THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS....
TWXN 62
01/24/97

Brought to you by Xena: Media Review (XMR):
http://xenafan.com/xmr

TWXN is the advance sheet for 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.


[    ] 01-04-97
   THE PLAIN DEALER. Saturday. Page 9E. 289 words.
"Devil Reprises Popular 'SINBAD' Role"
   COMMENTARY: SINBAD's creator-writer-exec producer Ed
Naha gives his theory as to why SINBAD, and those other
shows like XWP and HTLJ are so popular. Right. Amazing
how SINBAD, who has only made it perhaps once, if even
that, in the top twenty syndicated shows this season is
now a peer of XWP and HTLJ which have both been
consistently in the top 15, and usually in the top 10. 
This is a blatant example of how the promoters of the
competition have essentially given up on competing with
XWP/HTLJ, and now are trying to associate themselves
with them in the media. 
   EXCERPT:
   Fans of the increasingly popular syndicated series
"The Adventures of Sinbad" know that the adventure-
mythology action-drama is the place to go if you're in
the mood to see monsters. The series has provided
viewers with sea serpents, harpies, ghosts, giant
spiders and "a nasty tendriled floating eyeball brain
demon," as series creator-writer-exec producer Ed Naha
describes it. 
   Then there's the devil himself. "We have him as a
fairly traditional guy - ram's horns, cloven feet, sits
on a throne of skulls," says Naha. "He was so popular
when we had him on a few weeks ago, we're going to
bring him back."...
   "Sinbad" airs at 6 p.m. Sundays and 3 p.m. Saturdays
on WBNX Channel 55. 
   Naha has a theory on the popularity of "Sinbad" and
other syndicated shows such as "Hercules" and "Xena."
   "Basically, I think we've gone through the '80s and
early '90s where we had violence for violence's sake,
and where we had heroes who were troubled - men who
were divorced and estranged from their children, or
closet alcoholics, or what have you. Well, life is
hard, and life is not getting any less hard right now,
and I think people long for escape, as they did during
the Depression and World War II. I think people are
also looking for pure heroes ... heroes who are
unreservedly championing the values they grew up
with."...


[     ] 01-05-97
   THE TORONTO SUN. Sunday. Page C13. 414 words.
"BAYWATCH Brainwash" By Meredith Renwick
   COMMENTARY: In a review of the book "Planet
Baywatch: The Unofficial Guide To The New World Order",
the reviewer revealed "The shows preferred by trash-TV
junkies vary according to personal taste. Melrose Place
does it for some. I like Xena, Warrior Princess and
Hard Copy."


[    ] 01-05-97
   THE TIMES-PICAYUNE. Sunday. Page T8. 1003 words.
"Capturing Michael
   COMMENTARY: This is a Q&A which is most interesting
because of two points. 
   First, Ms. Lawless' publicist gave out old
information. The LL Fan Club's current address as of
three or four months ago is LUCY LAWLESS FAN CLUB, P.O.
Box 279, Pendleton, IN 46064. Let's hope Ms. Lawless'
publicist is at least "up" on the other information.
   Second, the postscript to the graphic of Lucy
Lawless demonstrates that pressure was placed upon the
Q&A master (mistress?) to deliver on a published
picture. I hope this inspires Xenafans from all around
the world to pester their local papers for more
GRAPHICS of XWP! 
   EXCERPT:
   ...HE LOVES LUCY
   Please print Lucy Lawless' address.
   Thank you.
   -Johnny Wilson, Jefferson
   Her publicist says write
   Lucy Lawless International Fan Club
   8516 S. 1000 W.
   Pendleton IN 46064
   As you may know, "Xena: Warrior Princess" is shot in
New Zealand, but the publicist recommends using the
U.S. address. As you also may know, Ms. Lawless and
fellow superhero Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules") are in town
the middle of next week for the (closed to the public)
National Association of Television Program
Executives - NATPE - convention.
   GRAPHIC:...YOU ASKED FOR IT: Frequent Forum
Correspondent M.S. of Slidell will be very pleased to
see we've finally printed a picture of Lucy Lawless as
"Xena: Warrior Princess."


[    ] 01-05-97
   THE DES MOINES REGISTER. Sunday. Page L-1. 2054
words. "What's hot and not"
   COMMENTARY:
   EXCERPT:
   It's time for us to go out on a limb again with our
list of year-end trends. Where do we get them? From our
required reading of entertainment magazines and other
pulp fiction. What are they good for? To give readers a
bright spot in the day, we hope, after grueling holiday
preparations.  
   What's Hot------What's Not...
   ...Hercules & Xena - Barbie & Ken...


[    ] 01-06-97
   VARIETY. Page N37. 28202 words. "What's Selling at
NATPE" Product listings compiled by Kirstin Swanson and
Lee Simkins
   COMMENTARY:
   EXCERPT:
   The following are product listings for the National
Assn. of TV Program Executives market, Jan. 13-16 in
New Orleans. Listings submitted after the deadline may
appear in Variety's Jan. 13-19 issue...
   ...Universal Television Group
100 Universal City Plaza
Universal City, CA 91608
(818) 777-1000
Fax: (818) 866-1429
Booth 399
   Attending: Greg Meidel, chairman, Universal TV
Group; James McNamara, president, Universal TV
Enterprises; Tom Thayer, president, Universal TV;
Robert Fleming, exec VP & chief financial officer; Ned
Nalle, exec VP, Universal TV Enterprises Prods.; Susan
Workman, exec VP, administration & business affairs;
Lonnie Burstein, senior VP, research; Dan Filie, senior
VP, development; Libby Gill, senior VP, media
relations; Susan Kantor, senior VP, advertising &
promotions; Sara Rutenberg, senior VP, business & legal
affairs; Bill Vrbanic, senior VP, syndication
distribution; Jim Benson, VP, media relations; Jeff
Dellin, VP research; Steve Sass, VP, business affairs;
Georgia Scott, VP, affiliate relations/creative
services; Glenn Weisberger, VP, legal & business
affairs.
   Product highlights: "Sally," talk-show hosted by
Sally Jessy Raphael; 60 min. 
   "Jerry Springer," topic-driven talk-show; 60 min.
   "Team Knight Rider," a team of crime fighters
possesses technologically advanced cars with
personalities; 60 min.
   "New York Undercover," two undercover detectives
work under the watchful eye of their female lieutenant;
60 min....
   ...GRAPHIC...Pictures 1 and 2, BREAKING THE
AIRWAVES, Republic Entertainment is offering Robert
Wuhl's satirical "Open Season," while MCA TV is selling
"Xena: Warrior Princess," starring Lucy Lawless...
 

 [    ] 01-06-97
   VARIETY. Page N1. 1176 words. "NAPTE: Studios skip
strips, go weekly" By Jenny Hontz
   EXCERPT:
   NATPE 1997 is shaping up to be the year of weeklies.
Most of the big studios are forgoing big strip
projects, instead launching weekly hours that tend to
sell overseas.
   Two of the biggest weekly action hours are from
Tribune Entertainment, "Battleground Earth" and "Night
Man." Both are being launched on the Tribune station
group.  
   "Battleground Earth," whose pilot was written by
"Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry before his death,
is generating much buzz.
   Universal Domestic TV is expanding on its success
with "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena,
Warrior Princess" by launching an ensemble remake of
the series "Knight Rider," called "Team Knight Rider,"
which has cleared several Chris-Craft stations.
   Other weeklies include Western Intl. Syndication's
"Conan the Adventurer"; ACI's "First Wave," which stars
Richard Grieco and is executive produced by Francis
Ford Coppola; and Rysher Entertainment's "Soldier of
Fortune."...
   ...Time squeeze
   The main problem for these weeklies is the timeslot
squeeze, which will be made worse by the debut of
several high-profile off-net dramas in the next two
seasons, including Twentieth TV's "The X-Files" and
"NYPD Blue," as well as Columbia TriStar Television
Distribution's "Walker, Texas Ranger" and Warner Bros.'
"ER." Few of this season's new weeklies have been able
to enter the ratings realm of the veterans....
   Despite the proliferation of weeklies, only three
are on Katz Television's "contender" list:
"Battleground Earth," "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and
"Soldier of Fortune."...

