THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS....
TWXN 56
12/25/96

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
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cites will appear in future issues of XMR.


EDITOR STUFF:
   1. Merry Christmas to our Christian readers!
   2. I have over a hundred e-mails about IAXS and XMR
I haven't gotten to yet. If you haven't heard from me,
please do not despair! I'm going to pour myself a
little more eggnog get to it!


And now, to the news:


[   a] 12-16-96
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 299 words. "Ani Hercules,
Xena to video" By Scott Hettrick
   COMMENTARY: Press release about the straight to
video Hercules and Xena animated feature length film
currently in production. Said film to be released in
Fall of 1997 with three original songs sung by Lucy
Lawless. It will be aimed for towards children up to 9
years old.
   REPRINT:
   Universal Studios Home Video (formerly MCA/Universal
Home Video) is preparing what it hopes will be the
studio's next made-for-video franchise, an original,
animated feature-length version of the "Hercules: The
Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess"
syndicated TV series.  "Hercules and Xena: The Animated
Movie," to be released in fall 1997, will feature the
voices of the actors in the series, including stars
Kevin Sorbo and Lucy Lawless.   It will also feature
three original songs, with Lawless doing her own
singing.  Universal Home Video president Louis Feola
said songs are a critical element of the made-for-video
titles, such as the "Land Before Time" franchise. The
third made-for-video sequel, "Land Before Time IV," was
released last week. Feola said the four titles have had
collective sales of well over 20 million units. Initial
sales of each title not only came close to or exceed
the original sales of 4 million units of the theatrical
release, but each subsequent title  released every
December  also revived sales of the previous titles. 
But while "Land Before Time" is aimed at very young
children, Feola said the new "Hercules and Xena"
feature, produced by Universal Cartoon Studios, will be
aimed at children up to 9 years old.  Two other
installments of "Land Before Time" are already in the
works and the studio hopes that the "Hercules" feature
performs well enough to justify additional episodes.
Feola said other made-for-video titles based on
Universal characters are also being considered.  The
made-for-video category will be the biggest area of
growth for the division in the sell-through market,
Feola said.


[    ] 12-17-96
   PR NEWSWIRE. Tuesday. 670 words. "Universal Studios
Consumer Products Group Announces Strategic Hires and
Promotions to Spur Growth of Retail Licensing and Sales
Divisions"
   COMMENTARY: Press release of Universal's new
structuring of its retail and licensing and sales
divisions. XWP is marketed and licensed by Universal
worldwide.
   EXCERPT:
   ...The Universal Studios Consumer Products Group
today announced a series of new hires and promotions in
the retail licensing and sales divisions as part of the
group's new strategic direction focusing on brand
development, retail development and international
expansion.
   In making the announcement, Cynthia Cleveland,
President of Merchandising and Licensing said, "The
hires and promotions in the sales and retail licensing
divisions are tremendously important because they will
help strengthen the group's commitment to building
brand equity through marketing plans and strategic
partner alliances.  The sales division will increase
the emphasis developing upscale apparel and expand that
to the licensing of Universal brands to increase brand
equity even further."...
   ...Universal Studios Consumer Products Group
licenses and markets properties worldwide on behalf of
Universal Pictures, Universal Television as well as
third parties.  Some of these properties include Apollo
13, Babe, Casper, Jurassic Park, The Land Before Time,
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior
Princess, Earthworm Jim, The Adventures of Rocky and
Bullwinkle and Friends, Woody Woodpecker and Friends
and The Official Universal Studios Monsters.
   Universal Studios, Inc. is a diversified
entertainment company and a worldwide leader in motion
pictures, television, music, home entertainment and
location based entertainment.  Universal Studios, Inc.
is a unit of The Seagram Company Ltd. (NYSE: VO), a
global beverage and entertainment company...


[    ] 12-17-96
   LOS ANGELES TIMES. Tuesday. Page A1. 185 words.
"Valley Newswatch" By Doug Smith.
   COMMENTARY: Burb about the Burbank convention for
HTLJ and XWP on January 11-12, 1996.
   EXCERPT:
   ...Welcome, Hercules
   The Burbank Airport Hilton may be the new hot spot
for that quintessentially Hollywood take on the
business convention--the TV fan club conclave. . . .
First came "Quantum Leap," then "The X-Files," "I Love
Lucy," and "Hawaii Five-0." Now comes the loincloth
set. Fans of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and
"Xena: Warrior Princess" will be there Jan. 11 and
12....


[    ] 12-18-96
   THE EVENING POST (Wellington). Page 12. 404 words.
"Beefcake bonanza tipped in macho men ratings war" 
   COMMENTARY: XWP is mentioned in passing in an
article about Sinbad and Tarzan being shown on New
Zealand's TV3. "TV2 HOPES to muscle in on TV3's
Hercules fans next year with some action men of its
own....The show closest in spirit to Hercules and Xena
will be Sinbad."


[    ] 12-20-96
   ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS. Friday. Page 15D. 827 words.
"Sally Field's in a rush to set up 'Tree'" By Marilyn
Beck.
   COMMENTARY: Big spoiler on an upcoming episode where
Xena falls in love with Ulysses (hey!!! isn't he old
enough to be her father???)
   EXCERPT:
   ...Love is in the air for that warrior princess
among warrior princesses, Xena.  Plans call for the
Amazon leader of first-run syndication to fall for a
fella named Ulysses, with whom she will journey back to
the land of Ithaca, only to find that the wife he
thought was dead, isn't. (Don't you just hate when that
happens?) The brave Ulysses is supposed to be a
consummate warrior of more than 6 feet in height and
able to hold his own against formidable odds, so
perhaps he'll be able to figure a way out of this
sticky wicket...

