I don't feel like the new seasons and the new Whit part of the AIO 'canon'. It just doesn't feel like Odyssey.
From my perspective, AIO ended with album 50, after Paul died. For me, it's a fitting end to the series.
I feel like they made that album to 'end' the show for us long time fans, and the new seasons are a new start to the show for younger fans. A reboot. It seems so simplified now.
Honestly, it doesn't seem like the show is written by the same writing staff.
How do you guys feel?
Do you consider the new AIO to really be AIO?
-
AIO Psyche
- Geniune Disney Cast Member
- Posts: 2126
- Joined: April 2005
- Location: Orlando, Florida
- Contact:
-
Aaron Wiley
- Popsicle kid
- Posts: 451
- Joined: August 2010
- Location: Somewhere... Out there in the big blue berry
I do agree that the shows seem a lot more kidsy, but I still enjoy the utter quality of the show. It's still got the same Christian values, the same awesome production, and a lot of the same actors. Who cares if Odyssey isn't the exact same as it was. I'm sure Odyssey will continue to evolve for years to come, so I'm trying to help back from complaining.
"And the Lord saw that man had created the Internet, and He was most distressed. For once people started using chatspeak and improper grammar, their level of smartness was decreased by more than 500%. And so the Lord removed all the gifts he had once bestowed on man, and it was very sad." The Book of Marvin, Chapter 351, Verse 442.
-
AIO Psyche
- Geniune Disney Cast Member
- Posts: 2126
- Joined: April 2005
- Location: Orlando, Florida
- Contact:
It can have all the Christian morals it wants, but there is no denying that the quality on the show has gone down a lot recently. I feel like they are still trying to find their way with the new Odyssey, and once they find their niche, it'll be good again. But for now, they have a lot of work to do.Jesus_Minime wrote:I do agree that the shows seem a lot more kidsy, but I still enjoy the utter quality of the show. It's still got the same Christian values, the same awesome production, and a lot of the same actors. Who cares if Odyssey isn't the exact same as it was. I'm sure Odyssey will continue to evolve for years to come, so I'm trying to help back from complaining.
Well, to be fair, it didn't feel like the show was written by the same writing staff a while ago, either, back after album 32 -- which I think was because it wasn't. 
I have to say that when I listened to album 50, I wasn't impressed. The basic gimmick of that album was, "let's reintroduce everyone who ever was in Odyssey, to pick up ratings", as if the show was so boring that their only hope to regain listeners was to bring back old characters for a cameo.
Album 51 and 52 are not album 50, or the last few albums before that, and I'm thankful for that. The quality of the writing had been going downhill for the past few seasons, with a few rare exceptions (Grady, Kelly, and Mandy come to mind). While a total reboot might not have been in order, and not everything they did might've been the best-planned, the basic idea, to bring in new characters and a new tone to the show, was a fundamentally good one.
There's two things, though, that I think separate the original -- henceforth referred to as "Golden Age" episodes, from the later (henceforth referred to as "Modern Age") episodes.
1) Golden Age characters have more distinct voices.
People keep bringing it up, but that's because it's true, true, true. If you listen to an old episode, you can instantly tell the difference between, say, Jimmy Barclay and Jack Davis. You know that Lucy Schultz and Robyn Jacobs aren't the same person. Alex's voice is very different from Sam Johnson's, etc.
It seems that, somehow, they've managed to find actors and actresses that are more "generic", somehow. I'm not sure how to describe it, but they don't always have the same plausible sound to them that the old ones did. I think the reason for this might be because the child characters usually were played by children, whereas that's not necessarily the case for a lot of the newer ones (although some of them, like Ryan, have good enough voices anyway).
2) Golden Age stories are more plausible.
When you listen to a lot of the old episodes, like, say, "Two Sides to Every Story", it's funny because it's true. None of the situations that're portrayed in that episode are unreasonable. The worst thing that happens, the television going up in flames, seems relatively plausible and isn't even because of a deliberate action on the part of Donna or Jimmy.
Likewise, although "Thanksgiving At Home" does imply some unrealistic decisions (like Jimmy suggesting they use a chisel on the turkey), we don't necessarily see that they do any of these things. For the most part, we only know that they rely on conventional food-preparation techniques (the microwave, etc.) that simply aren't suited to the task of baking a turkey...a mistake that real children might make.
Finally, Golden Age children are always aware of their bounds. If they're disrespectful or disobedient, it's to an extent that you might expect a reasonable child to be in real life. Think back to "Family Vacation", when Jimmy and Donna are fighting it out in the back of the car; that's entirely believable. Likewise, their gradual drift from their parents' real instructions in "Two Sides" is believable.
Modern Age children meet very few of these standards; since the Washingtons were intended to be like a Barclay replacement, I will primarily use them for my counter-example.
A story that comes to mind, if you're looking for a "Two Sides" story, done Washington-style, is that episode where the kids decide that they have the right to do "just what Xavier does". They end up doing a whole bunch of things that their parents have explicitly prevented, up to and including crashing the lawnmower. Most of these things seem implausible in their own right; just one of them would be bad enough, and yet these kid characters go on to do *all* of them. It's such an extreme step up that it becomes entirely implausible.
Likewise, compare "An Agreeable Nanny" to "Thanksgiving At Home" -- the same situation is there, in that the kid characters consider using blatantly inappropriate tools to solve their immediate problems. The only difference is that the Parkers actually do it, and that leaps off into the bounds of fantasy...on the bright side, though, they do get punished for it, which didn't happen to the Washingtons (read below).
Finally, modern children are more likely to be ill-behaved or disobedient. The episode that pops into my mind as I write this is the Washington's visit to the fancy restaurant -- I can't remember its name -- where Tamika and Marvin run amok through most of the dinner. In reality, you know that your parents would've killed you if you left the table for more than ten minutes, much less if you did even half of the things they did in that episode...but that's not how things are in Modern-Age Odyssey. Mrs. Washington basically just says "I'm very disappointed in you" and lets them off with a slap on the wrist. There's no real punishment or significant grounding, in spite of the fact that their two bratty, uncontrolled kids turned a high-dollar restaurant upside-down, with property damage, blatant disrespect of adults, etc., etc., and etc. The Washington parents themselves seem entirely unconcerned, throughout the dinner, that their children are not in their sight, or eating the meal they presumably ordered. The entire thing crosses the line of fantasy into outright insanity, as though it's a Bizarro World where all the rules of decorum are turned upside-down. It's hard to imagine anyone in real life having such poor control over their children.
So while you may be fond of the last few albums before album 51, the fact is that, after retrograde analysis, I think we'll find they really aren't all that great, and that the writing in album 51 (or maybe 52) is a step in the right direction. Yes, the older episodes grow on you somehow, but that's just additional proof that you can eventually get to like virtually any episode, no matter how bad they are. The "Modern Modern Age" (51 and up) episodes aren't quite great yet, but they're looking up from the Modern Age episodes.
All in all, if this isn't Odyssey, I'm inclined to say that some of the last few albums weren't really Odyssey either.
I'm sorry for rambling; I meant to say a lot more with fewer words. Hopefully you'll still get something useful out of this post.
I have to say that when I listened to album 50, I wasn't impressed. The basic gimmick of that album was, "let's reintroduce everyone who ever was in Odyssey, to pick up ratings", as if the show was so boring that their only hope to regain listeners was to bring back old characters for a cameo.
Album 51 and 52 are not album 50, or the last few albums before that, and I'm thankful for that. The quality of the writing had been going downhill for the past few seasons, with a few rare exceptions (Grady, Kelly, and Mandy come to mind). While a total reboot might not have been in order, and not everything they did might've been the best-planned, the basic idea, to bring in new characters and a new tone to the show, was a fundamentally good one.
There's two things, though, that I think separate the original -- henceforth referred to as "Golden Age" episodes, from the later (henceforth referred to as "Modern Age") episodes.
1) Golden Age characters have more distinct voices.
People keep bringing it up, but that's because it's true, true, true. If you listen to an old episode, you can instantly tell the difference between, say, Jimmy Barclay and Jack Davis. You know that Lucy Schultz and Robyn Jacobs aren't the same person. Alex's voice is very different from Sam Johnson's, etc.
It seems that, somehow, they've managed to find actors and actresses that are more "generic", somehow. I'm not sure how to describe it, but they don't always have the same plausible sound to them that the old ones did. I think the reason for this might be because the child characters usually were played by children, whereas that's not necessarily the case for a lot of the newer ones (although some of them, like Ryan, have good enough voices anyway).
2) Golden Age stories are more plausible.
When you listen to a lot of the old episodes, like, say, "Two Sides to Every Story", it's funny because it's true. None of the situations that're portrayed in that episode are unreasonable. The worst thing that happens, the television going up in flames, seems relatively plausible and isn't even because of a deliberate action on the part of Donna or Jimmy.
Likewise, although "Thanksgiving At Home" does imply some unrealistic decisions (like Jimmy suggesting they use a chisel on the turkey), we don't necessarily see that they do any of these things. For the most part, we only know that they rely on conventional food-preparation techniques (the microwave, etc.) that simply aren't suited to the task of baking a turkey...a mistake that real children might make.
Finally, Golden Age children are always aware of their bounds. If they're disrespectful or disobedient, it's to an extent that you might expect a reasonable child to be in real life. Think back to "Family Vacation", when Jimmy and Donna are fighting it out in the back of the car; that's entirely believable. Likewise, their gradual drift from their parents' real instructions in "Two Sides" is believable.
Modern Age children meet very few of these standards; since the Washingtons were intended to be like a Barclay replacement, I will primarily use them for my counter-example.
A story that comes to mind, if you're looking for a "Two Sides" story, done Washington-style, is that episode where the kids decide that they have the right to do "just what Xavier does". They end up doing a whole bunch of things that their parents have explicitly prevented, up to and including crashing the lawnmower. Most of these things seem implausible in their own right; just one of them would be bad enough, and yet these kid characters go on to do *all* of them. It's such an extreme step up that it becomes entirely implausible.
Likewise, compare "An Agreeable Nanny" to "Thanksgiving At Home" -- the same situation is there, in that the kid characters consider using blatantly inappropriate tools to solve their immediate problems. The only difference is that the Parkers actually do it, and that leaps off into the bounds of fantasy...on the bright side, though, they do get punished for it, which didn't happen to the Washingtons (read below).
Finally, modern children are more likely to be ill-behaved or disobedient. The episode that pops into my mind as I write this is the Washington's visit to the fancy restaurant -- I can't remember its name -- where Tamika and Marvin run amok through most of the dinner. In reality, you know that your parents would've killed you if you left the table for more than ten minutes, much less if you did even half of the things they did in that episode...but that's not how things are in Modern-Age Odyssey. Mrs. Washington basically just says "I'm very disappointed in you" and lets them off with a slap on the wrist. There's no real punishment or significant grounding, in spite of the fact that their two bratty, uncontrolled kids turned a high-dollar restaurant upside-down, with property damage, blatant disrespect of adults, etc., etc., and etc. The Washington parents themselves seem entirely unconcerned, throughout the dinner, that their children are not in their sight, or eating the meal they presumably ordered. The entire thing crosses the line of fantasy into outright insanity, as though it's a Bizarro World where all the rules of decorum are turned upside-down. It's hard to imagine anyone in real life having such poor control over their children.
So while you may be fond of the last few albums before album 51, the fact is that, after retrograde analysis, I think we'll find they really aren't all that great, and that the writing in album 51 (or maybe 52) is a step in the right direction. Yes, the older episodes grow on you somehow, but that's just additional proof that you can eventually get to like virtually any episode, no matter how bad they are. The "Modern Modern Age" (51 and up) episodes aren't quite great yet, but they're looking up from the Modern Age episodes.
All in all, if this isn't Odyssey, I'm inclined to say that some of the last few albums weren't really Odyssey either.
I'm sorry for rambling; I meant to say a lot more with fewer words. Hopefully you'll still get something useful out of this post.
-
Leonard Meltsner
- I'm memorable
- Posts: 1542
- Joined: January 2010
- Location: Odyssey, of course!! Isn't that implied in the name of the forum?
After 51, I felt horrified that Odyssey had died and left an ugly monster in it's wake, to be perfectly overdramatic, but I really enjoyed album 52 for the most part, and I think that with a little time, Odyssey might try to reclimb the pedestal it had once sat upon. I think that before any judgements as to the "new Odyssey" can be made, we need to hear 53, to see how action/adventure/suspense fits with the new cast, characters, and new... everything. If it's a total bust, then Odyssey will probably never ever be the same, but it it's great, then Odyssey's just on the road to recovery.
-
Mark Prescott
- Still standing tall
- Posts: 1349
- Joined: March 2010
I, honestly think that the newer albums aren't really AIO. But, I do think that it's not the end of the world that the newer kids won't be growing up with the same characters that myself, or some of you older people grew up with, that. Are the new albums classic Odyssey? No. But who said they had to be? I mean, some of them are a little off, but I think that there isn't any point in not likeing the new episodes because they aren't old Odyssey. It's just the the one episode: "A day in the Life". It's not Odyssey, it's more like a mirror that someone is making. IF you start out making a mirror, it's gonna show rough pictures at first, but if you keep working at it, you'll soon get a better image of the old episodes. I know that all of you die-hard fans right now are screaming at me to shut-up, I'm sorry if you didn't like what I said, but it's the truth. It's not the real Odyssey that we all know and love. Accept it, and move on with your life.
Last edited by Mark Prescott on Thu Dec 09, 2010 6:11 pm, edited 1 time in total.
~Mark Prescott~
-
AIO Psyche
- Geniune Disney Cast Member
- Posts: 2126
- Joined: April 2005
- Location: Orlando, Florida
- Contact:
I don't think we are complaining over the characters or the settings, so much as the quality of the writing. All we want is the quality back.Mark Prescott wrote:I, honestly think that the newer albums aren't really AIO. But, I do think that it's not the end of the world that the newer kids won't be growing up with the same characters that myself, or some of you older people grew up with, that. Are the new albums classic Odyssey? No. But who said they had to be? I mean, some of them are a little off, but I think that there isn't any point in not likeing the new episodes because they aren't old Odyssey. It's just the the one episode: "A day in the Life". It's not Odyssey, it's more like a mirror that someone is making. IF you start out making a mirror, it's gonna show rough pictures at first, but if you keep working at it, you'll soon get a better image of the old episodes. I know that all of you die-hard fans right now are screaming at me to shut-up, I'm sorry if you didn't like what I said, but it's the truth. It's not the real Odyssey that we all know and love. Accept it, and move on with your life.
-
Mark Prescott
- Still standing tall
- Posts: 1349
- Joined: March 2010
*Sorta what I was saying* I meant when I said "Classic Odyssey" Quality writing,
~Mark Prescott~
Again Bob, I'd have to agree with almost everything you wrote. Coincidentally, I just tackled a lot of what you wrote in my review of "An agreeable" .Bob wrote:
A story that comes to mind, if you're looking for a "Two Sides" story, done Washington-style, is that episode where the kids decide that they have the right to do "just what Xavier does". They end up doing a whole bunch of things that their parents have explicitly prevented, up to and including crashing the lawnmower. Most of these things seem implausible in their own right; just one of them would be bad enough, and yet these kid characters go on to do *all* of them. It's such an extreme step up that it becomes entirely implausible.
Likewise, compare "An Agreeable Nanny" to "Thanksgiving At Home" -- the same situation is there, in that the kid characters consider using blatantly inappropriate tools to solve their immediate problems. The only difference is that the Parkers actually do it, and that leaps off into the bounds of fantasy...on the bright side, though, they do get punished for it, which didn't happen to the Washingtons (read below).
I think, one the one hand, a lot of this is in our heads. A lot of kids now are complaining about "Odyssey isn't what it used to be", but don't realize a lot of us were complaining back when album 29 came around. It just seemed to different. The difference, there, is that only the characters changed, while the writing remained strong. And so, that period ended up producing a lot of good episodes...until album 33 and 34 came about, when the writing began to suffer. But, once again, it became strong again during the Novacom Saga.
In my opinion, the shows have been fairly average post-novacom. I'd have to disagree with Bob and say that album 49 and 50 a lot more interesting, while the Kelley storyline was a tiresome. They had some very excellent episodes involving Mandy, Eugene, and Grady--but for every good episode, there was also a bad episode.
The largest problem with Album 50 and 51 are the characters, in my opinion. Back in the day, a lot of simple "ordinary" stories turned into classics by great characters like Tom and Bernard. But the new series makes no attempt of trying to keep as many of the old characters around as possible. And with a new voice for Whit, which characters besides Eugene and Connie are keeping us around? No one. Wooton, maybe. But Wooton is a somewhat newer character himself. I just think they were a bit too confident in their choices of characters...forcing us to care about them, when we have no real reason to. . But they've forgotten that we don't listen to the show because of the Parkers or the Jones family. So why do they expect us to care so much? The show should have helped its fans transition into this "new period" better by at least trying to keep some of its older characters...even if it meant bringing back Jack Davis as a the new Odyssey window washer, Nick Mulligan back behind the counter, or having Mandy work at Whit's End..etc... That way, by mixing the newer and older characters, we'd all probably have an easier time adjusting to this "new Odyssey".
My two cents.
-
odysseyfan1
- Classic
- Posts: 625
- Joined: May 2009
- Contact:
Most definitely NOT!!!
-
AIO Psyche
- Geniune Disney Cast Member
- Posts: 2126
- Joined: April 2005
- Location: Orlando, Florida
- Contact:
Couldn't have said that better myself. Wonderful.Bennett wrote:Again Bob, I'd have to agree with almost everything you wrote. Coincidentally, I just tackled a lot of what you wrote in my review of "An agreeable" .
I think, one the one hand, a lot of this is in our heads. A lot of kids now are complaining about "Odyssey isn't what it used to be", but don't realize a lot of us were complaining back when album 29 came around. It just seemed to different. The difference, there, is that only the characters changed, while the writing remained strong. And so, that period ended up producing a lot of good episodes...until album 33 and 34 came about, when the writing began to suffer. But, once again, it became strong again during the Novacom Saga.
In my opinion, the shows have been fairly average post-novacom. I'd have to disagree with Bob and say that album 49 and 50 a lot more interesting, while the Kelley storyline was a tiresome. They had some very excellent episodes involving Mandy, Eugene, and Grady--but for every good episode, there was also a bad episode.
The largest problem with Album 50 and 51 are the characters, in my opinion. Back in the day, a lot of simple "ordinary" stories turned into classics by great characters like Tom and Bernard. But the new series makes no attempt of trying to keep as many of the old characters around as possible. And with a new voice for Whit, which characters besides Eugene and Connie are keeping us around? No one. Wooton, maybe. But Wooton is a somewhat newer character himself. I just think they were a bit too confident in their choices of characters...forcing us to care about them, when we have no real reason to. . But they've forgotten that we don't listen to the show because of the Parkers or the Jones family. So why do they expect us to care so much? The show should have helped its fans transition into this "new period" better by at least trying to keep some of its older characters...even if it meant bringing back Jack Davis as a the new Odyssey window washer, Nick Mulligan back behind the counter, or having Mandy work at Whit's End..etc... That way, by mixing the newer and older characters, we'd all probably have an easier time adjusting to this "new Odyssey".
My two cents.
im new here and to be frank.
i feel like everyone dislikes the new odyssey if you choose to call it such doesnt like the changes made.
much like growing up. pardon me if this is stated no offense but long drawn out paragraphs of opinions.. make it hard for my attention span to stay still.
whats the point of a reboot if you kept it the same.
why do we upgrade cars, houses and shoes.
why after college do we realize you can get farther in the business world in a suit and tie then a pair of jeans and t shirt. (debatable points yes just go with it)
do you really want 50 more albums youve already heard? i like the new ones. i wilol stand by them and call them aio for that is what they are.. change is going to happen. either jump on the ship or get runned over.. m opinion but i dont think aio is going to be what it once was..
please note i could be wrong with all i said or just redundant. im not feeling well so my brain shorts out once and a while.
i feel like everyone dislikes the new odyssey if you choose to call it such doesnt like the changes made.
much like growing up. pardon me if this is stated no offense but long drawn out paragraphs of opinions.. make it hard for my attention span to stay still.
whats the point of a reboot if you kept it the same.
why do we upgrade cars, houses and shoes.
why after college do we realize you can get farther in the business world in a suit and tie then a pair of jeans and t shirt. (debatable points yes just go with it)
do you really want 50 more albums youve already heard? i like the new ones. i wilol stand by them and call them aio for that is what they are.. change is going to happen. either jump on the ship or get runned over.. m opinion but i dont think aio is going to be what it once was..
please note i could be wrong with all i said or just redundant. im not feeling well so my brain shorts out once and a while.
you can learn a lot from job 38-42, being humble isn't the easiest but its worth it.
The new shows are great. Good characters and new storylines. I haven't gotten used to the new Whit yet though. Really trying.
Yeah... I feel really bad about the 'reboot' of Odyssey. The storylines are now appropriate for 8 and 9 year olds... It has left us die-hard fans sitting in the dust, so to speak, since we're now way out of the age range they've created. Its impossible for things not to change... and its like having something die when it does happen. Good bye Odyssey... I'll miss you.
Actually, lots of people complain about the Jones, the Parkers, the kids, the un-realistic-ness, and whatnot. And Andre. Give him a chance. At least you have a Whit, peoples. In a sentence: deal with it.
"I still see Marvin as a newbie that is just as cool as an oldie." --snubs
Most Sarcastic Poster | Most Likely To Be Eaten By a Dinosaur and Smote by God |
Biggest Joker and Grammar Nazi | Best Writer
Most Sarcastic Poster | Most Likely To Be Eaten By a Dinosaur and Smote by God |
Biggest Joker and Grammar Nazi | Best Writer
I actually like the Parkers, to me they seem very realistic. Andre? He will never be Whit to me.Marvin D. wrote:Actually, lots of people complain about the Jones, the Parkers, the kids, the un-realistic-ness, and whatnot. And Andre. Give him a chance. At least you have a Whit, peoples. In a sentence: deal with it.
As for the new season still being AIO, yes it is. It feels a lot different but they have had bad albums in the past. I don't think the show is doomed, they just need some time to get it together again. The new albums aren't my favorite and I miss the old classic characters, but what can they do when the actors get older? It's kind of out their control.
AIO will be different because there are new characters. Let's face it, they can't please everyone with every new episodes.
~*~StrongNChrist, November 22, 1991- March, 25th, 2011~*~
AIO is not over yet. Album 51 was kinda - uh whatever but album 52! it was amazing if you minus Oppasite Day.
-
AIO Psyche
- Geniune Disney Cast Member
- Posts: 2126
- Joined: April 2005
- Location: Orlando, Florida
- Contact:
Are you really 26? something tells me you aren't........Cbriggs45 wrote:im new here and to be frank.
i feel like everyone dislikes the new odyssey if you choose to call it such doesnt like the changes made.
much like growing up. pardon me if this is stated no offense but long drawn out paragraphs of opinions.. make it hard for my attention span to stay still.
whats the point of a reboot if you kept it the same.
why do we upgrade cars, houses and shoes.
why after college do we realize you can get farther in the business world in a suit and tie then a pair of jeans and t shirt. (debatable points yes just go with it)
do you really want 50 more albums youve already heard? i like the new ones. i wilol stand by them and call them aio for that is what they are.. change is going to happen. either jump on the ship or get runned over.. m opinion but i dont think aio is going to be what it once was..
please note i could be wrong with all i said or just redundant. im not feeling well so my brain shorts out once and a while.
Our issue isn't so much the change, it's the quality in the writing and the voice acting. Both have gone down significantly over recent years, and all we want is the quality in the writing. They can change it all they want, but if the quality isn't there in the writing, then it's gonna be talked about like we do.
Besides, debating and discussing things is what we do here. If your 'short attention' span can't handle this, then simply don't read it, don't criticize those who choose to express themselves.
Just sayin.
-
Over the Rainbow
- Blissfully Oblivious
- Posts: 3086
- Joined: March 2008
- Location: ...somewhere over the rainbow...
Oh Bob and AIO Psyche, you express me sentiments about the newer albums perfectly. I've been saying this since I joined the ToO, but I still refuse to accept anything beyond the Novacom Saga as AIO. A while back, I read an article on "The Odyssey Scoop" and the writer said that he felt no more warmth or connection to the new era of Odyssey and didn't even bother listening to the newer episodes. He felt as if he was not betraying the mother who birthed and raised him, but he was putting her away in a little old nursing home to relive the good ol' days. I feel likewise. I don't remember the last time I listened to an AIO beyond the year 1998 actually. Instead, I listen to the great classics when the plots were plausible, the characters had distinct voices and the episodes had the ability to make one cry.
I've been saying this since I joined the ToO, but I still refuse to accept anything beyond the Novacom Saga as AIO. A while back, I read an article on "The Odyssey Scoop" and the writer said that he felt no more warmth or connection to the new era of Odyssey and didn't even bother listening to the newer episodes. He felt as if he was not betraying the mother who birthed and raised him, but he was putting her away in a little old nursing home to relive the good ol' days. I feel likewise. I don't remember the last time I listened to an AIO beyond the year 1998 actually. Instead, I listen to the great classics when the plots were plausible, the characters had distinct voices and the episodes had the ability to make one cry.