In an interview with Radio Theatre host Dave Arnold on the AIO BlogCast, he revealed that the next script being recorded in London this April is based on Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis. The drama will be about the back-story that led to Lewis writing the book and what he went through during World War II and other events in his personal life that had an influence on the book and helped to form the theology within it. It will be the story behind the story, so to speak, not a dramatization of the non-fiction book itself. Mere Christianity started off as a series of radio broadcasts on the BBC during the war so it will be interesting to see how those are tied into this next production from Radio Theatre. Focus on the Family has a good relationship with the Lewis estate and has previously produced dramas of The Screwtape Letters and the entire Chronicles of Narnia series. According to Dave Arnold, Focus on the Family is looking at releasing the story behind Mere Christianity as early as this fall. He also said that Radio Theatre wants to eventually create dramas of all of C. S. Lewis' works, including his science fiction books in The Space Trilogy.
The epic finale of the Adventures in Odyssey BlogCast has been released online. After over three years of the podcast, it's now ending with the final episode for season six and the entire series. This packed episode is just under four hours long and features a newscast, the high-quality audio production Skye Weldon & The Crazy Cactus Caper (starring Diane Ingolia and Phil Lollar), a behind the scenes look at the Skye Weldon program, a blooper reel, Austin and Tasha's favorite Odyssey albums, episodes and characters, an interview with Ryan Matlock (creator of the World Famous Odyssey Podcast), a review of The Truth Chronicles, an interview with AIO sound designer, writer, director and executive producer Dave Arnold, a compilation of the best moments from every episode of the BlogCast, more outtakes from past shows, some goodbyes from the fans, and thank yous from Austin and Tasha. It's certainly a very memorable and exciting episode to end this great Adventures in Odyssey podcast on. Listen to the very last episode. Also, you can hear an interview with Austin Peachey on YouTube. According to writer Paul McCusker's official page on Facebook, he is currently polishing the script for the next audio drama production from Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre. After this has been completed, the team will head to London where seasoned professional actors will play the roles. The British actors that FOTF is able to get are world-class and very well respected. It is still unknown at this point which drama Radio Theatre will be tackling this time. The latest one they produced was Oliver Twist, which was released last November. Before that was The Screwtape Letters, which starred Andy Serkis, who also plays Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit films. The London recordings will take place in April. We will let you know as soon as the title of this next production is finally announced. Stay tuned. Today the Odyssey ScoopCast finally released their long-awaited interview with actor Brandon GIlberstadt, the voice of Jared DeWhite on Adventures in Odyssey. Jared of course is a popular character from the 1997-2004 era and is still well-known today for his wild conspiracy theories and unlimited imagination. His last appearance was on Candid Conversations with Connie on Album 50: The Best Small Town. During the podcast Brandon quickly befriends hosts Kevin McCreary and Garrett Vandenberg and then goes on to discuss how he was brought back to play the adult Matthew Parker for an episode on Album 56, how he originally was cast as Jared on the show, if he had heard of Adventures in Odyssey before he came on the program, his acting career over the years, and much more. This is only part 1 of the interview, so hopefully the next part will be released soon. Enjoy listening to the Brandon Gilberstadt interview. So far there have been nine Adventures in Odyssey episodes already recorded in the studio for Album 57: A Call to Something More. But that leaves three more slots open that still need to be filled. Well, it looks like that's going to happen soon. According to writer and director Nathan Hoobler, the AIO team is now heading to California to record more Odyssey episodes with the actors playing Connie, Whit, Chris, Emily, Matthew and others. This is confirmed to be the last recording session for Album 57 where the final three episodes will be recorded. For all the episodes that have already been recorded, you can see their titles here. Album 57 will be available for digital download in August and on CD in October. We will continue to post updates on this album leading up to its release. The first Whit's End Mealtime Devotions book hasn't even been released yet and we already have the cover for the sequel. That first devotional book features a picture of the Jones family on the cover and will be released in April. However, Whit's End Mealtime Devotions: The Second Helping has a picture of Adventures in Odyssey's other newest family, the Parker family, and will be released in stores in November. Here is the description: "Many families today are on the go so much that it’s hard to get everyone around the dinner table long enough to share a meal, let alone hold a meaningful conversation. Parents looking for help with conversation starters and ways to build strong relationships with their children will want to incorporate this devotional into their family’s routine. Adventures in Odyssey delivers readings in this second volume of Whit’s End Mealtime Devotions designed to grab a family’s interest and get them interacting in lively, often hilarious, conversation. Dealing with both unusual and everyday topics in a creative and fun way, this devotional helps parents engage their children in meaningful conversation and pass on a spiritual heritage to their families." Thanks to The Odyssey Scoop for reporting this news first. The first Imagination Station omni-book was released in September 2012 and it included the first three titles in the series. It is now being followed up with another 3-pack which will include Book 4: Revenge of the Red Knight, Book 5: Showdown with the Shepherd, and Book 6: Problems in Plymouth. This will conclude the books whose artwork is framed in with blue and whose titles use alliteration. The books that follow are framed in with a green border and their titles do not use alliteration. This second omni-book features the writing talents of Marianne Hering, Paul McCusker, Brock Eastman, and Marshal Younger. Also, this is a good time to mention that Brock Eastman has just become a producer for Adventures in Odyssey. So, congratulations to him. While we don't yet know what the finished cover for this upcoming book will look like, we do now have a release date for it. This next 3-pack will be released in Christian bookstores in October 2013, at the same time as Book 12: Danger on a Silent Night. We'll continue to report more details to you when we find anything new. We have two more Adventures in Odyssey products to announce today. The first is a sequel to the 90 Devotions for Kids book called "90 Devotions for Kids in Matthew" which will be released in October. Here is the description: The second in a series of four “90 Devotions” books from the writers of Adventures in Odyssey, these devotionals provide a fun way to teach children about God’s Word and make the truths of the Bible accessible at a young age. Based on the book of Matthew, the 90 devotions in this volume will help start children on a path toward regular time alone with God, as well as provide a sound biblical resource for parents to use as they interact with their kids and spend time together as a family, reading and learning scripture-based truths." Also being released in October is a new AIO CD sampler. This one is called "Bothersome Bullies" and will feature the three episodes Target of the Week (Album 51), Another Man's Shoes (Album 33), and Mike Makes Right (Album 3). Here is the description for this CD: Bullying is something many families face. Adventures in Odyssey wants to come alongside parents to encourage and prepare children to respond well to bullying. Whether your child knows a bully, is being bullied, or is the bully, you’ll learn valuable lessons from these three episodes. Help your child grow more with a digital discussion guide and additional bullying resources included on this sampler. We've got more exciting news to tell you today that hasn't yet been reported anywhere else! The summary for Album 57: A Call to Something More has been released by Tyndale House Publishers. It reveals several new episode titles and highlights what some characters will be experiencing in the album. Here is the summary: "There comes a time when everyone must look at their life and see where God is leading them. The folks in Odyssey must ponder that question after a series of surprises. Connie goes through a difficult experience and has to figure out how to turn tragedy into triumph. Meanwhile, three generations of the Parker family journey in the Imagination Station to witness the story of the last judge of Israel, leading Camilla to consider what God might be saying to her. It’s a life-changing time in Odyssey as our friends at Whit’s End learn lessons in the midst of excitement and fun. Episodes include: Life Expectancy (Parts 1-3), Your Servant Is Listening (Parts 1-2), The Friend Formula, No Chemistry Whatsoever, More Than a Feeling, Repent after Me." Album 57 will be available for download in August. What do you think will happen to your favorite Adventures in Odyssey characters in these future episodes? Leave your thoughts below in the comments. You can also find more details about the upcoming album here. Book 12 is the Imagination Station series is called Danger on a Silent Night and will be available for purchase in stores in October 2013. And now Tyndale has just released the full summary for the book. Here it is: "Beth and Patrick travel to the Holy Land. Patrick joins the wise men as they travel toward Jerusalem. Beth winds up at Herod’s palace and sees the king’s reaction when he finds out about the newly born King of the Jews. The cousins meet up at the palace. Devout Simeon tells them where they can find the baby Jesus. Beth and Patrick set out with the wise men only to discover they’ve been followed by one of Herod’s soldiers. Knowing that death is in store for the Baby Jesus if the soldier finds Him, Beth and Patrick carry out a plan to keep the baby safe." It sounds like an exciting story, similar to the Adventures in Odyssey episodes The Star, Parts 1 & 2. But you don't have to wait until autumn to get a new book in the Imagination Station series. Book 11: Hunt for the Devil's Dragon will be available in May. You can preorder Book 11 here. |