Thursday, January 22, 2015

Top 10 Adventures In Odyssey Episodes


http://media.salemwebnetwork.com/ZCast/Shared/ImageTypes/HostImages/adventures-in-odyssey/adventures-in-odyssey-260x195.jpg?v=14657I'll bet you didn't see this coming for my first Top Ten. Adventures In Odyssey is a classic radio drama created by Focus On The Family. It's been around since the late 80's and is still going strong. Essentially anyone in the Christian or Homeschool community knows about it, and I'm sure others not in those categories have also heard of it. The characters are all thought through very well and have developed nicely over the years. After listening to Odyssey for so long, it seems as if the characters are real people. It almost hurts when they go through a tough time. That's just the characters though. Whether it's a mystery, a historical episode, a down-right hilarity, or simply a life lesson, the stories of Odyssey never seem to disappoint. I could go on forever, praising this or that about this series, but I think I'd rather just move on to the list. Since there are about, oh, maybe over 750 episodes, boiling that down to ten is not exactly the easiest task in the world. There are just tons of aspects to consider. But, I think I have selected what I believe are the Top Ten Adventures In Odyssey Episodes:

10. Do Or Diet
So, as it turns out, picking the #10 spot was probably one of the hardest spots. There were quite a few episodes that begged to slip in, but ultimately I had to go with this one (I did create an Honorable Mentions section for the others though). The plot is essentially that Connie is searching for something to do with her life. She might pursue a career as a personal trainer, especially if she can earn a scholarship. However, she needs a few subjects to lose some weight in a certain amount of time in order to receive the scholarship. Who else to use as subjects than Whit, Bernard, and Wooton? This episode is absolutely hilarious. From the struggle over brownies, to Wooton's insane ways for losing weight, this episode is jam-packed with fun.

9. Back to Bethlehem Parts 1, 2, & 3
Ah, Back to Bethlehem. Anyone who's been with the show for a while will have fond memories of this episode. It is one of the best Connie & Eugene episodes. Back to Bethlehem has Connie & Eugene in the Imagination Station, going back in time to Jesus' birth. While this episode certainly had its humorous bits, the main reason I appreciate this show is because it captures the heart and emotions of the story behind the birth of Christ.

8. Sunday Morning Scramble
I wanted to put this higher up on the list. This episode is just so funny! Unfortunately though, I felt that the episodes to come are still better. Regardless of its place though, Sunday Morning Scramble is still awesome. Essentially, the Washingtons are in a mad dash to be on time for church, and things get very hectic. I mostly like this episode because my family always seems to be rushing around on Sunday morning, and, while maybe a bit extreme, I find this episode to be very realistic which only adds to the humor.

7. Worst Day Ever
One might argue that Sunday Morning Scramble is better than this, but I disagree. Aside from having nostalgia about Worst Day Ever, this episode is funny and well written. The plot is simple; Mandy basically has the Worst Day Ever. Seriously, by the end you're almost exhausted. You wonder "What else could happen?", and that's part of the draw of Worst Day Ever. The script is written in a way that you're just thinking "Poor Mandy!" practically the whole episode. Don't worry though, you cheer up slightly at the end.

6. Sergeant York Parts 1, 2, 3, & 4
The first thing to note is that this episode is 4 parts, an occurrence that has only happened one other time in Odyssey history (Aside from albums with a chapter theme, e.g. The Green Ring Conspiracy). Four parts means you're in for a ride, and and what a ride it is! Sergeant York is a true story about a soldier named Alvin York during World War 1. This episode came out just a few years ago, and I consider it to be the best non-Biblical historical Adventures In Odyssey episode. The story is very entertaining and because it's so new, all the sound effects are very realistic, which makes the drama all the more, er, dramatic.

5. Clara
The very mention of the title brings sad memories. There are many emotional/dramatic episodes, but I find this one to be the most heartbreaking (Karen, The Mortal Coil Parts 1 & 2, and Greater Love were all high contenders though). Clara is a story about a young girl that Whit was going to adopt. Without spoiling much, this episode adds an interesting depth to Whit and his friend Jack. Clara really pulls at your heart strings, and it isn't easy to make it through this episode without at least tearing up. The ending is still somewhat sad, but it fits well.

4. Someone to Watch Over Me
Yet another classic episode. I particularly enjoy this one for its plot. For most of the episode you're trying to figure out what's going on, and the ending is a real shock. Jimmy goes on a series of adventures in what he believes is the Imagination Station, all the while being accompanied by a man by the name of Mr. Nagel. I think this is overall one of the best episodes, a perfect mixture of great characters and plot.

3. Aloha, Oy! Parts 1, 2, & 3
Seriously, as if these episodes couldn't be on this list somewhere! These episodes took the unlikeliest combination of families, stuck 'em together for three whole episodes, and created perhaps the funniest Adventure ever. The plot: the Barclay family wins a vacation to Hawaii which sounds wonderful...at least until the Rathbones decide to tag along. Instant calamity. Aloha, Oy! is funny through and through, and does not disappoint. This episode also created the now famous equation: Barclays + Rathbones = Awesome Laughs (Actually, I just made that up if you couldn't tell).

2. The Great Wishy Woz Parts 1 & 2
We're coming down to the wire now, these are the last episodes before the big #1. I know that many will disagree with me putting this so high, but this is my list; I'd encourage you make your own list if you don't agree. The Great Wishy Woz is a parody of, obviously, the Wizard of Oz. But in fact, I'd rather listen to this than watch the real Wizard of Oz movie. This is probably the only musical(ish) show of really any sort of media that I actually enjoy. Why? Because the songs are funny! The Great Wishy Woz is actually a radio program written by Mandy, in essence, a show within a show. But, man, that Mandy must be a very good writer! I'd explain the plot, but it's basically just the Wizard of Oz with a few twists.

1. The Imagination Station Parts 1 & 2
I thought through the #1 spot very meticulously. My original list had about 50 or so episodes on it, and finding the #1 out of all those was not easy. But, when it came right down to it, there could only be one episode (or pair in this case) that was the best ever made. It had to be this one. The Imagination Station is not only monumental, but also top notch quality. A boy named Digger Digwillow thinks the Bible is boring, and Whit has created a new machine to fix that--The Imagination Station, Whit's most famous invention. Which story does Digger experience? The life, death, and resurrection of Christ. This episode very accurately portrays the emotions going on in this wonderful and incredible story.

Honorable Mentions
These episodes had a case of "close, but not quite" syndrome (If that even exists).
In no particular order:

-A License to Drive
-Hidden in My Heart
-The Underground Railroad Parts 1, 2, & 3
-Slumber Party
-The Triangled Web Parts 1 & 2
-I Slap Floor

(Honestly, there are waaaay more episodes that should be given an Honorable Mention. It would take forever to name every great episode though, so you'll have to settle for just a few)

Thanks for reading, and have a good day!

(Click on Read More if you want to know where to start listening)





Sounds Cool, Where Should I Start?

So, does Adventures In Odyssey interest you? You could probably begin listening at any point in the series, but Adventures In Odyssey has 3 'generations' of sorts.

Approximately they are:
1st Gen., album#01-#27
2nd Gen., album#028-#50
3rd Gen., album#51-#58.

Start from the 1st Gen. if you want to know the origins of key characters.
Start from the 2nd Gen. if you want the (in my opinion) best stories.
Start from the 3rd Gen. if you want more modern and relevant topics.

Anyway, those are just some basic ideas for getting you started.

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