Earlier this week I was listening to a wonderful Thanksgiving show from one of my favorite radio dramas. It was funny, heart-warming, and the occasional moment even brought tears to my eyes. I was entranced from beginning to end, wrapped up in the drama and loving how well-written the characters were.
The only problem for this review is that the show wasn't "A Thankstaking Story," but rather an episode of Down Gilead Lane called "Peas and Thank You." "A Thankstaking Story," like "Peas and Thank You," attempted to be funny and heart-warming, but unlike the DGL episode failed to achieve its goal for the most part.
Perhaps the real issue for me is that I had expected more from this episode. "Dr. Suess visits Odyssey" gets old really fast, and it's obvious that a knowledge of the book The Grinch That Stole Christmas (or, more likely, the movie version of the book) would've helped make the show funnier. But even so, the humor of the Scrunch story was more over-the-top than anything, with silly sound effects, an excess of made-up words, and too many jokes that didn't work for me. Once again, maybe I needed more pop-culture savvy to appreciate the jokes, but the maturity level of some of the story did seem a bit Wootonish.
I'm quite a fan of musicals, when they're done right, so my expectations for the musical element of this show were high as well. There's only four songs in the show, and they're of varying quality. "Good News" is pretty good (better than the majority of songs on Eugene Sings!, if that's saying anything), and "Every Day Is Thanksgiving Day" isn't bad either (overlooking the buzzy bees line, it's probably the best of the show). "We Are the Bad Guys" is short, and that's probably it's one redeeming element. Which leaves "McGluville was a Tiny Village" (by Wooton/ Arctic Blast), a truly strange song. Wooton sang fine in "Odyssey Sings," but here his singing sounds more like Jess Harnell trying to spoof Elvis, which is totally unfunny. And hard to understand, if you actually like to be able to understand the words in songs. So my expectations for the songs were too high, but John Campbell really did a great job with all of the music. He captured the emotion of each scene very well, and I really felt like I was in a storybook or animated movie with the gang's Scrunch tale. The music and sound effects convey that this is not a television special but a big-budget movie.
On the topic of Wooton, as already suggested by my comments on the Arctic Blast song, he was rather annoying here. Too much snorting and too many failed jokes ("No, by a mailbox--that's an excellent hudiling place"? "That was just Bing Crosby singing for a colonel"? Were those comments really funny?). On the flip side, Eugene really shone in this episode. Not only did he sing the lead on the best songs of the episode, but he also was endearing as perhaps the best character of The Scrunch That Stole Thanksgiving (although Connie's Katie Poo-Magloo wasn't bad, either). His Abominable Turkey was a very likeable bad guy! And then there's Eugene's banter with Connie, which was quite enjoyable. The first scenes of the show with just Whit, Connie, Eugene, and Wooton were a definite highlight.
This show reminds me of an episode earlier this season, "Wooton's Broken Pencil Show," in that it is an experimental show, unlike anything that AIO has ever done (or at least has ever done in one 25-minute show). AIO needs to create shows which take a few chances in order to keep things fresh, and "A Thankstaking Story" definitely sticks out from most of the other album 52 episodes because it's different. It approaches its source material(s) without coming across as lazy or (overly) weird like "A Thanksgiving Carol" at times does.
But I had hoped for more enjoyment from this episode. On first listen, "A Thankstaking Story" contained few laughs, no emotional punch, and just a little bit of warmth for me. I was hoping for laugh-out-loud humor and maybe even a lump in my throat, but after listening, all I thought was, "well, that was kind of cute, I guess." My expectations were just a little too high, and it remains to be seen how I'll feel about it in a few years. Will it grow on me, like "Odyssey Sings" did (my original verdict was that it was "just a long advertisement in a well-written show," which I still think is true but no longer matters when I listen to the show)? I can quite easily see it fitting alongside the other AIO Thanksgiving specials, as it is probably as entertaining as "B-TV: Thanks" and arguably is the most poignant of the four Thanksgiving shows (except for "Thank You, God," of course). And for future listenings I shall know what to expect, and won't be disappointed when Wooton does Elvis, Whit takes his rhyming to the extreme, and Connie doesn't make me cry.
Rating: 7/10 (But possibly higher on repeat listenings, especially in comparison to the other album 52 shows)
Best line: "Light the lamp, not the turkey! Light the lamp, not the turkey!" Great reference to one of my favorite Christmas movies! :-D
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
"Back to Square One!"
It seems that with every new episode that she's in, Emily Jones proves herself to be hard to like. Not as hard to like as Olivia, of course, but still a character that's hard to sympathize with or relate to. In the words of Matthew, she "meddle[s] and make[s] up little schemes...," and seems rarely to think that what she's doing may be hurting her friends or family. And it's her role as meddler in "Square One" that makes the show less than satisfactory.
But before I blame Emily for everything I didn't like about this episode, I have to admit that the plot of this show is somewhat on the bland side to begin with. The guys' secret club wasn't particularly interesting, and the conflict with Matthew being kicked out of it was not edge-of-your-seat stuff. I found it amusing that Whit had his one scene as has been the case in the last few episodes, but it seemed rather strange to have him in the show just so that he could act clueless for that one scene.
So it was just a ho-hum show. Matthew was his usual Sam Johnson-like self, Emily was bossy, and we all learned a lesson about trust and friendship. All of which is very average indeed.
Rating: 6/10
But before I blame Emily for everything I didn't like about this episode, I have to admit that the plot of this show is somewhat on the bland side to begin with. The guys' secret club wasn't particularly interesting, and the conflict with Matthew being kicked out of it was not edge-of-your-seat stuff. I found it amusing that Whit had his one scene as has been the case in the last few episodes, but it seemed rather strange to have him in the show just so that he could act clueless for that one scene.
So it was just a ho-hum show. Matthew was his usual Sam Johnson-like self, Emily was bossy, and we all learned a lesson about trust and friendship. All of which is very average indeed.
Rating: 6/10
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Odyssey Owl--Stolen!
My thoughts on "The Owlnapping," in no particular order...
You know, I think Ryan's the only good kid character that's voiced by an adult. Unlike Emily, Olivia, and Pete, he actually sounds 14 or 15 in every single line. And his voice isn't annoying!
We didn't have to hear any actual basketball, which was a great thing. That's what helped make "The Owlnapping" more entertaining than "Target of the Week" for me. We don't have to try to picture all the sporting action going on, nor endure any commentators.
There was a lot of humor, especially thanks to Coach Chang Fang. I find him to be a bit too much of a caricature, but he's still funny. But probably the most humorous part of this show was all that Ryan had to go through to get the toy owl back--his spoiler in the movie theater was especially fun!
The message was clearly presented, although it was rather obvious that the episode was leading to that conclusion. But Whit brought across the lesson well, anyway.
It was a little on the predictable side, but "The Owlnapping" manages to make what could be a rather dull story into a fun show. It's a better basketball show than "The Fundamentals," IMO.
Rating: 7/10
Oh, and I can't say I missed Jason Earles playing Vance. His voice reminded me too much of Jackson in "Target of the Week." :-)
You know, I think Ryan's the only good kid character that's voiced by an adult. Unlike Emily, Olivia, and Pete, he actually sounds 14 or 15 in every single line. And his voice isn't annoying!
We didn't have to hear any actual basketball, which was a great thing. That's what helped make "The Owlnapping" more entertaining than "Target of the Week" for me. We don't have to try to picture all the sporting action going on, nor endure any commentators.
There was a lot of humor, especially thanks to Coach Chang Fang. I find him to be a bit too much of a caricature, but he's still funny. But probably the most humorous part of this show was all that Ryan had to go through to get the toy owl back--his spoiler in the movie theater was especially fun!
The message was clearly presented, although it was rather obvious that the episode was leading to that conclusion. But Whit brought across the lesson well, anyway.
It was a little on the predictable side, but "The Owlnapping" manages to make what could be a rather dull story into a fun show. It's a better basketball show than "The Fundamentals," IMO.
Rating: 7/10
Oh, and I can't say I missed Jason Earles playing Vance. His voice reminded me too much of Jackson in "Target of the Week." :-)
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Characters Let Down the Show
So Kathy Buchanan's back! And her return is a very ho-hum one, thanks to a predictable storyline and uninteresting characters.
My main problem with this episode is that none of the characters, except for Whit, are really likeable. When Kathy had characters like Mandy and Trent to work with, her episodes would often work well because those characters were good kid characters. But Olivia and Barrett are not great characters, and Olivia is especially annoying in this episode. She hasn't improved at all since last season if this show's anything to go on. And if Olivia wasn't annoying enough, along comes Amber, who also sounds like she's played by an adult and is so over-bearing that she's harder to listen to than Olivia. What a laugh that girl has! Priscilla was just there so that Olivia would have someone to talk to, and Barrett was about the only kid that interested me in this episode (and even he was only marginally appealing). Whit was definitely the best character in this episode, but it was too bad he was only in one scene and that he had to talk to Olivia.
Unfortunately, the storyline of this show didn't work for me either. Barrett's fascination with Facebook allowed for some funny lines, but it was obvious right from the beginning what lesson he'd learn. Olivia and Priscilla's celebration of Opposite Day, while intended to be humorous, was not so, and Wooton's observation of Spirit Week only elicited one or two smiles from me (but I'm not usually a fan of Wooton, anyway).
And, if I may devote a third paragraph to being negative about this show, the music sounded recycled. I'm pretty sure all the music cues were from previous shows, and many of them did not convey the right mood at the right place. Or maybe I was just supposed to be laughing when I wasn't... :-P
Yet for all of my grips about "Opposite Day," I did enjoy it. We need a simple kids-slice-of-life episode now and again, and this show did that okay. There were a few humorous moments, like the scene at drama club and Barrett's friend in Guam ("Beat you again, Filipo!"), and Whit's advice, while not necessarily profound, was practical. It's not really a show I can see myself feeling excited about going back to re-listen to, but it probably accomplishes what it sets out to do.
One more thing: AIO producers, please don't get a new voice for Barrett just because Andy Pessoa's voice is starting to change! If Olivia can be played by a 30-year-old, surely her older brother can continue despite having a deeper voice.
Rating: 6/10
My main problem with this episode is that none of the characters, except for Whit, are really likeable. When Kathy had characters like Mandy and Trent to work with, her episodes would often work well because those characters were good kid characters. But Olivia and Barrett are not great characters, and Olivia is especially annoying in this episode. She hasn't improved at all since last season if this show's anything to go on. And if Olivia wasn't annoying enough, along comes Amber, who also sounds like she's played by an adult and is so over-bearing that she's harder to listen to than Olivia. What a laugh that girl has! Priscilla was just there so that Olivia would have someone to talk to, and Barrett was about the only kid that interested me in this episode (and even he was only marginally appealing). Whit was definitely the best character in this episode, but it was too bad he was only in one scene and that he had to talk to Olivia.
Unfortunately, the storyline of this show didn't work for me either. Barrett's fascination with Facebook allowed for some funny lines, but it was obvious right from the beginning what lesson he'd learn. Olivia and Priscilla's celebration of Opposite Day, while intended to be humorous, was not so, and Wooton's observation of Spirit Week only elicited one or two smiles from me (but I'm not usually a fan of Wooton, anyway).
And, if I may devote a third paragraph to being negative about this show, the music sounded recycled. I'm pretty sure all the music cues were from previous shows, and many of them did not convey the right mood at the right place. Or maybe I was just supposed to be laughing when I wasn't... :-P
Yet for all of my grips about "Opposite Day," I did enjoy it. We need a simple kids-slice-of-life episode now and again, and this show did that okay. There were a few humorous moments, like the scene at drama club and Barrett's friend in Guam ("Beat you again, Filipo!"), and Whit's advice, while not necessarily profound, was practical. It's not really a show I can see myself feeling excited about going back to re-listen to, but it probably accomplishes what it sets out to do.
One more thing: AIO producers, please don't get a new voice for Barrett just because Andy Pessoa's voice is starting to change! If Olivia can be played by a 30-year-old, surely her older brother can continue despite having a deeper voice.
Rating: 6/10
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
Characters Make the Show
You've got to have lovable characters in a regular television show or radio drama. When I think of my favorite television shows I think of the characters which made those shows stand out from similar stuff on television at the same time. Murder, She Wrote was so much more fun than Matlock because I loved Jessica Fletcher's warm character and the bumbling small-town sheriff. Andy Griffith and Barney Fife (along with some of the other regular characters) were the reason why The Andy Griffith Show is so memorable. You get the idea--if you like the main characters of a show, you're more likely to become addicted to it.
Whit, Connie, and Eugene are the main characters of AIO. These three are the constant, lovable characters that we find almost every week on AIO. Or that we hope to find that often. There are times when they're not around so often or when they act oddly. But at least this season the AIO writers seem to be catching on--AIO fans cannot get enough of these classic characters. Of the first five shows this season, four of them have featured Whit, Connie, and Eugene as main characters. The decision to give these old and much-loved characters center stage and relegate new characters like Matthew and Red Hollard to the wings has been a very wise choice, and has meant that album 51 has been less painful for AIO fans so far.
In "Fast As I Can," all of the characters, except for Matthew, are ones that have been around since before the hiatus. We like hearing from Whit, Connie, Eugene, and Wooton, if only because we know them so well. And they did indeed sound like our old friends: Eugene was back to using big words, Whit was being wise and knowledgeable, and Connie was wearing that green sweater that she's had on since 1992. Even Wooton wasn't as annoying as he often can be, except for when his duck Gertrude appeared. The return of Mrs. Randolph was unnecessary, but it did prove that AIO characters don't have to be heard every album to still be around (and if someone had to tempt Wooton with delicacies, why not someone on his mail route that we've heard from before?).
There was lots of good humor in this show, particularly with Eugene's fast. The IS adventure was somewhat humorous as well, although I was left thinking, "was that it?" But the humor wasn't too silly, and thankfully didn't overshadow the messages of the show. I loved how Matthew and Wooton began to care more for people as a result of their fasts, and especially liked Wooton's idea to pray through the phone book.
In the final analysis "Fast As I Can" is kind of average. I enjoyed the episode, possibly more than any other album 52 show so far, but there were a few elements that I didn't like about it. But the premise and lesson were great, and it was a fun show to listen to. Oh, and the characters were really well-written! :-) Although I would've been happier if the show hadn't ended with them chasing a duck...
Rating: 7/10
Whit, Connie, and Eugene are the main characters of AIO. These three are the constant, lovable characters that we find almost every week on AIO. Or that we hope to find that often. There are times when they're not around so often or when they act oddly. But at least this season the AIO writers seem to be catching on--AIO fans cannot get enough of these classic characters. Of the first five shows this season, four of them have featured Whit, Connie, and Eugene as main characters. The decision to give these old and much-loved characters center stage and relegate new characters like Matthew and Red Hollard to the wings has been a very wise choice, and has meant that album 51 has been less painful for AIO fans so far.
In "Fast As I Can," all of the characters, except for Matthew, are ones that have been around since before the hiatus. We like hearing from Whit, Connie, Eugene, and Wooton, if only because we know them so well. And they did indeed sound like our old friends: Eugene was back to using big words, Whit was being wise and knowledgeable, and Connie was wearing that green sweater that she's had on since 1992. Even Wooton wasn't as annoying as he often can be, except for when his duck Gertrude appeared. The return of Mrs. Randolph was unnecessary, but it did prove that AIO characters don't have to be heard every album to still be around (and if someone had to tempt Wooton with delicacies, why not someone on his mail route that we've heard from before?).
There was lots of good humor in this show, particularly with Eugene's fast. The IS adventure was somewhat humorous as well, although I was left thinking, "was that it?" But the humor wasn't too silly, and thankfully didn't overshadow the messages of the show. I loved how Matthew and Wooton began to care more for people as a result of their fasts, and especially liked Wooton's idea to pray through the phone book.
In the final analysis "Fast As I Can" is kind of average. I enjoyed the episode, possibly more than any other album 52 show so far, but there were a few elements that I didn't like about it. But the premise and lesson were great, and it was a fun show to listen to. Oh, and the characters were really well-written! :-) Although I would've been happier if the show hadn't ended with them chasing a duck...
Rating: 7/10
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