_____ ______ ._ `\`/>`\ /`/` /`__________,.'>___ _____ )~\ /<`\ `\ /`/` /``\ \./------> /|\./\ |\./| / | \ /< `\`\ `\ /`/` /` | | |----\ / | |\ \ | | |././^\ \ |\__{o}\--`\`\ `\/`/` /`-----| | |-----`------\`\`\--| | |----^ \ \----. [\\\\\\\{*}==`> <`=======| | ==============`\`\`\| | |=====\ \ \==--> |/~~{o}/-- /`/ /\ \ `\------| | |---------------`\`\\ | |------\ \ \--' \< /`/` /` `\`\ `\ | | |_____,.'>| | | `\`\| | /' \ \ \ \< /` /` `\`\ `\ ,/ /^\------> / |/^\| \ | |/ \/^\\. /`/\>/` `\`\ `\`~~~~~~~~~~~\ / ~~~~~ )^\,\, '~~~~~ `~~~~~` '~~~~~` ` ~~~~~~ ========================== XENA: THE MEDIA REVIEW #07 ========================== http://www.teleport.com/~gater/IAXS.html c/o RIF BBS, P.O. Box 81181, Bakersfield, CA 93308 RIF BBS (805) 588-9349 [24hrs, 14.4bps, free] 124 subscribers and waning! This document has 819 lines. Xena Media Review (XMR) is a periodic annotated review of mainstream media reports found in electronic form regarding the 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. Copyright, legal, and editorial notices are found at the end of this newsletter. Issue No. 07 Release date: May 17, 1996 2nd edition: 07/10/96 Covering 09/09/95 through 10/02/95 Annotations #041 through #054 ** [041] 09-09-95. INDIANAPOLIS NEWS. Musings on Xena ** [042] 09-12-95. NEW YORK TIMES. Discussion of 1st episode * [043] 09-15-95. CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Short but substantive [043.5] 09-15-95. HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Local ratings ** [044] 09-17-95. TAMPA TRIBUNE. Medium sized review ** [045] 09-18-95. VIRGINIAN-PILOT. Medium sized review ** [046] 09-19-95. CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Medium sized review [047] 09-21-95. VIRGINIAN-PILOT. Minor but curious mention [047.5] 09-22-95. NEW YORK TIMES. Minor mention [048] 09-24-95. ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS. Minor mention [049a] 09-26-95. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Erroneous rating [049b] 09-27-95. BPI ENTERTAINMENT NEWS WIRE. Same as XMR049a [049c] 09-29-95. DAILY VARIETY. Ratings error discovered [049d] 10-02-95. VARIETY. Same as XMR049c [049.5] 09-28-95. PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Minor mention [050] 09-29-95. TORONTO STAR. Minor mention ***[051a] 10-01-95. LOS ANGELES TIMES. 1st major interview [051b] 11-08-95. NEWSDAY. Same as XMR051a [052] 10-01-95. CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Minor mention [052.5] 10-01-95. HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Minor mention [053] 10-02-95. VARIETY. Minor mention. [054] 10-02-95. LOS ANGELES TIMES. Minor mention ------------- Introduction: ------------ We are now 5 days after the release date of Xena: Warrior Princess (XWP). The significant critics have already seen the first episode, "Sins of the Past". Within the next several weeks, those stations carrying XWP will have aired the first episode. This week's issue covers the first month of Xena-tude. Four episode were aired in most markets and the MCA suits chewed anxiously on their nails. Would Xena be another Hercules? Or would it die a slow horrible death. The first ratings which were released were in the upper 3's. Almost immediately after the release, Nielsen admitted that they had not included all the marketshares; they had inadvertently left out a large city's tallies. This bumped Xena into a 4.5 rating. It continued with 4.5 the next week, but went to a 4.4 after that. I'm sure the suits were beginning to sweat. But the final week of the month brought in a 5.5 share. No doubt it was the promos of the flying baby which lured the audience to grow a whole share point. Some critics almost immediately picked up that Xena was not going to be their father's Hercules. The obvious explanation for this was that Xena was inherently dark while Hercules had no fundamental internal darkness. Some critics found it a strength while others a weakness. Many of the critics referred to Lucy Lawless' previous Hercules appearances. The non-Xena shows which Ms. Lawless appeared on in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys were "Hercules and the Amazon Women" (her character was Lysia; it was released 04/25/94), "As Darkness Falls" (Lyla; released 02/20/95), and "Outcast" (Lyla; released 10/02/95). "The Warrior Princess" was released on 03/13/95, "The Gauntlet" on 05/01/95, and "Unchained Hearts" on 05/08/95. Along with the XWP episodes airing between these appearances, I have prepared a schedule in chronological release order: 04/25/94 "Hercules and the Amazon Women" (Lysia, an Amazon) 02/20/95 "As Darkness Falls" (Lyla, wife of centaur, Deric) 03/13/95 "The Warrior Princess" (Xena) 05/01/95 "The Gauntlet" (Xena) 05/08/95 "Unchained Hearts" (Xena) [09/04/95] "Sins of the Past" XWP episode #1 [09/11/95] "Chariots of War" " #2 [09/18/95] "Dreamworker" " #3 [09/25/95] "Cradle of Hope" " #4 [10/02/95] "The Path Not Taken" " #5 10/02/95 "Outcast" (Lyla, wife of Deric, mother of Kiefer). Not including "Hercules and the Amazon Women", Ms. Lawless appeared ten times in a seven and a half month period (not including releases). And what is the meaning of all this? Who knows? Perhaps merely more XenaTrivia. My spider bite has turned into a real-life infection so I may not make next week's issue. If I feel o'kay I will release it on May 14th, if not, I may skip a week. We shall see. I will be releasing this summer two special issues of Xena: The Media Review. One will be a review of all those "Xena" references which have nothing to do with XWP. The other will be the start of my analysis of the show. I will be going through the show, episode by episode and writing a synopsis, analysis and review. I haven't decided what to do with the three Hercules episodes. I was going to do those first then start with "Sins of the Past", but know I am thinking of doing them in broadcast order in terms of XWP (meaning dealing with them between "The Path Not taken" and "The Titans". If anyone has any opinion about this, please e-mail me your vote. It's always better to let others who hardly know you decide things for you. These "special" issues will not be sent to the regular subscribers, they will have to be requested separately. I will keep everyone posted as to when they are available. Now to the most exciting news of all! We have reached over 100 subscribers!!!! I was going to commemorate the very first subscriber and then the 100th, but the very, very first subscriber unsubscribed May 6th!!! No laurels, no laudetes for them! I shall annoint a new "longest" subscriber instead! Life must go on, you know. The NEW longest XMR subscriber is ... Karen Pusateri. Congrats Karen. Just don't unsubscribe, and you will be praised by this newsletter periodically. What a deal, no? The 100th subscriber to XMR is ... Sandi Jepsen. Congrats again. Your reward is your name in e-print! If you were curious, the very, very first subscriber to XMR was was Jill Dybka. ---Kym -------- TIMELINE -------- "SINS OF THE PAST". Release date: 09/04/95. Episode #1. Share: 1st release: 4.5; 2nd release 5.9. Synopsis given in XMR #06 "CHARIOTS OF WAR". Release date: 09/11/95. Episode #2. Share: 1st release: 4.5; 2nd release: 5.4. Synopsis: Roving band of warriors attacks a colony of pacifist Trojans. Xena intercedes and after saving the son of one of the pacifists gets an arrow in her side. She is taken in by the pacifist and nursed back to health. Meanwhile the shooter of the arrow is suffering from severe father angst. Gabrielle unwittingly meets this troubled young man when he aids her in her attempt to get rid of a guy trying to pick her up in a bar. The father prejudices his angst-ful son against Xena by telling him that Xena killed his brother, who just happened to be a "real man". The truth is later revealed that the doomed son was killed by his own army when he discovered the joys of peace. This really makes the old father go over the edge. The angst- filled son then tries to kill his father. Xena, recognizing that too much angst would be created, kills the father instead. The son, however, still has residual angst, which he shares with Gabrielle at a fireplace at the bar. "DREAMWORKER". Release date: 09/18/95. Episode #3. Share: 1st release: 4.4; 2nd release: 4.7. Synopsis: Gabrielle is captured by the priests of a sleep god and she is tricked into performing tests which will force her to kill and therefore become the god's sacrifice. Luckily, Xena already told her how NOT to kill and yet be successful in fighting. Meanwhile, Xena discovers the only way to save Gabrielle (which has become her day job) is to participate in a "Dream walk". Her spirit/soul must go through a trial comprising of facing her past. If she emerges at the end then she will be reunited with her physical self. On the way she discovers her worst enemy is herself (like, this is news). Her old self picks a fight with the new and improved Gabrielle-protecting Xena who is walking around sans leather. As expected, the sans leather Xena beats the leather Xena to a pulp, thus illustrating that the good Xena has more power than the old. Xena saves Gabrielle in just the nick of time, and defeat the evil priests. Xena restores the previous benevolent priesthood and cheerfully leaves the village, Gabrielle in tow. "CRADLE OF HOPE". Release date: 09/25/95. Episode #4. Share: 1st showing: 5.5; 2nd showing: 4.9. Synopsis: This is the first myth-fusion episode of Xena. The episode uses bits and pieces of the story of Moses (sending the bassinet in the river), Jason (baby born which will supplant the King), and Pandora's box, of all things. A just king who recently lost his wife and child, is told that a child who was born in his kingdom will be the next king. King has evil advisor/commander of army who has convinced the king that the child will overthrow him. Servants at the palace fearful for the child, send the kid floating on the river (they obviously never took a logic class). Xena and Gabrielle find the baby in the rushes. Then Xena and Gabrielle meet up with Pandora the III (THE Pandora's granddaughter), and discover she has a severe neurosis about this box she carries about. If the box opens, then HOPE will be denied to humans. After many subterfuges, the evil guys gets the box and Xena, of course, is destined to kill him. She does and somehow the king and Pandora get together and decide to raise the kid together. Afterwards, Xena and Gabrielle discover that there was nothing in the box. Ha ha. The women hit the road and resume their travels. ----------- ANNOTATIONS ----------- [041] 09-09-95 THE INDIANAPOLIS NEWS. TV Time; Pg. E01; 880 words. "Simple Joys; 'Simon' on new WB network is pick of the premieres litter" By Marion Garmel. COMMENTARY: Parts of the first episode "Sins of the Past" are described. Reviewer speculates that Xena will become a role model for little girls. EXCERPT: ...The syndicated "Action Pack" that has been running on Channel 23 came up with a surprise hit last season: "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. " Now "Hercules" has spun off another adventure: "Xena: Warrior Princess. " Channel 23 will premiere it at 5 p.m. today, following the season premiere of "Hercules. " Xena (Lucy Lawless) is as dark as Hercules is golden. She travels alone on a white horse in a war-ravaged land, dropping bundles of food for starving kids, rescuing slave girls from lusty warlords, defeating whole armies of men with her karate kicks and magic (magnet) shield. There's even a healthy dose of ancient feminism as Xena fights for the right against the evil Draco. I can hear it now. Thousands of young girls glued to the screen, shouting "Ma. That's what I want to be when I grow up. " There could be worse influences on your kids. [042] 09-12-95 THE NEW YORK TIMES. Page C18; 950 words. "Critic's Notebook; Syndication Gravy Train Adds Cars" by John J. O'connor. COMMENTARY: John! John! He's our man! Is it because he relates to Renee O'Connor's name? Who knows! Who cares! The guy likes Xena and writes about it. This article is the first major media story which dwells upon the "gay" context of Hercules and the "lesbian" context of Xena. Must be the air in New York, no? And who gets the graphic? Ken Sorbo, of course... EXCERPT: If the commercial networks are no longer such big shots, one reason, of course, is cable. But another is the decades-old marketing device of syndication. Increasingly more aggressive in sale techniques and occasionally more imaginative in content, syndicated shows account for a huge chunk of the schedule outside of network prime time. The mix includes talk shows, game shows and those reruns that will keep Lucy, Archie and the Brady Bunch alive forever. Syndication's programming palette is a glorious hodgepodge, beginning with the off-network reruns that produce the out-of-sight profits producers were unable to reap on their original and costly network runs. Syndication is the gravy train of television. Just ask Bill Cosby. Or consider Tim Allen and his "Home Improvement" series, which began a syndicated run on Fox last night... ...And then, from what MCA TV calls its Action Pack, two of the more action-packed original dramas in syndication are "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and its spinoff "Xena: Warrior Princess." They can be seen, back to back, on WPIX (Channel 11) on Saturdays from 8 to 10 P.M. Part 1930's Robin Hood movies, part Bruce Lee karate romps, these campy comix are made in New Zealand with the team of Robert Tapert and Sam Raimi ("The Evil Dead") as executive producers. Special effects and a carefree looniness keep the action diverting. The "Hercules" series, starring Kevin Sorbo, began in January and quickly rose to the top levels of syndicated ratings. The producers say they were aiming for humor and a "Butch-and- Sundance mentality." Well, how about Martin and Lewis? The time is supposed to be long before ancient Greece and Rome in a fantastic mythical world. There are, however, no togas. Sets and costumes, the producers note, "incorporate style elements from a wide range of historical periods and geographical locales." In other words, use anything you can find in the flea market. Unlike Steve Reeves, Mr. Sorbo is tall and compact. His Hercules is a good and honest man who attempts to work things out peacefully. A gay subtext might be detected by those so inclined to look for such things. In last Saturday's season premiere, Hercules wound up in a cave with a wily Prince of Thieves called Autolycus (Bruce Campbell). Autolycus was supposed to be the villain, but Hercules found himself getting soft about the guy, especially when the two of them were threatened by a phallic- shaped serpent. Finally spotting daylight in the distance, Autolycus observed that it looked like "a beautiful day in the neighborhood." Now, Fred Rogers, don't lose your sense of humor. Xena figured prominently as a character in three of the most highly rated episodes of "Hercules." The next step? Obvious. In her very own series, the warrior is introduced as a "mighty princess forged in the heat of battle," and with power! and passion!, we are assured, "her courage will save the world." Played with a remarkably straight face by Lucy Lawless, a New Zealand actress, Xena is, in short, a Wonder Woman for our times. Once bent on destruction, she now heads home to make amends for past cruelties, all the while pursued by the brown-skinned warlord Draco (Jay Laga'aia), who won't rest until he fully possesses her blue-eyed beauty. A lesbian touch is provided by Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), a young blonde chasing after Xena, but not before telling her fiancee: "Hey, just because you're going to be my husband, you can't boss me around. I want to go with Xena." At episode's end, Gabrielle is confiding to Xena, "I'm not the little girl my parents wanted me to be." With Hercules and Xena, syndication's grab bag can contain some neat treats. [043] 09-15-95 CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Tempo; Pg. 4; 119 words. "Best bet." By Steve Johnson. COMMENTARY: At last, Ms. Lawless got the graphic! REPRINT: Xena, Hercules: Step back into the time before ancient Greece and Rome, a time of mayhem and fashion mistakes, when men were mostly shirtless and women always dressed like they were going clubbing in New York. "Xena: Warrior Princess" makes its Chicago debut at 8 p.m. (WGN-Ch. 9). It stars rangy New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless, familiar to Hercules fans from her role as both Xena and, quoting from the news release, "Lyla, the lovely and courageous young bride of Deric the Centaur." "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" returns at 7 p.m. after becoming a surprise hit in syndication last year and earning praise from publications including Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly. Kevin Sorbo stars. GRAPHIC: Lucy Lawless (photo). [043.5] 09-15-95 HOUSTON CHRONICLE. TV Notes. 696 words. "Viewers get country treats this weekend" By Mike McDaniel. COMMENTARY: Overnight local ratings for Houston on 9/14/95. The episode was "Chariot's of War". EXCERPT: ...The local ratings... ...Over on Channel 39, the syndicated Hercules and its sister series, Xena, had identical 4.4 ratings and 7 shares Thursday... ...A rating point is equal to 5,743 Houston households. Share is the percentage of the audience watching TV at the time.... [044] 09-17-95 THE TAMPA TRIBUNE. Florida Television, Pg. 5. 281 Words. ""Xena' kicks off colorful spinoff of "Hercules'" By Mike Duffy. COMMENTARY: Uses the term "pulp mythology" as a new genre description. Concludes that the comedy and action elements do not mix as well as in Hercules. REPRINT: Xena is one tricky vixen, a fabulous battle babe. She's a kicky martial arts whiz and a nifty swordswoman. She leaps over evil weasels in a single bound. And she's starring in her own over-the-top, pulp mythology series, "Xena: Warrior Princess," which airs Wednesdays on WTVT, Channel 13, at 11:30 p.m. "Xena" is a colorful spinoff of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys," the tongue-in-cheek comic book adventure that created a splash in syndication last year and displaced "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" as the top-rated one-hour series in syndication. Herc, played with wry, dashing affability by handsome Kevin Sorbo, is also back for a new season this weekend. Producer Sam Raimi, the horror movie directing ace ("Evil Dead," "Darkman"), is the executive producer of "Hercules" and "Xena" along with Rob Tapert. Raimi and Tapert are Detroiters who bonded through filmmaking capers during their Motor City youth and their days at Michigan State. Xena, played with Amazonian verve by New Zealand actor Lucy Lawless, first appeared last spring on several episodes of "Hercules." You can see why she landed her own series. Whether trading verbal barbs with a giant cyclops or engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the ruthless warlord Draco, the leather-clad Lawless' Xena is one brash, can-do woman. "Hercules" and "Xena" are punctuated by computer imagery that creates a wild assortment of mythological monsters and Raimi's distinctive pop action with a comic edge. "Xena" doesn't yet match "Hercules" in mixing the comedy and action elements. But it is rather tough to do an affectionate sendup of martial arts movie cliches without being a tad clunky. [045] 09-18-95 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT (Norfolk). Daily Break, Pg. E1. 1325 Words. "The Wonders of ''Synditel'': a Host of First-run Syndicated Programming Will Fill Hours of Air Time this Fall" By Larry Bonko. COMMENTARY: "[S]word-wielding, high-kicking, neck-pinching, chakram-tossing Lucy Lawless" is praised. The article even describes a chakram as a "razor-sharp discus thing that Xena tosses at disagreeable warlords." Very similar to "round killing thing". EXCERPT: ISN'T IT NICE TO have ''Seinfeld'' on the air six days a week instead of just one? George is so desperate for a date that he's flirting with telephone operators. Live it again. What man wouldn't be thrilled to learn that Xena, the leather-clad woman from ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,'' has a show of her own? And isn't it a hoot to see former Cosby kid Tempestt Bledsoe all grown up with a talk show, asking guests, ''If he beat you, why did you stay with him?'' She's 22 now. And would you believe that Gabrielle Carteris quit ''Beverly Hills 90210'' to plunge into the already overcrowded neighborhood of daytime talk television? Such are the wonders of ''synditel'' - first-run syndicated television filling hours and hours of air time... ...WGNT, the United Paramount Network affiliate in Hampton Roads, has been the busiest of the local stations in buying up new syndicated programming. ''Xena: Warrior Princess,'' which evolved from the appearances of sword-wielding, high-kicking, neck-pinching, chakram-tossing Lucy Lawless on ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys,'' airs Friday at 8 p.m. and again Sunday at 2 p.m. on Channel 27. The chakram is a razor-sharp discus thing that Xena tosses at disagreeable warlords. She was pretty disagreeable herself in three ''Hercules'' episodes until Xena discovered her humanity. Now she's as heroic as Hercules. Beware all slave traders!... ...Also, WGNT is adding ''One West Waikiki'' to its Friday night schedule at 9 following ''Xena'' starting Sept. 29.... ...GRAPHIC: Lucy Lawless stars as the heroic "Xena: Warrior Princess"... [046] 09-19-95 CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Tempo; Pg. 3; 799 Words. "Prime-time Audition; Blend of Drama and Music Makes 'Divas' More than an Ordinary Made-for-TV Movie" by Allan Johnson. COMMENTARY: Mr. Johnson predicted that XWP would not be a big hit. And if that wasn't rude enough, he misspells Xena's name after properly spelling it! Ms. Lawless missed out on the graphic, though. EXCERPT: ...- Those eyes, that sword: The reason why "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" is such a big hit is probably why spinoff series "Xena: Warrior Princess" won't be. As played by New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless, Xena is grim, solemn and brooding. With good reason. When introduced last season on "Hercules," Xena was a war monger who pillaged villages, and wanted to kill Hercules (Kevin Sorbo) for no apparent reason. But she mended her ways in the last two "Hercules" episodes of the season, all the better to give Xena her own series. (Both "Hercules" and "Xena" will air on Fridays on WGN-Ch. 9 starting at 7 p.m. for a few weeks until baseball ends, and then "Herc" will settle into its Saturday 4 p.m. slot, and "Zena" goes to 5 p.m. on Sundays, starting in October.) "Hercules" works as a campy romp because star Sorbo is having fun with the role, and neither he nor the producers are taking the character and the setting seriously. Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, the executive producers of both shows (as well as CBS' haunting "American Gothic"), seem to have forgotten to instill Herc's good-time feeling in Xena, who performs spectacular acrobatics and martial arts-type moves, and can take out a legion of foes with a swing of her sword, a toss of her spinning ring, and an ear-piercing "ayy-yii-yii-yii!!" [047] 09-21-95 THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT (Norfolk). Daily Break, Pg. E2. 733 Words. "Same Stuff on WTKR News and WGNT" by Larry Bonko. COMMENTARY: After only three episodes in release, a television station is identified in a local paper as "the station of Xena, the warrior princess". The show is nowhere else mentioned in the article or newspaper. Believe it or not! EXCERPT: ...Earlier this week, CBS affiliate WTKR began producing a 10 p.m. weeknight newscast for United Paramount Network affiliate WGNT, the station of Xena, the warrior princess... [047.5] 09-22-95 THE NEW YORK TIMES. Page D-17; 712 words. "TV Weekend; 'Twin Peaks' Meets 'Mayberry'" by John J. O'Connor COMMENTARY: More hype about American Gothic produces minor mention of XWP. EXCERPT: ... on which two of the executive producers are Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, the team responsible for the syndicated sendup shows "Hercules" and "Xena."... [048] 09-24-95 ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS. Pg. 9. 560 words. "KWGN delivers potpourri Warner Bros. dominates programming" COMMENTARY: Nominal blurb and Pinky and the Brain got the graphic! EXCERPT: ...Saturday night's lineup is a mix of muscle and brainpower, with Xena: Warrior Princess (6 p.m.), Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (7 p.m.) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (8 p.m.)... [049] 09-26-95 through 10-02-95 NOTE: It begins. The weekly numbers game. Both The Hollywood Reporter and the Variety's reported the audience shares. These references will be presented under one annotation for each episode. By the time the first ratings were announced, XWP had already shown three episodes. The fourth had been technically released the day before (09-25-95), but very few broadcasters, if any, had aired the episode. As became apparent over the next four weeks, the show started strong, then went into a dip: 1 & 2nd show was ranked 3rd of all new one hour syndicated dramas and the 3rd show was ranked 5th. But the 4th show, which was the one released in time to gain the benefit of the news of the higher ratings than anticipated, was ranked 2nd! More dramatically, the show went from starting as the 20th ranked syndicated show, dipping down to the 40's by the 3rd episode, then popping up to the 11th place by the 4th episode. The Hollywood Reporter reported that XWP attracted a larger audience share than previously in its timeslot. The BPI Entertainment newswire reported verbatim the Hollywood Reporter section on XWP. The Daily Variety first broke the news that Nielsen had mistakenly assigned a wrong audience share to XWP. The same story was mostly reprinted in the weekly edition of Variety. The portion regarding XWP, was reprinted completely. [049a] 09-26-95. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 383 words. "Syndies post dramatic upturn; 'Land's End,' 'Outer Limits,' 'Xena' show time-period improvements" By Steve Brennan. COMMENTARY: Now the game is really afoot! This article represents the first major media listing of XWP audience share! It was for the episode "Sins of the Past" (#1). These numbers were wrong as reported by Daily Variety in XMR049c, below. EXCERPT: ...MCA TV's "Xena: Warrior Princess," now in week three, posted a 3.3/7 in its primary broadcast, ahead of the 3.0/7 for the time-period average... [049b] 09-27-95 BPI ENTERTAINMENT NEWS WIRE. 1100 words. "TV NOTES" From The Hollywood Reporter. COMMENTARY: Exact reprint of XMR:049a. [049c] 09-29-95 DAILY VARIETY. News; Pg. 4W/TAB. 785 words. "BVTV hits 'Home' run in syndie". By Jim Benson COMMENTARY: Announcement of ratings error discovered. EXCERPT: ...MCA TV's "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" finished atop the weekly pack in its second season debut. However, Nielsen is reprocessing numbers for the syndicator's new "Hercules" companion, "Xena: Warrior Princess," after mistakenly omitting a major market. Once the recalculation is complete, MCA estimates that "Xena" will be the highest-rated weekly series and rank seventh overall... [049d] 10-02-95 VARIETY. Television; Pg. 84. 727 words. "BVTV hits syndication 'Home' run" By Jim Benson. COMMENTARY: Reprint of XMR:049c, except the header "'Princess' reprocessed" is inserted between the paragraphs quoted in XMR:049c. [049.5] 09-28-95 PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Arts & Entertainment, Pg. C1. 693 Words. "KD Promo Only Served to Distract" by Barbara Vancheri. COMMENTARY: Announcement of a pre-season review show. Mention of XWP is made. EXCERPT: ... Luck'' on Fox or ''Caroline in the City'' on NBC. They get a sneak preview of all kinds of programs, from ''Xena'' to that day's Jenny Jones talk show.... [050] 09-29-95 THE TORONTO STAR. Entertainment; Pg. D14. 377 Words. "Tonight in T.O." by Joan Primeau. COMMENTARY: Minor blurb but with interesting sentence: "...the eye-popping Lucy Lawless as an Amazon so amazing she makes Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman look anemic..." EXCERPT: ...If you prefer your leather on women, then check out Xena: Warrior Princess on Channel 3 at 9. This campy action comedy stars the eye-popping Lucy Lawless as an Amazon so amazing she makes Lynda Carter's Wonder Woman look anemic... [051] 10-01-95 through 11-08-95 NOTE: Article printed both in the Los Angeles Times and Newsday. This is the first major media interview/article with Lucy Lawless about Xena: Warrior Princess. [051a] 10-01-95 LOS ANGELES TIMES. Orange County Edition. TV Times; Page 10; 715 words. "with an Eye on . . . ; Lucy Lawless Didn't Have to Pray to the Goddess of Spinoffs, but Knowing Hercules Didn't Hurt Either" by N.f. Mendoza COMMENTARY: REPRINT: Redemption can save your soul. And turning good can also get you your own spinoff. At least that's the story behind Xena: Warrior Princess, Hercules' nemesis turned mythical super-hero. Xena's three-part guest turn on "Hercules" last season evolved into her new and highly publicized syndicated series. No one was more surprised than its 6-foot star Lucy Lawless. "I felt really sick," Lawless, 26, says from "Xena's" production office in New Zealand, on a working Saturday. "It sounded like heaven, but I said 'If you're just talking, I don't want to hear about it yet.' Then it happened very quickly. I tried to be cool when they actually told me." Lawless abandons her native New Zealand accent and affects a drop-dead American dialect, describing a conversation with executive producer Rob Tapert: " 'Mr. Tapert,' I said, 'I'd believe it when I see it.' That's really cool." Xena (pronounced ZEE-na), Lawless explains, "began as someone with a very twisted sense of honor. Then, after a brush with genuine love," the actress stops to giggle, "she's on a mission to find some sense of peace. Because it's a well-known fact that human beings who are the toughest on the outside are the softest inside. She's got a well-honed mechanism." So does Lawless, who caught producers' attention in two other guest roles on "Hercules" in which she played Lyla, bride of Deric the Centaur, and the menacing Amazon enforcer Lysia. "Since she already played two different parts in 'Hercules,' the studio wanted another actress," explains Tapert, from his car phone on his way to LAX to leave for New Zealand, where he'll direct a "Hercules" episode. So Tapert and crew changed her look: They dyed the naturally blond Lawless brunette. "Then," Tapert adds, "the studio said, 'Oh!" Now, Tapert can't see anyone else in the role. "Lucy has a certain mystique. Yes, she's statuesque, strong and athletic in a very demanding part, but she's got this mystique, a secret you want to know, but she's not telling. She really fits the bill, with those mesmerizing blue eyes." Lawless was less sure. "Action-adventure scared me. I'd never been physically inclined. My nickname was Unco," for uncoordinated. She adds that, as one of seven children, she'd suffered several broken arms in tussles. "It shocked me when they hired me." But how can Lawless look so skillful while artfully downing bad guys? "They judiciously took me to L.A. to study with (martial arts master) Douglas Wong," explains Lawless of her teacher, who also served as trainer on "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story." But the actress might not have been as unco as she dubs herself. At 17, after a year at Auckland University, she set out to see the world, taking to Europe her penchant for languages -- she speaks German, French, Italian -- and her talent for singing opera. There, she "just bummed around" with a boyfriend. Traveling to Australia, they took jobs in a gold mine. "I don't know what we were thinking," she says of the grueling work digging, mapping the ground, driving trucks and pushing huge samples of earth through a diamond saw. Then Lawless became pregnant with daughter Daisy, now 7. The couple married and moved back to New Zealand. Three years later -- and now separated -- Lawless took Daisy to Canada where she pursued acting while in drama school. In 1991, she headed back to New Zealand and landed work in television. She became the host of "Air New Zealand Holiday," a travel magazine show in 1992, then began landing guest parts, including roles on "Hercules." She now lives "a non-social life, not even one kilometer" from her parents. "I've lived other places in the world, but this area suits me. When all the upheaval was happening around me, I was very happy to set up close to home," referring to her separation, which she finds difficult to talk about. Her daughter lives with her father weekdays and with Lawless on weekends. After "Xena" -- where Lawless works 13-hour-plus days (getting up at 5 a.m. to go to the gym) -- she may come to the United States. "I'm not quite their flavor here. Maybe they don't think I look sympathetic, but I suspect it's something that would go down well in America." "Xena: Warrior Princess" airs Saturdays at 9 p.m. on KTLA. GRAPHIC: HANDS OF STEEL: Lucy Lawless films "Xena: Warrior Princess" in her native New Zealand; the show was spun off a mythical character who first appeared on the syndicated "Hercules." [051b] 11-08-95 NEWSDAY (Nassau and Suffolk Edition). Pg. B69. "A Herculean Spinoff / And the star's reaction? `I felt really sick'" By LOS ANGELES TIMES. COMMENTARY: Same as XMR051a. [052] 10-01-95 CHICAGO TRIBUNE. TV Week; Pg. 5; 1314 Words. "Channels Offer Thrills and Spills to Fill Network Void." by Allan Johnson COMMENTARY: Local viewing time mention. reference to Hercules. EXCERPT: ...Channel 9-In addition to the hugely successful action show "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and sci-fi franchise "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," WGN has on tap the "Hercules" spinoff "Xena: Warrior Princess" (moving to Sundays at 5 p.m. starting Oct. 8), which features Lucy Lawless as a wandering warrior. The character was introduced in three episodes of "Hercules" last season. "Hercules" (currently on Sundays, it lands in its regular home of Saturdays at 4 p.m. starting Oct. 14), with Kevin Sorbo as the powerful Greek demigod, became one of the hottest syndicated shows on TV... [052.5] 10-01-95 THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Zest; Pg. 12. 131 Words. "Channel 39 Makes its Moves" by Mike McDaniel COMMENTARY: Minor mention. EXCERPT: ...Thursday's schedule of ''Hercules'' and ''Xena'' will not change... [053] 10-02-95 VARIETY. Spotlight; Mipcom '95; Pg. M37. 28726 Words. "What's for Sale at the Market" COMMENTARY: This article was a listing of every single product listed for the Mipcom TV market in Cannes, Oct. 9-13. EXCERPT: ...M... ...MCA TV Intl. 100 Universal City Plaza. Universal City, CA 91608. (818) 777-4275. Fax: (818) 733-1554. Stand 11.02/13.01. In Cannes: Majestic Hotel. Attending: Colin P. Davis, president; Peter Hughes, exec VP; Roger Cordjohn, VP, London/Paris; Kamal Sayegh, VP, Beirut; Hendrik Van Daalen, VP, Paris; Sophie Virgile, sales liaison, Paris. Product highlights:... ..."Xena: Warrior Princess," title character is now a hero defending townspeople against bands of soldiers; 22 x 60 min... [054] 10-02-95 LOS ANGELES TIMES. Calendar; Part F; Page 1; 1156 Words. "Can Klingons Bring 'Star Trek' Back up to Warp Speed?" by Daniel Howard Cerone COMMENTARY: Minor mention. Calls Hercules "cheesy". EXCERPT: ...The subsequent "Star Trek" spinoffs have fallen victim to "Next Generation's" success. "Deep Space Nine" remains the highest-rated dramatic series in syndication, but last season the cheesy "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" nipped at its heels. And this season's hunt finds a host of syndicated science-fiction and fantasy fare, including "Babylon Five," "Highlander," "Forever Knight" and the new "The Outer Limits" and "Xena: Warrior Princess."... ------------- THE BACK PAGE ------------- Issue #08 will begin at annotation #55, dated 10-06-95. It is scheduled to be released 05-14-96. PREFERRED CITATION: When citing an annotated review, use the format: XMR:007. This example means Xena Media Review [issue #01], annotation #007. 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, INDIANAPOLIS NEWS, NEW YORK TIMES, CHICAGO TRIBUNE, HOUSTON CHRONICLE, TAMPA TRIBUNE, VIRGINIAN-PILOT, ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS, HOLLYWOOD REPORT- ER, BPI ENTERTAINMENT NEWS WIRE, DAILY VARIETY, VARIETY, PITTS- BURGH POST-GAZETTE, TORONTO STAR, LOS ANGELES TIMES, and NEWS- DAY). 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/ Renais- sance) and the actresses Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor, es- pecially 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. Copyright 1996 by Kym Masera Taborn. 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@bak2.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. Editor-in-Chief: Kym Masera Taborn BBS: Resistance is Futile BBS (805) 588-9349: Oxnardus Internet: ktaborn@lightspeed.net US Mail: RIF BBS, P.O. Box 81181, Bakersfield, CA I also edit a free netzine called "Resistance is Futile," a Star Trek parody and all things Borgish newsletter which is issued every 19 days 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/