Mr. Redge’s Hotline: Winter Into Spring Q&A & Season 7 Giveaway Celebration!

The red telephone is ringing and the Question Hat is ready for action! In this edition of Mr. Redge’s Hotline, Jonathan and Redge announce the winners of the T.A.L.E. Tour Dorktales Merch Prize Pack Giveaway, answer listener questions, reveal Redge’s least favorite snack, share Jonathan’s favorite superhero, countdown to Season 7 and end with lots of listener shoutouts.

Important News Alerts:

• Season 7 launches March 19 with “The Enchanted Sidequest,” set in the Folktale Forest’s first-ever game and hobby shop features a magical card that causes mischief and mayhem.
• Once Upon A Merch is now open! Visit our brand-new Dorktales shop for tees, stickers, and more at https://dorktales-shop.fourthwall.com/
• Have a question for a future Hotline episode? Grownups can email us at dorktalesstorytime@gmail.com or leave a comment on Spotify.

Transcript

REDGE:

Welcome back to the Mr. Redge Hotline!

 The coziest corner of Once Upon a Time, where questions are answered, imaginations sparkle, and hedgehogs may or may not be nibbling on a snack while speaking into a very official-looking microphone.

JONATHAN:
Redge.

REDGE:
What? It fuels the brilliance.

JONATHAN:
Today is a very special Hotline because we are announcing the winners of our T.A.L.E. Tour Dorktales Merch Prize Pack Giveaway!

REDGE:
Oh, the excitement! The suspense! The dramatically rustling envelope! The tiny drumroll happening in my head!

JONATHAN:
We were absolutely blown away by every single entry. You shared such imaginative ideas about where you’d like to take the Magical Minivan with Redge and me in Once Upon a Time.

REDGE:
Some of you dreamed of returning to lands we’ve already explored. Others invented entirely new destinations bursting with dragons, robots, mythical creatures, sweet treats, mysterious caves, heroic quests, upside-down surprises, and even entire lands built from your own magnificent brains!

JONATHAN:
We’ve read them over and over again. We smiled at your ingenuity. We are inspired! Every idea reminds us why we love making stories for curious, creative kids like you.

REDGE:
Your imaginations keep Once Upon a Time glowing. Like the Firefly lights in the Folktale Forest at twilight. And whether your name was drawn or not, please know how much you mean to us and our whole team.

JONATHAN:
And now… the seven winners of our random drawing who have each won a Dorktales Merch Prize Pack are…

REDGE:
Hurry, Jonathan! Hurry! I can’t stand the suspense! Tell us now! 

JONATHAN:
Carmine
Braylon
Kirin
Emmanuelle
Annabel
Frank
Gilly Jardine

REDGE:
Huzzah and congratulations! Your grownups have been contacted via email with all the details. Be sure to check those inboxes.

JONATHAN:
And to everyone who entered… thank you. 

REDGE:
We hope you had fun playing storyteller with us. Dorktales Season 7 will be filled with more ways for you to share your creativity with us. 

JONATHAN:
Speaking of sharing… shall we open the Hotline?

REDGE:
Operators are standing by! Which is to say… it’s me sitting at my desk waiting for the hotline’s red telephone to ring.

(Play Mr. Redge’s Hotline Phone Message)

KIRIN: Insert MP3

“Hi Redge and Jonathan, my name is Kirin, I'm 8 years old, and my question is, Reginald, what is your least favorite snack?”

REDGE:
Kirin! What an excellent question! You know, I receive many inquiries about my favorite snacks… but you are the very first to ask about my least favorite. You are admirably curious!

JONATHAN:
Way to go, Kirin! We appreciate a plot twist of a question.

REDGE:
When it comes to snacks, I am quite adventurous. I will try nearly anything once as long as it is safe to eat, of course. There was a time when I was the official taste tester for So-fish-ticated Seaside Snacks, an eatery owned and operated by my dolphin friends, Donna and Greta .

JONATHAN:
Prestigious position. 

REDGE:
They were developing a new flavor for their Shrimply the Best Bag O’Chips - my friend Shrimp the Seagull is their brand ambassador, by the way. While I adore their classic barbecue, sea salt and vinegar, and anchovy flavors… there was one seasoning experiment that did not win over my distinguished palate.

JONATHAN:
Oh boy. Brace yourselves.

REDGE:
Tutti Fruity with Caramel Drip  Bag O’ Chips.

JONATHAN:
Really? I would have thought sparkling tutti fruity flavor with a caramel drizzle would totally fit your foodie-loving style, Redge.

REDGE:
Jonathan… there is adventurous… and then there is confusion. My taste buds simply did not know what story they were being told. It was a culinary mystery I was not prepared to solve.

JONATHAN:
A snack identity crisis.

REDGE:
Precisely.

JONATHAN:
Redge, we’re so lucky to receive so many wonderful questions from our listeners. When we get your Spotify comments or your grown up sends us an email on your behalf, we always do our best to respond.

REDGE:
I brought my snazzy Question Hat to help us out.

JONATHAN:
Of course you have. Other than being…snazzy, what are we supposed to do with it?

REDGE:
I put all the questions into the Question Hat and it will shoot out some for us to answer. Oooh! Got one! Jonathan, Empress Athena asks: “Who is your favorite superhero?”

JONATHAN:
Ah! Excellent question. My favorite superhero is Darkwing Duck. He’s hilarious, he is a hero even though he has no super powers, and even though he’s got flaws, he always tries to do the right thing. Oh! And he has a cape. 

REDGE:
Of course!

JONATHAN:
“Let’s get dangerous!”

REDGE:
Get Dangerous? No, Jonathan, the Question Hat is snazzy, not dangerous!

JONATHAN:
It was Darkwing Duck’s catchphrase. And honestly, it still makes me smile every time I hear it. I loved how he mixed his bravery with humor. 

OK, Catching another from the Question Hat from Lula Isabelle for you, Redge. She wants to know “Do you like to draw?”

REDGE:
Oh boy, do I ever! I carry a journal with me wherever I go so I can doodle, sketch, and dream up new story ideas. Sometimes I find a cozy spot in the Folktale Forest and paint portraits of my tree friends. How about all of you? Do you like to draw too?

Oh! Here’s something Ysabel and Matthew want you to know, Jonathan. They said that “ever since listening to the podcast, they think your voice imitations are so funny and good!”

JONATHAN:
That is so sweet. Thank you, Ysabel and Matthew. I love creating character voices. I have studied the art of Voice Over for many years and work at it every day. I want to be the best storyteller I can for you and all of our fans. Sometimes I go into a character's voice in real life while doing ordinary things. They just pop into my head and have to come out! It makes me so happy that you noticed and are enjoying our stories.

REDGE:
Putting the Question Hat away just in time for some Shout Outs! Thank you everyone for your kind comments, silly emoji art, five-star reviews, pod love, and amazing suggestions. Keep them coming!

JONATHAN:
OK, Let’s begin… First names only and a last name initial when we have it. Some of these are account names on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. We’ll do our best with pronunciations!

REDGE:
William W.
 Ada M.
Reid L.
 Big Blue
 Cai X.
 Braylon - Psst. be on the lookout for the Hidden Hero of History you suggested this season!
 Henley
 
 JONATHAN:
Capybara Girl, Carter, and Annabel - YES, you are officially part of our Dork Squad!
Isaac N.
Chelsea J.
Corks
Hosanna
Marietta T.

REDGE:
Countrygirl13
Elizabeth S. and TJW - a Hercules episode is coming soon!
Kai with a K
Lily
Mark J.
Ryan H.

JONATHAN:
Jduttysue
 Simone
 Holly with a Y -  thank you for saving that little baby bat!
 Micah
 Tensie
 Jose R. -  hope you enjoyed our 4-part Rewind series and thanks again for the inspiration!
 
 REDGE:
Michael G.
 Buzzywig - It makes us happy to know that our podcast cheers you up when you’re feeling sad.
 Sofia and her little sister 
 Bob
 Catherine
 Dorktaleslover13 - ooh, nice account name and thank you for loving our podcast!

JONATHAN:
Hollie Bear
 Matthew Y.
 Bri
 Delilah — Molly says hello back!
 Ryan from Canada
 Baddie4Ever - that is a bold account name, my friend! We love your excitement for what’s coming next!
 
 And you won’t have to wait long. Season 7 launches March 19!

REDGE:
Our very first episode is about the Folktale Forest’s first ever game and hobby shop.

JONATHAN:
And a magical card that causes some mischief and mayhem.

REDGE:
It’s called “The Enchanted Sidequest” and we know you're going to love going on this adventure with us!

JONATHAN:
Speaking of new shops… we just opened our own Dorktales store called…

REDGE:
Once Upon A Merch!

JONATHAN:
You all know how our stories invite you into Once Upon a Time, a magical world filled with curious creatures, hidden surprises, and endless wonder.

REDGE:
Our new shop is simply another portal into that realm. Now you can take your favorite characters, places and stories with you wherever you go. 

JONATHAN:
We’ve officially launched with collections of tees, stickers, and other merch and we’ll be adding new designs and products every month. 

REDGE:
Grownups, you can visit dorktales-shop.fourthwall.com or find the link in our show notes. 

REDGE:
Before we scamper off, here is my reminder from the very beginning of today’s Hotline: your ideas matter. Whether you won the giveaway or not, your imagination helps shape Once Upon a Time. And there will be more opportunities this season to share your creativity with us.

JONATHAN:
Grownups, if your young listener has something they’d like to tell us, we would love to hear it. You can email us at dorktalesstorytime@gmail.com or leave a comment on Spotify. Those are the best ways for us to respond.

REDGE:
You may also include a question in a 5-star review and be sure to add your child’s first name. While we cannot reply directly, we will feature as many as we can in future Hotline episodes.

JONATHAN:
Thank you for listening. And thank you for being part of our Dorktales Storytime family.

REDGE:
Now go be the hero of your own story!

JONATHAN:
And we will see you next…

REDGE:
Once upon a time…

JONATHAN:
When Season 7 begins on March 19th!

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