend Coleman, the voice of Jason, on a Zoom call. In this month's editorial, entitled The Case of the Secret Zoom, I talk about my opportunity getting to speak to these amazing actors, and what I learned from the experience. Check out Editorial 67 and then let me know: which Adventures in Odyssey cast or crew member would you most want to meet?

From AIO Update • a month ago

Summer 2024 AIO Content Guide!

This article is part of a series on Episodes by Month. It’s been a few months, but let’s get in June and July as we update our Episodes by Month series! Summer is one of the most patriotic seasons, demonstrated in the United States by Memorial Day, Flag Day (kind of), and Independence Day! The “For God and Country” album from AIO is great for this season, but a few selections are particularly seasonal, including the ones we’ve listed below. Don’t forget we include the links to all episodes for easy access. By Dawn’s Early Light This episode focuses on the 1812 war between the United States and Britain, and is perfect for flag day. But on a more festive note, the Independence episodes of the album are particularly seasonal, especially for July 4th. If you want to listen in a sort of order of events, a few are: The Midnight Ride The American Revelation And who can forget the pinnacle: The Day Independence Came But as far as holiday episodes go, we can’t forgo one of the most important holidays of summer: Father’s Day. AIO has an episode entitled just that! Father’s Day We also have some other father-themed episodes; let’s take a look: Our Father Father’s and Sons Now let’s swing over to other summer-y episodes. The season isn’t just about America, after all. It’s about straight-up fun! We see this in one of Odyssey’s earliest albums, The Wildest Summer Ever! We’ll get to Barclay episodes in a second, but first, let’s add some of Odyssey’s first episodes to this list, such as: V.B.S. Blues Camp What-A-Nut The Last Great Adventure of the Summer I also skipped over Family Vacation, which is part of a lot of sets of summer-y Barclay adventures. including: Our Best Vacation Ever Aloha Oy! And the other summer favorites including: Heatwave And the other heat-centric episode: Fair-Weather Fans But summer Odyssey isn’t limited to older episodes. There are lots of road trip, mission-themed (because summer is mission season of course) and other generally summer-y episodes. Those come from the Ultimate Road Trip Album and the Club Let’s pull some! We’ll start with the Bernard-Eugene Road Trip Saga: First-Hand Experience Second Thoughts Third Degree It Happened at Four Corners Fifth House on the Left As well as the Connie-Joanne Road Trip Arc: Seeing Red Black Clouds Silver Lining Pink is Not My Color Something Blue Now Club missionary episodes: The Launch Mission Unaccomplished To The Ends of the Earth Unfair Game And some more! The Champ of the Camp Between a Camp and a Hard Place Cars, Trains, and Motorcycles And last, summer is baseball season, so finally, let’s get some of AIO’s most iconic baseball episodes in this sort of exhaustive list. Whit’s Flop We had to include this one, it’s a certified classic and fits pretty well in this guide! On top of it are: The Winning Edge The Secret Weapon Target of the Week All-Star Witness The Defining Moment As far as non-audio content, there is the sort of sequel to “Aloha, Oy!” that is the Elsewhere strip, Tokyo Woe, available for Club members. There is also the patriotic set of Imagination Station books “The Redcoats Are Coming!”, “Captured on the High Seas”, and “Surprise at Yorktown”. These are all part of a non-canonical saga within the Imagination Station universe. There are also a couple monthly strips that are seasonally appropriate. These include: The July 2022 EIO The Bonus July 2022 EIO August 2022 EIO June 2024 EIO And there you have it! A whole guide for your summer listening pleasure! Enjoy it and we’ll be back with more in this series soon! See ya later!

From AIO Writer's Block • 2 months ago

Uniting the Green Ring and Ties That Bind Saga

You know…there was one idea I was gonna talk to you guys about. But then it kinda fell apart. Buck Oliver in “The Case of the Ball Cap Hero” There are two classic popular sagas which have happened in Odyssey since the relaunch. First, there was The Green Ring Conspiracy Saga which is all about a money conspiracy and the people in Odyssey who were involved in it: Wooton Bassett and Penny Wise, Katrina Meltsner, Buck Oliver, Detective Don Polehaus, and of course, John Whittaker. Then there was The Ties That Bind Saga which is all about an idea conspiracy and the people in Odyssey involved in it: Wooton Bassett, Penny Wise, Katrina Meltsner, Buck Oliver, Detective Don Polehaus, and of course……hey, wait a minute!! Why are the exact same people from The Green Ring here in The Ties That Bind? Can I even listen to The Ties That Bind without background on what has gone on before in The Green Ring? Well, the above paragraph says it all. Why are The Green Ring Conspiracy Saga and The Ties That Bind Saga considered two separate stories? I argue that their plot connections are way too deep to be considered separate. It is something that I have thought about before. In this post I’ll be going through how I think that The Green Ring Conspiracy and The Ties That Bind are inherently connected and should therefore be thought of as one overall saga. DISCLAIMER: I was pretty excited to type up this post to share my idea. However, I came to a hole in my argument. But we’ll get to that later. Until then, we’re going to be discussing what I like to call: The USAIO (The United Sagas of Adventures in Odyssey) (That’s a terrible name, but it’s all I can think of for now without me having to create an entirely new name by mixing the names of the two sagas into something silly like “The Green Ties Saga”, or “The Conspiracy That Binds Saga”) Conspiracy First of all, the same basic premise exists. A conspiracy. In “The Ties That Bind, Part 7” Connie says that what they’re dealing with feels like a conspiracy. Allow me to be scholarly and insert the dictionary definition of “conspiracy” here. conspiracy (noun) a secret plan by a group to do something unlawful or harmful the action of plotting or conspiring Oxford Languages Both sagas have conspiracies which play prominent roles to the plot. In The Green Ring Conspiracy, there is a plot to distribute counterfeit money across the country. In “The Ties That Bind, Part 12”, Whit says that a conspiracy of ideas is sometimes the most powerful kind. The characters deal with the clashing of worldviews with the Let’s Get Together Festival. Now, I know that it looks like both albums have entirely different conspiracies. One involves physical money. The other is rooted in intangible ideologies. However, let’s look at it deeper: A conspiracy implies that there are motives and parties involved. While the specific motives of said parties may change or different, the parties are still trying to accomplish a goal. This is prevalent in Albums 53 and 58. Whether it be the distribution of counterfeit money or convincing Whit to join the Let’s Get Together Festival, there are motives which drive the actions of every single character involved in The Green Ring and Ties That Bind. Buck and Penny: Unifiers As I mentioned earlier, mostly the exact same characters are involved in the sagas. But there’s a common denominator in The Green Ring Conspiracy: Buck Oliver and Penny Wise are entirely new characters who are introduced. They are entirely different people, yet they are the same in this aspect. The listeners begin by knowing absolutely nothing about Buck and Penny, but by the end of the album, we get a sense of who they are as people. We learn their motives behind their actions. And these two characters are what bring the major storylines together in The Ties That Bind. Penny becomes a permanent resident of Odyssey and becomes Connie’s roommate. So, she’s heavily involved in The Ties That Bind Saga. In The Ties That Bind Saga, Buck Oliver returns and goes into foster care with Eugene and Katrina. We see these two characters’ storylines clearly uniting everything together in “Dinner Roll Models”, in which Penny and Buck are present with the Parker family. Hanging Storylines…?! “Yeah…that’s where my theory kinda falls apart.” Buck Oliver, “The Case of the Ball Cap Hero” So, given all this, at what point does the USAIO end? It clearly starts with Album 53: The Green Ring Conspiracy. So far so good. But what episode does it end with? There’s one of my main problems. With Penny and Buck’s presence, they inadvertently create NEW arcs. I know that my previous point said that unify everything. However, that’s my main problem: they don’t unify anything in the long run. Think about it: As a result of Penny staying with Connie, Wooton and Penny are able to hang out and eventually get married. As a result of Penny no longer living with Connie, we get introduced to Jillian Marshall. Jillian Marshall’s presence allows the Novacom Saga to be revived. Buck returns to Odyssey and meets Jules Kendall. They start hanging out, and as a result of that they begin a relationship. With their relationship, it becomes complicated as the Meltsners think through moving away in the four-part “The Best Is Yet to Come” episodes. And there are complications which arise in their relationship that are still ongoing in their latest episodes. You see? Both sagas launch new storylines which are closely related to them. Yet these new storylines aren’t interconnected. You can’t really say “THIS episode is where the saga ends!” because there are story arcs which Buck and Penny launched that are still going on. There’s no way that I can say these new storylines are concluded. Additionally, as I thought back on it, I realized that there are multiple storylines going on in The Ties That Bind; you really can’t simply condense them into one. Each one has its own unique moving parts and characters. Whit’s fainting spells and Wooton and Penny’s marriage and the Meltsners taking in Buck are separate stories. They may have started as being interconnected, but they each eventually branched off into their own unique stories. Therefore, I insert my quote: “Yeah…that’s where my theory kinda falls apart.” Buck Oliver, “The Case of the Ball Cap Hero” Conclusion So, what’s my conclusion? Um…I don’t know. I have concluded that it’s way too complicated to create The USAIO. Too much complex storytelling and trying to align and combine stories which need to be separate. What was the point of even bothering to type all this? All I’ve done is show the flaws in my thinking.Well, I think there was still good that was done in taking time to write this post. It gave me a chance to try writing about an idea I’ve had in my head for years. Even though it didn’t work out, I’m glad to have tried. I’m willing to admit that I’m wrong and that my logic sometimes doesn’t make sense. That’s humbling. And it’s part of the writing process and experience. I’ll just say, listen to Album 53: The Green Ring Conspiracy before you listen to Album 58: The Ties That Bind. I think that one can become very confused if they listen to The Ties That Bind without listening to The Green Ring Conspiracy first. Thanks for reading my confused thoughts! Do you have any thoughts on my thoughts? Do you consider The Green Ring to be separate from The Ties That Bind? Have you ever thought about this before? Feel free to leave a comment! I’d be interested in hearing your opinions! And be on the lookout for more posts. -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 months ago

What Your AIO Club Character Icon Says About You

Greetings and salutations! Welcome to my little corner of the internet:) I’m so excited to be back, especially with a post as fun to make as this one. Let’s jump straight in! I hope you enjoy 1.) Whit, Connie, or Eugene You are an old and loyal fan. You probably haven’t heard any album past The Green Ring Conspiracy. You really enjoy the classics tho and probably use a quote from Bernard Walton on the regular. 2.) (doulble L) Jillian (double L) Marshall You definitely ship Jason and Jillian and regularly get into heated debates on the club chat forum. You are also probably younger than 12 and don’t follow this blog.  3.) Jason You are definitely and Indiana Jones kid. You wanted to be an archilogist and you have listened to the Search For Whit probably more times than is healthy. You have a complicated relationship with Jack Allen and also Pastor Knox.  (That or you’re <12 and also ship J&J) 4.) Wooton (or Penny) You’re a classic fan but probably never got too obsessed. You seriously enjoy Odyssey but you haven’t listened to every episode and probably didn’t cry when the Wodfamchocpod released its last episode (to date). You are an fun loving artist and super fun to be around. You also make the best memes.  5.) Mandy Strousburg You’re a fan of the classics and one of the most wholesome people on the internet. You love people, art, and probably animals. You’re a kind soul who probably resonates with Mandy’s troubles a little bit too much.  6.) Katrina Shanks You love the old episodes but have probably listened to every one to date. You like literature and jazz music. You enjoy hot drinks and you probably find a lot of comfort in warm characters like Katrina and Jack Allen.  7.) Doris Rathbone You did NOT know that is what canon Doris looked like before you saw her as an option. And you also definitely picked her because it was the funniest picture.  8.) Rodney Rathbone You went through a Christian edgy phase (you might still be in it) where you would try to only wear jeans a flannel to church and you wanted to dye your hair black. At one point in your life you have had a DIY bones of wrath poster on your wall. (no shame, most of us have been there- not excluding me.) 9.) Kelley Honestly the same as Rodneys. You never realized what Kelly looked like and when you saw her you really started thinking about how FOTF made every “rebel kid” look soo 2000 emo.  10.)  Phillip Glossman You are the oldest child who probably doesn’t live at home. The club app was gotten for your siblings who made your account and your picture before you knew you had a choice in the matter. Thanks for reading! Check out my instagram @theperilouspenblog. Feel free to share any ideas, or characters you’d like to see next. ~the perilous pen~

From Perilous Pen • 2 months ago

Album 77 Latest Information

Greetings and salutations! In this post I’ll be going through everything we know about the upcoming Album 77. But first, it’s time to issue our usual spoiler warning! Spoiler warning! Do not read this post if you do not want to know anything about the upcoming AIO album! Okay, you’ve been warned. So, what do we know about album 77: A New Perspective? What new information do we have? Not much, to be blunt. Quite honestly, since Album 74: Buckle Up! was about to be released, the AIO Team has been making it a point to reveal everything about upcoming albums themselves. It makes sense that new information come from them, rather than risking letting anything big get revealed through outside sources, such as that detailed Album 73 summary back in early 2022. It does take away a little bit of the fun of discovering new information about upcoming albums; but it does make sense. However, I will go through what we do know so far. So, without further ado, here’s what we know about Album 77: A New Perspective Available for pre-order on Amazon Album 77: A New Perspective is now available for pre-order on Amazon. It will be released on CD on October 8th, 2024. I assume it will begin to release on the AIO Club sometime this summer, but nothing has been announced yet. Official Cover Art We now have the official cover art. I know it was released some time ago on the official AIO Facebook page, but this is the official art with the boarder. Been a while since we’ve had a purple cover. And we now have the subtitle: Six stories on Kindness, Listening, and Reconciliation. Summary? Not Quite… Although the AIO Team has revealed the artwork, they have not given us an album summary yet. So, my question was, since the album is now available for pre-order, does that mean the Amazon page has a summary? Not quite. It begins with the usual introduction to AIO, which goes, “Adventures in Odyssey audio dramas release the imagination of both young and old as listeners follow a host of characters through adventures in the town of Odyssey,” etc. etc. But it’s usually the second paragraph which gives us details about the album’s content. Here’s what the second paragraph has: Album 77 returns to the cliffhangers from Album 76, Keep It Together. Amazon That really doesn’t reveal much. All I can conclude is that the stories from the Album 76 episodes “The Rydell Realizations” and “Right Notes, Wrong Key” will be continuing in this album. Which I think is a given. So, I assume we’ll just have to wait until the AIO Team decides to reveal an official album summary. Episodes As far as I know, no episode list has been revealed for this album. I’m looking at the AIOWiki page for Album 77. The only episode it lists is an episode called “Making Nice”. There’s no summary, but the characters listed appearing in it are Jay Smouse, Cooper Calhoun, Joseph Calhoun, Ryan Cummings, and Myron. The episode is written by the new writer Jesse Kellum IV, who has written “Legally Wooton”, “The Fast and the Ridiculous”, and “Alibis”. The episode was recorded on October 26th, 2023 and directed by Marshal Younger. I know that there are a bunch of upcoming episodes listed on AIOWiki with no confirmed albums. I think some of those might be for Album 77 (Such as the episode “Painted into a Corner”), but nothing has been confirmed yet. I might be missing some information, as I have been very behind on the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast. If there’s any additional information that you may have, please let me know! Also, what are your thoughts on the upcoming Album 77? Any theories on what will happen in the album? Feel free to leave a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Well, that’s all I have for now. Stay tuned for more posts this summer! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 months ago

Editorial 66: Next in a Long Line

Album 76: Keep It Together has finished airing! It includes an unexpected spy adventure in Baltimore with Buck and Jason. As the Meltsners adjust to life away from Odyssey, I've been thinking more about their future, and their past.In my latest editorial, "Next in a Long Line", I talk about Leonard Meltsner, and why I think now might be an opportunity to hear from him again. Leonard disappeared from the audio show after Album 49, but he will always be an important character. Should Leonard finally return? Check out Editorial 66 and then share your thoughts in the comments.

From AIO Update • 2 months ago

Odyssey’s Law Enforcers

Greetings and salutations! A couple weeks ago I was looking through an old notebook and found a little Adventures in Odyssey commentary I wrote which is dated June 5, 2019. That’s nearly five years ago! It was titled “A Few of Odyssey’s Police Officers”. I wrote about a few of the policemen in AIO and their personalities. It definitely isn’t the best writing, but I decided the content was interesting enough to salvage. So, in this post I have typed up and organized and heavily edited what I wrote. Enjoy! I have a great interest in criminal justice. It is not something I want to do as a career, but it is something that I have enjoyed seeing in media for years. So, therefore, I am a huge fan of Odyssey police officers. In this post I’ll be going through a few of my favorite enforcers of the law who have appeared in Adventures in Odyssey over the years. Officer David Harley Officer Harley appeared in the early days of Odyssey. AIOWiki describes him as “dim-witted”, which I suppose is accurate considering how silly he is, but maybe a little too harsh. He did have moments where he showed seriousness and competence. “Harley Takes the Case, Parts 1-2” are examples of this. But parents complained about Harley giving a bad impression on our real-life police officers and his representation of authority. So, the AIO Team wrote Harley off the show and confiscated his episodes. Some of these episodes were remade using different characters, including a character created to replace Harley: Harlow Doyle. I wrote in the notebook, “This man, who’s a detective and not an officer, is a complete goofoff!” (Me, 2019). Harlow is on another level of silliness and un-seriousness to the point that the AIO Team has to use him in small doses. In a few of the remade Harley episodes, Harley is replaced with another policeman: Officer Patrick O’Ryan. Officer Patrick O’Ryan Patrick O’Ryan, also played by Will Ryan, stands in as an Officer Harley replacement in a few episodes. He is definitely more serious about his job. We see him do an admirable job in handling the situation in “Hold Up!”, for example. He is similar to Officer Harley in the sense that he does make some jokes, but in his case, he clearly is joking. He appears more frequently in the earlier episodes and eventually is used less and less. His last appearance was in “The Top Floor, Part 2”. This might be because another policeman steps into the spotlight during this era. Captain Richard Quinn For some reason, I’ve always liked the name ‘Quinn’. But Captain Richard Quinn is another example of someone who is serious about their job. An episode that comes to mind is “Sounds Like a Mystery”. Once the statue is stolen, Quinn immediately begins investigating. He began questioning people and looking for evidence. He questioned Rodney and found the evidence he needed. His questioning tactics are not the same as another officer in Odyssey. Detective Don Polehaus I am a big fan of Detective Don Polehaus. First appearing in “The Green Ring Conspiracy, Part 1”, he is introduced as a very strict, stern, policeman. His questioning tactics are very different from others. Compare Captain Quinn’s interview with Rodney in “Sounds Like a Mystery” to Detective Polehaus’ interview with Rhonda Adelaide in “The Ties That Bind, Part 5”. Two entirely different officers questioning their suspects in entirely different ways. Polehuas speaks to Ms. Adelaide as though he knows that it was her who was behind the vandalism of Whit’s End. He’s even told that he’s making assumptions. Officer Quinn is not quite as demanding and doesn’t talk to people like he knows it was them. But it goes to show how committed and serious Detective Polehaus is with his job. His tough, no-nonsense approach when investigating is something I enjoy hearing. However, Detective Polehaus has come a long way. He first appeared as an extremely stern, cold-hearted policeman who enforced the law. But in recent episodes, we have been seeing a softer, more human side of Detective Polehaus. We first began seeing this in “The Toy”, where he emotionally explains to Whit, Ed, Wooton, Dr. Graham, and Jason about his nephew and thanks them all for everything they did. From there we have continued to see this side of him in episodes such as “Auto Response”, and more recently, “Fishing for Gold”, “Dose of Virtual Reality”, and “One Last Treasure Hunt” where we see him with his granddaughter. We’ve been seeing a lot of character development from Detective Polehaus lately, and I’m excited to continue seeing it! Well, that’s all I have for now. Whew, that was a lot of transferring/organizing/rewriting thoughts written in a notebook from my younger self. I hope you enjoyed reading this post as much as I enjoyed working on it! What about you? Do you have a favorite law enforcer in Odyssey? Let me know your thoughts! Your interaction and engagement is always appreciated. There are still quite a few things I have in the works, so stay tuned for more posts! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 months ago

Horses in Odyssey!

(yes, I draw horses too) Welcome to this very long-delayed post about Odyssey’s horses! (Kind of like the dog post I made some years ago.) I am a horse person, and took lessons for two years, but unfortunately, these days, do not have the money to ride consistently, nor enough experience to work with them extensively from the ground. But I still read a lot about horses and stalk famous horses online. *cough*. To start us off, I’ll be finding pictures of well-known Odyssey horses to match with their audio and/or book descriptions. Leah According to, well, everything, this was Tom’s first horse. According to Cross-Check, she is an American Paint mare. And she’s also scared of loud noises. Maybe she looks a little like this. Rachel Rachel was Tom’s second horse. In Cross-Check, he had just purchased her. She is described as a brown and white Appaloosa. Okay, this isn’t a perfect picture, but I thought it was cool because there was a foal – AKA, Little Joe! Little Joe The youngest of the horses. We didn’t hear much from him, apart from Bernard’s comment that he “isn’t so little anymore.” I like to imagine that Little Joe is still alive, the last of Tom’s horses. Now, onto my observations from horse-related episodes. Opening Day The introduction to the Shepards! The horse scene here is when Connie takes the girls out on a trail ride. I believe Connie and Bethany ride double from what I can tell. Aubrey makes a strange mention of spurs while making an excuse to stay behind. The saddles, I get, but I find it funny to imagine that Tom Riley just had extra sets of spurs for his guests to use just lying around the barn. Or perhaps I’m just not well-versed in cowboy culture. Or maybe Aubrey was making stuff up. Potential Possibilities It’s amazing that Marvin stayed on when Leah bolted… I think he should have been pegged with natural talent as well! (I have been on a runaway horse. That was scary.) Also, they say that if a horse bolts, no one should gallop after a runaway horse to stop it. That could be even more dangerous! The runaway horse has to stop eventually. Provided you can stay on. Perhaps that was what Aubrey was worried about? Idk. Also…Tom’s horses jump? *confused* Why am I confused? Because this whole time, I’ve been under the impression that Tom’s horses are Western. Actually, no, it’s not just an impression – it’s been a given, since Aubrey mentioned a saddle horn. Western saddles have those. On the other hand, jumping is an English riding sport. It’s possible that Tom’s horses do both, but idk, it was just a little unexpected. Ooh. Hunter-Jumper. The stable I rode at did those shows all the time. I didn’t, though. I was not that good. This episode is still jarring in terms of the horse continuity. Already-established image of Tom’s horses from past episodes: Classic cowboy(girl?) and Western tack. The image Potential Possibilities gives us: Classic English hunt-seat rider and tack. Not trying to stereotype either of these riding styles, but it was an unexpected jump in my mind. Not sure if the writers were aware of this, though. Hm. Angels in Horsehair We don’t hear anything much about horses in Odyssey for a long time. In my opinion, horses are probably the least demanding ‘pets’ in terms of sound effects. Horses really don’t make that much noise apart from snorting, breathing, and maybe whinnying. Though, perhaps finding hoofbeat sounds got annoying. This is a great horse episode! I love that the Riley farm is still involved with horses even after all this time. Poor Renee. That’s a tragic story. (I have a headcanon about Renee taking a job as a riding instructor after this episode.) Hanson belongs to Becky, then? Or Tom? She said he wasn’t a rescue horse. Ooh. Another headcanon opportunity. Now, I don’t know much about lungeing/roundpen work. But I have come across it many times in vague detail. The episode’s description of it sounds accurate. I’m just realizing that there’s a whole new aspect of Odyssey horses that I hadn’t considered: Horse artwork. I…don’t think I will bother with that. For one, I can’t expect horse tack to be accurate within Gary Locke’s style of art. Two, there is way too much to say in too much jargon. I’ll just leave that can of worms unopened. Anyway, Angels in Horsehair was great because everything horse-related seemed to be accurate and there was nothing confusing going on. I really wish there were more Odyssey horse episodes. There should be an episode about what’s been going on at the Riley-Clemmens farm. Well, that concludes my brief horse rant. I wonder if there are other AIO horse people out there.

From Odyssey Obsessors • 2 months ago

Wilson Knox Begins To Think Maybe He Shouldn’t Have Unbelievers Leading Worship

ODYSSEY, USA – Today local Pastor of Odyssey Community Church Wilson Knox started to rethink who he had leading worship at his church events. Knox has been serving faithfully in his position at the Church for several years now and moved to Odyssey because of his relation to local ice cream shop owner John Whittaker. Buck Meltsner and Jules Kendall have been regularly attending Odyssey Community Church for awhile now with their respective parents or guardian. Recently these two started attending church youth group events more frequently and as a result, they were asked by Pastor Knox to help lead worship for an upcoming event. They both agreed and a couple days later were singing in front of the Church. Everything seemed to be going well as Kendall and Meltsner sang a beautiful rendition of the hymn Amazing Grace. As the song closed, the audience clapped and everything seemed serene. However, Knox became overwhelmed with uneasiness about his decision to have them play, but he couldn’t figure out the reason for this feeling. Suddenly it came to him! He realized that when he asked them to sing, he had just caught them skipping out on the message portion of youth group. Knox bit his tongue in disappointment at his own lack of judgement. He then remembered he didn’t even know if either of them were even Christians! They were up there singing things they didn’t even believe! Thankfully the service ended and Knox informed them that he would not ask them to lead worship again unless they were saved. Knox breathed a sigh of relief as he calmed himself with the thought that at least they didn’t sing any Hillsong, Elevation, or Bethel music.

From AIO Writer's Block • April 30, 2024

The Last Battle and Applesauce

I am a huge Adventures in Odyssey fan; kinda obsessed (obviously). But I am also a huge fan of The Chronicles of Narnia. And I love how Odyssey references Narnia fairly frequently. Anyway, I recently read The Last Battle again. And I was reminded of how during the beginning of the Blackgaard Saga where Whit kept the key to the secret computer room inside the book The Last Battle. AIOWiki also makes a note of this. The key for the secret computer room in Whit’s bookshelf is hidden in C.S. Lewis’s “The Last Battle,” the last book in The Chronicles of Narnia. “The Last Battle” is an apocalyptic story about the end of the world, but in a Christian context, so for the key to be hidden there hints ominously about the power of the Applesauce program – that it may have something to do with the end of the world.-AIOWiki I asked myself, what is the significance of this? What relevance does The Last Battle in The Chronicles of Narnia have to The Battle Between Good and Evil in The Blackgaard Chronicles? Rereading The Last Battle I got an idea. (Spoiler warning for The Last Battle! If you do not want to know essential plot details for the last book in The Chronicles of Narnia series, stop reading now!) So, the events of The Last Battle begin with Shift the ape and Puzzle the donkey finding a lion’s skin. Shift makes it wearable and puts it onto Puzzle. “You look wonderful, wonderful,” said the Ape. “If anyone saw you now, they’d think you were Aslan, the Great Lion, himself.” “That would be dreadful,” said Puzzle. “No it wouldn’t,” said Shift. “Everyone would do whatever you told them.” “But I don’t want to tell them anything.” “But think of the good we could do!” said Shift. “You’d have me to advise you, you know. I’d think of sensible orders for you to give. And everyone would have to obey us, even the King himself. We would set everything right in Narnia.”–The Last Battle, Chapter 1: By Cauldron Pool With Shift’s usual manipulation he convinces Puzzle to wear it and make everyone believe that he is Aslan. The two are successful: Everyone is fooled, and as the story progresses, Narnia is thrown into turmoil. Before long, Narnia is taken by Calormen. It becomes clear that Shift wasn’t merely trying to have fun bossing people around by using the lionskin. He had a motive to attain something that he deeply wanted. This is realized by Jewel the unicorn later on. He says, We see that the Ape’s plans were laid deeper than we dreamed. Doubtless he has been long in secret traffic with the Tisroc, and as soon as he had found the lionskin, he sent him word to make ready his navy for the taking of Cair Paravel and all Narnia.–The Last Battle, Chapter 9: The Great Meeting on Stable Hill The plan from the beginning was to overthrow Narnia. Puzzle was a pawn in those schemes. Essentially, the lionskin was the required catalyst to Shift’s overall plan. In the same way, we see this in The Blackgaard Chronicles with Regis trying to get Applesauce. I especially love The Blackgaard Chronicles book series which has been expounding and giving further explanation to Dr. Blackgaard’s scheme. “You’ve seen nothing! Do you think Whittaker simply invented that program overnight? He was developing it long before he ever thought about Whit’s End! Applesauce has power and potential you can’t possibly begin to imagine. The things you saw were insignificant. Hidden inside the program is something of incomparable value. I’ve worked long and hard for it, and now that it’s within my grasp, no one—especially a pip-squeak like you—is going to ruin it for me. Is that clear?”-Regis to Richard Maxwell, Rook’s Ruse, Chapter 9 We all know the Blackgaard Saga, so there’s not much more to say. Richard Maxwell was a pawn in the schemes of Blackgaard, and Applesauce was the required catalyst to Regis Blackgaard’s overall plan. The parallel here is amazing! Anyway, this was just a small thought that I had that I thought I’d share. There are so many things that I can analyze about The Last Battle and Odyssey. I could go on to compare the relationships between Puzzle/Shift and Tirian/Jewel to Regis/Richard or Eugene/Connie. However, these are probably posts for another time. What is the significance of The Last Battle being present in The Blackgaard Chronicles? I’m not fully sure, but the connections between the two are really fun to look into. Maybe with further analysis and discussion we can find out. Well, that’s all I have for now. Thanks for reading! What are your thoughts? Have you ever noticed Odyssey paralleling things in other media? Feel free to leave a comment! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • April 30, 2024

Editorial 65: A... is for Actor

From the beginning of Adventures in Odyssey, the show has boasted some amazing talent. Sadly, a number of AIO voice actors have passed away over the years. But there are others who are still around, even if we haven't heard from them in a while. Might they return to the show one day?In my latest editorial, "A... is for Actor", I talk about seven actors whom I would love to hear on the show once again. After you've read Editorial 65, let me know in the comments: Who would you like to hear return to Adventures in Odyssey?

From AIO Update • April 18, 2024

You Might Be an AIO Hangout Member If…

you’ve gotten into a heavy discussion in #controversial you have no idea how the trusted system works you’ve cried over server emojis you’ve tried to figure out who are family members tried to start a spinoff server you’ve welcomed someone who didn’t respond stayed up until 1 am playing spyfall If you don’t understand this post, you can join our Discord server here: https://discord.gg/A7BSjmrZ. It’s a great place for AIO fans to gather and have discussions!

From Adventures in Opinions • April 17, 2024

Another News Post: Product, Books, and Albums!

Greetings and salutations! That’s right, this is a news post! This is the first news post of 2024. It’s kind of funny that I used to release tons of news posts reporting the latest Odyssey news, but now it is not very often when I do. There are a couple of reasons why this is. First, I sadly do not have the time I had before to keep up with all AIO products. Secondly, the AIO Team has been making it a point to release all major upcoming AIO information themselves as opposed to letting the fans find it from the vendors. Therefore, it’s not very often when one does come across noteworthy or significant Odyssey news. The AIO Team themselves take care of that. So, that’s why I have not been doing news posts as often as I used to. However, I recently found a couple of interesting things that I thought I would share. Here we go: Odyssey Puzzle I was browsing the Focus on the Family Store and found that there is an Adventures In Odyssey 1000-piece puzzle available! I really like the picture! We have all-new Gary Locke original artwork here of episodes we have not seen illustrated before. Welcome to the world of Odyssey, where your puzzling skills will be put to the test! The Odyssey Memories 1000-Piece Puzzle is the latest way to enjoy fan-favorite characters in an activity the whole family can enjoy. The vibrant colors and distinct scenes keep the puzzle moving while providing plenty of challenge for avid puzzlers. For even more fun, listen to your favorite audio episodes while you work the puzzle! The Focus Store I’m not sure when this product released, but I thought this was really cool and was something I had never heard about. This product seems to be only available from Focus on the Family, so be sure to order it today! The Newest Imagination Station Book The Imagination Station book series continues to release its books. It is about to release its 32nd book in the series. I am slightly behind on the series, but here’s a summary of the latest book, Courage at the Castle: This really is a different kind of adventure for cousins Patrick and Beth. After visiting the USSR in the sixties to help a Swedish pastor smuggle Bibles to believers in Russia, the cousins are swept away to fifteenth-century England to learn how the English Bible even came to be―and the real costs it would take to make that possibility a reality. They meet Christian hero William Tyndale, as well the furious King Henry VIII. Patrick and Beth begin to see that God’s people have always had enemies desperate to stop the spread of His love and truth. Amazon The story of William Tyndale has been done in the audio series before, in the episode “When In Doubt…Pray!”, so it’s pretty cool that it is also now being done in book form. The book is available for pre-order on Christianbook.com and Amazon, so be sure to check it out! Album 76 Airing On The Radio For those of you who are not members of the Adventures in Odyssey Club, the wait is over! Album 76: Keep It Together has begun airing on the radio! The Rydell Realizations, Part 1 The Rydell Realizations, Part 2 The Rydell Realizations, Part 3 Right Notes, Wrong Key Making An Honest Buck, Part 1 Making an Honest Buck, Part 2 Saturday, April 6, 2024 Saturday, April 13, 2024 Saturday, April 20, 2024 Saturday, April 24, 2024 Saturday, May 4, 2024 Saturday, May 11, 2024 Be sure to give them a listen! We can also look forward to the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast’s Question and Answer session for this album after it finishes airing. Second Average Boy Book I am a fan of the Average Boy stories in Clubhouse Magazine and the Average Boy Podcast (which is co-hosted by Jesse Florea, host of the Official Adventures in Odyssey Podcast). Back in 2021, I reported the first Average Boy book, which unlike the previous books, was not a devotional book but an actual chapter book. It released on February 8, 2022. It’s a fun story. However, I thought that it would be the only one. So, I was very surprised to find out that there is a second book just like it that will be releasing! What happens when “Average Boy” Bob Smiley gets to the end of an above-average school year? Why, it’s time for an above-average summer, of course! If things go according to plan―and Average Boy always has lots of plans―then this summer will be his best one ever.You see, Average Boy isn’t going to sleep in until noon this summer―at least not every day. No, he has big goals for the next few months. This summer is when Average Boy will finally build that tree house he’s been planning with his best friend, Billy. This summer is when he will brush his teeth every morning (as soon as he finds his toothbrush). And this summer he’s setting a goal to invite everyone in town to church.There will be challenges along the way―challenges like Donny the school bully, or Sarah and Everley, who always seem to have water balloons in hand. But his biggest challenge this summer is the Huge Hairy Hisser, who lurks in the woods behind Average Boy’s house and seems determined to ruin his tree house-building plans.It will definitely be a summer to remember! Amazon So, the first book takes place during the school year, and the second one takes place during the summer. Makes sense. The new book will be released on September 17, 2024. It is available for pre-order from Christianbook.com and Amazon, so be sure to check it out! While you wait for it to be released, buy book 1 and book 2 of Devotions for Super Average Kids and give them a read. Album 77 Artwork Revealed Finally, the AIO Team revealed the artwork for Album 77 on the AIO Facebook Page on Friday, April 12th. Allow me to first issue the usual spoiler warning. SPOILER WARNING! Do NOT continue to read if you do not wish to see the artwork or title of the next Adventures in Odyssey album!!! Okay, you’ve been warned. Here it is: It’s very interesting to say the least. No summary for the album has been revealed yet. I have thoughts on this artwork, but we’ll probably talk about it in another post. Stay tuned. Well, that’s all the news I have for now. What are your thoughts on these news items? Will you buy the Odyssey puzzle? Are you interested in the upcoming books? What are your thoughts on the artwork for album 77? Feel free to leave a comment! Your engagement is always appreciated! Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • April 13, 2024

Album 76: Keep It Together airs on the radio and online

Odyssians, assemble! Album 76 airs on the radio today, so we thought it would be fun to release a spoof of the album cover. There are some Easter eggs to find as well! Whether or not you're a big Morrie fan, I think we can all appreciate this Odyssey-Avengers crossover. Another amazing piece by @Rebl_Art. (Find out more about the artist here: linktr.ee/rebLart)New episodes will continue to air over the next five weeks. As usual, no spoilers in the comments until each episode has aired. You can hear Album 76: Keep It Together in full on the AIO Club, on CD, and as a digital download on a variety of music platforms.Follow our Instagram page @aioupdate for more Odyssey fan art, memes, videos, fan fiction, quotes, contests, and more.

From AIO Update • April 6, 2024

In The Deep End

Well, it’s me again. And I’ve been listening to what I am now calling…. “deep” episodes. (apologies, Album 55. I’m not talking about you specifically.) What do I mean by that? I mean, the ones that are clearly in over a normal kid’s head. Not your average slice-of-life episodes. But I don’t mean the action-packed, spy mystery episodes either. I’m thinking of episodes like so: Under the Influence Yikes, this one escalates quickly. I mean, if you ask me. We go from “Hey, there’s a friend I haven’t seen in a while!” to “I’m illegally driving someone else’s car and getting arrested!” Poor Aubrey. It’s also a salvation episode! Those are always great. I first heard this as part of the Novacom Saga, and I always enjoyed it as a little breath of air from the mystery. But still, it’s intense! Shows some of the extremes of peer pressure. It was kind of scary to observe the progression. The Turning Point Another episode that escalates relatively quickly. We go from “My crush is meeting my dad” to “I’m transferring to another college to make space between me and my almost-boyfriend.” This one is also pretty sad. Yeah…I’ve been listening to the Eugene and Katrina storyline. I believe I have said this in one of my WILTs, but I’m finding it interesting (and somewhat scary) how I’m able to relate to episode like these nowadays. Not in the exact same way, but in some senses. Perhaps that’s why this one hit me so hard. The ending though. “I never want to do anything like that again for as long as I live.” The Chosen One When I first started listening, I was very fond of this episode and Kelly. (my first [terrible] fanfics were about her actually *cough*) I love the tension between doing what’s right as a Christian but also setting boundaries. It’s something I think about a lot. The point where Connie is rightfully angry about her missing book (I feel her pain) but she knows she needs to forgive Kelly. And where Tamika has to come to terms with the wrong Kelly did to her. And the tension between simply following the rules versus doing something hard that God calls us to do. A great story! Now More Than Ever After not hearing it for years, this episode touched me in a new way. I was amazed at how similar Liz and Mandy’s story was to something I went through a few months before. This one of those “sad ending” episodes. The reality of the Straussberg’s situation was not one that could be resolved in one episode, but it also taught an important lesson about prayer, and perseverance in friendship. I really never paid much attention to this episode before, apart from it being the kickstart episode for the Straussberg story. But now it feels heavier, probably because I can relate now. For Thine is the Kingdom This is an episode I heard a lot some years ago, before we had the club. It was one of those random free episodes we found floating around the internet. Anyway, I heard it again yesterday. It does go pretty deep. Talking about Courtney’s dreams and how sometimes our dreams will probably never come true. Also, Mr. Whittaker was referencing C.S. Lewis at the end with the analogy of the actors and the play, though he did not say it. Perhaps I was just desensitized to this episode after hearing it so many times, but it is a tough story. And the wrap music is amazing…gives a whole different feel to the ending than a normal AIO episode. *** There are many more episodes that could be classified as “deep.” (someday I’ll talk about Mistaken For Good!) That’s one thing I love about Odyssey: being able to find episodes like these, and explore their deeper meaning. I’d also love to hear about any “deep” episodes that you’re fond of!

From Odyssey Obsessors • March 31, 2024

Top Villains Who Need to Return

In this post I’ll be going through villains who I think should return. Now, I think that there’s something to be said about returning characters. The AIO Team has stated that they do not bring characters back in the audio episodes for the sake of it. The characters need something to do if they return. There needs to be a story to tell. When I put together this list, I thought hard about which characters should return who would have the potential for deeper stories to be explored. I have note included specific plots on how to go about bringing back the characters, I have just listed them and given my reasoning as to why I think they should return. Archie Haggler Archie Haggler appeared in Album 53: The Green Ring Conspiracy. I recently heard him and Wally Haggler exchange a few words in “The Green Ring Conspiracy” and I realized that we really don’t know any details about their lives or relationship with each other. In fact, we do not know very much about the Haggler family as a whole. We have a general idea that they do not have the best relationships with the law because of their involvement in criminal activities. That’s mainly from the comments that are made by Detective Polehaus. If Archie Haggler were to return, I’d be interested in hearing his backstory explored. What exactly is the relationship with his brother? What happened in the family that led them to have such a reputation? I think it would also be a great opportunity for deeper character growth of Jay Smouse if he is involved in this story and as he learns about the things that Wally was unwilling to talk about in The Green Ring Conspiracy. Sherman Wurt (The Whisperer) The “Accidental Dilemma” episodes are among my top favorite episodes. This is partly because of the villain, Sherman Wurt, better known as The Whisperer. Or “Squirt”, by Jason. He is absolutely hilarious in these episodes. However, I think that it is important to remember that he has a backstory. He and Jason have had a history. AIOWiki makes an interesting note on The Whisperer’s page. The Official Guide states: In the #84: “The Battle, Part 2”, Whit says that Applesauce was broken into “on two separate occasions.” In fact, Dr. Blackgaard and Richard Maxwell broke into Applesauce only once. We can’t account for the second time Whit is referencing… unless some other nefarious party was after the program, too! The Whisperer could have been that other hacker. That would explain why Sherman said, “I want to make sure you haven’t put some passwords on [the computer] that would keep me from accessing [Applesauce].” He would know about the passwords in #83: “The Battle, Part 1” and about not being able to get into the program. He would then have a reason for making the statement because he would be the other hacker. AIOWiki Although nothing has been confirmed, it would be interesting if it was the case that The Whisperer had attempted hacking into Applesauce before. Regardless of if this is true, the fact is that we do not know much about Sherman Wurt as a person. There is more to his character than what we hear in the episodes. Something that I think would be worth exploring. The AIO Team has many ways they can go about it. Leonard Corelli “The Other Side of the Glass, Parts 1-3” are great episodes. The main antagonist is Leonard Corelli, the Vice President at See Right Glass Company and manager of the factory in Greensboro. He was arrested because of his practice of forcing his factory workers to work illegally through his network. The episodes are very well done, but that’s another post for another time. Regarding Mr. Corelli, one thing I notice in these episodes is that we do not hear much from him. He does not appear until part 2, and even then, it’s just one scene. He makes a more prominent appearance in the third part, but what is shown is him trying to cover up his activities and escaping authorities. We do not hear from Leonard Corelli himself as a person. What is his story? What were his motives that drove him to do his illegal activities? Additionally, bringing him back would give a great opportunity for the listeners to hear from Joseph, Corelli’s nephew. I think there’s even more story to be told here in terms of their relationship. I would love it if there was an episode with Wooton, Whit, Joseph, and Leonard Corelli. There is definitely great potential for further stories. Maybe I’ll do another post in the future where I write some plotlines on how they should return (jailbreak, court cases, release, parole, visits, etc.). There are too many villains/criminals who I want to return in the audio series. Each and every one of them have stories that can be told. Regardless of who it is, if any villain were to return, I would want a major story to be done with them and for their return to have an impact in the town of Odyssey and its citizens. Well, that’s all I have for now. Who is your favorite AIO criminal? Any that you would like to return? If so, how? Feel free to leave a comment! Your feedback and engagement is always appreciated! -Signed, Polehaus53

From Odyssey Obsessors • March 24, 2024

Editorial 64: The Way of the Audio Drama

We have a special guest writer for this month's editorial! Austin Peachey of Odyssey Geek, and HeartMatters audio dramas, joins us to answer a question many Adventures in Odyssey fans have asked over the years: How do you make an audio drama? Austin guides us through each stage of the process. He starts with scriptwriting, and moves on to voice casting, recording and directing, sound design, music, distribution, and more! It's an insider's look at the workings of audio drama. Check out Editorial 64: The Way of the Audio Drama.

From AIO Update • March 19, 2024

Bart Rathbone Banned From the United Kingdom After Mixing Up the British Isles

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM- Irish and Scottish MPs agreed to issue a warning to Bart Rathbone earlier today after he committed the cardinal sin of confusing Ireland and Scotland in his store earlier this week. The Odyssey businessman claimed it was an “honest mistake” and claimed he “didn’t mean anytin’ by it”. Scottish residents disagree, as well as the King Charles III, who gave a report earlier today: “Bart Rathbone and his associates are some of the most dangerous men to tread London’s shores. We must be sure that the crimes committed against everyone here today, British, Irish, and Scottish, will never happen again.” We also got another chance to speak with Bart. He had this to say: “Yea, yea, it was all totally about that Scottish-British ting, and NOT about that Ponzi scheme that involved tirty tousand investers. Hey, are y’alls filmin’ dis?” We’re weren’t able to get any other statements. In other unrelated news, a scheme by an Odyssey businessman has taken the money of over thirty-thousand British investors, updates to come.

From AIO Writer's Block • March 17, 2024

“What’s Odyssey” Announces Three Episode Titles Ahead of March 8th Release

NEWS- AIO Writer’s Block’s flagship program “What’s Odyssey” has announced the names of three of its upcoming episodes. They include: The Comprehension Crisis The Homeschooling Odyssey The “PK” Problem The episodes focus on episodes across Adventures in Odyssey history and tie them into relevant events. We are currently working on a total of eleven episodes: nine in-season episodes and two specials. You can listen to the first episode tomorrow morning on Spotify at 9:45 AM, as well as on most other platforms later in the day.

From AIO Writer's Block • March 8, 2024

Editorial 63: More Than Meets the Ear

Last month AIO Update ran the My Odyssey Story contest. We asked the question: How has Adventures in Odyssey impacted you? And you answered! We received 22 entries. Three entrants were chosen in a random draw to win a special prize. As mentioned in the contest announcement, excerpts from these entries would be compiled together into an article to be released in February. And now the time has come. You can find these touching personal stories in Editorial 63: More Than Meets the Ear. If you're an Adventures in Odyssey fan, you will find these stories both relatable and moving. Enjoy reading!

From AIO Update • February 28, 2024

Listen to the “What’s Odyssey?” Podcast trailer!

The trailer for “What’s Odyssey?” Podcast, hosted by Joshua Mensah-Woode, went live at 6:30 PM MST yesterday evening. It is currently available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon. The show is scheduled for release on March 8, 2024, and is produced by AIO Writer’s Block. You can listen to the trailer on Spotify below:

From AIO Writer's Block • February 20, 2024

February- One Last Treasure Hunt

Hello! And welcome back to my little corner of the internet. I was planning to write and release this on February 1st, but I’ve been knocked out sick this week. Lord willing I am on the road to recovery, so here we go! episode 2: One Last Treasure Hunt This episode was not my favorite, but I believe it was very well done. It was creative and emotional, and held a good lesson. It’s touching to see Molly continue building her relationship with her grandfather and mother as a family. Emotionally, this episode brought out tears for many. Molly experiencing a final gift from her father and processing her grief and regret is an unstated emotion that is rarely shown. For listeners who have suffered from these intense feelings before, it was comforting to see it noticed and validated. It was also a touching episode for those who have been around since the beginning. We received a special gift of a memorial for our classic favorites Jack, Joanne, and Tom. The writers have attempted this before in a recent album, and it had mixed reviews. I believe this was a lovely way to mention them, without reopening the wound of loosing our former favorites. Overall I believe this was an excellent episode, and I’m sure it will grow on me. I love and appreciate the CLUB storyline being introduced with Molly and Polehaus. It’s refreshing to see a story of a kid and their grandparents connecting and enjoying time together. While there is lots of room for touching and fun episodes, it is not crucial for the overall storyline of AIO. For these reasons, I believe these are the perfect episodes to make CLUB-exclusive. Thanks for reading and be sure to tune in for future posts! Be sure to check out my Pinterest and Instagram @theperilouspenblog , where I post more frequently. Let me know what you think of this episode! ~The Perilous Pen ~

From Perilous Pen • February 9, 2024

After Ben Shapiro’s Smashing Success, Bernard Walton Decides to Diss Kids With Dirty Fingers

ODYSSEY, USA- Tom MacDonald decided to let Bernard Walton come into his studio and record after Ben Shapiro declared his “rap Hannukkah” complete this week. The single album highlighted Bernard’s frustration with ice-cream-fingered children, and included lyrics such as “I’ll stuff you with chocolate and call you the Easter bunny”. Many are calling this a literary work of genius. “I thought about letting Michael Knowles hop on to feature a violin solo” host and artist Tom MacDonald said, “but sources said Ben is considering firing Knowles this week for obvious reasons.” “Kids, ft. Bernard Walton” reached number one on iTunes and number one on YouTube Music in just one hour, beating even Ben Shapiro’s record. The song is expected to reach number one on the Billboard rap charts this coming week. The reception was surprisingly positive, with multiple famous artists amazed at it. Taylor Swift, who caught strays in the song, tweeted out, “Who knew that a small-town janitor’s lyrics would make me feel like I’m 22?” Bernard, at the time of writing, has decided not to continue on with his rap career.

From AIO Writer's Block • February 7, 2024

You Might be an AIO Fan If… 27

you’re so edgy you say “*spits*”

From Adventures in Opinions • February 6, 2024

My Odyssey Story contest winners REVEALED

🎈🎉 ANNOUNCING THE MY ODYSSEY STORY WINNERS!! 🎉🎈We asked for your Odyssey stories, and the time has finally come to see the results. All 22 entries were put in a random draw, and we can now reveal the three winners!CONGRATULATIONS TO:🏆 Leah M.🏆 Christina L.🏆 Crystal C.Each of the three winners will receive a prize package of the following:•💃 8 x 10” limited edition print of “Whit and Jenny dancing”, art by @Rebl_Art•🐔 5 x 7” limited edition print of “Bernard and Maude”, art by @Rebl_Art•📘 Young Whit and the Traitor’s Treasure by Phil Lollar, the first book in the exciting series which reveals how Whit became the Whit we all know and love•💿 The Secret Garden 2-CD set, by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre•🕶️ Newly minted sticker of Mr. Whittaker in aviator sunglasses, special compliments of @Rebl_ArtI will be contacting the prize winners for shipping information. And then, prizes will be shipped!All 22 entries will be featured in full on the AIO Update website, and excerpts will be included in a website article to be released later this month. They may also be featured in future social media posts.Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the My Odyssey Story contest this year, and to all of you who read the stories as they were posted.It was so touching to hear your stories. Thank you for sharing, and for reminding us how special this show truly is. You all helped us fall in love with Odyssey a little more, and with this fan community. 🥰

From AIO Update • February 3, 2024

February AIO Content…Revived!

This article is part of a series on Episodes by Month. It’s the shortest month of the year, but not one lacking in holiday-related content. Here’s some of the best Adventures in Odyssey content to listen to and enjoy in February. Valentine’s/Romantic Episodes Adventures in Odyssey is almost notoriously full of romantic episodes and dramas. Not the least significant is Eugene and Katrina’s Relationship arc, which, depending on how you look at it, spans 11 years! Among them are: It Began with a Rabbit’s Foot It Ended with a Handshake A Book by Its Cover The Turning Point Love is in the Air, Part 1 & 2 The Right Choice, Part 1 & 2 Solitary Refinement For Whom the Wedding Bells Toll, Parts 1, 2, & 3 Wrapped Around Your Finger For Better or For Worse, Parts 1 & 2 …as well as the very romantic More Than a Feeling, which is also technically in the saga. Speaking of romantic sagas, you can’t go romantic with out the Connie and Mitch arc. Obviously, the entire Novacom saga technically is Connie and Mitch, specifically Plan B, but the episodes surrounding the Novacom core are what we’re focused on in this post. Here are some of the highlights: Green Eyes and Yellow Tulips Broken Window Here Today, Gone Tomorrow?, Parts 1, 2 & 3 Pink Is Not My Color Something Blue, Part 1 & 2,and of course, we can’t forget the ever-hilarious Something Old, Something New, Part 1 &2 There’s also the story of Connie’s first love, Jeff, appropriately titled “First Love” and the hilarious “romantic” Club episode Mean Streak. Speaking of which, here are a few romantic Club episodes: Out of Her Element (which, fun fact, is one of the first episodes I listened to on the Club back in the day) Met His Match Generic, but still romantic episodes, like: Prequels of Love Curious, Isn’t It? The Present Long Ago and Mum’s the Word Bobby’s Valentine The Triangle, Parts 1 & 2 And finally, more serious episodes focused on the true meaning of love, such as: Knox on Love Greater Love Never For Nothing As well as our actual Valentine’s Day episode: The Last “I Do”. There’s also the Elsewhere in Odyssey Monthly Strip from 2023, featuring Matthew, as well as the somewhat-cringey but ultimately delightful spin-off about Trent and Mandy entitled “Prom Perfect”, that at the time of writing is still running. But wait, there’s more! The biggest holiday of the month, obviously Super Bowl Sunday, is right around the corner as well, and there’s a bit of American football Adventures in Odyssey content, too! Including: Page From the Playbook The 18-Yard Line …and Easy Money, y’know, if you were thinking about doing anything unscrupulous this Super Bowl (naughty, naughty) This doesn’t even begin to cover the huge amount of February-related episodes and other content that could possibly end up in here, and Adventures in Odyssey is always adding more! If you think of anything else, be sure to add it in any one of our multiple comments sections! For now, I’m Don, reminding you to keep up the fandom.

From AIO Writer's Block • February 3, 2024

M’kalister Park Album Hits Billboard Top 100

NEW YORK, NY- The music album by “M’kalister Park”, the Ceiling Fan AIO tribute band has hit the Top Billboard 100, and hardcore Adventures in Odyssey Fans are finally able to say they liked the show “before it was cool”. In wake of this news, Kevin McCreary has also decided to finally restart the podcast. What a day of rejoicing for Adventures in Odyssey fans everywhere. We interviewed a new Odyssey fan and asked the classic question of what episode they liked best. They responded, “Which song is best? Obviously the best one is-“. Fortunately for them, we didn’t get a chance to ask them what Adventures in Odyssey was before being interrupted by a major controversy. Evidently, many claimed McCreary no longer earned his place as an Adventures in Odyssey fan and had gone “too establishment,” so to speak. Others falsely claimed his music was “trash” and “not a banger,” wrongly assuming that they knew bangers. Ultimately, however, the public did decide that the Ceiling Fan album was indeed a work of art.

From AIO Writer's Block • January 30, 2024

Editorial 62: The Club's the Thing

It’s hard to believe, but the Adventures in Odyssey Club has been around for ten years now. It launched in January 2014 with its first exclusive episode, appropriately titled The Launch, and has since released ten seasons of club episodes. The club has expanded beyond that too, making the Harley episodes available once again and producing the comic spin-off Elsewhere in Odyssey. It’s also the home for Byte-Sized Adventures, where you can scroll through the full adventures with ease. The club gives easy access to all of Adventures in Odyssey in one place.Though the club seems like a great thing now, I didn’t always think so. In this latest editorial, The Club's the Thing, I write about how I was wrong about the club and how my views have changed. Are you a member of the AIO Club? What do you think about it? Check out Editorial 62 and leave your thoughts in the comments section!

From AIO Update • January 27, 2024

In Shocking Act of Rebellion, Jules REBELS

ODYSSEY, USA- Jules Kendall was seen last week at a concert after deceiving her current caretaker and half-sister into letting her “leave the house,” proceeding to leave for a concert with music Connie Kendall would disapprove of. On top of this blatant act of disobedience, Jules was caught cozying up to a young man who was not her current boyfriend, a boy who has currently left the state for family reasons. We at the station are shocked at this- We interrupt ourselves to bring you a shocking twist: Odyssey residents, including a shocked Connie Kendall, claim this erratic behavior from Jules is “normal” and “sounds like classic Jules.” Jules has gone on wild spurs of inconsistency, behaving reformed one day, then flying to California and finding a different boyfriend the next. It is only because of the unbelievably overgenerous people in her life, including her aforementioned boyfriend, who, with no explanation, flew to California to rescue her from a wild drive to self-destroying fame. Jules seems to have an addiction to this “fame” substance above all others. Our only hope is to pray for this clearly demented soul.

From AIO Writer's Block • January 18, 2024

Be Part of the 1000th Episode Illustrations Tribute!

With tickets now on sale for a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend Adventures in Odyssey’s One Grand Party, the excitement is only beginning! With the release of 1000 episodes quickly approaching, Focus on the Family is giving Adventures in Odyssey fans an opportunity to contribute to a huge initiative to illustrate 1000 episodes. Be a part […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • January 15, 2024

The Greatest Saga in Odyssey- Episodes #468 and #469

Hello:) And welcome back to my little corner of the internet. This will be a shorter post today than usual. I hope you enjoy! episode 6: #468 & #469 Chains (pts. 1&2) These episodes discuss the struggle of building the new Whit’s End in Oswald Heights. It also introduces two short-lived characters that I believe should have had a longer stay in Odyssey. Tony and Brianna loose their shelter when the old building is torn down to build the new Whit’s End. When Brianna gets sick they spend some time with Whit. It introduces some new kid characters in Odyssey that don’t fit into the smart, kind, white, Christian kids with nuclear families that are typical in Odyssey. Additionally, this episode introduces another camera hidden in a book (a trope known very well to all Novacom fans). It’s revealed in pt. 2 that a mysterious bald man paid Tony to hide the dictionary in Whit’s office. This revelation causes much suspense and begins the suspicion for, who we will later know to be, Bennet Charles (played by our beloved Jess Harnell). These episodes were written and directed by Marshall Younger. The sound design, on par with the rest of the Novacom saga, is incredible. The music adds the perfect amount of intensity. These episodes deal with some interesting topics. Whit shows Jesus love towards Tony, Briana, and the rest of the kids in Oswald Heights. Tony raises questions about Whit’s intentions, and he gets angry about the demolition of his home. After long conversations and Tony seeing the active love of Christ, he agrees to try to improve his and his sister’s life. Whit looks at solutions, and Tony and Briana end up staying with the Mulligan family. Tony first appears in #455 Best Laid Plans, and after these episodes Tony and Briana don’t come back as recurring characters. Overall, I’d say these episodes are good with the average amount of intensity for a Novacom episode. Not my favorite, but emotional, well written, and important for the storyline. Matthew 25:36 “I needed clothes, and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.” Go follow my new pinterest and ig @theperilouspenblog Thanks for reading! Be sure to tune in next time for the continuation of my Novacom series. ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • January 5, 2024

The Greatest Saga in Odyssey- Episode #463

Hello! And welcome back to my little corner of the internet! episode 5: #463 Green Eyes and Yellow Tulips A community relations manager for Novacom shows up at Whit’s End to ask Whit for reviews on Novacom’s new programing. Robert Mitchel, or “Mitch”, shows up at the perfect time to distract-help Connie with moving some boxes. In typical Rathbone fashion, Rodney and Bart use their tricks and schemes to convince Whit to join a protest against Novacom. An offer which Whit promptly refuses. This protest quickly turns into a protest, and when Whit tries to stop it, he gets injured and ends up in the hospital (an incident mentioned in episode #467 Broken Window). Connie believes that Mitch is going to ask her out, and struggles with her feelings about Mitch, while thinking she would be betraying Whit. Eventually she turns him down, to which he respects her decision and leaves. With help from Whit and Joanne, it is soon understood that Mitch was going to ask Connie to help him lead a Bible study. Connie apologizes to Mitch for the confusion and agrees to help co-host the Bible study. This is a funny episode, with Connie finally getting the love interest she desired. Kathy Buchanan said she was excited to finally write a sweet and gentle love story for Connie- before the other writers got carried away with their riots, secret agents, and security threats. This episode was such a perfect introduction to our (2nd) favorite computer nerd. The verse for this episode is 1 Samuel 16:7 “But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” Thank you for reading this post:) come on next time to read a review of Chains pt.1&2. ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • January 3, 2024

The Greatest Saga in Odyssey- Episodes #460 & #462

Hello! And welcome back to my little corner of the internet! Today we will be returning to long lost memories and long forgotten voices. episode 3: #460 Nova Rising Novacom seems to be trying to buy the affections of the citizens of Odyssey- and it appears to have worked. The kids at Odyssey Middle School are enamored by the new high-tech computers. Bernard is in awe of the new studio for B-TV. While Cal and Alex are trying to cure boredom by snooping around Novacom’s websites, a mysterious hacker shows up. Our dearly beloved, AREM. After AREM uncovers more information on the RWS, Cal and Alex get unexpectedly removed from the Novacom premises. Similarly, Bernard Walton receives consequences for arguing with the Novacom writers about the subject of B-TV episodes. He ends up resigning and returning to the squeegee and bucket. This episode begins stirring around the suspicion about the motives of Novacom, aswell as bringing in Arthur Dent as a recurring character. I have a special place in my heart for all episodes involving our favorite hacker, AREM. episode 4: #462 The W.E. The scene is set and audience silent, as Nick Mulligan takes the stage- before being interrupted by Whit. Turns out Nick romanticizes cleaning the auditorium by daydreaming about being a rock-star. Business has been slow for Whit’s End, practically non-existent. Whit asked the kids what he should do to improve Whit’s End, thus transforming it to the W.E. A voice, familiar to all true Odyssey fans, comes up with a new name. Mary Hopkins shows interest into Whit’s End, and concern about the kids. She offers Whit the opportunity to turn Whit’s End into a chain, by opening up a Whit’s End in Connellsville. This episode introduces Mary Hopkins and acts as a filler episode between the introductions of Mitch and AREM. Thank you for reading:) be sure to tune in next time. “He [the Word, the One we know as Jesus,] was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:2-3 ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • January 2, 2024

January 1st- The Ark’s the Thing

hello:) and welcome to my little corner of the internet. Happy January! As many of you know, every month the Adventures and Odyssey Club (the Odyssey Adventure Club) releases a ‘Club-exclusive’ episode. I have decided to start a new series this year, each post reviewing the club episode of the month. I will be describing and reviewing the episode, aswell as stating whether or not I believe it should have been released as a club-exclusive episode. episode 1: The Ark’s the Thing As a theatre kid at heart, I have a special place in my heart for these theatre-based episodes. This episode is based around 1st Corinthians 3: 1-2. “Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ” Emily and Olivia are helping 3 kids put on a play of Noah’s ark for VBS. They struggle with conflict about making the play informative and helpful, or emotional and dramatic respectively. The writing of this episode is much more mature and clear than many recent episodes. Whit is a well written adult. Emily and Olivia are well written teens. And Darcy, Miles, and Keegan are well written kids. Whit teaches Emily and Olivia how everyone they meet will be at a different point in their relationship with God. He shows them how some people will need ‘spiritual milk’ while some require more challenges and ‘solid food’. Overall, I enjoyed this episode! It was funny, but still got down to the point. The episode had good and realistic moments of kids being silly and sometimes immature kids (Darcy being so realistic in her reaction to playing her brother’s wife). It also had good moments of Whit teaching and guiding the teens, who were learning how to deal with conflict resolution and new responsibilities. While it was a funny episode, I don’t believe this is a huge miss out for anyone who doesn’t have access to the club. For that reason, I believe this episode was perfect for being a club-exclusive episode. If you haven’t heard this episode, and you have access to it, I would totally recommend! It is humorous and enjoyable, and still brings up Biblical topics to think about. Thank you for reading! Be sure to tune in for all my future posts:) Happy New Years! And best wishes for 2024. ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • January 1, 2024

The Odyssey ScoopCast Reviews “Triple-Decker Sundae”

Happy New Year! As we head in to 2024, we went ahead and dropped another edition of The Odyssey ScoopCast! Join our podcast team as they review another episode from the world’s #1 audio drama. Triple-Decker Sundae in ReviewSome things are worth waiting for. The ScoopCast team presents a long review of “Triple-Decker Sundae,” the […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • January 1, 2024

My Odyssey Story contest launches

Happy New Year! 🥳 It’s now January, and that means it’s time for the My Odyssey Story contest, brought to you by AIO Update. We all have an Odyssey story. Is there a certain episode that’s really meaningful to you? Is there a character you identify with? Is there a storyline that has strengthened you in your faith? Now you can share your Odyssey story for a chance to win some cool prizes!👉 How to Enter 👈​Write a paragraph answering this question: How has Adventures in Odyssey impacted you? For your entry to be counted, you must write a minimum of 100 words, but more is encouraged! There is no maximum word count.Post your entry to the AIO Fan Club Facebook group with the hashtag #MyOdysseyStory or send it in an email to: aioupdate@live.com.👋 More Details​Entries must be submitted during the month of January 2024. The deadline is January 31, 2024, at 11:59 PM PST.You can post multiple times, but you will still receive just one entry per person in the prize draw.Open to people worldwide.No foul language, of course.No anonymous submissions. We’d like to contact you if you win the prize!Not affiliated with official Adventures in Odyssey or Focus on the Family.​🏆 PrizesThree winners will be chosen in a random draw. Prize winners will be contacted to provide their mailing address so that they can receive their prize.Each of the three winners will receive a prize package of the following:💃 8 x 10” limited edition print of “Whit and Jenny dancing”, art by @Rebl_Art🐔 5 x 7” limited edition print of “Bernard and Maude”, art by @Rebl_Art📘 Young Whit and the Traitor’s Treasure by Phil Lollar, the first book in the exciting series which reveals how Whit became the Whit we all know and love💿 The Secret Garden 2-CD set, by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre🕶️ Newly minted sticker of Mr. Whittaker in aviator sunglasses, special compliments of @Rebl_Art ✍️ Writing TipsBe specific. Include relevant details. Don’t feel like you have to explain your whole experience with Odyssey. If you like, you can just focus on one particular story.Make it personal. Write about your own personal experience, which will be unique to you. (Just don’t include information that is too personal).Double-check for grammar mistakes and areas that can be smoothed out.⭐ How Will the Entries Be Used?Entries will be posted publicly on our website, AIO Update, and may appear on our social media as well. We will include your first name and last initial. Additionally, some entries will be featured in an article on the AIO Update website to showcase the impact Adventures in Odyssey has had on its fans.🎨 The beautiful contest art and logo is by Phoebe E. Rothwell (@phoebepheebsphibs).​A year ago I ran this contest for the first time and I was so glad to see the unique stories and connections that fans have. Adventures in Odyssey truly is more than just an audio drama. It’s something special. I included last year’s entries in this article: A Listener's Tale.All right, let’s get writing! I’m excited to read everyone’s #MyOdysseyStory this month. 😃

From AIO Update • January 1, 2024

The Greatest Saga in Odyssey (A Review: Episodes #457&#458)

Hello everyone, merry Christmas! And welcome back to my corner of the internet:) I doubt I’ll ever forget the suspense. The feeling of annoyance when we pulled into the driveway-late at night-on a cliffhanger. We could only listen when we’re all together, and I knew that wouldn’t come along again until the next trip to school. When the final disk spun to conclusion, and we realized that the saga was complete, nobody knew how to feel. I remember the excitement after Opportunity Knocks, the frustration during Red Herring, the giggles during Green Eyes & Yellow Tulips. I remember the shock of hearing that long-gone but familiar voice in Strange Boy in a Strange Land. I remember the surge of emotions in Plan B. I remember shedding tears alongside Connie and Tom. I remember comforting with Wooton, and searching for clues with Mitch, Whit, and Borland. I remember researching the production, and studying the Official Guide, and the pamphlets that came with the CDs. A ll these memories are ingrained in me, and come back to life with the click of a button. In case you haven’t figured it out, I am talking about Novacom. As a kid, I had Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? (pts. 1,2,&3) on CD long before I had Novacom. So as I listened, I was piecing together bits of different stories. Recently, I have been deeply grateful that I grew up in the era of Odyssey CDs. I didn’t have to wait weeks for the next episode to air, and I could re-listen as many times as I desired. With holiday travels, I have recently been on several long car-rides. Of course-as is instinct for all fellow Odyssey nerds- I had plenty of time to re-listen to my favorite Odyssey saga. Until this listen, I had forgotten how intense and emotional these episodes were. I had built up this depiction of Odyssey as “emotionally immature”, and fun, but “poorly written”. Now, I realize that these thoughts had been built up by my not-so-stellar reviews and opinions of the emotional maturity, writing, and logic in ‘New Odyssey’. But now, I can boldly state, that these episodes can bring the suspense, mystery, grief, hope, peace, and joy to life. So, with all this backstory of of the way, welcome to my episodic review of the best saga in Adventures in Odyssey. (imo ofc:)) ———-a little note: I have no idea how long this series will be, how often they will be released, how detailed they will be, or when I’ll get bored and decide to do something else. So please join me for these chaotic, rambling, and spontaneous rants. ——————- episode 1: #457 Opportunity Knocks This episode introduces a suspicious new company in Odyssey. The Timothy Center goes through some financial issues, which are quickly solved by Novacom renting some land, and gaining some trust, in the hearts of the Odyssey gang. Several plots and new characters are introduced that are used throughout the series: the Timothy Center, Candid Conversations with Connie, the Shepards, and Arthur Dent. This episode clearly discuses the search for God’s will and how people interpret their situations. A solid episode, and a good introduction to this series. episode 2: #458 Red Herring While often forgettable, this episode is totally iconic for all AIO kids. Cal and Alex have great chemistry and humorous banter. The quotes and conversations, the conflicts and the surprises, all make this episode enjoyable and memorable. Cal and Alex had the ultimate cousin relationship that is introduced in this episode and played with throughout the series. In typical Odyssey fashion, Connie is once again left confused. However, unlike the norm, this time everyone else is bewildered too. This episode shows the importance of using God’s gifts wisely, managing curiosity, and discusses the importance of trust in friendships. Thank you so much for reading this post! Tune in next time to read the next reviews. If you want to input on my final post in this series (Novacom Recap: The Best Quotes) please comment, or message me:) I’d love to hear your favorite quotes from this series. “As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness.” Ezekiel 34:12 ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • December 30, 2023

Album 75 Now Available: “The Best Is Yet to Come”

Adventures in Odyssey has presented so many twists and turns during its 36-year run, and Album 75 is no exception. This time, Odyssey’s “resident genius” is at the center of attention. Album Description: Everything has led to this moment. A new technology created by Odyssey’s own Eugene Meltsner could change medical science as we know […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • November 25, 2023

Get Ready for One Grand Party!

The award-winning Adventures in Odyssey series is getting ready to celebrate a huge milestone of 1,000 episodes. To celebrate, fans are invited to be present for the big party in 2024! What We Know So Far: “In 2024, we’ll air the 1,000th episode of Adventures in Odyssey! And we want to celebrate with every member […]

From The Odyssey Scoop • November 17, 2023

A AIO-Countdown To Thanksgiving

Hello! And welcome to my little corner of the internet:) Tomorrow begins a 5-day countdown to Thanksgiving. I really enjoy these 1-per day episode countdown to holidays. So of course I have for you a list of AIO-Thanks-Themed-Episodes to countdown to this holiday. Whether you’re on a car ride to see family, cleaning up and decorating the house, spending long hours cooking, or just enjoying the holiday, you should take some time each day to listen to these episodes to prepare for Thanksgiving Day. DAY 5- November 19th- B-TV: Thanks (#383) To start off, we have a classic, goofy, historical review of Thanksgiving. Fans of old Odyssey will remember these 14 episodes formatted like a TV-program that included history lessons, poems, Bible stories, and skits. (You can read my post about it here :)). B-TV: Thanks is a fun way to review Bible verses and themes to help prepare ourselves for Thanksgiving. Day 4- November 20th- A Thanksgiving Carol (#173) To help resolve yet another argument between Connie and Eugene, Whit uses KYD’s Radio to put on this not-so-classic-retelling of Dicken’s A Christmas Carol. Day 3- November 21st- Thank You, God (#049) Around Thanksgiving dinner Whit recalls the story of how Fionna Donneral, his stepmother, taught him how to give thanks in difficult circumstances. Day 2- November 22nd- A Thankstaking Story (#675) We’re almost there! After being snowed in on Thanksgiving day, everyone started to get board. So Whit, Eugene, and Connie of an evil man-reminiscent of the Grinch- Scrunch who tries to ‘steal Thanksgiving’. Thanksgiving! November 23rd- Thanksgiving at Home (#132) Happy Thanksgiving! I hope y’all have a better day than George and Mary! This is an older episode, but to this day remains (imo) one of the funniest episodes ever. Jimmy and Donna try to save Thanksgiving day, but they have no idea what they’re doing. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving break and a lovely time with family and friends! And I hope you’ve enjoyed this post:) “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” -1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!” -1 Chronicles 16:34 ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • November 17, 2023

B-TV: Nostalgia

hello:) and welcome back to my little corner of the internet! In the world of Odyssey, B-TV is a TV channel that broadcasts only to the small town. Filmed in a tiny-studio ‘the size of an outhouse’ this channel is targeted towards the kids of Odyssey. Bernard Walton created B-TV to have a Biblical program suitable and enjoyable for kids. The B-TV episodes are formatted like a TV-program- a glimpse into entertainment enjoyed by the characters of Odyssey. It was hosted originally by Bernard Walton, and later on by Connie Kendall. It features many reoccurring characters like Whit, Eugene Meltsner, Edwin Blaggard, Walter Shakespear, Guy Feldstien, and Bryen Dern. And in addition, in an attempt to make it more relatable to it’s target audience, it also features many of the kids of Odyssey: Mandy Strausburg, Alex Jefferson, and Sarah Prachett. This show offers an opportunity for the aspiring actors of Odyssey, both young an old, to have experience with acting. These 14 episodes are all based around Biblical themes and topics: Grace, Envy, Compassion, and Thanks to name a few. Additionally, B-TV is mentioned and discussed in episodes I Want My B-TV (#298) and Nova Rising(#460). These fast-paced and funny episodes are packed full of pop-culture references that you might miss at first glance listen. The B-TV episodes aired periodically from episode B-TV: Envy (#317- aired June 3rd 1995) to B-TV: Idolatry (#869- aired August 1st 2019). These iconic episodes will come to the mind of every long-time Odyssey fan at any mention of Bernard, Christmas shopping at the mall, or being chased by a giant nose. As someone who grew up on albums 1-46, listening to these funny-if not cringey- episodes always brings laughter and good memories. I know this was a shorter post today, but I hope you enjoyed it! “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Let’s take a look at what it means to dwell on these things.” -Philippians 4:8 ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • September 26, 2023

Your Guide to ‘The Odyssey Jokester’

hello:) and welcome to my little corner of the internet. Over the years many beloved ‘jokesters’ and ‘pranksters’ have come and gone. It can be hard to to keep track of them all, so here is your comprehensive guide. The Easygoing Comic Relief These beloved characters are often the funniest personalities that bright comic-relief to any serious or intense moment. Bernard Walton (#106-#722)(additionally #969) -With his sarcastic comments and dry wit, Bernard is one of the oldest characters that has brought smiles and iconic quotes since 1990. My favorite episodes with Bernard are his retelling of Bible stories (Bernard and Esther #165&#166, Bernard and Job #399, Bernard #541, and Bernard and Jeremiah #601). Some iconic quotes include: “Well, paint me with three eyes and call me Picasso!” “Well, pin a tail on me and call me a donkey.” “Stuff me with spinach and call me a souffle.’ “Well, stuff me with feathers and call me a pillow!” “Well scratch my ears and call me sparky.” “Well, smack me with a stick and call me a pinata.” “Well, stick me with needles and call me a pin cushion.” “Well, cover me in rust and call me a pickup.” Wooton Bassett (#472-#954)- Statistics (that I don’t currently have but just imagine I put them here) show that Wooton Bassett is the overall favorite character in Odyssey. This is no ordinary mailman/comic-book artist. His fun-loving attitude, attraction to adventure, and all his ‘Wooton-ing around’ makes in appealing to listeners of all ages. He is by far the most quoted character in my friend-group. Some of his memorable quotes include: “February is my seventh favorite month!” I’ve got 560 box tops in my cupboard! I’m saving up for a yacht!” “Sorry, I was having a Bassett orange level crisis.” “Hey, would it cheer you up if I showed you how I can fit a pair of tongs up my nose?” “Wow, you look lower than my stock in powdered meat!” Hadley Bassett (#752-#764)- Wooton’s mischievous cousin Hadley only appears for a short time but brings with him to small amount of chaos. There isn’t much to say about him, but anywhere Hadley goes, humorous chaos follows. Hadley Bassett: “This is an amazing computer room. It reminds me of the one in Captain Absolutely!”Wooton Bassett: “Oh, yeah, this was the inspiration!”Hadley Bassett: “And I’m standing right in the middle of it. Can I take a picture?”Eugene Meltsner: “If you must.”Hadley Bassett: “Great! I’d like that one over there, of Whit with the President. It’s got a cool frame!”Eugene Meltsner: “You’re very literal-minded, aren’t you?”Hadley Bassett: “I’ve always thought of myself as a conservative…” Jimmy Barclay (#31-#639)- (I have to admit, Jimmy is probably my favorite character on this list, next to Wooton of course.) Jimmy is the youngest son of the Barclay Family- one of the longest running families in Odyssey. He is imaginative, creative, and sarcastic. As his family goes through difficult circumstances and trying times, Jimmy brings comedic relief and sarcastic and hilarious quotes. He is written to be relatable to young children, but is often found relatable to people of all ages. Jimmy Barclay: “All that excitement for a piece of tire rubber. Anyway, we drove for a little while and then stopped at one of those diner kind of restaurants where all the waitresses call you “honey” and look just like my Great-Grandma Benson right before she died.” The Prankster Curt Stevens (#103-#639)- Like many school bullies, Curt had a rough home life (#150-Home is Where the Hurt Is) and copes by teasing and pranking others. Pranks for the Memories (#120) is one of the funniest episodes of old odyssey, and a classic. Curt is best-frienamies with Lucy Cunningham-Shultz throughout middle-school and appears in the touching reunion of og-Odyssey kids in The Triangled Web (#638&#639) Curt Stevens: “It’s like.. like salt on a potato chip. It gives the speech flavor to… taste good.Lucy Cunningham-Schultz: You’re making this up!”Curt Stevens: “I’m not! Ask any politician. Potato chips always taste better with salt on them.” Jay Smouse (#659-#972)- The new-Odyssey replacement for Curt, Jay brings humorous quips, and chaotic mischief to any and every event. As much as he tries to be a ‘super-macho-tough-guy’ Jay’s small stature, obsession with himself (and Elvis), and lack of common sense leads him to be a not-so-intimidating bully. Jay is best known for his love of Elvis, and his failed pro-acting career. “But no time to talk. I’ve got to buy a life insurance policy, return a bike, and go get grounded. Probably for eternity. Au revoir-voir!” “Hey wait a minute, I didn’t do anything wrong this time, I admitted I fell asleep! hahaha, Good for me.” “Anyways, to put it in a little Spanish lingo: I’m donerito!” “I’d love to stay and chat, but that would keep me from, uh, leaving.” Jason Whittaker: “It’s an area we used to tell stories about—you know, ghosts and monsters and those kinds of things? I’m sure you and your friends have a place like that.”Jay Smouse: “Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, but we call it the school lunchroom.” Jay Smouse: “I just overheard the worst news.”Olivia Parker: “Like what?”Jay Smouse: “Well, it started when Katrina came in and Eugene called her his Little Buttercup – seriously….” Jay Smouse: “Well, well, well, if it isn’t Barrett. Skinny as a carrot, mangy like a ferret.”Barrett Jones: “Huh? Oh. Hi, Jay.” (There are too many great Jay quotes to write… Maybe it should be it’s own post. Feel free to comment your favorites!!) The Funniest Episodes (In my not-so-humble-opinion) part 1 The Other Side of the Glass pts. 1-3 (#616-#618)- This parody of the mystery show Psych is a family favorite and is definitely the funniest trilogy in Adventures in Odyssey. (Includes both Wooton Bassatt and Bernard Walton). Wooton Bassett: “I love what you’ve done with the place; it looks like just a regular meeting room in a basement!”Mr. Henderson: “That’s because it is just a meeting room in a basement.” Do-it Or Diet (#513)- In this episode, Connie searches for God’s will for her. In an attempt to try physical fitness as a career, Connie puts Whit, Bernard, and Wooton on a diet and exercise plan-against their wishes. Bernard Walton: “Okay… here it is… chocolate gold. “ Wooton Bassett: “It’s a little squashed. Bernard Walton: I was practically running a marathon with it.” Wooton Bassett: “Yeah, and it’s… it’s sweaty.” Bernard Walton: “Yeah, salt adds flavor.” Wooton Bassett: “Well, there’s gravel in it.” Bernard Walton: “I dropped it once! Or, maybe twice.” Wooton Bassett: “Oh, that explains the shoe print.” This post is long enough, so maybe I will write a part two… Let me know what you think of this type of post! “He will yet fill your mouth with laughter    and your lips with shouts of joy.” -Job 8:21 ~The Perilous Pen~

From Perilous Pen • September 21, 2023

Thoughts on The Best is Yet to Come? | Audio Update

From Adventures in Opinions • August 15, 2023

July 2023 Inventory - 1,825 Items

Busy summer. Adding dozens of new items to the museum

From Odyssey Fan • July 28, 2023