Adventures in Odyssey!

Welcome to a SPECIAL EDITION of the Piece of Advice Newsletter!

Good morning! Today, we’re looking into the history of the popular family media franchise, Adventures in Odyssey! I was also lucky enough to ask one of it’s creators; Paul McCusker, a few questions!

Back in 1987, Focus on the Family set out to create something fresh: a radio series that was fun, imaginative, and faith-based without being preachy. The result was “Family Portraits”, a 13-episode experiment that quickly captured listeners’ attention. Within a year, it evolved into “Odyssey USA” and then found its lasting name, “Adventures in Odyssey”. At its heart was Whit’s End, a cozy ice cream shop and discovery center in the fictional town of Odyssey, where kids and adults alike could embark on stories filled with humor, adventure, and timeless lessons. What began as a modest idea soon grew into one of the longest-running audio dramas in history.

One of the driving creative forces behind the series is writer Paul McCusker, who joined the team in the early 1990s. Over the years, he wrote hundreds of episodes and expanded the world of Odyssey through novels like the Passages series. His gift for weaving together adventure, heart, and moral depth helped give the series its distinct voice; one that speaks to children and parents alike. Beyond Odyssey, McCusker went on to direct Focus on the Family’s Radio Theatre, where he adapted literary classics from “The Chronicles of Narnia” to “The Screwtape Letters”, even earning a Peabody Award along the way.

As the audience grew, so did the franchise. The 1990s and 2000s brought “Adventures in Odyssey” to television screens through animated specials, into bookstores with dozens of spin-off titles, and even into the world of computer games. Fans could collect tapes, DVDs, and devotionals, or join the fan club to stay connected. At its peak, the program reached more than a million daily listeners in North America, and today, the library spans nearly 1,000 episodes. The mix of media made Odyssey more than just a radio show; it became a community that children could grow up with and families could share across generations.

Decades later, the legacy of “Adventures in Odyssey” is clear. It’s not only the rare audio drama that continues to produce new stories after 35 years, but it’s also one that has managed to evolve with the times. Listeners who once tuned in on the radio now stream episodes, listen to the official podcast, or bring their kids to live events. Through it all, Whit, Connie, Eugene, and the rest of Odyssey’s beloved cast still deliver what they always have: stories that entertain, inspire, and remind us of the power of imagination anchored in values that last.

Bonus Questions:

Giancarlo: Who was your favorite author growing up? 

Paul: I enjoyed Mark Twain and Charles Dickens. And I was also inclined to read mysteries, some with a supernatural edge.

Giancarlo: Did you have any push back from friends and family on wanting to be a story teller whether in audio or writing?

Paul: No, I didn’t get push back. At no point did anyone among my family or friends suggest that I shouldn’t write. I had a few teachers who were genuinely encouraging. I don’t think my parents understood my creativity as any other than the whims of a child. And as I got older, they likely thought of it as a hobby. I suppose it only became real when I began to get books published and could pay bills with the money I had earned.

Giancarlo: Which of your projects are you the most proud of?

Paul: I’m usually most proud of whatever I’m working on at the moment. But I’d be crazy not to acknowledge the overall impact of a show like “Adventures In Odyssey”- or the many Radio Theatre productions - plus the enjoyment of writing the “Passages” books, or the “Time Twist” trilogy, and a few other novels.

Giancarlo: What is your favorite aspect of “Adventures In Odyssey”?

Paul: Writing for the characters might be my favorite part. They’re people I like to be with. Plus the variety of storytelling we do in the context of the show - comedy, mysteries, fantasy, slice-of-life drama. It was a wonderful playground of ideas.

Piece Of Advice:

Giancarlo: What is this best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

Paul: I received a lot of good advice over the years. It’s hard to think of just one as the “best.” But, in the realm of writing, it was probably something like this: “If you want to be a writer, then write, and write and keep writing until you’re good enough to learn how to be better.”

Check out his work: https://www.paulmccusker.com/

Thank you for reading! Have an amazing day and we will catch you again soon!

-Giancarlo