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*scowls*
I think it's his character. I'm not sure why it's worse in the Deep End. Sorry.

He isn't really that bad but his former role as a show dad is gone without his kids therefore his character has lost some of its vitality.

I agree with Blitz.
Too, it doesn't help that he still sounds the same as when he was approximately 30 albums ago. That made him sound funny when he was talking about his kids in college.

Well, I guess I'll give my take on Dale. I like Dale now just as much as I did when he was originally on the show. Even without the aspect of being Robin and Melanie's dad, he feels like the same character; the Odyssey Times editor who wants the scoop on everything, but isn't afraid to fight for what he believes. OK, that was a horrible description of Dale, I admit. But he doesn't seem any less likeable without having kids. I thought he was great in both The Labyrinth and The Lost Riddle.
Dale never had the same connection to his kids in my mind that George Barclay has to Jimmy and Donna.

We never reay saw Dale and his kids together, save for what's-that-episode. (Something about Melanie's journal, I think)

Melanie's Diary. You Gotta Be Wise also has Dale and Robin interacting quite a bit. They're in the same scene together once in You Go To School Where? Other than that, I don't know of any episodes.

Weren't they somewhat together in All's Well with Boswell?
I know for sure they were all together in the episode where Melanie believes Jesus is coming back over the weekend, but I can't remember its name.

The Second Coming

Hm...I don't remember Dale being in "Boswell", but I can't say for sure.

He was also in an episode with Robin (I can't remember the episode's name) where Robin got that chain-letter, and seemed to have bad luck.

That episode is called "Bad Luck".

I think their are a few more. The one where Melanie believes the rapture is going to happen.

We already mentioned "The Second Coming".

It kind of confused me that Ann was played by a different actress. When I first heard The Labyrinth, I remember thinking, "that's Ann? I don't remember her sounding like that." I don't gave much of an opinion on Dale, though. On a random note, I have never heard The Lost Riddle.

Hey guys!

I guess I've kind of returned, at least for a couple days anyway, so let's get the discussion started again!

For the time being, we should discuss Jack and Joanne Allen.

(Or you can go ahead and discuss other people, whatever)

Jack and Joanne, I love their relationship, and how they are both a bit more reserved. They are both so kind and caring!

Well Joanne isn't as reserved as Jack. Joanne is the more aggressive one.

I enjoy the fact that Odyssey took on the subject of an older couple getting married on what is a children's show. Jack and Joanne would have been no less than 60 at the time of the wedding. (Actually, I believe Jack was more around 67 and Joanne somewhere between 62 and 64. The point is that they were old.) More often than not, dating and marriage is portrayed to children- and society -as something for young people just out of college. This is simply not the real picture, however. Look at OurTime.com; people over 50, either widowed or divorced, getting married practically everyday. Jack and Joanne provided a good example of that.

Elvis Presley produced a recording so famous of this song that it earned double platinum status in two years. For the Millenial generation, Dwayne Johnson sings an improvised version of it in the 2007 movie The Game Plan. (1926)