The New Whit

[NatetheGreat]

So, you all are probably long bast this, but...

I've only recently started listening to AIO regularly again, and I'm having difficulty getting past how different the (I assume) newest Whit's voice is to the other Whits before him. The other Whits sounded so real. This one sounds... cartoony, and hard to take seriously.

I know it's silly.

Did anyone else feel the same way? How long did it take you to get past it? Anything in particular help you to do it?

[bookworm]

Some opinions from the past, for reference.

[Parakeet]

I. Do. Not. Like. New. Whit.

I forget the actors names. But the older Whits are great, and this new one just sounds wrong. He sounds less like a grandpa to me.
His voice just bugs me. Like you said, hard to take seriously.

Also, I didn't get over it. I just don't listen to the new ones as much.

[shnoodlec]

You mean Andre Stojka? Is he still considered new?

[bookworm]

You mean Andre Stojka? Is he still considered new?

He's definitely not the 'old Whit'.

[NatetheGreat]

You mean Andre Stojka? Is he still considered new?

Well, new to me... Like I said, it's been a little while since I've listened regularly.

Anyway, it's nice to know I'm not crazy for being a little disappointed. But I really do hope he grows on me, or he just grows... I may have to try thinking of him as an entirely new character or something...

[Old Brad]

Yeah I'm not really a huge fan of the "new" Whit or the newer episodes. I honestly stopped listening to the new episodes around album 53-55..

[The Top Crusader]

I think Paul Herlinger sounded more like Hal Smith overall, but Andre Stojka has certain inflections in his voice that sound more like Hal than Paul did.

Definitely overall not quite the close match that Whit 2 was, but I do think he grows on you after a while.

[NatetheGreat]

I think Paul Herlinger sounded more like Hal Smith overall, but Andre Stojka has certain inflections in his voice that sound more like Hal than Paul did.

Definitely overall not quite the close match that Whit 2 was, but I do think he grows on you after a while.

I sincerely hope so. I really don't want to be the old grump who can't enjoy something just because of "how it used to be."

[Calhoun07]

I think Paul Herlinger sounded more like Hal Smith overall, but Andre Stojka has certain inflections in his voice that sound more like Hal than Paul did.

Definitely overall not quite the close match that Whit 2 was, but I do think he grows on you after a while.

I sincerely hope so. I really don't want to be the old grump who can't enjoy something just because of "how it used to be."

I like this approach.

I've been going through the series again, and am still in the Hal Smith episodes, fast approaching Gone, his last episode. Amazing how much time it seemed we had with him back in the day but how few episodes he appeared in considering how long the series has run.

I have only listened to a few clips of the newer episodes and...no, the new Whit doesn't sound like Hal. It was amazing the show was able to find a replacement for him to begin with.

The series was originally going to have Whit die in Mortal Coil. That would have been...something. Maybe if Jason Whitaker had been more of a dynamic character (sorry for his fans, I never really warmed up to him) then they wouldn't have had to replace Whit.

It's incredible they found other actors who sounded like him. But how many times can lightning strike the same place?

At this point, could the series ever just replace him with a whole new character like they were planning in the early days of the show?

Or would it better to wrap the series up at some point?

[NatetheGreat]

As much as I want AIO to stay just like it was in my childhood, I would hate for them to end the show. We can always just listen to the old albums if the new episodes get too disappointing... But I really do hope the series never loses its soul.

[Calhoun07]

As much as I want AIO to stay just like it was in my childhood, I would hate for them to end the show. We can always just listen to the old albums if the new episodes get too disappointing... But I really do hope the series never loses its soul.

Nothing lasts forever, though.

Would it be better to have a show go on with disappointing episodes fewer and fewer people listened to or go out while on top?

Maybe they could find an influx of new talent to breathe new life into the show, but that rarely works.

[jddrock]

I think Paul Herlinger sounded more like Hal Smith overall, but Andre Stojka has certain inflections in his voice that sound more like Hal than Paul did.

Definitely overall not quite the close match that Whit 2 was, but I do think he grows on you after a while.

I totally agree here. If you compare Paul and Hal side by side there are some pretty big differences in their voices. Andre has some qualities to his voice that are more like Hal than Paul did. Paul probably has more qualities in line with Hal's voice but there are some very detailed nuances of Andre's that sound just like Hal. I wasn't born yet but I've heard that when Paul first started playing Whit some Odyssey fans weren't big on that voice change either. If you listen to some of Paul's first episodes of playing Whit you can pick up some awkwardness in his acting here and there. I mean, he had some big shoes to fill! He was still figuring out being Whit for himself. Yes, Andre's voice is the most different between all 3 but after a while he has grown on me and I enjoy many new episodes as much as I do the old ones. And now that Odyssey fans have 8 years of Hal playing Whit and 12 years of Paul playing Whit, Andre has even bigger shoes to fill than Paul did! If there's ever another change in hands for Whit...... that's gonna have to be SOME GUY!

Overall, I give Andre some grace for the huge role he's filling. With the fan base AIO has he's taken a courageous move. He took some time to get used to. I didn't like him as much in the beginning, but I do now. I know some fans really differ on opinions about him but I for one have come to like Andre's portrayal of Whit. I honestly think he's doing a great job. Different? Yes. But good? I believe so. The best? Debatable, probably not, but depends on who you talk to. Another thing to note is that AIO is being written for a different generation. The kids that are listening now are in some ways different than we were growing up. AIO needs to stay relatable to its audience. Change is inevitable for a series that's run for so long. There's for sure been some clunkers but I think overall AIO has grown nicely and at its core I absolutely love what it is today.

[The Top Crusader]

AIO needs to stay relatable to its audience.

More episodes about the evils of video arcades! Down with Zappazoids!

[NatetheGreat]

Yes, I think I agree with you, jddrock. I went back and listened to some of the first episodes of another show I've listened to, and was surprised at how poorly the characters were played. It takes actors time to develop their characters.

On the other hand, having AIO cater to a different generation by becoming more hyper and less serious than it already is? Please, no!

[~JCGJ~]

AIO needs to stay relatable to its audience.

More episodes about the evils of video arcades! Down with Zappazoids!

Um... A video arcade is definitely not the same thing as an arcade.

[The Top Crusader]

It is according to the dictionary.

[NatetheGreat]

Update since I've been listening to the new episodes for a while now:

I'm really enjoying the new episodes now, even hearing Andre Stojka as Whit. I think this experience has shown me just how much feeling like you "know" the characters is crucial to enjoying Adventures in Odyssey. When Barrett and Olivia and Buck and even the new Whit were so new they felt like strangers, listening to the new episodes was a little bewildering, and I often found myself annoyed at the new characters. But as I've started to learn some of their backstory, and slowly understand what makes each new character tick, I've started caring about the new characters in much the same way that I've cared for years about the old characters. Not that these new characters mean as much to me as the characters of my childhood do—there will always be a special place in my heart for the characters I grew up with. But I can now say that I really do enjoy hearing from characters who came on the scene well after I stopped listening to the show.

All of which I'm very thankful for. It was a pretty big bummer thinking that AIO had jumped the shark. Long live AIO!

[Catspaw]

That totally makes sense, Nate. I think there's something welcoming and comforting in the familiar. New characters or voices sometimes seem like a stranger intruding...until you get used to them and realize you made a new friend. (Well, kind of. You AIO fans know what I mean.)

[Horsegirl]

I really liked the old whits. They sounded more real and as you said this one is a little more cartoon ish.