The Odyssey (TV series)

In the series pilot, 11-year-old Jay (Illya Woloshyn) tries to join a tree-fort club, led by the tough Keith (Tony Sampson). As per the prearranged agreement, Jay has brought something of value to contribute to the club: a telescope that belonged to his father (Robert Wisden) who has been missing for several years and is presumed dead. Keith double-crosses Jay and takes the telescope, denying him admission into the club. Jay tries to retrieve the telescope with the help of his physically disabled friend Donna (Ashley Rogers), who uses a crutch and a leg brace in order to walk. Jay falls from the tree fort and striking his head against a rock, lapses into a coma.

In the coma, Jay finds himself in a fantasy world called Downworld where no one reaches the age of 16. Not having heard of adults, the children here have shaped society in their own ways, forming mostly tribal clans in the form of Clubs, such as the Pool Club and the Library Club. The biggest and most powerful Club is the Tower, a brutal despotic police state run by the oldest kids, with Brad as the absolute ruler because he is 15, and "knows everything". Jay, not knowing how he has got here and aided by his friends Alpha and Flash (who are identical to Donna and Keith), embarks on a journey to return home — a place that he cannot remember. The journey becomes a quest to find his long-lost father, whose name happens to be Brad, who fell overboard from a small boat into a lake while they were on a fishing trip together and has not been seen since.

Meanwhile, Jay's mother and a coma therapist try to get Jay to regain consciousness, with the help of his friends.

A turning point is reached when Jay's father appears to him as he is regaining consciousness, which Jay is forced to keep a secret from his mother. As Jay struggles to re-orient himself to the waking world and the many changes that have occurred, he finds that he is still dealing with issues through the world from his subconscious.

• Illya Woloshyn as Jay Ziegler
• Ashley Rogers as Donna/Alpha
• Tony Sampson as Keith/Flash
• Janet Hodgkinson as Valerie "Val" Ziegler, Jay's mother
• Dwight Koss as Dr. Max Oswald (main season 1; recurring season 2)
• Andrea Nemeth (recurring seasons 1–2; main season 3) as Medea/Sierra Jones

• Mark Hildreth as Finger/Mic
• Ryan Reynolds as Macro/Lee
• Austin Basile as Teen Brad
• Robert Wisden (season 2) as Bradley "Brad" Ziegler, Jay's father
• Jeremy Radick as Fractal/Nathan
• Amber Warnat as Lila/Keith's girlfriend
• Garwin Sanford as Arthur Bourne, Val's lawyer and first boyfriend/Iceface
• Andrew Airlie as Val's second boyfriend
• Jay Brazeau as Sy, Jay's psychiatrist
• Jorge Vargas as Savage

• Devon Sawa as Yudo
• Jewel Staite as Labelia
• Jai West as Feelgood (season 1) and Spook (season 3)

The series, created by Paul Vitols and Warren Easton, was produced in Vancouver by Water Street Pictures. Over the three years of production, 39 episodes were made. Due to a decreased viewership for season 3, the series was cancelled before reaching its intended conclusion, ending the last season with cliffhangers both in the Upworld and Downworld.{{Cite web|title=The Odyssey|url=http://absolutelypointless.net/tv/kid/odyssey.html|access-date=2024-03-17|website=Absolutely Pointless|language=en}}{{Cite web|title=The Odyssey|url=https://canadaehx.com/2023/05/30/the-odyssey/|access-date=2024-03-17|website=Canadian History Ehx|language=en}}

{{Episode table |background= |overall= |season= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 1

| EpisodeNumber2 = 1

| Title = The Fall

| DirectedBy = Jorge Montesi

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1992|11|2}}

| ShortSummary =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 2

| EpisodeNumber2 = 2

| Title = No Fair

| DirectedBy = Brad Turner

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1992|11|9}}

| ShortSummary =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 3

| EpisodeNumber2 = 3

| Title = Out of the Woods

| DirectedBy = Brad Turner

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1992|11|16}}

| ShortSummary =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 4

| EpisodeNumber2 = 4

| Title = By the Book

| DirectedBy = Graeme Campbell

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1992|11|23}}

| ShortSummary =

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}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 5

| EpisodeNumber2 = 5

| Title = Checkpoint Eagle

| DirectedBy = Bill Brayne

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1992|11|30}}

| ShortSummary =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 6

| EpisodeNumber2 = 6

| Title = The Believers

| DirectedBy = Brad Turner

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1992|12|7}}

| ShortSummary =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 7

| EpisodeNumber2 = 7

| Title = A Place Called Nowhere

| DirectedBy = Don McBrearty

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1992|12|14}}

| ShortSummary =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 8

| EpisodeNumber2 = 8

| Title = Wanted

| DirectedBy = TW Peacocke

| WrittenBy = Hart Hanson and Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1992|12|21}}

| ShortSummary =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 9

| EpisodeNumber2 = 9

| Title = Galileo & the Gypsies

| DirectedBy = Don McBrearty

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1992|12|28}}

| ShortSummary =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 10

| EpisodeNumber2 = 10

| Title = In the Dark

| DirectedBy = TW Peacocke

| WrittenBy = Hart Hanson & Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|1|4}}

| ShortSummary =

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}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 11

| EpisodeNumber2 = 11

| Title = The Brad Exchange

| DirectedBy = Rex Bromfield

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|1|11}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 12

| EpisodeNumber2 = 12

| Title = Welcome to the Tower

| DirectedBy = Rex Bromfield

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|1|18}}

| ShortSummary =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 13

| EpisodeNumber2 = 13

| Title = The One Called Brad

| DirectedBy = Rex Bromfield

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1993|1|25}}

| ShortSummary =

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}}

}}

{{Episode table |background= |overall= |season= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 14

| EpisodeNumber2 = 1

| Title = Lands End

| DirectedBy = René Bonnière

| WrittenBy = Charles Lazer

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|1|24}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 15

| EpisodeNumber2 = 2

| Title = To the Lighthouse

| DirectedBy = TW Peacocke

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|1|31}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 16

| EpisodeNumber2 = 3

| Title = Some Place Like Home

| DirectedBy = René Bonnière

| WrittenBy = Charles Lazer

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|2|7}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 17

| EpisodeNumber2 = 4

| Title = Whispers Like Thunder

| DirectedBy = Stefan Scaini

| WrittenBy = Hart Hanson

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|2|14}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 18

| EpisodeNumber2 = 5

| Title = The Hall of Darkness

| DirectedBy = TW Peacocke

| WrittenBy = Brad Wright

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|2|21}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 19

| EpisodeNumber2 = 6

| Title = The Prophecy

| DirectedBy = Stefan Scaini

| WrittenBy = Dennis Foon

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|2|28}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 20

| EpisodeNumber2 = 7

| Title = The Greatest Show on Earth

| DirectedBy = Rex Bromfield

| WrittenBy = Jim Makichuk

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|3|7}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 21

| EpisodeNumber2 = 8

| Title = But Where is Here?

| DirectedBy = Steve DiMarco

| WrittenBy = Brad Wright

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|3|14}}

| ShortSummary =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 22

| EpisodeNumber2 = 9

| Title = The Big Picture

| DirectedBy = René Bonnière

| WrittenBy = Gary Fisher

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|3|21}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

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{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 23

| EpisodeNumber2 = 10

| Title = Tick Tock

| DirectedBy = Rex Bromfield

| WrittenBy = Paul Vitols & Warren Easton

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|3|28}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 24

| EpisodeNumber2 = 11

| Title = Run for Your Life

| DirectedBy = René Bonnière

| WrittenBy = Charles Lazer

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|4|4}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 25

| EpisodeNumber2 = 12

| Title = Who Do You Believe?

| DirectedBy = Stefan Scaini

| WrittenBy = Hart Hanson

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|4|11}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 26

| EpisodeNumber2 = 13

| Title = You Decide

| DirectedBy = René Bonnière

| WrittenBy = Charles Lazer

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|8|18}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

}}

{{Episode table |background= |overall= |season= |title= |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes=

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 27

| EpisodeNumber2 = 1

| Title = No Way Out

| DirectedBy = René Bonnière

| WrittenBy = Charles Lazer

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|10|3}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 28

| EpisodeNumber2 = 2

| Title = Dart to the Heart

| DirectedBy = René Bonnière

| WrittenBy = Brad Wright

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|10|10}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 29

| EpisodeNumber2 = 3

| Title = Learning Curve

| DirectedBy = Allan King

| WrittenBy = Dennis Foon

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|10|17}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 30

| EpisodeNumber2 = 4

| Title = Night Life

| DirectedBy = Stacey Curtis

| WrittenBy = Leila Basen

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|10|24}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 31

| EpisodeNumber2 = 5

| Title = Cry Justice

| DirectedBy = TW Peacocke

| WrittenBy = Charles Lazer

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|10|31}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 32

| EpisodeNumber2 = 6

| Title = King for a Day

| DirectedBy = Alex Pappas

| WrittenBy = Ian Weir

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|11|7}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 33

| EpisodeNumber2 = 7

| Title = The Cauldron

| DirectedBy = Richard Leiterman

| WrittenBy = Leila Basen

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|11|14}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 34

| EpisodeNumber2 = 8

| Title = Styx and Stones

| DirectedBy = René Bonnière

| WrittenBy = Deborah Nathan

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|11|21}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 35

| EpisodeNumber2 = 9

| Title = Tug of War

| DirectedBy = Alex Chapple

| WrittenBy = Gregory Kennedy

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|11|28}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 36

| EpisodeNumber2 = 10

| Title = Tangled Web

| DirectedBy = Alex Pappas

| WrittenBy = Ian Weir

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|12|5}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 37

| EpisodeNumber2 = 11

| Title = No Holds Barred

| DirectedBy = E. Jane Thompson

| WrittenBy = Charles Lazer

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|12|12}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 38

| EpisodeNumber2 = 12

| Title = The Plague

| DirectedBy = Alex Pappas

| WrittenBy = Nancy Merritt Bell & James Tichenor

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|12|19}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 39

| EpisodeNumber2 = 13

| Title = Time Bomb

| DirectedBy = Steve DiMarco

| WrittenBy = Charles Lazer & Leila Basen

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|1994|12|26}}

| ShortSummary =

| LineColor =

}}

}}

The pilot episode was originally aired in Canada on March 9, 1992, as The Jellybean Odyssey.

The series was shown on Network 2 in Ireland as part of their children's strand of programming The Den in 1994. The show was broadcast in the U.S. by the Sci-Fi Channel, in the UK by Nickelodeon and Channel 4 in 1995 (repeated in 1998), in France by M6 (first season only) and then by France 3 (whole series), and in a number of other countries.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

The series aired in Hong Kong on ATV World.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

The first 26 episodes aired in French Canada on Radio-Canada during the 1994-95 season, under the title "L'odyssée fantastique". It re-aired in 1996 and 1998.

A special edition DVD of the complete series was made in limited quantities and is sold through Omni Film Productions.

The Odyssey can also be purchased digitally from Vimeo.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Odyssey-The-Complete-Series/10413|title=The Odyssey - The Complete Series of the '90s Canadian Program is Now Available on DVD!|website=TVShowsOnDVD|date=August 27, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627062713/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Odyssey-The-Complete-Series/10413|archive-date=June 27, 2009}} From May 25, 2018 to January 9, 2019, the series was uploaded to Canada Media Fund’s YouTube channel Encore+.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXssjYeUyJVE99jGClp2FCC1PDknHQsE3&disable_polymer=1|title=The Odyssey - YouTube|website=YouTube}} However the channel was shut down in 2022.{{Cite web|title=CMF to shutter Cancon YouTube channel Encore+|url=https://playbackonline.ca/2022/11/21/cmf-to-shutter-cancon-youtube-channel-encore/|access-date=2024-03-17|website=Playback|language=en}}

It can currently be streamed on the services Plex and Tubi in Canada.{{Cite web|url=https://watch.plex.tv/show/the-odyssey |title=The Odyssey (1992) |website=plex.tv |access-date=2024-12-06}}

Awards won by the series include the Top Ten World Program at the Cologne Conference and a Canadian Gemini for Best Youth Program.{{citation needed|date=October 2019}}

In June 2016, Marblemedia and Omnifilm Entertainment announced that they had joined forces to update and reboot The Odyssey. The reboot was to be adapted by showrunners Simon Racioppa and Richard Elliott.{{Cite press release|url=https://omnifilm.com/news/marblemedia-and-omnifilm-partner-to-develop-new-scripted-series|title=marblemedia and Omnifilm Partner to Develop New Scripted Series|date=June 13, 2016|publisher=Omnifilm Entertainment}}

{{reflist}}

• {{IMDb title|0103504}}
• {{Epguides|Odyssey}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/19961124031723/http://scifi.com/odyssey/ Archive of the SciFi Channel's web site dedicated to the show during its run on the network]
• [http://www.paulvitols.com/tag/the-odyssey-odyssey/page/3/ The Odyssey odyssey, the episodic story of the show's development and production, as told by its co-creator Paul Vitols]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Odyssey, The (Tv series)}}

Category:1990s Canadian children's television series

Category:1992 Canadian television series debuts

Category:1994 Canadian television series endings

Category:Canadian children's fantasy television series

Category:CBC Television original programming

Category:Television series about children

Category:Television shows filmed in Vancouver

Category:Television series by Alliance Atlantis