 | |
| Genre | Radio comedy-drama |
|---|---|
| Running time | approx. 25 minutes per episode |
| Country of origin | United States Canada |
| Language(s) | English |
| Syndicates | Focus on the Family |
| Starring | Hal Smith (1987–1994) Paul Herlinger (1996–2008) Andre Stojka (2009–present) Katie Leigh (1987–present) Will Ryan (1987–2000, 2005–2021) Walker Edmiston (1987–2007) Dave Madden (1988–2008) Earl Boen Corey Burton (1991–2008) Pamela Hayden (1992–2000) Alan Young (1994–2012) Townsend Coleman (1994–present) Jess Harnell (2001–present) Audrey Wasilewski (2005–present) Chris Anthony |
| Announcer | Chris Anthony |
| Created by | Phil Lollar and Steve Harris |
| Written by | Paul McCusker Phil Lollar Marshal Younger Kathy Buchanan Nathan Hoobler & many others |
| Directed by | Phil Lollar Paul McCusker Marshal Younger Bob Hoose Nathan Hoobler |
| Produced by | Bob Luttrell Bob Hoose Nathan Hoobler |
| Executive producer(s) | Dave Arnold (2005–present) Chuck Bolte (1987–1996) Paul McCusker(2000–2005) Kurt Bruner (1996–1998) Al Janssen (1998–2000) |
| Edited by | Jonathan Crowe Rudy Haerr Nathan Jones Christopher Diehl |
| Recording studio | Salami Studios (current) Marc Graue Studios and other locations |
| Original release | November 21, 1987 – present |
| No. of episodes | Radio: 1,053 (including specials and currently unreleased episodes)Full list Video: 17 Books: 81Full list |
| Website | www |
| Podcast | app |
Adventures in Odyssey (AIO), or simplyOdyssey, is anEvangelical Christianradio drama andcomedy series created and produced byFocus on the Family. Aimed at families with children age 12 and younger, the series first aired in 1987 as a 13-episode pilot calledFamily Portraits and has recorded more than 1,050 episodes to date. In 2005, the show's daily audience averaged around 1.2 million within North America.[1] TheOdyssey radio series also includes several spin-off items, including a home-video series, several computer games, books, and devotionals. The series is set in thefictional 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 byHal Smith.
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-presidentJames Dobson as an alternative to Saturday-morning cartoons. This effort culminated in a thirteen-week test series titledFamily Portraits which aired in early 1987.[2] It was created by Steve Harris and Phil Lollar, who set it in a smallMidwest town they called Odyssey. The test episodes engendered a favorable audience response, and led to a continuing radio program in November 1987, calledOdyssey USA.[3] The title was later changed in 1988 toAdventures 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-creatorPhil 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 byKatie Leigh,Will Ryan, andWalker Edmiston,[9] who, along with Hal Smith, had all previously worked together extensively atDisney.[8] Television starDave 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 inPaul 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 andKatie Leigh are the only original cast members remaining in the series.
The show has been adapted intoSpanish audio andHindi live-action videos, with plans to createMandarin audio as well.[3]On January 2, 2014, a subscription service forAdventures in Odyssey fans and their families launched, theAdventures In Odyssey Club. The subscription fee supportsFocus on the Family as well as other world relief and ministry organizations. TheAdventures 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.
By the end of its second year in 1988, the show was on 634radio stations in North America.[6] As of 1995, it was the second-most popular Christian radio show in theUnited 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 throughChick-fil-A.[16] Several times,Chick-fil-A has had special CD sets as their "kids' meal" product.
.jpg)
Adventures in Odyssey has aired more than 1000 episodes and has released 78 main albums, as well as many other special collections, including monthly Adventures in Odyssey club only episodes.
Aside from the radio drama,Adventures in Odyssey has begun many spin-offs and special series, including an officialOdyssey podcast,[17] fan-favorite podcastWhit's Up?,[18] 17 animated videos,[19]Eugene Sings! andEugene Sings! Christmas, and threeedutainmentcomputer games.[20]
Adventures in Odyssey now has over 7 different spin-off book series,Passages,[21]Kidsboro,[22]The Imagination Station,Candid Conversations with Connie,The Blackgaard Chronicles, Jones and Parker Case Files,Young Whit, a 12-book series of novels titled simplyAdventures in Odyssey, as well as episode guides, Bibles, devotionals, mysteries, and a comic book.
The firstAdventures in Odyssey video was released in 1991. This series was created following the success of Focus on the Family's involvement inTyndale 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 millionOdyssey 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 onChannel 4 in the mid-1990s and its upcoming program onSmile of a Child.
It was also broadcast on theAustralian Christian Channel in Australia.
Christian video game developerDigital 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] andAdventures 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 is based on the machine of the same name in theAdventures 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! andEugene Sings! Christmas areAdventures in Odyssey musicalalbums, released by Tyndale House. Both feature songs written and sung byWill Ryan, voicingEugene Meltsner from the series.
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 inColorado Springs, Colorado that showcases some of the rarest memorabilia. Many fans ofAdventures 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]
Radio Theatre is a program run byFocus on the Family that makes both original and adapted radio dramas. Much of the staff involved withAdventures in Odyssey is also involved with Radio Theatre such asPaul McCusker.[33]They have made adaptations of many novels includingLes Miserables andAnne of Green Gables, as well as an adaptation of the completeChronicles of Narnia.[34]
Quotations related toAdventures in Odyssey at Wikiquote
Media related toAdventures in Odyssey at Wikimedia Commons| People | .jpg) | |
|---|---|---|
| Ministries | ||
| Issues | ||
| Affiliated organizations | ||
