THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS....
TWXN 79
06/23/97
Monday

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.

From the editor:

1. Monday is WHOOSH! Day. WHOOSH! is looking for a cub-
reporter/photographer to cover the WarriorCon
appearances of Kevin Smith, Robert Trebor, and Michael
Levine in Washington D.C. on September 12-14, 1997.
This will definitely be Kevin Smith's, and I think
Michael Levine's, first convention appearances. If you
are interested in servicing Xena fandom, please contact
ktaborn@lightspeed.net for further information. 

2. Today's edition is quite eclectic, it covers
02/15/97 through 02/19/97. Hong Kong apparently aired
XWP and it was at the episode DEATH IN CHAINS (#09) by
February 15th. Depending upon their custom for
releasing television shows, they most likely have
finished up with the first season of XWP by now. A bit
further to the south, NZ ran a promotion of the
animated HERCULES/XENA flick and was somewhat rude in
its reference to Ms. Lawless' injury. I guess that's
all just a part of that Kiwi cheek. Back in the States,
Xena was used as the measure of several actors'
interpretations of characters within a Minneapolis
production of A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM. In a Hollywood
moment, HIGHLANDER continued to politely diss XWP (and
this is news...I think not!). XWP was mentioned in
passing in a contemplation over the current revival of
interest in classic mythology. A ray of sunshine was
given where XWP was offered as an example of where TV
had "never been better", however the compliment was
watered down by the assessment that the show was
"wholesome, harmless hooey". It also looks like the
media may never let Roseanne forget about her reference
to the warrior princess on her show. The set ends with
an acknowledgment that XWP is a highly tape-able show
and a seriously passing reference to XWP that I am
wondering why I included it at all because it was so
minor. Oh well, live and learn. 
 
3. Look for the following in Wednesday's issue: Nikita
talk; NZ promo for the return of XWP; an analysis of
MEN BEHAVING BADLY and how critical XWP has become to
the show; and a look at STAR WARS and XWP. 



[     ] 02-15-97

SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST (Hong Kong). Page 11. 960
words. "Redford's natural charm" By Deborah Herd

EXCERPT:
...If your idea of escapism is not a beach but a
fantasy adventure watch the world's most battle-weary
woman, the blue-eyed Xena: Warrior Princess (World,
8.30pm), rescue Hades' sister Celesta, the embodiment
of death, from the clutches of King Sisyphus or all
mankind will be doomed to eternal life filled with
suffering....


[    ] 02-16-97

THE SUNDAY STAR-TIMES (Auckland). Page 13. 790 words.
"Roberts stepping down as Communicado boss" By Linda
Herrick

EXCERPT:
...Will the super-powers of Xena never cease to amaze?
Kiwi actor Lucy Lawless has recently recorded a few
songs for an animated movie of the hit TV show. The
cartoon flick, which will feature both Hercules and
Xena, is scheduled for video-only release in the
American autumn. Lawless also recently flexed her
tonsillar muscles on the Regis & Cathy Lee Show,
singing to a flabbergasted studio audience. Amazing
what a good bump on the rump can do for a career....

GRAPHICS:...LAWLESS...new area


[    ] 02-16-97

STAR TRIBUNE. Page 1B. 814 words. "Dowling's 'Dream':
magic and tricks, energy and humor" By Peter Vaughan
(Staff Writer)

EXCERPT:
Where will you find a bit of "South Pacific," an homage
to "A Fish Called Wanda" and a tip of the Irish cap to
"Riverdance"? Over at the Guthrie Theater, of all
places, in Joe Dowling's totally outrageous, hilarious
staging of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's
Dream."...

...Xena and the Valley Girl
In contrast, Leslie Silva as Helena and Jennifer
Abigail Lopez as Hermia exploit the differences that
Shakespeare provided. Silva, a tall and supple
presence, goes a step or two further by making Helena a
giggling, girlish Valley Girl who could've popped in
from the movie "Clueless." Lopez gives Hermia a tough
edge, particularly when she whips into a quick
imitation of Xena, warrior princess.

Isabel Monk could've used a bit of Xena in her own
performance as Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, and
Titania, queen of the fairies. She lacks fire and is no
match for the power of Stephen Pelinski's Theseus and
Oberon....


[    ] 02-16-97

OMAHA WORLD HERALD. Sunday. Page 2TV. 867 words.
"'Highlander' Writer Enjoys The Program's
Possibilities" By John Keenan (World-Herald Staff
Writer)

EXCERPT:
...The show is something of an elder statesman  among
the syndicated fantasy shows now booming,  such as
"Xena" and "Hercules," but Abramowitz  is careful to
draw a distinction.

"We're  a different kind of show," he said during a 
recent phone interview. 

"They're more  tongue-in-cheek," he said of the
newcomers. "We do our comedy episodes, but we're also
more  serious. We look at the nature of good and  evil
in a different way - neither better nor  worse, just
different. I don't know what you'd  call us"....


[    ] 02-16-97

THE NEW YORK TIMES. Sunday. Page 41. 840 words.
"There's Nothing Conservative About the Classics
Revival. The Classic Moment" By Celia McGee 


EXCERPT:
...Others are also profiting from the new popularity of
the classics. Scholastic Books recently introduced
"Myth Men: Guardians of the Legend," a mass-market
book-and trading-card series aimed primarily at boys
ages 4 to 8 that uses comic-book-style graphics to tell
famous Greek myths. Marvel Comics is still doing well
with last summer's "The Incredible Hulk: Hercules
Unleashed." On television, "Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys" and its offshoot, "Xena: Warrior Princess"
(top right), were among the highest-rated syndicated
shows of 1996. ("America's Hot for Hercules!" read the
cover of "TV Guide" earlier this month.) NBC,
meanwhile, is preparing to broadcast the "Odyssey" in
May, at a reported cost of some $30 million. And movie
theaters will be getting an animated "Hercules" feature
from Disney (below right) in June....
GRAPHICS:...("Xena")....


[    ] 02-17-97

THE VANCOUVER SUN. Monday. Page C5. 1891 words. "75
reasons not to give up on TV" By Alex Strachan (Sun
Television Critic)

EXCERPT:
You've heard the warnings.

TV is bad for you! TV causes tooth decay! TV is ruining
society as we know it!

There's a corollary argument to this:

TV has never been worse, the argument goes, and the
downward spiral has yet to hit rock bottom.

Perhaps.

But then, as the universe expands to 500 channels and
beyond -- and even in our current 50 channels, with
their cumulative 1,000 hours of programming each day --
there are dozens of polished gems in all the tripe.  

In fact, an argument could just as easily be made that
TV has rarely been better. Consider:...

...36. "B"-TV like Hercules, Xena: Warrior Princess and
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Wholesome, harmless
hooey....



[    ] 02-17-97

THE INDEPENDENT. Monday. Page  13. 1520 words.
"Roseanne Barr the lottery loser of all time; As poor
white trash she was America's sweetheart, as rich white
trash she ain't" By Daniel Jeffreys

EXCERPT:
...Instead of being a clever comedy about trying to be
married, with children, on a limited budget, Roseanne
has served up duff episodes where the show's star has
dressed as Xena the warrior princess, and a centrefold.
Roseanne's woes are seen in the American press as a
betrayal of those who stayed loyal to the show, no
matter what its outrageous star did in her excessive
overreactions to stardom....


[    ] 02-18-97

THE TORONTO STAR. Tuesday. Page E1. 566 words. "Your
videos hold more secrets than a medicine chest" By
Linwood Barclay (Toronto Star)

EXCERPT:
...So, my advice is NEVER lend tapes. Or at least keep
a couple loaded with seven hours of weird Bravo dance
specials and NewsHour With Jim Lehrer. Use these to
record programs your friends might ask for.

Of course, there's always the reverse kind of shame.
What's someone to think when they ask for your Xena:
Warrior Princess and find it followed by stuffy old
episodes of Upstairs, Downstairs?


[    ] 02-19-97

USA TODAY. Wednesday. Page 3D. 489 words. "Going beyond
old 'Limits' Revived sci-fi show runs stronger than
'60s original did" By Jefferson Graham

EXCERPT:
...MGM has followed in the footsteps of Paramount,
which built Star Trek into an industry with the The
Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager series and
the Star Trek movies. Former Paramount executive Symes
has used The Outer Limits' success -- it's currently
the No. 4-rated drama in syndication behind Deep Space
Nine, Xena and Hercules and the top show on Showtime --
to branch into other areas of sci-fi and the
paranormal....


