Adventures in Odyssey (AIO), or simply Odyssey, is an Evangelical Christianradio drama and comedy series created and produced by Focus on the Family. Aimed at families with children age 12 and younger, the series first aired in 1987 as a 13-episode pilot called Family Portraits and has recorded 1000 episodes to date. In 2005, the show's daily audience averaged around 1.2 million within North America.[1] The Odyssey radio series also includes several spin-off items, including a home-video series, several computer games, books, and devotionals. The series is set in the fictional town of Odyssey. Stories center around the people who live there, particularly ice-cream and discovery emporium owner John Avery Whittaker, who was originally voiced by Hal Smith.
History
In 1982, Focus on the Family began creating several short dramas for inclusion in the ministry's daily half-hour radio show; these radio dramas were commissioned by Focus on the Family founder and then-president James Dobson as an alternative to Saturday-morning cartoons. This effort culminated in a thirteen-week test series titled Family Portraits which aired in early 1987.[2] It was created by Steve Harris and Phil Lollar, who set it in a small Midwest town they called Odyssey. The test episodes engendered a favorable audience response, and led to a continuing radio program in November 1987, called Odyssey USA.[3] The title was later changed in 1988 to Adventures in Odyssey to "increase international appeal".[4]
The goal of the Odyssey staff was to create a "values-based" radio show with production values comparable with or surpassing those of most mainstream audio dramas. While the show aimed to promote Christian values, according to Odyssey's co-creator Phil Lollar, the goal is not to be "a preaching program", but to be an "entertaining program".[5] Large amounts of work were put into each individual story; for the first few years, each thirty-minute episode typically took over one hundred hours to produce.[6]
Several well-known voice actors were brought in to provide the lead roles. Hal Smith voiced the lead character John Avery Whittaker[7] in one of his favorite roles.[8] The rest of the original "key" characters were voiced by Katie Leigh, Will Ryan, and Walker Edmiston,[9] who, along with Hal Smith, had all previously worked together extensively at Disney.[8] Television star Dave Madden played the character "Bernard Walton" from 1990 to 2008.[10]
When Hal Smith died in 1994, Adventures in Odyssey was left without its main character and Focus on the Family considered canceling the radio show.[11] After a search that lasted over two years, a replacement voice was finally found in Paul Herlinger, who sounded very similar to Hal Smith. Herlinger voiced Whittaker from 1996 through 2008.[12] Because of health issues, a mutual decision was made by Herlinger and the crew to replace Herlinger with another voice actor.
Consequently, Adventures in Odyssey took a long hiatus, with no new episodes planned while the staff searched for a new actor to voice Mr. Whittaker. In September 2009, Andre Stojka was selected as the third actor to voice Mr. Whittaker; only months later, on February 2, 2010, Paul Herlinger died from his illness. In March 2010, regular episodes resumed airing as Album 51, Take it from the Top, premiered.[4]
As of 2022, Chris Anthony and Katie Leigh are the only original cast members remaining in the series.
The show has been adapted into Spanish audio and Hindi live-action videos, with plans to create Mandarin audio as well.[3]
On January 2, 2014, a subscription service for Adventures in Odyssey fans and their families launched, the Adventures In Odyssey Club. The subscription fee supports Focus on the Family as well as other world relief and ministry organizations. The Adventures In Odyssey Club is available internationally and had over 7,000 members in 2016. Main features of the club include access to over 900 Episodes from the Radio Series, as well as all 17 videos, every Official Podcast, and exclusive monthly episodes available only to club members.
Popularity
By the end of its second year in 1988, the show was on 634 radio stations in North America.[6] As of 1995, it was the second-most popular Christian radio show in the United States.[13] By 2002, the show was on over 6,000 stations worldwide.[14]
Almost all the radio episodes have also been widely released on both cassette and CD collections, and by 1992, almost a million cassettes had been sold.[15]Odyssey episodes have also been released annually (since 1990) as promotional items through Chick-fil-A.[16] Several times, Chick-fil-A has had special CD sets as their "kids' meal" product.
A wall in the real-life Whit's End at the Focus on the Family visitor's center showing the Adventures in Odyssey voice actors, challenging viewers to match them with the characters
Adventures in Odyssey has aired more than 900 episodes and has released 77 main albums, as well as many other special collections, including monthly Adventures in Odyssey club only episodes.
Spin-off products
Aside from the radio drama, Adventures in Odyssey has begun many spin-offs and special series, including an official Odyssey podcast,[17] fan-favorite podcast Whit's Up?,[18] 17 animated videos,[19]Eugene Sings! and Eugene Sings! Christmas, and three edutainmentcomputer games,.[20]
The first Adventures in Odyssey video was released in 1991. This series was created following the success of Focus on the Family's involvement in Tyndale House's video project, McGee and Me!. Originally, the Odyssey video series was created by a separate staff than that of the radio series, and each episode had a budget of about $400,000; by 1998, over two million Odyssey videos had been sold.[23] Currently, 17 episodes are in the video series and several attempts have been made to place this series on television.[15] The episodes were screened in Britain on Channel 4 in the mid-1990s and its upcoming program on Smile of a Child.
Christian video game developer Digital Praise has released three computer games based on the series, Adventures in Odyssey: The Treasure of the Incas,[24]Adventures in Odyssey: The Sword of the Spirit,[25] and Adventures in Odyssey: The Great Escape.[26] Will Ryan, Katie Leigh, and Paul Herlinger voiced the main characters of the games.[27]
The Imagination Station Book Series
The Imagination Station Book Series is based on the machine of the same name in the Adventures in Odyssey audio dramas. It takes characters back to see events in history using the power of their own imagination. There are currently 33 installments in the series, along with 11 audiobooks.[28]
Eugene Sings!
Eugene Sings! and Eugene Sings! Christmas are Adventures in Odyssey musical albums, released by Tyndale House. Both feature songs written and sung by Will Ryan, voicing Eugene Meltsner from the series.
Merchandise
Since 1987, Adventures in Odyssey has released hundreds of products related to the show, including those listed above as well as apparel, toys, games, calendars, pens, and other collectibles. Some are sold through retail outlets others are promotional items that are given away to certain people or at special events. There is even a display case in the Welcome Center of Focus on the Family in Colorado Springs, Colorado that showcases some of the rarest memorabilia. Many fans of Adventures in Odyssey have become collectors of these products along with the audio albums, books and videos. There have been fan-sponsored contests[29] to showcase these collections. The largest collection consisting of over 2,100 unique items currently resides in Indianapolis, Indiana in the OdysseyFan Museum.[30]
Events
1997 Live Show - November 29 - Colorado Springs, CO
2002 Live Show - July 26 & 27 - Colorado Springs, CO
2008 Live Show - August 15 & 16 - Colorado Springs, CO
2012 Live Show - June 16 - Dallas, TX
2012 GITS Finale - November 3 - Colorado Springs, CO
2017 GITS2 Finale - Colorado Springs, CO
2017 Cruise - Nov 15 - Disney Dream
2024 One Grand Party - August 2 & 3 - Colorado Springs, CO[31]
Radio Theatre
Radio Theatre is a program run by Focus on the Family that makes both original and adapted radio dramas. Much of the staff involved with Adventures in Odyssey is also involved with Radio Theatre such as Paul McCusker.[32]
They have made adaptations of many novels including Les Miserables and Anne of Green Gables, as well as an adaptation of the complete Chronicles of Narnia.[33]
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