THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS....
TWXN 41
10/31/96

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.


[   b] 10-27-96
   NEWSDAY. Sunday. Page E02. 1423 words. "Vital Signs
/ Taking the Pulse of Life on Long Island" By Jim
Bernstein and Anne Bratskeir 
   COMMENTARY: In an article about Halloween costumes
on Long Island, NY, Mr. Bernstein and Ms. Bratskeir
noted, "Other Halloween hits include Skull Warriors (a
skeleton with chest plate and weapons), Hercules and
Zena from television's "Xena: Warrior Princess" series,
pretty witches and storybook ballerinas."
   This mention was notable also for the misspelling of
Xena ("Zena") but proper spelling of XENA: WARRIOR
PRINCESS.


[   C] 10-27-96
   DAILY NEWS (New York). Sunday. Page 5. 306 words.
"What's Hot and What's Not this Halloween"
   COMMENTARY: In a survey of the top costumers in New
York City, it was discovered that "old favorites such
as Freddy Krueger, Darth Vader and Cleopatra are still
hot this year as well as newcomers Goosebumps and Xena,
Warrior Princess." the Creative Costume Co. reported,
"Princess Xena All the rage." Frank B. Costume Center,
reported, "The Grim reaper Loved by all loyal
traditionalists." [And what does this have to do with
XWP? Nothing, really, except that Ms. Lawless' daughter
went as the Grim reaper for her first U.S. Halloween
evening]. 


[   ] 10-27-96
   SUNDAY TIMES. Sunday. "1143 words. "Life Really Does
Begin at 40-plus"
   COMMENTARY: In a guide to more than 40 Sky channels,
the Sunday Times (London) wrote: "Sky 2 broadcasts from
7pm to 6am, and its prime-time schedule includes new
series such as Xena: Warrior Princess..."



[   ] 10-27-96
   SUNDAY TIMES. Sunday. 806 words. "From soaps to the
supernatural" By Martin James
   COMMENTARY: In his introduction to the new series
being shown on Sky 2, Mr. James described Xena a
warrior princess "who cuts a fine figure in armoured
minidress and knee-high bother boots journeying across
a mythical land combatting tyranny and injustice." He
concluded with the observation, "If she were around
today, Xena would walk Miss World 1996, coming to you
via satellite from India, although her leisure pursuits
might shock the judges."


[  bn] 10-28-96
   PEOPLE. Page 97. 480 words. "Passages"
   COMMENTARY: Look! Cutting edge news from PEOPLE
Magazine.
   EXCERPT:
   ...Actress Lucy Lawless, 28, the New Zealander who
stars in the syndicated series Xena: Warrior Princess,
was in stable condition after fracturing her pelvis on
Oct. 8 while taping a skit for NBC's Tonight Show.
Working in the parking lot of the show's Burbank
studio, Lawless tumbled to the pavement when the horse
she was sitting on lost its footing and fell....


[    ] 10-29-96
   THE TORONTO STAR. Tuesday. Page D4. 686 words.
"Roseanne undermined by insane lottery plot" by Henry
Mietkiewicz
   COMMENTARY: In a scathing review of the opening
shows of the 1996-97 season ROSEANNE, Mr. Mietkiewicz
stated, "Now the show is so disconnected from reality
that it borders on amateurishness. Especially annoying
is the way it wallows in embarrassing dream-sequence
parodies, such as Roseanne's transformation into Xena
the Warrior Princess to exact revenge on overzealous
masseuses at a luxury spa."


[   b] 10-29-96
   ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS. Tuesday. Page 2D. 827 words.
"'Roseanne' still funny after all these years" By
Joanne Weintraub
   COMMENTARY: In a pro-ROSEANNE review, Ms. Weintraub,
wrote, "The highlight was a revenge fantasy wherein the
star, dressed as Xena, Warrior Princess, did battle
with one of the evil sprites and decked her. I laughed;
I cheered. Breathes there a woman who's never
daydreamed about putting on that breastplate, those
boots and that attitude? In fact, Roseanne celebrates a
character who, despite her imperfect body and untidy
life, is something of a warrior princess herself, a
close relation to the ''domestic goddess'' Barr dreamed
up in her days as a stand-up comic."
   Ms. Weintraub has a long history with reporting on
XWP. She has written: 
   XMR070a. 10-31-95. MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL.
"Hercules, Xena give legends a loony charm'". She
characterized both HTLJ and XWP as "the Southern
Hemisphere's gifts to trash TV" but then apologized
immediately. She allowed us to participate in the
debate going on in her head: she wanted to call it
trash, but couldn't.
   XMR230. 04-11-96. MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. "Man
with a Forgotten past Is Unmemorable". In an article
about "The Lazarus Man", a syndicated action hour from
the 1995-96 season, Ms. Weintraub lamented that the
show did not have the "anything-goes panache" of XWP.
   XMR---a. 05-25-96. THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL (Memphis).
"'Nick News' teaches body acceptance" Passing mention
of Xena in context to how it contributed to the message
that the only good people are sleek, well-toned, hard-
bodied people.


[   a] 10-30-96
   USA TODAY. Wednesday. Page 3D. 399 words.
"Cancellation jitters keep Travis from 'Perfect' bliss"
By Peter Johnson and Alan Bash
   COMMENTARY: Announcement of Lucy Lawless' appearance
on that evening's Tonight Show with Jay Leno. "Lucy
Lawless, star of the syndicated Xena: Warrior Princess,
must not harbor ill feelings for NBC's Tonight Show,
even though it was during the taping of a comedy bit
there that Lawless broke her pelvis Oct. 8. She makes
her first appearance since the accident on tonight's
show."


[   b] 10-30-96
   LOS ANGELES TIMES. Wednesday. Page F2. 745 words.
"MORNING REPORT" By SHAUNA SNOW 
   COMMENTARY: Another promo for The Tonight Show:
"Lucy Lawless, the star of "Xena: Warrior Princess" who
broke her pelvis Oct. 8 while taping NBC's "Tonight
Show With Jay Leno," makes her first public appearance
since the horse-riding accident on--where
else?--today's "Tonight Show."


[   c] 10-30-96
   DAILY NEWS (New York). Wednesday. Page 72. 789
words. 'Italian-American Group Says 'EZ' Slurs Aren't
OK"
   COMMENTARY:
   EXCERPT:
   ...Back in the saddle
   Just like her character, Lucy Lawless is not to be
denied. 
   The star of the hit syndicated series "Xena: The
Warrior Princess" was to have appeared on the Oct. 8
edition of NBC's "Tonight" show, but while practicing
for a bit for the show she fell off a horse and broke
her pelvis. 
   The injury, of course, kept her from the program.
   Well, now she's healed and ready to try again.
Tonight. 
   This time, though, there won't be any horse play.
   "She's just going to come on and talk," said a show
spokeswoman. "No stunts." R.H.

 

[   ] 10-31-96
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 184 words. 
   COMMENTARY: Creation Entertainment, which puts on
the infamous Creation Con Conventions for Star Trek, X-
Files, and various other media darlings, has signed a
two year licensing agreement with Universal Studios for
HTLJ and XWP. "The deal, which also covers Universal
TV's network series 'Sliders,' grants Creation the
domestic rights to official fan clubs, conventions and
merchandise."
   You know something must be getting popular if
Creation thinks they can make money off of it!


[   ]
   NOTE: GIANT KILLER (#27), 1st release, 10/14/96.
Ranked as the 2nd action hour with a 5.4 rating. The
standings for action-hours were as follows:
   1. ST:DS9  6.0
   2. XWP  5.4
   3. HTLJ  5.3
   4. Sinbad  2.9
   5. Two  2.7
   5. Viper  2.7
   6. FX 2.6
   7. The Cape 2.0
