The Decline of Adventures in Odyssey

[ric]

Yes, AIO is in decline, and it can't be helped. The End. Bye Bye.

That's garbage. Odyssey is in an incline, 51 was NOT the worst episode in Odyssey's history, 53 was ONE OF THE BEST.

Why do you have to be so negative? >_>

Haters gonna hate, I guess.

I disagree that 53 was one of the best, but what I meant to say was... endlessly complaining about the same old things isn't going to make AIO better.

All I said was it really wasn't all that great. I don't hate it.


My main point is, regardless of whether your believe 51 and 52 were bad or not, it's still just wishful thinking to say AIO is going to change in the area of target audience maturity.


Or maybe Christopher Robin has left Pooh Corner and AIO just isn't for me any more. Who can say?

[American Eagle]

All I said was it really wasn't all that great.

Not "all that great" is a tad different than "in decline, and it can't be helped".

My main point is, regardless of whether your believe 51 and 52 were bad or not, it's still just wishful thinking to say AIO is going to change in the area of target audience maturity.

Disagree... '33 and '34 are two of the most childish album ever. Then came Novacom and The Top Floor.

Or maybe Christopher Robin has left Pooh Corner and AIO just isn't for me any more. Who can say?

Don't even begin to say that, bro. You will love Odyssey 'til you die and teach your children to do likewise!

[ric]

Disagree... '33 and '34 are two of the most childish album ever. Then came Novacom and The Top Floor.

I haven't heard those. Thankfully.

So, maybe they can change. I doubt it, but 'anything could happen'.

Don't even begin to say that, bro. You will love Odyssey 'til you die and teach your children to do likewise!

Hopefully. As of yet, AIO has never failed to entertain me, and I hope it never does.

Not "all that great" is a tad different than "in decline, and it can't be helped".

Just a tad.

[Leonard Meltsner]

*William Shattered voice*

And so the great ToO schism broke out. Violence in the streets. Burning lawn gnomes. Bart Rathbone selling t-shirts. As the town quickly drew sides over the New Age of Odyssey, the peace protestors began to step up on their soap boxes in McAlister Park and preach peace. Led by AE, these peaceful people tried in vain to convince the masses. Did they succeed? Tune in next time to find out!

[Marvin D.]

*crashes the board*

[Jason Whits Son]

My response to this can be found here

[Jonathan]

Friends, Romans, ToOers, lend me your eyeballs.

That made me laugh.

I haven't read this whole thread, just the first post. So forgive me for ignoring some 60 posts, and likely saying something someone else already has.

I had a thought to share, with this last paragraph especially in mind:

Has our beloved radio drama Adventures in Odyssey gone downhill? Many disagree, saying that the Green Ring Conspiracy has brought it back up (more on that too, later), but with what we know of Album 54, it could be headed back the same way. With no good old characters to keep (except for Connie, Eugene, Whit, and Wooton—and Whit’s weird, Wooton’s out of the picture, and Connie and Eugene both have changed), lots of new kids, and a total new revamp, some might say that it’s definitely losing the original feel it had. Starting even before the relaunch, there’s been a considerable decline in the history of AIO. Will it ever be able to work its way back to the prime days of the show? Only time can tell.
And with that, I shut up for now, having ranted enough to bore you to sleep.

After every hiatus the feel of the show changes. The 1997 Odyssey was markedly different from the 1996 one, and the 2009 Odyssey was different from the 2007 one.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. Just as AIO's golden years to me are the ones prior to 1997, and AIO's golden years for someone 7 or so years younger then me are the years from 1997 to 2006ish, so this new era will be the golden years for people who are 5 to 9 years old and beginning to listen to the show. That's just the way it is.

Bear in mind I haven't listened since the most recent hiatus ended--real life became too full. But as long as things aren't like the spring of 2000, it's just change and not really a bad thing.

[Knight Fisher]

And I swear, if I ever got the chance, I would sock Emily in the mouth.

I know that's harsh to say, but I would rather listen to fingernails on a chalk board than take her whiney, snotty, rude voice. She is so unbelievably annoying, I can't even believe that she got the job.

And the worst part? It's the writers fault. They created the character, they dictate what she says and does. And I can't stand her.

No don't sock her. Turn her into Juvenile detention. Last time I checked Blackmail is a crime. Hi there I'm the stuck up annoying self complimenting.... No I wont go on. And the whole Wooten, Penny thing. What happened to date a Christian. Last time I checked cults didn't count. And don't say she was just mislead. She completely believed it. And the only way to Heaven is Christ.

[Alyssa]

Marvin, that was absolutely hilarious. Very well written.

I agree with you, of course. But, in a way, you have to remember that things change. And, though I myself am not one that likes to much change, I must say, I like some of the new episodes, and I am getting used to them. I guess I'm thinking of them as sort a new generation or start...and when I get tired of them, I go back and listen to old ones.

But, yes, I do totally understand what your saying...

[SoccerLOTR]

I listened to the clock mystery episode again the other day, and admittedly found I liked it. However, it remains the only redeemed episode thus far out of just about all the recent episodes. There are a couple I can't even force myself to listen to again based on the first experience being so lousy (Wooten's broken pencil "show" episode, for example?). But just saying, I AM trying to give the new ones a chance to be good...but so far it has generally been unsuccessful. And no matter the quality of the writing, it doesn't excuse complete changes to characters and portraying downright wrong attitudes (i.e. Whit letting teachable moments and wrong actions to pass by unaddressed).

[Jason Whits Son]

(i.e. Whit letting teachable moments and wrong actions to pass by unaddressed).

Such as which episodes?

[AIOCREFan]

Read the reviews on Amazon for album 52. New fans are being added, as is obvious when you read those reviews. I bet 2/3 are from people who have listened to AIO for the 1st time. I know you guys are talking more about the content of the shows, so I will address that.

I have come to learn that the ToO is full of people who hate the new AIO and want the old AIO to come back, even though it never will. Listen people, AIO is what it is because of modern times. AIO would not sell if they were stuck back in what you guys call the "Golden Days of AIO". It would not work. It would not sell. And then there would be no more AIO.

As for Olivia, you guys complained and complained about her and her whiny voice. I personally think she was just fine. But for Album 54, they had to get a new actor since Hope Levy wasn't available. They will most likely be keeping the new actor, so you can't complain about her anymore.

And Emily. I don't know where you guys live, but there are people like Emily all over the place. In fact, Emily is based off of a girl Paul McCusker knows. AIO would not be what it is if it would not portray realistic characters. In fact, I bet those people like Emily can relate to her, like in the prospect of being wrong. People, there are people in the world who think they are NEVER wrong, EVER. They are not very liked people. Emily is no where close to that. Only once did that come up.

Summary: You are entitled to your opinions. But none of your complaining will change anything.

[SoccerLOTR]

(i.e. Whit letting teachable moments and wrong actions to pass by unaddressed).

Such as which episodes?

Some have been mentioned in previous rants, I can't remember them all at the moment and am too tired to think...but one obvious example being when a character gets mad at someone, and Whit wimps out and says "well, at least you got your point across..." instead of previous examples in Odyssey history where he would reply "oh no!" or agree that it was definitely not the correct response or action to take, and lead them toward a better reaction or the conclusion that they should apologize.

And AIOCREFan, I don't know Olivia well enough to have a strong opinion of her...
But as for Emily, she is NOT like people I see all over...There are kids/people who display her characteristics (precociousness, curiosity, believing they are right, etc) but there are added characteristics that just sound completely WRONG. For example...it drives me NUTS that she reminds me of a Disney show character where they make her out to be this brilliant and amazing 10 year old who is only occasionally proved wrong, and turn her father into a joke, and her brother into someone who can't stand up for himself or have a life apart from her. And it's like they take all the common characteristics and combine ALL of them into one person, making it ridiculous and turning her into one of those "not very liked people" that you mentioned.
It might be a bit better if they actually had a KID actor for her who actually acted like a kid instead of sounding exaggerated all the time. It's one thing to be energetic and bubbly...it's another to make your voice almost sound sarcastic because it is overdone in attempting to make yourself sound much younger than you are. But still, I hate how they write her and find her one of the most obnoxious characters ever...I think she's pretty close to Danny in how much I find her unlikable and annoying. Only problem is that the authors realized the problem with Danny and stopped using him...but somehow they missed the fact that Emily is terrible and have continued to use her.

[Marvin D.]

I just hope the new Olivia sounds better. 'Nuff said.

[ric]

(i.e. Whit letting teachable moments and wrong actions to pass by unaddressed).

Such as which episodes?

Some have been mentioned in previous rants, I can't remember them all at the moment and am too tired to think...but one obvious example being when a character gets mad at someone, and Whit wimps out and says "well, at least you got your point across..." instead of previous examples in Odyssey history where he would reply "oh no!" or agree that it was definitely not the correct response or action to take, and lead them toward a better reaction or the conclusion that they should apologize.

And AIOCREFan, I don't know Olivia well enough to have a strong opinion of her...
But as for Emily, she is NOT like people I see all over...There are kids/people who display her characteristics (precociousness, curiosity, believing they are right, etc) but there are added characteristics that just sound completely WRONG. For example...it drives me NUTS that she reminds me of a Disney show character where they make her out to be this brilliant and amazing 10 year old who is only occasionally proved wrong, and turn her father into a joke, and her brother into someone who can't stand up for himself or have a life apart from her. And it's like they take all the common characteristics and combine ALL of them into one person, making it ridiculous and turning her into one of those "not very liked people" that you mentioned.
It might be a bit better if they actually had a KID actor for her who actually acted like a kid instead of sounding exaggerated all the time. It's one thing to be energetic and bubbly...it's another to make your voice almost sound sarcastic because it is overdone in attempting to make yourself sound much younger than you are. But still, I hate how they write her and find her one of the most obnoxious characters ever...I think she's pretty close to Danny in how much I find her unlikable and annoying. Only problem is that the authors realized the problem with Danny and stopped using him...but somehow they missed the fact that Emily is terrible and have continued to use her.

And she's supposed to be this like wonderful, brilliant detective when she notices these little 'minute' details that are really quite obvious and anyone who knows anything about deduction could figure them out.

[Marvin D.]

. . .exactly. She makes such a great detective

[Steve]

(i.e. Whit letting teachable moments and wrong actions to pass by unaddressed).

Such as which episodes?

Some have been mentioned in previous rants, I can't remember them all at the moment and am too tired to think...but one obvious example being when a character gets mad at someone, and Whit wimps out and says "well, at least you got your point across..." instead of previous examples in Odyssey history where he would reply "oh no!" or agree that it was definitely not the correct response or action to take, and lead them toward a better reaction or the conclusion that they should apologize.

And AIOCREFan, I don't know Olivia well enough to have a strong opinion of her...
But as for Emily, she is NOT like people I see all over...There are kids/people who display her characteristics (precociousness, curiosity, believing they are right, etc) but there are added characteristics that just sound completely WRONG. For example...it drives me NUTS that she reminds me of a Disney show character where they make her out to be this brilliant and amazing 10 year old who is only occasionally proved wrong, and turn her father into a joke, and her brother into someone who can't stand up for himself or have a life apart from her. And it's like they take all the common characteristics and combine ALL of them into one person, making it ridiculous and turning her into one of those "not very liked people" that you mentioned.
It might be a bit better if they actually had a KID actor for her who actually acted like a kid instead of sounding exaggerated all the time. It's one thing to be energetic and bubbly...it's another to make your voice almost sound sarcastic because it is overdone in attempting to make yourself sound much younger than you are. But still, I hate how they write her and find her one of the most obnoxious characters ever...I think she's pretty close to Danny in how much I find her unlikable and annoying. Only problem is that the authors realized the problem with Danny and stopped using him...but somehow they missed the fact that Emily is terrible and have continued to use her.

And she's supposed to be this like wonderful, brilliant detective when she notices these little 'minute' details that are really quite obvious and anyone who knows anything about deduction could figure them out.

Umm... yeah. I had figured out all of the GRC by episode 6.

[American Eagle]

Umm... yeah. I had figured out all of the GRC by episode 6.

Wait, you knew beforehand that Jason would return with an Italian accent?

[Steve]

Umm... yeah. I had figured out all of the GRC by episode 6.

Wait, you knew beforehand that Jason would return with an Italian accent?

Well, as soon as I clicked the spoilers and figured out that Jason would be back (though I didn't read that he was the Stilleto), yes, I figured that he was the Stilleto.

[Marvin D.]

Umm... yeah. I had figured out all of the GRC by episode 6.

Wait, you knew beforehand that Jason would return with an Italian accent?

Well, as soon as I clicked the spoilers and figured out that Jason would be back (though I didn't read that he was the Stilleto), yes, I figured that he was the Stilleto.

There's a difference in knowing he's coming back and pinning it on the Stiletto then actually guessing he would come back and be the Stiletto