The Three Faces of Whit

This one's for you, Old Judge. 

25 years and 3 different actors for Whit. He is the only long term character the crew keeps replacing. Why is that? Well, it's accurate to say Whit is the most important character on the show. The show's setting is Whit's End and Whit is the main character. He's offers advice to those who need it, he invents crazy stuff, he can talk with anyone, and he puts curly q's on top of ice cream cones. He's a unique, integral part of the show.

Now, let's go back to 1994. Hal Smith, the beloved voice of Whit, suddenly passed away. The fans mourned while the crew scrambled to try and figure out what to do. Either they had to kill off Whit, drop his character, or find a new actor. To buy themselves some time, the writers sent Eugene and Bernard on a road trip. While Eugene and Bernard were gallivanting across the country, the crew was searching for a new voice for Whit. They came up with nothing so they went with plan B; they sent him off to the Middle East on an archaeological mission. He was gone for over 2 years. In his absence, they wrote in Jack Allen (a wise, old friend of Whit) and Jason Whittaker (Whit's adventerous, inventing son). Jack and Jason were a fantastic addition to the show but fans missed Whit. The crew eventually found a guy out in Seattle named Paul Herlinger. Paul Herlinger's voice resembled Hal Smith's. They hired him and brought Whit back in the episode "Search for Whit". Paul Herlinger was the voice of Whit for 12 years. (I should note that Hal Smith was only the voice of Whit for 7 years) Paul retired in 2008 during the hiatus. The writers were again faced with finding another voice for Whit. They got Andre Stojka and he's been doing the voice of Whit for 3 years.

It's difficult for me to choose a favorite  "Whit". There's a lot of things to take into consideration.

Hal Smith was the original. Even though I only started listening to Odyssey in 2006ish, I got a hold of most of the classic episodes. (On cassettes. Party like it's 1987) I would drag my dad's old boom box (made in the former Soviet Union) into my room, plug in my headphones, and would curl up under a blanket to listen to those cassettes. Those are some of my best memories. Hal Smith's voice brings me back to those memories. I'm sure you guys have had similar experiences. Hal has a very warm voice. You feel like he isn't playing a character. You feel like he's that kind and grandfatherly in real life. I love that. 

Paul Herlinger stepped into a dangerous position when he took on the voice of Whit. I'm not sure what the fans were saying because message boards weren't around at that time but I figure they weren't happy. It's understandable. Paul Herlinger and Hal Smith's voices are not identical. Although, in my opinion, Paul quickly proved himself to be a great Whit. The episode Clara gave emotion to Paul's Whit and further developed Whit's character. Whit went through a lot in Paul's 12 years of Odyssey. Paul's Whit interacted and formed relationships with Jack and Jason, mentored Eugene, watched Connie grow up, dealt with the Novacom fiasco and gave advice to a whole new generation of kids (actually, two/two and a half). I love Paul. He's in a lot of my favorite episodes and he's an excellent actor. 

Andre Stojka must have had a death wish. I never would take up the role of a beloved character after the previous actor had been acting that part for 12 years. One could say that Paul Herlinger was equally crazy but let me remind you that he took on the role before message boards and fan websites. Back then, if you really wanted to complain, you would have had to write a letter to Focus. That's a lot of work and people are lazy. Nowadays, all you have to do is hop on your computer and rattle off a rant about Stojka online. 

This is so going on my blog

 Normally, I try to listen to people's arguments and respect their opinions. This is the one argument I get tired of hearing. People have got to stop complaining about Stojka. Look people, it's too bad that you don't like his voice but I don't see how whining about it is gonna solve your personal dilemma. You see, you can't complain about something that no one can control. The listener can't control who voices Whit and the writers had no choice but to find a new voice. I'm sorry that they couldn't find the vocal twin of Paul but y'all gotta let go and move on. 

As for my opinion of Andre, I like him. I can't say I love him yet but I respect him and I have a feeling that he will one day come into his own. I know this much; I like him a lot more than when I listened to albums 51 and 52. I believe that's a combination of good writing and talented acting. Nice work, everyone. 

That leaves the final question. Who is my favorite Whit? That question doesn't make sense. Whit is Whit. Sure, he's had several voices but the character doesn't change. Who is Whit? Whit is a veteran, archaeologist, a father, a writer, a trusted friend, an inventor, and most importantly a strong Christian man. No matter who's voicing him, he is still that man.