THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS....
TWXN 74
06/11/97

Brought to you by XENA: MEDIA REVIEW (XMR):
http://xenafan.com/xmr

All back issues of XMR and TWXN are available at the
above site. We herein give praise and thanks to Tom
Simpson for the space he has graciously donated from
his spectacular, TOM'S XENA PAGE (http://xenafan.com).

TWXN is the advance sheet for XMR, an annotated world
press review of reports regarding the internationally
syndicated television show XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (1995
- 2000+?) and the castmembers, Lucy Lawless and Renee
O'Connor. TWXN is not available for subscription,
however it is posted Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on
the XenaVerse, Hercules-Xena, and Chakram Mailing Lists
(thank you Lucia!), the MCA NetForum, the Xenite
Message Center, and alt.tv.xena. For a free e-mail
subscription to XMR subscribe by e-mail to
ktaborn@lightspeed.net by stating somewhere in the
subject or text "sub xmr".

Excerpts from the following cites will appear in future
issues of XMR. I promise...


From the editor:
   1. I just had the pleasure of attending the First
Annual Argo Awards. The winners were: Best Guest Star:
Tony Todd (Cecrops) in THE LOST MARINER; Best Costumes:
HERE SHE COMES...MISS AMPHIPOLIS; Best Villain:
Callisto in A NECESSARY EVIL; Best Line: Gabrielle:
"Can we cook with your juices?" from A DAY IN THE LIFE;
Argo Achievement Award: Joseph LoDuca; Best ROC
performance: THE QUEST; Best Direction: Michael Hurst
for A DAY IN THE LIFE; Best LL Performance:
WARRIOR...PRINCESS...TRAMP; Best Writing: R.J. Stewart
in A DAY IN THE LIFE; and Best Episode: A DAY IN THE
LIFE.
   2. And now, a secret message for those attending the
Argos ceremony: Under the cir***stances, I had a
****ens of a good time!
   3. Work on XMR has come to a halt since I have
misplaced two of my disks filled with subscription and
unsub requests. I am optimistic I will find them, but
this will no doubt add a few days to the release date
of XMR #22.
   4. Today's TWXN is filled with many Xena references
of a three day period. There are comparisons between
Xena and Princess Leia and Jamie Tarses; news of XWP
beating a local ice-skating show; an update on XWP in
the United Kingdom; a mention in a kid's magazine about
Lucy Lawless' recovery; a nomination for the Lippin
Group for their part in the marketing of XWP; updates
on the RTL co-development deal with Universal and Xena
toys; and finally, a look at the NZ film industry.
   4. Friday's TWXN will take a gander at the TV show
SAILOR MOON, a CNN interview with Kevin Sorbo, an
article on Roma Downey, and some news from down under -
- Auckland to be exact. 



[    ] 01-30-97
   CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Thursday. Page 95. 995 words. "A
screen presence; For TV viewers, skating's appeal has
been anything but rinky-dink" By Elliott Harris
   COMMENTARY: In an article reviewing where to watch
skating on TV, the writer observed that a local
stations "Stars on Ice" comes in behind in the ratings
to XWP.


[    ] 01-31-97
   TIME FOR KIDS. Page 8. 1279 words. "Who's News"
   COMMENTARY: Lucy Lawless' speedy recovery from her
Tonight Show accident and an announcement that she is
back to filming shows up as a short notice in a
children's magazine. It also mentions Ms. Lawless will
sing in the direct to video animated Hercules/Xena
film.


[    ] 01-31-97
   STAR TRIBUNE. Page 1E. 1230 words. "Star Quality.
Something old, something new and a whole lot of
borrowing gave George Lucas the formula for the
mega-hits he's never equalled since." By Colin Covert
(staff writer)
   COMMENTARY: Article discussed the "eternal" themes
in STAR WARS. 
   EXCERPT:
   ...- Kate in Shakespeare's "The Taming of the
Shrew," Joan of Arc, and Howard Hawks' wonderfully
tough heroines all are forebears of Princess Leia. A
worthy foil for Han Solo, she's self-assured enough to
call him "Flyboy" and toss him into a space ship
garbage bin. The warrior princess Xena and Special
Agent Dana Scully of "The X-Files" carry on the
tradition on TV, while Sigourney Weaver takes a
somewhat grimmer tack in the "Alien" film series....


[    ] 01-31-97
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 177 words. "Campaigns for
'Evita,' 'ID4'" 
   EXCERPT:
   ...The Publicists Guild of America's nominations for
best motion picture marketing campaigns are "Twister"
(Universal Pictures/Warner Bros. Inc.), "101
Dalmatians" (Walt Disney Studios), "Independence Day"
(20th Century Fox), "Evita" (Hollywood Pictures) and
"Beavis & Butt-head Do America" (Paramount Pictures).   
   Vying for honors in the television marketing
category are "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC/Warner Bros.
Television), "For Hope" (ABC), "Touched by an Angel"
(CBS) and "Xena: Warrior Princess" (Universal TV
Entertainment/the Lippin Group).  Winners will be
selected via secret ballot by the Guild's entire
membership and will be announced at its 34th annual
Awards Luncheon on Friday, March 21, at the Beverly
Hilton Hotel.  The awards recognize outstanding
achievements in publicity and promotion during the
previous calendar year....


[    ] 02/01/97
   TELEVISION BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL. February 1997.
Page 40. 2147 words. "The Rise And Rise Of RTL" 
   EXCERPT:
   RTL is Germany's - and Europe's - largest commercial
television network. Last year it made DM3.2 billion ($2
billion) in gross advertising revenue.  Also in 1996,
its two major shareholders, Ufa and CLT, agreed to
merge.  RTL's shareholders are now thrashing out a plan
to consolidate all of the RTL assets into a single
holding company which could further bolster its
dominance.  Helmut Thoma, RTL's Austrian chief
executive officer, is also looking to spend some of his
channel's revenues in the U.S. market.  Interview by
Tim Westcott 
   ...TBI: RTL has an agreement with Universal
Television to co-develop action-adventure shows similar
to Xena and Hercules. Have you made any progress there? 
When are they going to air? Does this deal extend to
RTL financing other Universal series? 
    At Natpe, they presented different projects to us,
and we are going on with this co-operation.  It's just
started now.
    Our first goal is to get network series to
co-finance.  If there is no network series then we will
(look to invest in) syndication.  It's not decided, but
we intend to go with Team Knight Rider and this type of
program. 
    We will be financing part of the budget and (take
the rights) for the German zone and Universal will
distribute it all over the world.  If it is
successfully distributed, we will get all our money
back and in some cases even get a profit out of it....


[    ] 02/01/97
   PLAYTHINGS. February 1997. No. 2. Vol. 95. Page 168.
2576 words. "The battle for retail turf; licensed toys"
   EXCERPT:
   A diverse array of entertainment properties will all
vie for attention in 1997
   Science fiction, action/adventure and girls'
properties will share the licensing limelight for 1997,
giving toy retailers varied and attractive choices for
their merchandising mix. 
   While licensors will focus on a core group of key
properties, intense competition will still prevail, as
similar types of entertainment properties go
head-to-head for consumer attention at the box office
and in stores. Retailers who received advance
previews of the major new properties are impressed with
their quality and potential appeal. But buyers still
must decide which properties to support, how many, and
to what degree.
   In making their choices, retailers say they will
consider the track records of the licensors, their
promotional plans in support of the licensing program,
and the potential longevity of the property...  
   ...Toy Biz will present new figures in its Hercules
and Xena line, based on the TV series...


[    ] 02/01/97
   THE EVENING POST (Wellington). Page 24. 479 words.
"Expo a chance to sell NZ's benefits" By Mark Russell
   EXCERPT:
   New Zealand's burgeoning film industry is preparing
to roll out the red carpet to what it hopes will be a
money-spinning procession of international film-makers.
   Film New Zealand executive director Di Oliver leaves
for Los Angeles next week to sell this country's
film-friendly image at Locations 97, one of the
industry's most important international expos.
   A new Web site on the Internet and CD-Rom will be
unveiled in Los Angeles, both containing generic
information about filming in New Zealand, a locations
pictorial library containing about 300 images, and
information on Immigration and Customs policies and
work permits.... 
   ...New Zealand has plenty going for it as a feature
film location. The benefits include favourable exchange
rate and a deregulated workforce that while small, is
recognised as highly skilled.
   "If (television dramas) Hercules and Xena are
anything to go by, they may have come here because it's
cost effective but they stayed because it's more than
just that. It's value-added in terms of personnel
skills, the comfortable environment to film in."


[    ] 02/01/97
   ESQUIRE. February 1997. No. 2. Vol. 127. Page 64.
5621 words. "Dangerous minds; the TV executives that
help to shape American culture through their work" By
E. Jean Carroll
   EXCERPT:
   ...Nothing in the world of television, save perhaps
Xena, the grapefruit-breasted Warrior Princess, can vie
with the pure confidence and brains of this
thirty-two-year-old woman. And when it comes to looks,
too, Jamie Tarses lays it over all the other gals.
Yessir, television has helped create the new female.
And now the new female is going to create
television....


[    ] 02/01/97
   THE DAILY TELEGRAPH. Saturday. Page 034. 4252 words.
"Telegraph Magazine: Brain box David Elstein might be
the cleverest man in television, but is that what's
needed to make a success of Channel 5?" Interview by
David Thomas.
   EXCERPT:
   ...Channel 5 programmes named so far include Beverly
Hills 90210, Melrose Place and Xena: Warrior Princess,
all of which have already been shown on Sky...


