26. All-Star Writer
A tribute to Paul McCusker.
By David Hilder | October 29, 2015
A tribute to Paul McCusker.
By David Hilder | October 29, 2015
It’s a time of change for the Adventures in Odyssey community. Albums have just recently switched over to having six episodes instead of twelve, a third voice for Matthew Parker has been announced, and some listeners hear episodes early via the Odyssey Adventure Club while others have to wait longer for them to air on the radio and online. But perhaps more significant than all of that is the recent departure of long-time AIO writer, director, producer and executive producer Paul McCusker. This past February I received an email from Focus on the Family announcing this news. Here is an excerpt:
Paul McCusker has chosen to move on to a new adventure in Christian ministry. Before he left, he completed the writing and directing of Album 59: Taking the Plunge and was also involved in the planning of future stories.
It was a very difficult decision for Paul to make, and although we aren’t sure whether he will have the time to write for Adventures in Odyssey or Radio Theatre as a freelancer (as he has done several times in the past), we'll always stay in contact with him as friends. Paul has said that he's not leaving Focus so much as moving on to the next thing the Lord is calling him to accomplish.
We're sorry to see him go, but also excited for the impact he'll make in his new venture. And you can rest assured, Adventures in Odyssey will continue into the future with the same quality and mission as always. In life, change is inevitable. But God's plans never change, and our future is one of hope and joy. As Whit says, The best is yet to come.
It’s because of his departure that I’ve decided to write this special tribute to Paul McCusker’s career working on Adventures in Odyssey. His first episode was My Brother’s Keeper, which was written for Family Portraits and aired in 1988. Over the years Paul went on to write nearly 300 shows, his last one Let’s Get Together airing in 2015. He directed over 200 episodes, and wrote almost 30 AIO books. He will most certainly be missed by the fans.
One thing we have Paul McCusker to thank for is Eugene and Katrina’s relationship. Paul wrote the episode Truth, Trivia and ‘Trina, which introduced Katrina to the world of Odyssey, but his major contribution came after the episode had aired. We may look back on it now and see Katrina as integral to the show, playing an important role even from her first episode. But according to page 231 of the 2012 Official Guide, the appearance of Katrina Shanks at the time “triggered a controversy on the team and with fans.” Both had their doubts about the character’s future on the show. Many fans were inclined to want Connie and Eugene to get together instead, while some on the team thought of Katrina as “a clone of Eugene.” She may very well have disappeared from the show altogether as a result of this disagreement. The Official Guide says, “Paul McCusker, who championed continuing the character, believed that she would bring a balance to Eugene, understanding his intellectual quirks while bringing even more heart to his life. And he believed that she would allow us to put Eugene into new and potentially comedic situations.” Today Eugene and Katrina are married, partly thanks to Paul’s vision.
If you’re like many Odyssey fans, the first time you heard Paul McCusker’s voice was when he played the slimy character of Philip Glossman, one of Dr. Regis Blackgaard’s henchmen, during the show’s first major saga. Paul provided his voice talent to 21 episodes, but thanks to his role as a producer he has since appeared on over 30 podcast episodes as himself, as well as various bonus features for the show. A new listener checking out one of those question and answer podcasts with the producers might very well not recognize Paul as his fictional alter ego. But as for me, whenever I hear his voice I’m reminded of Mr. Glossman, and I have to smile as I think back to the funny story Paul has told before about how he was “coerced into playing the part” by his fellow team members.
As a writer Paul McCusker has experimented with ways of telling stories, penning the show’s first three-parter, Back to Bethlehem, and later writing some of the show’s most creative 3-parters, such as The Perfect Witness which featured a mystery that could only be solved by a blind girl named Jenny Roberts, and Malachi’s Message which included an angel’s visit to the small town of Odyssey. In more recent years one of Paul’s most celebrated three-parters is Life Expectancy, a heartbreaking tale which deals expertly with the topics of grief and loss. It ties in nicely with the previous shows A Touch of Healing and Where is Thy Sting?, which include the loss of Connie’s grandmother and were written by Paul as well. He also wrote the first three Kids’ Radio episodes, the Truth Chronicles episodes, the first Bible story episode (Return to the Bible Room featuring the story of Jonah), and some of the show’s earliest classic mysteries such as Harley Takes the Case, The Case of the Secret Room, Heatwave and Suspicious Minds. Some of Mr. Whittaker’s most life-changing episodes, like Rescue from Manatugo Point, Operation Digout, The Mortal Coil, Gone… and The Search for Whit, were all written by Paul McCusker.
When it comes to Odyssey’s most ambitious story arc yet, the Novacom Saga, Paul didn’t write a single episode. And yet without him, Novacom would never have happened. On page 365 of the 2012 Official Guide, Paul says that he “wondered what would happen if we could convert brain waves to radio waves so that all we’d have to do is think what we want the TV to do, and it would do it.” He goes on to explain that he was the one who came up with the idea of a nefarious corporation that would be in pursuit of this technology, as well as the possibility of mind control. If you listen to the interviews with the crew included on the Novacom Saga collection, the other writers talk about Paul coming to them with all his ideas. Writer Marshal Younger says, “I remember feeling like a little child, because Paul had all these ideas…We were all around, we were trying to participate in some way…And I’m kind of going ‘Wow, this is cool! What happens next, Paul?’” In his role as executive producer, Paul brought the team together to create Novacom, a two-year-long series which remains a stunning accomplishment today. In more recent times, Paul thought up The Green Ring Conspiracy. It became the show’s first 12-parter, which helped to revitalize AIO after the latest hiatus. Paul would go on to write a follow-up with Album 58, beating the previous record of most parts with a 14-parter.
After writing twelve original AIO novels, which are really well-done, Paul turned to the fantasy genre with the Passages series and did something unexpected, but ultimately rewarding. He wrote six novels which transport kids from Odyssey to another world where they participate in adventures which uncannily resemble Bible stories, yet are retold in new and imaginative ways. With these stories it’s not always clear for the audience which Bible story they’re based on until this end. In a way it’s a similar idea to the episode An Adventure in Bethany, also written by Paul McCusker, which uses the Bible characters’ original Hebrew names, concealing which story is being told until a pivotal moment at the end. But Passages takes the mystery of it to a whole new level, giving fans a fresh perspective on the truth within the Bible. Every journey to the land of Marus is unique and exciting, and it would be nice if each book was given its own audio adaptation to bring that creativity to the listening audience.
Speaking of adaptations, Paul McCusker’s work on Radio Theatre is another stunning accomplishment to add to his writing and directing career at Focus on the Family. Of the 46 dramas created during its first 15 years of production, Paul wrote or co-wrote 36 of them, including the entire Chronicles of Narnia series, Bonhoeffer, The Life of Jesus, Les Miserables and The Screwtape Letters. The longest Radio Theatre series Paul wrote was not an adaptation but an original. The Father Gilbert Mysteries series spans nine episodes and tackles plenty of tough spiritual topics, following a former Scotland Yard detective turned Anglican minister. It can get quite intense at times, so it’s intended for older listeners, but I highly recommend it for its top quality writing, acting and overall production. And the story of Father Gilbert isn’t over yet. Paul McCusker is hard at work at a book trilogy featuring the mystery-solving minister, the first of which is entitled The Body Under the Bridge and is scheduled to be released soon.
Paul McCusker went out on a high note with his Adventures in Odyssey career, writing and directing Album 59: Taking the Plunge and giving Wooton and Penny a compelling engagement story. Since Paul created the character of Penny Wise in Album 53, it seems only fitting that he should preside over this milestone in her life. It’s tough not to feel bad for Connie though, considering Wooton and Penny are relatively recent additions to the show compared to her, and yet she’s had nothing but failed romantic relationships. But I actually have a theory as to why that is. It seems that any AIO relationship must have Paul McCusker’s blessing. When you think back to all the successful romances on the show, what do they all have in common? The answer is fairly simple. If the first episode where the two characters appear together was written by Paul McCusker, than their romantic relationship is eventually successful. If it’s by another writer, generally the characters eventually split up. (This only applies to characters who are single at the time of their first appearance together, not married.)
Here’s some evidence for this theory. Eugene and Katrina’s first show together was written by Paul McCusker, and they eventually got married. Similarly, the first shows which featured the two characters Wooton and Penny (The Green Ring Conspiracy, Part 6), Jack and Lucy (Rumor Has It), and Wendy and Michael (Mystery of the Clock Tower), were all written by Paul. As for failed relationships, Jason and Tasha’s first show together (A Name, Not a Number) was by Phil Lollar, Wooton and Victoria’s (Wooing Wooton) was by Marshal Younger, Connie and Mitch’s (Green Eyes and Yellow Tulips) was by Kathy Buchanan, and Jason and Monica Stone’s (The Black Veil) was by Marshal Younger. That’s bad news for Brad and Valerie, whose first show together was written by Kathy Buchanan, but good news for Barrett and Priscilla, whose first show was co-written by Paul McCusker and Kirby Atkins. By the way, Connie and Jeff Lewis’ first episode was also written by Paul, just in case you were wondering, so who knows what’s in store there. Trent and Mandy could be an exception, but technically their first show together starts off in the future where they’ve already been married, so the rule doesn’t apply. The one exception that does break the rule is Jack and Joanne, whose first episode together (The Decision) was written by Phil Lollar. But Paul still wrote the episode where they got engaged and married. Now that Paul McCusker is no longer a writer on AIO, more exceptions to this theory will accrue over time. But during the era he did work on the show, I think it’s safe to say Paul was Odyssey’s matchmaker.
On page 67 of the 2012 Official Guide, Paul McCusker is asked what working on Adventures in Odyssey has meant to him. He says, “I don’t know how to answer this in a single paragraph. Participating in Odyssey—in a program that seems to have impacted so many lives in so many different ways—is as humbling an experience as I could ever have. It has shaped everything I know about writing and formed my relationship with God in the deepest possible ways. And to work with such a talented team makes me believe I’m one of the most blessed men on earth. And to think, I nearly turned it down to work as a book editor.”
Thank you, Paul McCusker, for your hard work and dedication to AIO for nearly 30 years. You have given listeners some amazing episodes to enjoy, stories which will be heard for years and years to come. From comedy, to action and adventure, to heartbreaking dramas, you’ve delivered it all. Along with the entire Adventures in Odyssey team, you’ve contributed to a very special program for fans of audio drama everywhere. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go listen to another one of Paul McCusker’s episodes, Pokenberry Falls, R.F.D., which tells the story of the Barclay family as they decide to leave the town of Odyssey. Goodbye, Paul, and may God bless you on your next adventure!
One thing we have Paul McCusker to thank for is Eugene and Katrina’s relationship. Paul wrote the episode Truth, Trivia and ‘Trina, which introduced Katrina to the world of Odyssey, but his major contribution came after the episode had aired. We may look back on it now and see Katrina as integral to the show, playing an important role even from her first episode. But according to page 231 of the 2012 Official Guide, the appearance of Katrina Shanks at the time “triggered a controversy on the team and with fans.” Both had their doubts about the character’s future on the show. Many fans were inclined to want Connie and Eugene to get together instead, while some on the team thought of Katrina as “a clone of Eugene.” She may very well have disappeared from the show altogether as a result of this disagreement. The Official Guide says, “Paul McCusker, who championed continuing the character, believed that she would bring a balance to Eugene, understanding his intellectual quirks while bringing even more heart to his life. And he believed that she would allow us to put Eugene into new and potentially comedic situations.” Today Eugene and Katrina are married, partly thanks to Paul’s vision.
If you’re like many Odyssey fans, the first time you heard Paul McCusker’s voice was when he played the slimy character of Philip Glossman, one of Dr. Regis Blackgaard’s henchmen, during the show’s first major saga. Paul provided his voice talent to 21 episodes, but thanks to his role as a producer he has since appeared on over 30 podcast episodes as himself, as well as various bonus features for the show. A new listener checking out one of those question and answer podcasts with the producers might very well not recognize Paul as his fictional alter ego. But as for me, whenever I hear his voice I’m reminded of Mr. Glossman, and I have to smile as I think back to the funny story Paul has told before about how he was “coerced into playing the part” by his fellow team members.
As a writer Paul McCusker has experimented with ways of telling stories, penning the show’s first three-parter, Back to Bethlehem, and later writing some of the show’s most creative 3-parters, such as The Perfect Witness which featured a mystery that could only be solved by a blind girl named Jenny Roberts, and Malachi’s Message which included an angel’s visit to the small town of Odyssey. In more recent years one of Paul’s most celebrated three-parters is Life Expectancy, a heartbreaking tale which deals expertly with the topics of grief and loss. It ties in nicely with the previous shows A Touch of Healing and Where is Thy Sting?, which include the loss of Connie’s grandmother and were written by Paul as well. He also wrote the first three Kids’ Radio episodes, the Truth Chronicles episodes, the first Bible story episode (Return to the Bible Room featuring the story of Jonah), and some of the show’s earliest classic mysteries such as Harley Takes the Case, The Case of the Secret Room, Heatwave and Suspicious Minds. Some of Mr. Whittaker’s most life-changing episodes, like Rescue from Manatugo Point, Operation Digout, The Mortal Coil, Gone… and The Search for Whit, were all written by Paul McCusker.
When it comes to Odyssey’s most ambitious story arc yet, the Novacom Saga, Paul didn’t write a single episode. And yet without him, Novacom would never have happened. On page 365 of the 2012 Official Guide, Paul says that he “wondered what would happen if we could convert brain waves to radio waves so that all we’d have to do is think what we want the TV to do, and it would do it.” He goes on to explain that he was the one who came up with the idea of a nefarious corporation that would be in pursuit of this technology, as well as the possibility of mind control. If you listen to the interviews with the crew included on the Novacom Saga collection, the other writers talk about Paul coming to them with all his ideas. Writer Marshal Younger says, “I remember feeling like a little child, because Paul had all these ideas…We were all around, we were trying to participate in some way…And I’m kind of going ‘Wow, this is cool! What happens next, Paul?’” In his role as executive producer, Paul brought the team together to create Novacom, a two-year-long series which remains a stunning accomplishment today. In more recent times, Paul thought up The Green Ring Conspiracy. It became the show’s first 12-parter, which helped to revitalize AIO after the latest hiatus. Paul would go on to write a follow-up with Album 58, beating the previous record of most parts with a 14-parter.
After writing twelve original AIO novels, which are really well-done, Paul turned to the fantasy genre with the Passages series and did something unexpected, but ultimately rewarding. He wrote six novels which transport kids from Odyssey to another world where they participate in adventures which uncannily resemble Bible stories, yet are retold in new and imaginative ways. With these stories it’s not always clear for the audience which Bible story they’re based on until this end. In a way it’s a similar idea to the episode An Adventure in Bethany, also written by Paul McCusker, which uses the Bible characters’ original Hebrew names, concealing which story is being told until a pivotal moment at the end. But Passages takes the mystery of it to a whole new level, giving fans a fresh perspective on the truth within the Bible. Every journey to the land of Marus is unique and exciting, and it would be nice if each book was given its own audio adaptation to bring that creativity to the listening audience.
Speaking of adaptations, Paul McCusker’s work on Radio Theatre is another stunning accomplishment to add to his writing and directing career at Focus on the Family. Of the 46 dramas created during its first 15 years of production, Paul wrote or co-wrote 36 of them, including the entire Chronicles of Narnia series, Bonhoeffer, The Life of Jesus, Les Miserables and The Screwtape Letters. The longest Radio Theatre series Paul wrote was not an adaptation but an original. The Father Gilbert Mysteries series spans nine episodes and tackles plenty of tough spiritual topics, following a former Scotland Yard detective turned Anglican minister. It can get quite intense at times, so it’s intended for older listeners, but I highly recommend it for its top quality writing, acting and overall production. And the story of Father Gilbert isn’t over yet. Paul McCusker is hard at work at a book trilogy featuring the mystery-solving minister, the first of which is entitled The Body Under the Bridge and is scheduled to be released soon.
Paul McCusker went out on a high note with his Adventures in Odyssey career, writing and directing Album 59: Taking the Plunge and giving Wooton and Penny a compelling engagement story. Since Paul created the character of Penny Wise in Album 53, it seems only fitting that he should preside over this milestone in her life. It’s tough not to feel bad for Connie though, considering Wooton and Penny are relatively recent additions to the show compared to her, and yet she’s had nothing but failed romantic relationships. But I actually have a theory as to why that is. It seems that any AIO relationship must have Paul McCusker’s blessing. When you think back to all the successful romances on the show, what do they all have in common? The answer is fairly simple. If the first episode where the two characters appear together was written by Paul McCusker, than their romantic relationship is eventually successful. If it’s by another writer, generally the characters eventually split up. (This only applies to characters who are single at the time of their first appearance together, not married.)
Here’s some evidence for this theory. Eugene and Katrina’s first show together was written by Paul McCusker, and they eventually got married. Similarly, the first shows which featured the two characters Wooton and Penny (The Green Ring Conspiracy, Part 6), Jack and Lucy (Rumor Has It), and Wendy and Michael (Mystery of the Clock Tower), were all written by Paul. As for failed relationships, Jason and Tasha’s first show together (A Name, Not a Number) was by Phil Lollar, Wooton and Victoria’s (Wooing Wooton) was by Marshal Younger, Connie and Mitch’s (Green Eyes and Yellow Tulips) was by Kathy Buchanan, and Jason and Monica Stone’s (The Black Veil) was by Marshal Younger. That’s bad news for Brad and Valerie, whose first show together was written by Kathy Buchanan, but good news for Barrett and Priscilla, whose first show was co-written by Paul McCusker and Kirby Atkins. By the way, Connie and Jeff Lewis’ first episode was also written by Paul, just in case you were wondering, so who knows what’s in store there. Trent and Mandy could be an exception, but technically their first show together starts off in the future where they’ve already been married, so the rule doesn’t apply. The one exception that does break the rule is Jack and Joanne, whose first episode together (The Decision) was written by Phil Lollar. But Paul still wrote the episode where they got engaged and married. Now that Paul McCusker is no longer a writer on AIO, more exceptions to this theory will accrue over time. But during the era he did work on the show, I think it’s safe to say Paul was Odyssey’s matchmaker.
On page 67 of the 2012 Official Guide, Paul McCusker is asked what working on Adventures in Odyssey has meant to him. He says, “I don’t know how to answer this in a single paragraph. Participating in Odyssey—in a program that seems to have impacted so many lives in so many different ways—is as humbling an experience as I could ever have. It has shaped everything I know about writing and formed my relationship with God in the deepest possible ways. And to work with such a talented team makes me believe I’m one of the most blessed men on earth. And to think, I nearly turned it down to work as a book editor.”
Thank you, Paul McCusker, for your hard work and dedication to AIO for nearly 30 years. You have given listeners some amazing episodes to enjoy, stories which will be heard for years and years to come. From comedy, to action and adventure, to heartbreaking dramas, you’ve delivered it all. Along with the entire Adventures in Odyssey team, you’ve contributed to a very special program for fans of audio drama everywhere. Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll go listen to another one of Paul McCusker’s episodes, Pokenberry Falls, R.F.D., which tells the story of the Barclay family as they decide to leave the town of Odyssey. Goodbye, Paul, and may God bless you on your next adventure!
This site is in no way affiliated with Focus on the Family. "Adventures in Odyssey" is a registered trademark of Focus on the Family.