Adventures In Odyssey: The Knight Travellers

From the producers of the McGee and Me programs (see next page), this new animated series is pleasingly drawn with better than average story values. Set in the mythical town of Odyssey, the opener introduces Dylan Taylor, a modern boy who enjoys boy things like drooling over ads for toy guns in the Xmas catalog and mildly tormenting his little sister. When Dylan happens on a pair of thugs who are about to deep-six a dog, he gets tangled up in a wild and wooly time travel adventure. It turns out that the thugs are working for the evil Faustus, a bad egg who has stolen scientist John Avery Whittaker's "Imagination Station" and turned it into a "Manipulation Station." Dylan, Whit, and Sherman (the rescued dog) launch a surprise attack on Faustus's stronghold, only to accidentally end up lost in time--circa the Dark Ages. Whit and Faustus have at one another in a jousting match, with Whit eventually winning thanks to Dylan's help. Although the Christian allegorical nature of the program is pretty obvious, actual references to God or Christ are not made. (Apparently, the same programs are being released in a slightly adapted form on "The Word Kids!" label for the Christian market.) Above average animation and dialogue make for a diverting half-hour with strong family values. Recommended. (Available from most distributors.)