AIO Article: The Future of Odyssey 6/21/12

I believe that ever since the show began, fans have been speculating on what will happen in AIO's future. It's a natural thing to wonder what will happen next for TV Shows/Audio Dramas, but fans of AIO have taken it to a whole new level. They publish entire articles on what could happen next for AIO on their blogs. So I decided to join in the fun and write an article about the future of AIO, what with the exciting Album 56 coming up soon.  I have a couple of predictions (I'm not saying they'll come true) on what will happen in the world's #1 radio drama. Here they are:

Prediction 1: (I'm not putting these predictions in any particular order, by the way) Wooton and Penny will... not get married. At least not in the near future. Because, just as the writers said that having children would change Eugene's character too much, being married would change Wooton's character too much. I'm not saying they're never getting married, but I highly doubt that the writers are planning for the season opener of Album 56 to be a big wedding bash with Wooton and Penny right after everyone thought that Connie was getting married to Wooton, and Mitch was getting married to Maureen. (Or is it Jessica Brown?) That would be a lot of marriages in the space of about two episodes. But, as always, I'll probably be wrong and Wooton and Penny will get married next episode. We won't find out till the Fall Season begins...

Prediction 2: Jason is settling into Odyssey and going back to being a major character. I'm more confident in this prediction than the last one, to be honest, because there's an episode called Home Again in Album 56 featuring Jason. That could be the season finale, since it looks like The Bible Network will kick off this season. ***SPOILER ALERT*** IF YOU DON"T WANT ALBUM 56 SPOILED FOR YOU, STOP READING AND GO PLAY OUTSIDE NOW!  I also found out on AIOwiki that Joanne Allen is coming with Jason, possibly to come back to Odyssey for good. However, considering the actress who plays Joanne, Janet Waldo, is 88, I'm not sure if she will be staying for good. Jason probably will be, but I'm not sure about Joanne. This could be one of those one-time character appearances with Jimmy, Monty, and Mitch. I'm pretty confident that this prediction will come true, but still, I'm not the one writing the episodes.

Prediction 3: This prediction centers around the episode The Labyrinth, which was featured in Album 55. Dale Jacobs, as Paul McCusker said on The Official Podcast if you guys heard that, will be featured in future episodes. There might even be a storyline with him! But what about Sue? Paul McCusker admitted on the same podcast that he would love to have Sue return, but I'm not sure if it'll happen. Remember Amy and Josh from Best Laid Plans? Remember Austin O'Connor from The Popsicle Kid? They both seemed like they could become regulars on the show, but if you look it up on AIOwiki, they both were only featured in one episode. Also, Amy, Josh, and Austin were in Odyssey. Sue is an ocean and several states away from Odyssey! That's not to say that the Odyssey team could find a way to get her to Odyssey, but it would seem unrealistic for an unknown little girl from England to just show up in America saying she worked on a top secret mission with a man who would probably be living a normal life. She may show up in other foreign places, but I doubt she will come to Odyssey. However, Georgina Dolenz, the actress who plays Sue, will be in future episodes as characters with American accents. This prediction will probably come true, but who knows? Sue could pop up somewhere again. This is Adventures in Odyssey after all!

Prediction 4: Everyone (Or I think everyone knows this) knows that Connie and Mitch will not be getting married, but does that mean that Mitch won't come back? Actually, yes, I think it does. Even Kathy Buchanan, via The Official Podcast, sort of said that Mitch wouldn't be coming back after Something Old, Something New. But we have to remember, this is Kathy Buchanan we're talking about. Kathy Buchanan, the one who said Mitch wouldn't come back unless Ronald McDonald became a vegetarian, cats went extinct, and Nathan Hoobler painted his nails. Though the last one might have happened, as far as we know, the other two hadn't. So who knows? Maybe Mitch will come back with Maureen and their kids someday.

Prediction 5: People are saying that Eugene and Katrina should adopt children. Someone even said an Ashanti child. And, I don't mean to spoil anyone's hopes and dreams, but I'm not really sure that's gonna happen. People don't realize how difficult it is to adopt a child. It costs a lot of money, and if the child has been abused or neglected, I've heard it's hard to make them trust you. You can't just simply call the Zaire Adoption Facility and order a child, and then it will arrive at your front door. It's a lot more complicated than anyone (which includes me) knows. It's not a closed issue, but it's doubtful. I think To Mend or Repair was the producer's way of saying, 'Eugen and Katrina aren't having kids. Get over it.' It's still possible, but rather unlikely.

So, those are my predictions. Are you upset with me now? If you are, you can post a comment saying I'm a horrible prophet. Don't worry, I won't be offended. I know my predictions are probably not what you wanted to hear, but some of them won't come true, you can almost guarantee it. To change the subject, I'm gonna try to start finding people to interview by email. I'm hoping to get some people who have AIO websites. That's all for today. I hope you enjoyed the article. Thanks for reading!

AIO News 6/20/12

     Here we go again...
     Hello, I'm Alex Jefferson, coming at you live from, uh, nowhere, because we have reached the point where there is no news, except that word about the website Just Another AIO Blog has spread and people are actually hearing these news broadcasts.
     Album 56: The Grand Design is coming soon, so that's interesting, sort of. Also, The Defining Moment airs today. That's it. I'm getting out of the newsroom.
     I have a special announcement. Because of the apparent lack of news, starting tomorrow, I will be doing AIO news segments on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and articles about AIO on Tuesday and Thursday. I know I keep changing the website, but I'm still working out the kinks. I'm also hoping to do an interview by email with someone for a feature. I'll still be doing the Top 5 AIO Albums of all time this Sunday, but I'm hoping for an interview the Sunday after that. Thanks for reading!

AIO News 6/19/12

     I will now continue the reporter format...
     Greetings, everyone, this is Alex Jefferson coming at you live from the World Wide Web. Yesterday, the site which I report from, Just Another AIO Blog, was mentioned on the AIO website Twists and Turns. It's a really great website, so check it out!
     Also, Just Another AIO Blog has a topic on the TOO (Town of Odyssey) with a link to it. People can discuss the site there so check that out! It's in the Whit's End forum. And, in other news, 'The Case of the Disappearing Hortons', a classic mystery involving two old men, a missing family, and a flower child airs today for the first time in two and a half years. It last aired in January 2010. The only other news is that this news broadcast is over. I'm Alex Jefferson, and thank you for tuning in on... AIO News!
     Thanks for reading!

AIO News 6/18/12

     I have decided that in order to make the news a little more interesting, I will be doing it reporter style...
     Greetings, everyone, this is Alex Jefferson coming at you live from Dallas, Texas, where the Adventures in Odyssey live show ended two days ago. Many, many people attended from all over the globe, and Bob Smithouser and Jesse Florea from the Official Adventures in Odyssey podcast were there as well as Nathan Hoobler, Paul McCusker, and Dave Arnold. None of them were available for comment because I didn't get to say much to them at the live show.
     Also, Oliver Twist, a new Radio Theatre production, is due this September. That will be a treat for fans of The Skrewtape Letters and other Radio Theatre productions.

     That's about it for the news today. I'm Alex Jefferson, and thank you for tuning in on... AIO News!
     Thanks for reading!

Weekly Feature 6/17/12

Thanks to all of you who read my review of the live show. For this Weekly Feature, I will be interviewing... myself! That's right! In order for you to get to know me and my connection with AIO better, I will be interviewing BWP.

 Alex Jefferson: When did you first start listening to Adventures in Odyssey?

BWP: Well, when I was about 6, we went to Chick-Fil-A when they were giving out AIO CD's. I got a Kids Meal and received the first Odyssey episode I ever heard, Suspicious Finds. I loved it and we started getting Odyssey albums from the library. It was actually a few years before I actually bought my first album, Album 48: Moment of Truth, but when I did, I already knew the show well because of the Odysseys I got at the library.

AJ: Who is your favorite AIO character?

 BWP: I love Bernard, I love Connie, I even love characters like Alex Jefferson and Cryin Bryan Dern. Jack Allen is another particularly good character. I love his clashes with Jason. Those are some of my favorites, but every character on Odyssey is good. My favorite? I don't want to be rude to you Alex, but, as much as I like you, you're not my favorite character. My favorite character is proabably Cryin' Bryan Dern. Corey Burton did a fabulous job with him.

AJ: What is your favorite AIO episode?

BWP: It's probably a tie between The Time Has Come and Plan B: Collision Course. I love the emotion of the Time Has Come and the excitement of Plan B: Collision Course. For comedy though, I think Do or Diet is great. And for sadness, Greater Love wins hands down. A tear rolled down my cheek when I listened to it, and I hardly ever cry during Movies/Radio Dramas.

 AJ: How has AIO changed your life?

BWP: Odyssey has been a major part of me for six years. It's my pastime, one of my connections to God, and overall a major part of my life. I might be a different person if I hadn't gotten that Chick-Fil-A package six years ago.

 AJ: Why did you decide to start an AIO website?

BWP: I've always loved the countless AIO fansites put out by fans, so I thought, why don't I make one? I thought of an idea for a website, and the rest is history.

Be sure to read next weeks Weekly Feature. I will be posting the Top 5 best Odyssey albums of all time! Thanks for reading!

Weekly Review: Birthday Bash! 6/16/12

     This week I'm reviewing the episode Birthday Bash! Adventures in Odyssey live shows always excite any AIO fan. People will fly, drive eight hours, or do whatever it takes to get to them. At the 3:30 showing (which is the show I saw) Chris Anthony interviewed a family from India.
     The chance to meet the cast and crew of TV/Radio show can draw thousands. And the tickets to this birthday bash were incredibly cheap too. Only $8. But what's 8 times 2000? If your calculator works, you would get 16000. That's like a huge donation to FOTF/AIO.
     And after the first live show, New Years Eve Live! AIO did one every two years. Then they took a six-year break and then a four-yearbreak. That's five live shows in 14 years. So, obviously, AIO likes the idea of live shows, and actors/actresses like Katie Leigh and Will Ryan are no strangers to live shows. But, having heard most of the live shows, this 25th Anniversary show seemed different and, somehow, more special.
     The show began with Whit, Eugene, and Matthew talking. I must comment that Zach Callison didn't sound like Matthew at first. It took a few lines for him to get in the character. Eugene talks about a program that could run all of the inventions and displays in Whits End. Whit points out that it would mean that if something happened to the program, everything in Whits End might be ruined, but Eugene insists that the program is safe.
     Connie and Penny walk in, discussing Penny's lack of artistic inspiration. Whit suggests a trip in the Imagination Station. I have to admit, because of the line about inspiration, I momentarily thought that Penny would go to the Inspiration Station. Wooton walks in and says he needs to record another episode of Captain Absolutely.
     I was pleased that Captain Absolutely had not been forgotten and was still a Kids Radio program. Penny and Connie journey back to Michelangelo's time and watch as he paints the Sistine chapel. Chuck Bolte's portrayal of Michelangelo was rather amusing. I was glad they gave him a role in the show. When asked about where he gets his inspiration, he answers 'from the source' and explains that he gets inspiration from the Bible.
     The scene soon switches to Captain Absolutely, who is minding his own business when he hears a strange woman ( played by Chris Anthony) scream. She says that someone is destroying the library.
     Captain Absolutely finds out that the culprit only ripped apart Biblical and Christian books, but left the philosophy section untouched. His line about algebra being evil was quite funny. To be honest, though, this scene reminded me of Truth Be Told from The Truth Chronicles, with the whole Christian books being banned/destroyed.
     Anyway, there's a big explosion and an old nemesis named Gargantuan Something-or-Other (Who is played by Townsend Coleman) emerges. He says he's the vandal and he wants to get rid of everything that has truth, goodness, and beauty. Captain Absolutely gets zapped by Gargantuan's blaster, but it seems to have no effect on him.
     At the Sistine chapel Penny and Connie continue to talk with Michelangelo.
     Matthew and Eugene are working in some sort of control room when Matthew sees a red button and asks Eugene about. Eugene tells him not to push it, (well, I guess he says a little more than that) and then Eugene excitement pushes it! It merges all the Whits End programs together, causing Gargantuan to be transported to the Sistine Chapel where Connie and Penny are, and Captain Absolutely to be taken to the Battle of Gettysburg, where Whit, Eugene, and Matthew hear him over the intercom between cannonballs. 
     Back at the Sistine chapel, Gargantuan uses his blaster to splatter graffiti all over the ceiling of the beautiful building. Connie soon gets transported back to Whits End, and Penny follows. They arrive and Eugene informs them that Gargantuan is destroying the Eiffel Tower. The audience is then told to scream in French.
     Gargantuan continues to destroy all that has truth, goodness, and beauty. Meanwhile Captain Absolutely is in Pompeii, witnessing the eruption of Mt. Vesivius. The audience is told to scream in Latin.
     Gargantuan continues his rampage and the gang at Whits End doesn't know what to do. Whits End is now going to be destroyed by Gargantuan! Finally, Connie makes the suggestion that Penny paint something full of truth, goodness, and beauty. Penny is uneasy about the idea, and Whit realizes that Captain Absolutely is the only one who can stop Gargantuan.
     He calls him on the intercom and tells him that the reason he's visiting all the bad times in history, (he's about to be eaten by cannibals) is because he got zapped. So he asks Captain Absolutely to think of true, good, beautiful things. Captain Absolutely immediately returns to Whits End just in time to stop Gargantuan. Gargantuan realizes that Whits End and the painting that Penny painted are the only true, good, and beautiful things in the world.
     But Captain Absolutely persuades him to go with him to the Metropolitan jail. All is well. But there's still one problem. Whits End is still merged. Eugene talks about a ridiculous suggestion that Matthew made for fixing the merging problem. Whit asks what the suggestion was, and Matthew replies that they should give the computer a good, hard kick. Whit says it couldn't hurt, (or could it?) so Eugene kicks it, setting off an atomic explosion. After an amusing wrap-up from Chris, Wooton comes on and says, 'So that was my dream.'
      Also throughout the episode are short, humorous visits from Jason, and, of course, live foley by Dave Arnold and his son, Landon, who many fans will remember as the voice of Scrubb, Rodneys cousin. Overall, tge live show was entertaining, albeit unrealistic, fun, and a true treat for AIO fans. Its not the best Odyssey episode, but it's definitely one of the most unique. Thanks for reading! Birthday Bash Rating: 8/10

Daily News 6/15/12

     I'm sorry I didn't post for two weeks, but I was on vacation. We just got back, and I figured I'd get in one more post before I go to the live show tommorow...
     On June 9th, the two new titles for the Imagination Station books were released: Challenge on the Hill of Fire and Hunt for the Devil's Dragon. Challenge on the Hill of Fire will be about St. Patrick.
     Also, a new Q & A podcast with Paul McCusker and Dave Arnold was released. Check it out on the official site. You can also vote in the 5th Annual Avery Awards for Album 55: The Deep End. There are some new categories and a surprise question at the end, so definitely vote! 
     Well, that's about it. I'll be giving a review of the live show tomorrow after it's over.
     Thanks for reading!

Daily News 6/1/12

     I know my last post says it was published on June 1st. The problem was that the publishing button wouldn't work and I had to publish it today. I did write it on May 31st. Alright, now that that's out of the way, I can tell you about the latest Odyssey news...
     Live at the 25!, another special show, will be airing today. Also, Album 55: The Deep End comes out today. In the world of AIO, that's about it.
     Thanks for reading!
          BWP

Daily News 5/31/12

     Sorry I didn't post yesterday. I couldn't really find the time. Anyway, I'm back with the latest Odyssey news.
     Yesterday, The Official Podcast released a post involving the Get in the Show! contest and free tickets to the live show in Dallas! Check it out.
     The Official Podcast released another podcast involving Mitch too. Kathy Buchanan, the essential creator of Mitch, chats with Bob and Jesse.
     Also, a special AIO behind-the-scenes episode, Inside the Studio airs today. Album 55 is available on hard copy tomorrow as well.
     Thanks for reading!
          BWP

Daily News 5/29/12

     Greetings everyone. This is the first ever post for Just Another AIO Blog, my new blog about Adventures in Odyssey. I will be having AIO news on the weekdays, an episode review on Saturday, and a random oddity on Sundays. And now, for the news in Odyssey...

Today, May 29th, the last episode in the Novacom Saga, Exit, is reairing. The Novacom Saga was a popular storyline that ran from 2000 - 2002.  In other news, Album 55, The Deep End, is coming out in just three days on hard copy! Also, the live show is coming up! Like everyone else, I'm curious to see what kind of episode they will be performing. Another small news item is that an Android app for listening to AIO was released yesterday. I do not have an Android, but I know a lot of people who do, so download that now! No new news about Album 56, other than that they've released the cover and summary, which you can find on http://www.thevoiceofodyssey.blogspot.com/. Thanks for reading!

BWP