It’s Always an Adventure When You’re in Odyssey

M any of us have unrealistic bucket-list items, and these could range from a desire to meet Aslan to flying in a P-51 Mustang piloted by Tom Cruise. One of mine? To eat raspberry-ripple ice cream at the counter of Whit’s End and have a long chat with the owner, John Avery Whitaker.

Whit is a central character in Adventures in Odyssey, a family-oriented audio drama produced by Focus on the Family that’s now well into its third decade on the air. Commanding the vocal talents of Katie Leigh, Hal Smith, Will Ryan, and many others, as well as the writing abilities of Paul McCusker, Phil Lollar, Marshal Younger, and more, the show captures hearts and imaginations in delightful ways.

At its core, the show is episodic, and each episode lasts about 25 minutes. Most plot lines revolve around Whit and his ice-cream shop and include his employees, his family, and local townspeople. Whit is a man of deep faith and numerous talents, talents he often surprises people with throughout the series. Father, grandfather, World War II veteran, inventor, possible secret agent, teacher, businessman — these are just a few of the hats Whit wears. But most important, he is a friend and mentor to the children and adults who come through his door.

In my family, we think of Odyssey characters as friends, often chatting about their antics and lessons over our meals. Connie Kendall is the longest-running show character after Whit. A teen when she arrives in Odyssey, this L.A.-born-and-bred girl soon becomes a fixture at Whit’s End as an employee. She is bold, outspoken, and overeager at times — traits that cause her some grief. But she is open to correction and has a warm heart, ready to help her friends at a moment’s notice. The other main character we can’t forget is Eugene Meltsner, a genius who loves his academics and is brilliant in every area except social skills. He and Connie are constantly at odds with each other but gradually develop a strong friendship thanks to Whit’s guidance. Eugene is hilarious, spouting off huge words and incomprehensible facts at any given moment — oh, and he’s a whiz on the ukulele.

There’s an amusing YouTube video from about ten years ago that gives a long list of ways you might know you’re a homeschooler. One of the lines — “You might be a homeschooler if you judge the length of car rides by how many episodes of Adventures in Odyssey it’s going to take to get there” — rings true for my family. Endlessly interesting and imaginative, the shows range from topics on everyday situations such as dealing with bullies and being honest to adventures into biblical stories or World War II scenarios. The stories are meant to inspire, getting us to think about how they apply to our own lives. It’s clear that the writers took (and still take) great pains to make each episode not only engaging but also moral without being moralizing, family-positive, wholesome, and uplifting. This is a tall order, but again and again, whether the show is tackling issues such as divorce, abortion, or death, each is handled with care and grace. They’ve even confronted Internet addiction, role-playing games, and incarceration. These tough subjects are always prefaced with a content warning, but with an encouragement for families to listen to the episode together and discuss. Numerous scenarios and characters still come to my mind, years later — they undoubtedly helped form my moral imagination and my conscience.

Balancing out these deeper topics are countless funny episodes. There’s Connie’s day with a movie star; the Barclay family’s crazy trip to Hawaii; Wooton Bassett’s week with his niece; and much more. There are adventures in the Imagination Station (an invention of Whit’s), fairy-tale spoofs, history lessons, theatrical productions — the list goes on and on. The Adventures in Odyssey producers have even managed to simulate a TV broadcast . . . on the radio.

Besides the regular, standalone episodes, the Odyssey collection includes a number of series. Each is a multi-episode, many-layered story that could involve a counterfeiting group that must be stopped (The Green Ring Conspiracy) or a unique retelling of the story of King David (Darien’s Rise). Novacom, though, might be the most impressive, as it details a devious plot conducted by a power-hungry villain to create a machine that mind-controls people. Cheesy as the premise may sound, this series is a fascinating listen and keeps everyone on the edge of their seat as the Odyssey gang must use all their resources to defeat this evil.

Always, the series is Christian to the core, but never sectarian. It is proudly patriotic, pro-military, and pro-life. From it, my siblings and I have learned about art, literature, science, history, the Bible, business, politics, and virtue, among many other subjects. The references it gave us were concrete and accessible. What we thought was just a way to pass some time on a car trip or during lunch planted important truths deep in our hearts and minds, strengthening us for our own challenges in the future.

While it may be marketed to eight- to twelve-year-olds, its lessons ring true whether you’re eight or 80, and they’ll be sticking with this listener for years to come.