Frequency of AIO Episodes

[Flyah]

What is the reason for there being only about 25-30 new episodes in a year? Is it because of money? Actors availability? They used to do 45-50 a year. It's hard to get any continuity going this way... Any inside info or ideas?

[Jimmy Barclay Fan]

It wears them out. Phil Lollar says in book they were gonna end show in 1995, but changed minds. too many unanswered questions after Darkness before dawn. They need breaks.

[Jonathan]

What is the reason for there being only about 25-30 new episodes in a year? Is it because of money? Actors availability? They used to do 45-50 a year. It's hard to get any continuity going this way... Any inside info or ideas?

The continuity thing has always bothered me; it's especially prevelant after Novacom.

I've also been told producing and recording is very expensive.

[shasta]

> What is the reason for there being only about 25-30
> new episodes in a year?
Actually, I think it's more like 24 new episodes a year (i.e. 2 new Volumes in the audio series).

Some guesses: the AIO team used to be more people.

The writers have said that a lot of good ideas were "used up" in the early years, and since then it's been more difficult to write shows with the same characters without repeating.

And the expense too, I'll bet.

-king shasta

[AIOfan11]

Wow, I didn't know that they originally made 45-50 episodes a year. Maybe some of it has to do with the season schedules. Twelce new episodes before Christmas, twelve new episodes after Christmas with a brake in summer! I think it works out nicely!

[Jonathan]

1. The season schedule is a result of the less eps a year thing.

2. If I'm not mistaken, there are more writers and people on the crew now then in the early years.

[gimp80995]

It kinda makes sense........in the early years AIO was only on once a week......and back then they didn't have enough episodes to start reruns (maybe they thought people wouldn't like reruns *shrugs* ) And seeing as there are 52 weeks in a year........there probably were better than 40 new episodes every year.

Anyway, in '92 I believe, they began reruns on the weekdays and kept new eps on weekends......

Now, with so many eps, they can easily do 12 new eps, take a break, then do 12 new ones while we listen to reruns on the weekends in between new seasons.........they work hard, in my opinion, they deserve the break.

Peace Out

-Gimp

[EugeneFan]

I think I recall reading that the reason why there are fewer episodes a year has more to do with the fact that so much more work goes into producing the episodes now. AIO episodes are much more polished than they used to be. The various actors' busy schedules may also have something to do with there being fewer episodes a year.

[Nathan Hoobler]

Wow, I didn't know that they originally made 45-50 episodes a year.

They didn't. Well, at least they didn't after the first year. It's a common misconception that "they" always used to do something like 50 new episodes every year. But it's not true.

Here are the number of Odysseys produced each year.

1987 – 6
1988 – 49
1989 – 44
1990 – 39
1991 – 40
1992 – 38
1993 – 37
1994 – 42
1995 – 44
1996 – 32
1997-1998 – 34
1998-1999 – 16
1999-2000 – 27
2000-2001 – 25
2001-2002 – 27
2002-2003 – 25
2003-2004 – 22
2004-2005 – 24
2005-2006 – 24

As you see from the numbers, they DID produce more shows a year back in the "early days," though not as many as people think.

Still, the question remains...why do they/we produce fewer shows now than in previous times.

The answer really is quite simple. Many of the ideas/thoughts that people have suggested tie into it, but the real reason that we don't do more than 24 shows a year now is....sales.

We've found that the Odyssey "market" only supports two new albums a year these days. If you release three new products in a year, the combined total of sales for all three will be about the same as the combined total of just releasing two new products. Apparently (and very understandably), Odyssey parents, kids, and fan only have so much money to spend on Odyssey each year. So, why produce and release more episodes than the average Odyssey fan can buy?

Hope that helps!

Nathan

[Bennett]

We've found that the Odyssey "market" only supports two new albums a year these days. If you release three new products in a year, the combined total of sales for all three will be about the same as the combined total of just releasing two new products. Apparently (and very understandably), Odyssey parents, kids, and fan only have so much money to spend on Odyssey each year. So, why produce and release more episodes than the average Odyssey fan can buy?

Hope that helps!

Nathan

That would clearly give a valid and reasonable answer to the long debated question. However, I wonder if it's ever considered to put more episodes (more than 12, I mean) in an album with roughly the same price--or would the price have to change signicantly, only damaging the number of sales each year due to the increase? The look and arrangement scheme of the abulm wouldn't need to change since cassettes won't be sold in the near future, and I'm sure CDs can easily hold more episodes.

Or is the number 12 simply a nice number?

BC

[AIOfan11]

Wow, I didn't know that they originally made 45-50 episodes a year.

They didn't. Well, at least they didn't after the first year. It's a common misconception that "they" always used to do something like 50 new episodes every year. But it's not true.

Here are the number of Odysseys produced each year.

1987 – 6
1988 – 49
1989 – 44
1990 – 39
1991 – 40
1992 – 38
1993 – 37
1994 – 42
1995 – 44
1996 – 32
1997-1998 – 34
1998-1999 – 16
1999-2000 – 27
2000-2001 – 25
2001-2002 – 27
2002-2003 – 25
2003-2004 – 22
2004-2005 – 24
2005-2006 – 24

As you see from the numbers, they DID produce more shows a year back in the "early days," though not as many as people think.

Still, the question remains...why do they/we produce fewer shows now than in previous times.

The answer really is quite simple. Many of the ideas/thoughts that people have suggested tie into it, but the real reason that we don't do more than 24 shows a year now is....sales.

We've found that the Odyssey "market" only supports two new albums a year these days. If you release three new products in a year, the combined total of sales for all three will be about the same as the combined total of just releasing two new products. Apparently (and very understandably), Odyssey parents, kids, and fan only have so much money to spend on Odyssey each year. So, why produce and release more episodes than the average Odyssey fan can buy?

Hope that helps!

Nathan

Thank you for explaining! The AIO market and only producing twenty four episodes a year makes alot of sense!

[ajamj]

I would buy 3 a year! Thank you for the thorough explanation. Everyone, even Focus on The Family, has a budget to maintain.

[COWBOY OF TEXAS]

We've found that the Odyssey "market" only supports two new albums a year these days. If you release three new products in a year, the combined total of sales for all three will be about the same as the combined total of just releasing two new products. Apparently (and very understandably), Odyssey parents, kids, and fan only have so much money to spend on Odyssey each year. So, why produce and release more episodes than the average Odyssey fan can buy?

Hope that helps!

Nathan

That would clearly give a valid and reasonable answer to the long debated question. However, I wonder if it's ever considered to put more episodes (more than 12, I mean) in an album with roughly the same price--or would the price have to change signicantly, only damaging the number of sales each year due to the increase? The look and arrangement scheme of the abulm wouldn't need to change since cassettes won't be sold in the near future, and I'm sure CDs can easily hold more episodes.

Or is the number 12 simply a nice number?

BC

Or just wait another six months to release the newer ones and still make three albums worth a year.

-Cowboy

[Flyah]

1987 – 6
1988 – 49
1989 – 44
1990 – 39
1991 – 40
1992 – 38
1993 – 37
1994 – 42
1995 – 44
1996 – 32
1997-1998 – 34
1998-1999 – 16
1999-2000 – 27
2000-2001 – 25
2001-2002 – 27
2002-2003 – 25
2003-2004 – 22
2004-2005 – 24
2005-2006 – 24

So from 1988-1998 they made an average of 39.9 episodes a year and since have made just 23.75 episodes a year.

The answer really is quite simple. Many of the ideas/thoughts that people have suggested tie into it, but the real reason that we don't do more than 24 shows a year now is....sales.

This seems sad, understandable, but sad. Focus is now making about 16 episodes less each year. It's sad that money has to drive everything. Again, understandable, but unfortunate.

[Chandler]

This seems sad, understandable, but sad. Focus is now making about 16 episodes less each year. It's sad that money has to drive everything. Again, understandable, but unfortunate.

If you listened to Dr. Dobson at the end of last year, you could understand why AIO has to think about money at every turn.