THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS.... TWXN 49 12/04/96 Brought to you by Xena: Media Review (XMR): http://www.teleport.com/~gater/IAXS/IAXS.html XMR is a periodic annotated world press review of reports regarding the internationally syndicated television show XENA: Warrior Princess (1995 - ) and the castmembers, Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor. For a free e-mail subscription send "subscribe XMR" to ktaborn@lightspeed.net. Excerpts from the following cites will appear in future issues of XMR. From the editor: Thanks again to everyone who sent me get well wishes. They were greatly appreciated. I am on the mend and trying to "play" catch up. Thank you for your patience. I went to San Diego for Thanksgiving and erased about 5 days worth of XMR work! The funny thing is that I had four back-ups, but I screwed them up as well. I am still aiming for a Friday release for XMR #19. When you come to the five-day gap, just think about your favorite XWP episode. If your life's goal is to be published in WHOOSH!, then please submit away. We still have room for YOUR ARTICLE in issue #4. Speaking of WHOOSH!, the homepage has changed. It is now: http://www.thirdstory.com/whoosh. [ ] 11-21-96 THE WASHINGTON POST. Thursday. Page C08. 1428 words. "The TV Column" By John Carmody COMMENTARY: Local Washington DC Ratings. The XWP episode TEN LITTLE WARLORDS received a 1.1/2. RETURN OF CALLISTO did a 2.5/4. GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN had a 3.0/4. [ ] 11-22-96 STAR TRIBUNE. Page 1E. 966 words. "Starfleet We Have a Problem; Has 'Star Trek' Lost its Power to Engage?" By Colin Covert COMMENTARY: In an article about the supposed decline of the Star Trek franchise, the article stated that many TV viewers are turning to HTLJ and XWP for their action and humor fixes. The author stated that XWP have "the qualities that distinguished "classic Trek" during its run in the 1960s". [ ] 11-23-96 THE EVENING POST (Wellington). Page 19. 409 words. "Film industry wants more local funding" By Christine Cessford COMMENTARY: Kiwi film/tv producers are worried that too much of the activity domestically is not local enough. REPRINT: Film and television are big export earners but there's a need for more local funding to sustain growth and keep it Kiwi, an industry group warns. Foreign funding made up just on half of the $ 237 million spent on film and TV production last year, said industry export group Project Blue Sky. A Colmar-Brunton survey on the 1995-96 year showed foreign exchange earnings rocketed to $ 119 million, a 28 percent hike on the previous year. Wellington is the second most popular place for shoot locations behind Auckland, the research shows. The Capital was the base for major film project The Frighteners and a long-running production of series based on Enid Blyton books. It's not just production houses that benefit. Tourism industries also win from locally-made film and TV. Production has a value added multiplier effect calculated at 1.83 so production spending of $ 237 million meant an additional $ 434 million spent on other industries. This gave a total benefit of $ 670 million to the New Zealand economy. "Our films and television dramas are seen by millions of people. The fact that close to half of production spending came from overseas confirms the high level of global interest in what we are doing here," said Blue Sky executive director Jo Tyndall. She was concerned the industry growth was still shaky as it depended largely on overseas investment while domestic funding had stayed about the same. "While nobody can deny the economic benefits of high-value productions such as Hercules, Xena, The Frighteners, Swiss Family Robinson or Riding High, taking them out of the equation would leave a big gap," Ms Tyndall said. "I'm therefore concerned about whether industry growth on this basis is sustainable in the long term." Ms Tyndall welcomed the foreign interest but was concerned what would happen "if we stop being flavour of the month". The Kiwi industry was also in danger of losing its local touch if foreign money called the shots: "They can have a heavy input on what's being seen on the screen." Project Blue Sky was developing alternative film and TV funding options to provide long-term, sustainable growth to capitalise on our recent international successes, "and to retain our creative talent that is being lured away by Hollywood", Ms Tyndall said. [ ] 11-25-96 UNIVERSAL NEWS SERVICES. General and City News. 720 words. "MCA Acquires Talk Show Assets of Multimedia Entertainment" COMMENTARY: In news of MCA's purchase of the SALLY JESSY RAPHAEL and JERRY SPRINGER talk shows, Jim McNamara, president of MCA Worldwide Television Distribution, stated, "We intend to...become a strong contender in the strip arena, as we already have on the weekly side with the hour hits 'Hercules: The Legendary Journeys' and 'Xena: Warrior Princess'." [ ] 11-25-96 THE EVENING POST (Wellington). Page 3. 244 words. "Xena role model appeals" COMMENTARY: After having everyone and their sister mention XWP on U.S. TV, now it is New Zealand's turn! This is a short article about a Xena clone appearing on TV3 the night of 11-25-96. Turns out that the clone also appeared at a wedding as Xena; she was quoted as saying, "When I went to leave after the ceremony, two Canadian women thought I was the real Xena and wanted autographs. As if Lucy Lawless walks around in her Xena costume all day!" REPRINT: IN SHORT What: Telly Laughs. Where: TV3. When: 9.30pm, Wednesday. BOISTEROUS Kerryn Palmer, who strides around in Telly Laughs as Xena, Warrior Princess, may audition for a role in the show. The 178cm, 25-year-old says her height, (and cleavage) have helped with her impersonation of New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless, who plays the real Xena. Palmer originally tried out for a part in the Hercules show, but says it would be "really neat" to get into Xena. "I really enjoyed the strength of Xena as opposed to a lot of other role models we have for women on television," says Palmer. "The character's physical and mental strength is something I admire." One of four women in her family, Palmer's tomboy instincts come out during shooting as Xena. As well as sword fighting and swinging around on camera for scenes, Palmer has stepped out in her Xena costume in real life. Turning up at a close friend's wedding reception in full Xena regalia, Palmer lightened the atmosphere by making the nervous bride and groom a little more relaxed. "I was in the middle of filming and really wanted to go to the wedding so I just stayed in costume. "When I went to leave after the ceremony, two Canadian women thought I was the real Xena and wanted autographs," she says. "As if Lucy Lawless walks around in her Xena costume all day!" GRAPHIC: PHOTO: STAUNCH - Kerryn Palmer with colleague Robbie Magasiva in Telly Laughs.