58. Things Not Heard
Why Radio Theatre needs to return.
By David Hilder | September 22, 2023
Why Radio Theatre needs to return.
By David Hilder | September 22, 2023
Focus on the Family Radio Theatre is one of the reasons why I’m still an Adventures in Odyssey fan. Let me explain. For those of you who don’t know, the same team that created Odyssey also created full-cast audio productions of classics such as The Chronicles of Narnia, At the Back of the North Wind, Anne of Green Gables, A Christmas Carol, and many more. These award-winning dramas with professional London and US-based actors are full of wonder and were a big part of my childhood, along with Odyssey of course! Radio Theatre also created dramas for more mature audiences, such as the supernatural Father Gilbert Mysteries, the dark and sinister Screwtape Letters, and the powerful World War II biographies of pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who resisted Hitler’s rise in Germany, and Dutch watchmaker Corrie Ten Boom, who hid Jews in her home from the Gestapo.
As we all know, Adventures in Odyssey has a target audience of 8 to 12-year-olds. There are certainly younger listeners, and many older listeners, but the priority is to cater to pre-teens. Growing up, I listened to Odyssey most days. I listened when new episodes aired on the radio on Saturday mornings. The few cassettes and CDs I had, I re-listened to over and over. Whit, Connie, and Eugene were the best.
But then something happened. And it’s something that’s happened to a lot of us. I grew up. Suddenly I was beyond the target age range. But instead of giving up on Odyssey and audio drama altogether, I felt myself being increasingly drawn to Radio Theatre. As a teenager I fell in love with the Father Gilbert Mysteries especially. I think they’re the best original series Radio Theatre has ever done. They’re spiritually deep mysteries which cut to the heart. And they do have variety. If I’m looking for a mystery to make me laugh, I listen to The Play’s the Thing. If I want one that makes me tear up, it’s The Silver Cord. And there’s everything in between. I think the reason I really latched onto these stories is because they present the Christian worldview from an adult perspective. It’s the real world, which can certainly be dark, but it presents a light that can shine through the darkness. These mysteries aren’t meant for young kids. And yet they are literally made by the same people who make Odyssey. That fact helped me realize something about Odyssey itself.
Because of Radio Theatre, I never grew up with the idea that audio drama was just for kids. Granted, a lot of Christian audio drama is made for kids. But Radio Theatre was the exception. And that was intriguing. So, I kept listening. And the more I appreciated Paul McCusker’s Father Gilbert Mysteries, the more I also appreciated what he was trying to do with his Odyssey episodes. I came to see the real depth that Adventures in Odyssey has. It’s a show that’s aimed at kids, but there is so much in it for adults too. There's definitely a lot of humor that went over my head as a kid! And I'm still discovering new things that I missed before. I've also realized that Odyssey points to deep spiritual truths which we should hold dear, no matter our age. The truth stays the truth, no matter how old we get.
Today, I listen to AIO all the time. And it’s because Radio Theatre helped show me what audio drama can be, and that audio drama truly is for all ages.
Sadly, Focus on the Family stopped making new Radio Theatre productions after its 2013 release, C.S. Lewis At War. Why? Probably financial reasons. Audio drama is expensive to make but priced low for consumers. It can often be a labor of love rather than a profitable business. And so, Focus on the Family had some tough decisions to make. And not only with Radio Theatre. With rising production costs, even Odyssey needed financial support. It was around 2013 that the Adventures in Odyssey team came up with a solution to keep AIO afloat financially: the AIO Club. With stable monthly revenue, Odyssey is going strong. Focus on the Family could have made the decision to just end Odyssey, but I’m so glad they didn’t.
Radio Theatre was not so lucky. The decision was made to quietly pause new Radio Theatre productions and focus on other things. But because there was no announcement about this, many fans didn’t even notice that it happened. The hope was that maybe Radio Theatre would someday come back. But it’s been ten years now. And still there are no plans for Radio Theatre to return. There’s been no Radio Theatre Club created to support future productions. There’s been nothing at all. Radio Theatre has gone silent.
And that’s not because the team doesn’t want to produce more. The writers have lots of ideas for new Radio Theatre productions. But they need support, both from the fans and from Focus on the Family. Reviving Radio Theatre requires vision. It requires an understanding of how valuable Radio Theatre is—both for today and for the future. In my view, this is precisely the wrong time in our culture to give up on God-honoring stories. When you look at popular streaming services, it’s easy to see how, as Christians, we live in an increasingly hostile world. You can’t be certain anymore that kids’ content is safe for kids. You can’t be certain that classic stories will be retold faithfully without being injected with modern ideology. Now is the time to expand Christian voices in entertainment, not cut back.
One area where there’s been progress is the movie industry. Christian movies keep improving in quality, and I’m glad they exist. I’m a big fan of wholesome movies, Christian or not. But I don’t have to tell you that we already live in an image-saturated, screen-addicted culture. We know we’re addicted to our phones. Images and video surround us. And they’re having an effect on our imaginations. What’s the antidote to too much visual entertainment? Audio drama.
Most people don’t even know that audio drama exists. But if you’re an Adventures in Odyssey fan, you’re ahead of the game. Audio drama is really a great concept when you think about it. You get only the voices of the characters, the music, and the sound effects, and from there your brain works to fill in the gaps. It’s like you’re participating in creating the story. Unlike passively watching TV, listening to audio drama is active. As Focus has said in the past, audio drama plays on the biggest screen of all: your imagination. We could all benefit from putting away our screens and devices once in a while and enjoying a good audio drama.
It's true there are other audio dramas besides Radio Theatre. But every audio drama has its niche. Adventures in Odyssey features many genres but aims for an audience of 8 to 12-year-olds. Paws & Tales skews younger. Jungle Jam’s goofy stories play for an even younger audience. Lamplighter Theatre revives rare books from centuries past. The Augustine Institute tells the stories of saints and martyrs. Heirloom Audio adapts the historical adventure novels of G. A. Henty. The Adventum dramatizes the Bible. Jake Muller presents action-packed thrillers. All good stuff. But Radio Theatre is the best audio drama out there at adapting well-known classics. Their productions of The Chronicles of Narnia, Oliver Twist, and Les Miserables are superior to any film adaptations of these works. And not only is the production good, but the stories themselves are too. Let’s remember, the classics are classics for a reason. They’re tried and true stories, full of depth and Christian influence. It’s fitting that Focus on the Family Radio Theatre, which is the best at creating high quality audio drama, would adapt classic works. Classics really are the best of the best.
And there are plenty of classics still to adapt. As I mentioned in a previous editorial, I would love to see Radio Theatre adaptions of The Count of Monte Cristo, A Tale of Two Cities, C. S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, and others. The Radio Theatre writers have mentioned that they would love to do a production of The Pilgrim’s Progress.
The obvious solution for Radio Theatre is to add another level to the AIO Club. This tier would cost a little extra and give listeners access to Radio Theatre content, in addition to the Odyssey library. There could be age controls so that parents make sure their kids can’t access content that is too mature for them. The added revenue could be used to help fund future Radio Theatre productions.
There’s a book podcast I listen to called The Literary Life Podcast, and their tagline is: “Because stories will save the world”. And I believe that. I believe it because God is the great storyteller. He’s placed all of us into his own story, and he wants us to use our God-given creativity for his glory. The Gospel itself is God’s story of redemption for a broken world.
With audio drama, there’s an incredible opportunity for collaboration between writers, voice actors, sound designers, and even the members of the audience. There’s something special about audio drama that you can’t get with other mediums. The way actors bring a character to life simply using their voice is just incredible. Why wouldn’t we want that to continue?
We need Radio Theatre. We need it for the next generation of Odyssey listeners who grow up and are suddenly outside of the 8-12 target audience. We need it for a culture saturated with images. We need it for a society bombarded with unbiblical messaging. And we need it for a world that needs to be reminded about the greatest stories of all time.
If you’ve never listened to Radio Theatre before, you’re in for a treat. You owe it to yourself to check it out. You won’t be disappointed by these amazing stories. If you’re already a Radio Theatre fan, please spread the word. Your friends and family will thank you. And consider letting Focus on the Family know how much you love these stories, and how much you’d appreciate if they produced new ones. Because good stories, the best stories, will save the world.
As we all know, Adventures in Odyssey has a target audience of 8 to 12-year-olds. There are certainly younger listeners, and many older listeners, but the priority is to cater to pre-teens. Growing up, I listened to Odyssey most days. I listened when new episodes aired on the radio on Saturday mornings. The few cassettes and CDs I had, I re-listened to over and over. Whit, Connie, and Eugene were the best.
But then something happened. And it’s something that’s happened to a lot of us. I grew up. Suddenly I was beyond the target age range. But instead of giving up on Odyssey and audio drama altogether, I felt myself being increasingly drawn to Radio Theatre. As a teenager I fell in love with the Father Gilbert Mysteries especially. I think they’re the best original series Radio Theatre has ever done. They’re spiritually deep mysteries which cut to the heart. And they do have variety. If I’m looking for a mystery to make me laugh, I listen to The Play’s the Thing. If I want one that makes me tear up, it’s The Silver Cord. And there’s everything in between. I think the reason I really latched onto these stories is because they present the Christian worldview from an adult perspective. It’s the real world, which can certainly be dark, but it presents a light that can shine through the darkness. These mysteries aren’t meant for young kids. And yet they are literally made by the same people who make Odyssey. That fact helped me realize something about Odyssey itself.
Because of Radio Theatre, I never grew up with the idea that audio drama was just for kids. Granted, a lot of Christian audio drama is made for kids. But Radio Theatre was the exception. And that was intriguing. So, I kept listening. And the more I appreciated Paul McCusker’s Father Gilbert Mysteries, the more I also appreciated what he was trying to do with his Odyssey episodes. I came to see the real depth that Adventures in Odyssey has. It’s a show that’s aimed at kids, but there is so much in it for adults too. There's definitely a lot of humor that went over my head as a kid! And I'm still discovering new things that I missed before. I've also realized that Odyssey points to deep spiritual truths which we should hold dear, no matter our age. The truth stays the truth, no matter how old we get.
Today, I listen to AIO all the time. And it’s because Radio Theatre helped show me what audio drama can be, and that audio drama truly is for all ages.
Sadly, Focus on the Family stopped making new Radio Theatre productions after its 2013 release, C.S. Lewis At War. Why? Probably financial reasons. Audio drama is expensive to make but priced low for consumers. It can often be a labor of love rather than a profitable business. And so, Focus on the Family had some tough decisions to make. And not only with Radio Theatre. With rising production costs, even Odyssey needed financial support. It was around 2013 that the Adventures in Odyssey team came up with a solution to keep AIO afloat financially: the AIO Club. With stable monthly revenue, Odyssey is going strong. Focus on the Family could have made the decision to just end Odyssey, but I’m so glad they didn’t.
Radio Theatre was not so lucky. The decision was made to quietly pause new Radio Theatre productions and focus on other things. But because there was no announcement about this, many fans didn’t even notice that it happened. The hope was that maybe Radio Theatre would someday come back. But it’s been ten years now. And still there are no plans for Radio Theatre to return. There’s been no Radio Theatre Club created to support future productions. There’s been nothing at all. Radio Theatre has gone silent.
And that’s not because the team doesn’t want to produce more. The writers have lots of ideas for new Radio Theatre productions. But they need support, both from the fans and from Focus on the Family. Reviving Radio Theatre requires vision. It requires an understanding of how valuable Radio Theatre is—both for today and for the future. In my view, this is precisely the wrong time in our culture to give up on God-honoring stories. When you look at popular streaming services, it’s easy to see how, as Christians, we live in an increasingly hostile world. You can’t be certain anymore that kids’ content is safe for kids. You can’t be certain that classic stories will be retold faithfully without being injected with modern ideology. Now is the time to expand Christian voices in entertainment, not cut back.
One area where there’s been progress is the movie industry. Christian movies keep improving in quality, and I’m glad they exist. I’m a big fan of wholesome movies, Christian or not. But I don’t have to tell you that we already live in an image-saturated, screen-addicted culture. We know we’re addicted to our phones. Images and video surround us. And they’re having an effect on our imaginations. What’s the antidote to too much visual entertainment? Audio drama.
Most people don’t even know that audio drama exists. But if you’re an Adventures in Odyssey fan, you’re ahead of the game. Audio drama is really a great concept when you think about it. You get only the voices of the characters, the music, and the sound effects, and from there your brain works to fill in the gaps. It’s like you’re participating in creating the story. Unlike passively watching TV, listening to audio drama is active. As Focus has said in the past, audio drama plays on the biggest screen of all: your imagination. We could all benefit from putting away our screens and devices once in a while and enjoying a good audio drama.
It's true there are other audio dramas besides Radio Theatre. But every audio drama has its niche. Adventures in Odyssey features many genres but aims for an audience of 8 to 12-year-olds. Paws & Tales skews younger. Jungle Jam’s goofy stories play for an even younger audience. Lamplighter Theatre revives rare books from centuries past. The Augustine Institute tells the stories of saints and martyrs. Heirloom Audio adapts the historical adventure novels of G. A. Henty. The Adventum dramatizes the Bible. Jake Muller presents action-packed thrillers. All good stuff. But Radio Theatre is the best audio drama out there at adapting well-known classics. Their productions of The Chronicles of Narnia, Oliver Twist, and Les Miserables are superior to any film adaptations of these works. And not only is the production good, but the stories themselves are too. Let’s remember, the classics are classics for a reason. They’re tried and true stories, full of depth and Christian influence. It’s fitting that Focus on the Family Radio Theatre, which is the best at creating high quality audio drama, would adapt classic works. Classics really are the best of the best.
And there are plenty of classics still to adapt. As I mentioned in a previous editorial, I would love to see Radio Theatre adaptions of The Count of Monte Cristo, A Tale of Two Cities, C. S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy, and others. The Radio Theatre writers have mentioned that they would love to do a production of The Pilgrim’s Progress.
The obvious solution for Radio Theatre is to add another level to the AIO Club. This tier would cost a little extra and give listeners access to Radio Theatre content, in addition to the Odyssey library. There could be age controls so that parents make sure their kids can’t access content that is too mature for them. The added revenue could be used to help fund future Radio Theatre productions.
There’s a book podcast I listen to called The Literary Life Podcast, and their tagline is: “Because stories will save the world”. And I believe that. I believe it because God is the great storyteller. He’s placed all of us into his own story, and he wants us to use our God-given creativity for his glory. The Gospel itself is God’s story of redemption for a broken world.
With audio drama, there’s an incredible opportunity for collaboration between writers, voice actors, sound designers, and even the members of the audience. There’s something special about audio drama that you can’t get with other mediums. The way actors bring a character to life simply using their voice is just incredible. Why wouldn’t we want that to continue?
We need Radio Theatre. We need it for the next generation of Odyssey listeners who grow up and are suddenly outside of the 8-12 target audience. We need it for a culture saturated with images. We need it for a society bombarded with unbiblical messaging. And we need it for a world that needs to be reminded about the greatest stories of all time.
If you’ve never listened to Radio Theatre before, you’re in for a treat. You owe it to yourself to check it out. You won’t be disappointed by these amazing stories. If you’re already a Radio Theatre fan, please spread the word. Your friends and family will thank you. And consider letting Focus on the Family know how much you love these stories, and how much you’d appreciate if they produced new ones. Because good stories, the best stories, will save the world.
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