XMR #20 Part 4 of 4 ============= CUT HERE ====================== [275] 05-07-96 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR. Page B07. 212 words. "Host Pat Sajak Not on Par with Jack Paar" By R.K. Shull. COMMENTARY: Q&A about Lucy Lawless. The writer does not consider Ms. Lawless' prior HTLJ & XWP work "noteworthy". Ms. Lawless had done the short "Peach", the TV movie "Rainbow Warrior", and episodes of THE RAY BRADBURY THEATRE, and BLACK STALLION, and HIGH TIDE, to name a few. EXCERPT: ...Warrior Lucy Dear R.K. Shull: I have been watching Xena: The Warrior Princess, which stars Lucy Lawless. I would like to know if she has acted in any other series or movies that I can see? - K.R. Dear Reader: Lucy, 28, is a native of New Zealand, where her series is filmed. She hadn't had any noteworthy credits when she was hired in 1994 to be the guest villainess in a couple of episodes of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, also filmed in New Zealand. This led to her role as Xena and a series of her own... [276] 05-07-96 NOTE: Lucy Lawless made #8 on the top ten who's beautiful list on the website Pathfinder. It was carried by the Associated Press. [276a] 05-07-96 AP ONLINE. Financial. 614 words. "Financial pages" By Joyce M. Rosenberg. COMMENTARY: Lucy Lawless made #8 on the top ten who's beautiful list on Pathfinder. EXCERPT: ...CYBER BEAUTY CONTEST: Users of different on-line services have very different ideas of who's beautiful, according to People magazine. People polled users of its online sites on CompuServe and Pathfinder, and asked them who they would put on the magazine's list of the most beautiful people. On CompuServe, the top 10 were, in order: Brad Pitt, Sandra Bullock, Mel Gibson, Jennifer Aniston, Cindy Crawford, Sharon Stone, David Duchovny, Antonio Banderas, Mariah Carey and Pamela Anderson. On Pathfinder, the top 10 were: Gillian Anderson, Teri Hatcher, Mitch Pileggi, Kevin Sorbo, Duchovny, Claire Danes, Geraint Wyn Davies, Lucy Lawless, Alicia Silverstone and Gary Cole.... [276b] 05-07-96 THE ASSOCIATED PRESS. Business News. 464 words. By Joyce M. Rosenberg COMMENTARY: Reprint of XMR276a [277] 05-10-96 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR. EXTRA; Pg. D07; 307 words. By R.K. SHULL. COMMENTARY: Q&A on where XWP actors hang out. Mr. Shull was rather curt. EXCERPT: ...Not local Dear R.K. Shull: On WGN cable I watch Hercules and Xena. I have never seen any of these people here in the United States. They are great. - G.F. Dear Reader: And no wonder. Those shows originate in New Zealand, where the casts hang out.... [278] 05-10-96 THE FRESNO BEE. Page E8. 663 words. "Old News Is Bad News for KAIL Viewers" By Lanny Larson COMMENTARY: XWP was mentioned in passing as appearing on the local station KAIL. EXCERPT: ...* The United Paramount Network (UPN) supplies KAIL first-run, prime-time programs three nights a week. No longer does KAIL have to take second-line syndicated shows just to fill slots: it can cherry-pick with the competition. As a result, such national ratings successes as "The Journeys of Hercules," " Xena" and Montel Williams' talk show are on KAIL. And so is UPN's "Star Trek: Voyager."... [279] 05-10-96 THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. Friday. Page F57. 5633 words. "Pop hit startles Planet Soul" By Cary Darling. COMMENTARY: A passing mention regarding the Do Luca soundtracks for HTLJ and XWP becoming available. EXCERPT: ...Hercules on disc A few people have called, wondering if the music for the hit syndicated series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess" much of it Irish-flavored folk music is available to buy. Varese Sarabande, a label that specializes in soundtracks, has released the music from "Hercules" and plans to release a "Xena" soundtrack as well... [280] 05-10-96 XENA MEDIA REVIEW. No. 6. 12 pages. 4563 words. Edited by and annotations by Kym Masera Taborn. COMMENTARY: A world press review of coverage on XWP, Renee O'Connor, or Lucy Lawless. Covered the dates 09- 03-95 to 09-08-95 and the annotations XMR034-040. Contained the initial month of production; toy announcements; HTLJ references; and more O'Connor reviews outside of XWP. Contained a brief introduction which whined about the editor's spider bite. Back issue available from http://xenafan.com/xmr [281] 05-10-96 THE EVENING POST (Wellington). Page 8. 523 words. "The Chairman of the Board Sits it Out" By Phil Wakefield. COMMENTARY: In an article about HTLJ, Jim McNamara, a president of MCA, was quoted as saying "The international acceptance for Hercules and Zena is far greater out of the box than it was for Star Trek." The article misspelled Xena as "Zena." The article also mentioned that Japan was the last big audience hold-out for purchasing an air license for XWP and HTLJ. EXCERPT: ...HERCULES: The Legendary Journeys has become MCA TV's biggest-selling show since Miami Vice. The distributor has been astonished by worldwide demand for the filmed-in-New Zealand fantasy hit and its sister show, Xena: Warrior Princess. "The international acceptance for Hercules and Zena is far greater out of the box than it was for Star Trek," MCA distribution chief Jim McNamara told The Hollywood Reporter. They've been bought by virtually every key territory, with the last holdout, Japan, expected to sign a deal shortly.... [282] 05-11-96 THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS. TV Time. Pg. F01. 860 words. "Super Swashbucklers; Hercules and Xena Are Regulars; Beastmaster Appears Worthy of a Series" By Marion Garmel COMMENTARY: A promotion for a local channel's showing Action Pack's XWP, HTLJ, and the Beastmaster movie, "Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus". The reviewer called Xena a "proto-feminist" with "a tongue-in-cheek campiness with a '90s sensibility". This review also observed that "What makes these adventures special is the way they handle modern problems in ancient settings. Just as the original Star Trek confronted contemporary social issues in analogous situations on far-off planets, Hercules and Xena confront contemporary social issues in analogous situations in ancient, mythical lands." This aspect of XWP had been inferred in earlier articles, but this is the first time it was so bluntly put. EXCERPT: Tired of abused wives, girlfriends, children, husbands? Take a break from network TV. Come with me to a land of myth and legend, where gods play with the lives of men and superheroes protect the innocent. In fact, there are three such places you can visit, all part of the syndicated Action Pack from MCA TV, carried here by WNDY . Two are one-hour adventures already on the air and the third is a two-hour movie that has all the signs of becoming a series. The ones already on are Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (8 p.m. Mondays with a repeat at 4 p.m. Saturdays) and Xena: Warrior Princess (8 p.m. Tuesdays, with a repeat at 5 p.m. Saturdays). They're both filmed in New Zealand, with lean, muscular Kevin Sorbo as a self-deprecating Hercules and New Zealand beauty Lucy Lawless as a proto-feminist Xena. They share a tongue-in-cheek campiness with a '90s sensibility as these superheroes, each with an engaging sidekick, go about rescuing innocent people from the clutches of angry gods, tyrannical villains and, in the case of Xena, men who mistreat women. Now comes Beastmaster III: The Eye of Braxus, a two-hour movie that premieres at midnight Friday on WNDY. It's the third Beastmaster film for Marc Singer - a brawny fellow with enough wrinkles to prove he's no callow hunk. The other two were feature films. This one is made for TV... ...What makes these adventures special is the way they handle modern problems in ancient settings. Just as the original Star Trek confronted contemporary social issues in analogous situations on far-off planets, Hercules and Xena confront contemporary social issues in analogous situations in ancient, mythical lands. Hercules became the highest- rated show in syndication in its second season. Xena is a character spun off from three of Hercules' highest-rated episodes... [283] 05-12-96 ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS. Page 2H. 518 words. "Cannot Stop Herself from Becoming Her Mom" By Jennifer Howk COMMENTARY: A woman in a remembrance of her mother, compared her mother to Wonder Woman and Xena. Yet more evidence that Xena is becoming a part of the popular culture mythologies. EXCERPT: ...Ah, my mother. Wonder Woman. Xena. Nothing short of a deity. Child of the '60s; Kerouac disciple. She's tootin' good at everything (and very, very generous) but she's darn tootin' good at maneuvering herself and her family through the motley of daily crises we all encounter. A lot of crises, a lot of work. She must never have read any Grimm, or she'd go Almond Joy on us and leave it all to Dad... [284] 05-12-96 THE TORONTO SUN. Sunday. TV Magazine. Page TV5. 391 words. "Fans Really Do Love Lucy" By Eli Witmer COMMENTARY: In a local Q&A, a reader requested info about LL. EXCERPT: Q. I am writing because I am a big fan of Xena: Warrior Princess and would like to know more about her. Ron, Hamilton A. Lucy Lawless stars in this popular syndicated series, which is a spin-off of the cult-hit Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. She is 28 years old, was born and raised in New Zealand and continues to live there with her eight-year-old daughter Daisy. She developed an interest in show business as a child and performed regularly in school plays and studied singing. She attended Auckland University where she majored in languages, opera and drama. After University she spent some time touring Europe but returned to New Zealand to take on the role of Xena.... ...GRAPHIC: photo LUCY LAWLESS with Hercules [285] 05-13-96 CALLISTO. Episode no. 22. First release. GUEST STARS: Hudson Leick (Callisto) and Ted Raimi (Joxer). CAST: Patricia Donovan (Old Woman), Michael Hallows (Tall Villager), Ian Hughes (Melas), Kenneth McGregor (Akteon), Toby Mills (Tall Man), David Te Rare (Theodorus). CREDITS: Written by R.J. Stewart; Directed by T.J. Scott. AIRING AND RATING INFORMATION: 1st release (05/13/96): (1) ST: DS9 ranked 8th with 5.3; (2) HTLJ ranked 13th with 5.0; (3) XWP ranked 16th with 4.7. 2nd release (09/09/96): Information pending. TV GUIDE DESCRIPTION: Xena is once again reminded of the sins of her past when a malicious female warrior (Hudson Leick), whole family was killed by Xena's former army, exacts her revenge on the Warrior Princess by impersonating her. SYNOPSIS: This synopsis is brought to you by guest synopser, Anita Firebaugh. Callisto is the name of the evil woman Xena must battle in this all-thrills episode! Be prepared to gape in awe at the beauty (and strength!) of the vile Callisto, made, yes, made! by Xena in her former days as warlord & evil-doer. You will shed tears, too -- so have a hanky handy! (I could write episode plots for TV Guide, couldn't I?) Anyhow -- Callisto wrecks havoc on all villages, and tells everyone she is (gasp!) XENA! Xena finds out someone is impersonating her and goes off to stop her. Xena learns of this from a man whose son is killed by Callisto (who is played by the man who was the boyfriend of the leader of the Black Wolves in THE BLACK WOLF, episode #11). Off go Xena and Gabrielle. They meet Callisto at a village, have a little fight -- Callisto captures Xena's chakram in full flight! and they have a duel on horseback. Callisto flees, though she does inflict some harm on our heroine. During the evening hours Xena and Gabrielle sit around the fire (joined by the aforementioned avenging father), and Xena tells Gabrielle about the ravage of the village Callisto says she is from. Grab the hanky here, proud Xenite! Then it's off to Delphi, to save the Oracle, which Xena does, and then a quick chase after Callisto; Xena wins. But Xena must battle her own demons! Her past has not been erased, has it? Has she been punished for HER revenge-fed crimes? How can she turn this young woman over to a mob to be hung? What is the right thing here? Callisto escapes, taking Gabrielle with her (Gabrielle dissenters will be cheering when our lovely red-headed chatter-box is continually referred to as "irritating" and other like phrases). Then a fight to the death! Xena must fight Callisto while Gabrielle hangs from a burning rope ... great acrobatics. COMMENTARY: 1. CALLISTO. I sing of the warrior, Callisto, the mighty warrior princess' greatest foe. Callisto is no doubt the most challenging enemy Xena has ever had to deal with. Callisto only visited Xena once during the first season, but returned with a vengeance in at least three episodes over the 2nd season (RETURN OF CALLISTO, INTIMATE STRANGERS, and A NECESSARY EVIL) and there is a rumored tangle with Hercules in the cards too! 2. JOXER. He has only appeared in 20% of the aired shows, but he is hated and despised and has been cited as the sign of the end times for Xenadom! He is also loved and lauded and praised. It seems either you love the guy or hate him...there is no middle ground. Originally conceived of as a way to fill the Salmoneus- void created by Robert Trebor's wish not to be so Salmoneus intensive on both HTLJ and XWP, Joxer jumped into the Xenaverse in CALLISTO. A warrior wannabe who after being rebuffed by the reformed Xena and barely found himself alive in Callisto's camp, Joxer has become a foil for Gabrielle. Gabrielle gets to beat him up in CALLISTO and to threaten his manhood in TEN LITTLE WARLORDS. He also gets no respect from others: Orpheus finds him insufferable in GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN, Theodorus uses him as a pinata in INTIMATE STRANGER, and he gets thrown across a room for touching Xena where she does not want to be touched in WARRIOR...PRINCESS...TRAMP. 3. TED RAIMI. He plays the part of Joxer, and he's also the brother of Sam Raimi, an executive producer of XWP. We have been assured it was not an act of nepotism. Yeah, right. What ever you want to say guys!!! Just keep on producing XWP and we will believe ANYTHING! Even that you meant to air WARRIOR...PRINCESS...TRAMP after RETURN OF CALLISTO! Seriously, though, we all know that Mr. Raimi needed to be saved from being associated with SeaQuest the rest of his life. That's what family is for, right??? 4. THEODORUS. One of the many charms of this show is its persistence in relating back to previous shows. The evil Xena in HTLJ's WARRIOR PRINCESS had a lieutenant named Theodorus. Callisto, the Xena-clone, has a lieutenant named...(natch), Theodorus. Xena's Theo was in love with the warrior princess and paid for it with his life. Again, Callisto's Theo was in love with Callisto, and was killed by Callisto's own hand. Callisto really had a Xena-thing -- that's for sure -- even down to Theodori. Not to be mean, but Theodorus did not strike me as one of the better actors on the show. In his defense, though, I have to admit that his enunciation style was unique (reminded me of how Bashir talked when he was possessed by the bad guy during the first season of STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE). I have always wondered what kind of child actor would be produced if Theodorus and Rhea from TIES THAT BIND (#20) got together to form an acting dynasty. 5. HAVEN'T I SEEN YOU BEFORE? Ian Hughes played the part of Melas in CALLISTO and Diomedes in THE BLACK WOLF. HIGHLIGHTS: The ladder fight was inspirational; having Gabrielle hanging by a burning thread was just icing on the cake! DISCLAIMER: Joxers nose was not harmed during the production of this motion picture. However, his crossbow was severely damaged. [286] 05-14-96 THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Page E-6. 641 words. "Hercules and Xena. A Sort of Mythological Baywatch'" By John Freeman COMMENTARY: In XMR #17, I wrote an essay called "The Curse of Baywatch" which explored this strange custom of comparing XWP to BAYWATCH. In "The Curse of Baywatch" I made the observation about Mr. Freeman's article that "The article did express surprise that XWP and HTLJ were beating the pants off of Baywatch, but little else analysis was done other than a body part comparison." The article covered more than just the writers clever analogy between the two shows. For the most part, Mr. Freeman supported the show, calling it a "guilty pleasure." And yet, he put in many disclaimers of the ilk: "It's all a campy romp, mindless and foolish and not exactly historically accurate. But both shows can be slyly amusing, in a moronic sort of way." He got off on Salmoneus' humorous popular culture references and Echidna's appearance on HTLJ. Mr. Freeman closed the article with a mini-phone- interview with Robert "Rob" Tapert, an executive producer of XWP. Mr. Tapert was quoted as saying: "We wanted a certain sensuality in the costumes...but we don't want to be lascivious about it. We always keep a very moralistic approach in our stories." Comparing Xena to Hercules, Mr. Tapert said, "We have far more flexibility with Xena because she's often tempted to go back to her evil ways. We didn't want to make Xena just a female Hercules." Regarding the origins of the centaurs, Mr. Tapert said, "Well, that took centuries of breeding." REPRINT: Watch just a few minutes of "Xena: Warrior Princess" and you are likely to suffer the same fate as one of Xena's many nefarious enemies did in a recent episode. Under attack from a vicious, Mohawk-haired marauder, she deftly jabbed two fingers into the pressure points of his neck, which rendered him motionless. "I've just blocked off the flow of blood to your brain," she sternly pronounced, standing over the poor fellow. "You'll be dead in 20 seconds." Brain-dead, most likely. "Xena" viewers know the feeling. It's guilty pleasure of the kind that has made "Xena: Warrior Princess" and companion series "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" two of TV's hottest new syndicated dramas. So hot are both series that they're now challenging "Baywatch" as the country's most popular syndicated series (as opposed to those series aired by the major networks). It's all a campy romp, mindless and foolish and not exactly historically accurate. But both shows can be slyly amusing, in a moronic sort of way. Not only do Hercules and Xena do battle with centaurs, cyclopses and a blundering giant who looks like a refugee from "Jack and the Beanstalk," but they must wrestle with dialogue that's laughably wooden. But, again, that's the dumb-dumb appeal. Modern-day phrases Such modern-day phrases as "self-actualization," "road kill" and "surfing" flow freely from the mouths of our heroes and their dutiful sidekicks. Once, a slick-tongued traveling toga salesman named Salmoneus tried to enlist Hercules in a "self-improvement" course, saying: "It helps you fertilize the nurturing flower within! And I wanna be the best possible Salmoneus I can be!" Our hero didn't buy his babble. A few years ago, "Hercules" was introduced as the first edition of Grecian goofiness, followed this season by "Xena." The two companion series often air as a back-to-back package, as they do on KTTY/Channel 69 in San Diego. Both series are shot on location in New Zealand, and thus enlivened with lush scenery, shimmering armor, snorting horses, thumping music and raging martial-arts rumbles that fairly pulsate with comic-book violence. Plus, in "Hercules," there's a three-tailed "snakewoman" who's been dubbed "the mother of all monsters." Amid such evil forces, the story lines don't always make much sense, but that doesn't seem to matter. What matters most is that Hercules (Kevin Sorbo, a bronzed-bodied Fabio look-alike) and Xena (Lucy Lawless, a blue-eyed lovely) stoutly go through the motions of being super-action heroes. And they never, ever lose. Both have considerable sex appeal -- "Herc" with his long blond hair, rippling muscles and kindly smile; Xena with her leather skirts, cleavage-revealing breastplates and mischievous grin. As on "Baywatch," exposed skin is a major priority. "We wanted a certain sensuality in the costumes," creator and co-producer Rob Tapert said from Auckland, New Zealand, "but we don't want to be lascivious about it. We always keep a very moralistic approach in our stories." Tapert describes Hercules as "half-man, half-God," someone with a solid moral backbone whose authority and judgment is never questioned. Xena, by contrast, comes from a far darker past. Seems that in a past life, she was a murdering harlot. "We have far more flexibility with Xena," said Tapert, "because she's often tempted to go back to her evil ways. We didn't want to make Xena just a female Hercules." As for the origins of those half-man, half-horse centaurs that always pop up in both shows, Tapert said: "Well, that took centuries of breeding." TV REVIEW "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" A syndicated series. 8 p.m. Tuesdays, KTTY/Channel 69. * * * "Xena: Warrior Princess" A syndicated series. 9 p.m. Tuesdays, KTTY/Channel 69. * * 1/2 GRAPHIC: 1 PHOTO; Heroic: Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules") and Lucy Lawless ("Xena") portray cartoonlike heroes. [287] 05-14-96 NEWS TRIBUNE. Page B1. 794 words. "Hey, Sunshine! What about Some Spaghetti Sauce on Your Oatmeal?" by C.R. Roberts COMMENTARY: XWP tied at 9th with FRASIER for favorite TV show in the "Second Annual Real Poll for Real People" conducted by C.R. Roberts. EXCERPT: Eyestrain - that's what you've given me. I've been reading your answers to the questions posed in this column's Second Annual Real Poll for Real People. I've read your 452 entries - from Buckley, Seattle, Gig Harbor, Olympia, Roy, Enumclaw, Eatonville, Milton, Fife, Belfair, Tumwater, Des Moines, Packwood, Bonney Lake, Auburn, Puyallup, Federal Way, Tacoma and points betwixt. And my eyes are tired. But enough about me. With 15 categories today, and 15 more come Thursday - here's about you.... ...Your favorite TV show: "ER," then "Home Improvement" and "Friends." "Nash Bridges" more than "Seinfeld." Many "X-Files" and "Murder, She Wrote." Add a healthy nod to the new "3rd Rock from the Sun." As many Frasiers as there were Xenas. Several said "Mystery." A handful of "Star Trek" and "Second Noah." One "Singing Detective."... ------------- THE BACK PAGE ------------- Issue #21 will contain annotations #288 through #--, dated from 05/16/96 to 05/31/96. It is scheduled to be released whenever I get around to it! PREFERRED CITATION: When citing an annotated review, use the format: XMR:007. This example means Xena Media Review [issue #01], annotation #007. BACK ISSUES: Back issues of XMR are available at the XMR Archive on the XMR web page: http://xenafan.com/xmr REPRINT POLICY: Permission to use, copy and distribute Xena Media Review (XMR), or parts thereof, by electronic means for any non-profit purpose is hereby granted, provided that both the above copyright notice and this permission notice appear in all copies of the newsletter itself, and that proper credit is given for any excerpts. Any other format or purpose for distribution requires permission of the author. Reproducing XMR or parts thereof by any means implies full agreement to the above non-profit-use clause. SOLICITATIONS FOR FUTURE NEWSLETTERS Send cites, references, articles, annotations, and/or submissions to ktaborn@lightspeed.net. XMR is a non-profit fan publication. The editors retain editorial control and reprint privileges over the submitted materials and reserve the right to use the material in whatever way they deem appropriate. Submitted materials will not be returned to the sender. DISCLAIMER: XMR (Xena Media Review) is a free non- profit informational release. XMR in no way intends to challenge, disregard or profit from any of the original copyright holders of the material excerpted, reprinted, or referred to (including but not limited to MCA, Universal, Renaissance Pictures, and any other rightful and legal copyright holder). This newsletter is an academic and educational pursuit to archive, annotate, and study the media response to Xena: Warrior Princess (a television production from MCA/Universal/ Renaissance) and the actresses Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor, especially in the light of popular culture and the influence of mass media. XMR exercises its right to quote, excerpt or reprint as allowed under the law in order to review and discuss the media reports cited and annotated herein. XMR is distributed free of charge. Only national/international major media released in electronic form are considered for inclusion. Banner graphic by Colleen Stephan. This is an All Talk No Action Publication. Copyright 1996 by Kym Masera Taborn. Check out the free netzine called "Resistance is Futile," a Star Trek parody and all things Borgish newsletter which is issued at my leisure and has been published since 1992 (the Borg jokes just keep on coming!). Request a free subscription at ktaborn@lightspeed.net. Check out the back issues at WEB SITE: http://www.startrek.in-trier.de/rif/ ==================== CUT HERE ================== End o' file