THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS.... TWXN 59 12/30/96 Brought to you by Xena: Media Review (XMR): http://xenafan.com/xmr 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. [ ] 12-23-96 NOTE: ORPHAN OF WAR (#25), 2nd release, 11/25/96. Ranked 3rd action hour with a 5.1 rating. [1st release: Ranked as the 3rd action hour with a 5.3 rating.] Comparison with other action hours: (1) ST:DS9 with 6.0; (2) HTLJ with 5.5; (3) XWP with 5.1; (4) BAYWATCH with 3.5. [ ] 12-28-96 THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS. Saturday. Page F01. 907 words. "Best of 1996; Battle over Ratings Spills into 1997" By Marion Garmel COMMENTARY: I have no idea what kind of drugs this reviewer was on, but in his year end capsule of the best on TV he wrote: "Best syndicated adventure series - The numbers say Sinbad is the heir to Hercules and Xena as the most popular adventure series these days, but I vote for Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, 2 p.m. Saturdays on WNDY" First. What is this "heir" stuff? He is writing as if HTLJ and XWP are history. HTLJ is already on top and XWP is in its ascendancy. Second. SINBAD is not even close in the ratings war (HTL:J and XWP are always in the top 15 if not top 10; SINBAD has hit the top 20 once, and I am sure THAT was an accident). Third. KUNG FU: THE LEGEND CONTINUES was cancelled last season! [ ] 12-30-96 LOS ANGELES TIMES. Monday. Page E-1. 474 words. "What I Did in 1996" By Tony Peyser COMMENTARY: In, what I am sure Mr. Peyser assumed was a clever 35 stanza poem highlighting major events of the year in cutesy first person verse, XWP is mentioned in the 7th verse: "I dated Xena, She gave me a sword; Brought my 'Frasier' spec, To Betty Ford. [ ] 12-30-96 NOTES: REMEMBER NOTHING (#26), 2nd release, 12/02/96. Ranked 1st action hour the third time this season with a 5.6 rating. [1st release: Ranked as the 2nd action hour with a 5.6 rating.] Comparison with other action hours: (1) XWP with 5.6; (2) ST:DS9 with 5.2; (3) HTLJ with 5.1; (4) BAYWATCH with 4.4.