     _____               ______                               ._
     `\`/>`\            /`/` /`__________,.'>___      _____   )~\
       /<`\ `\        /`/` /``\ \./------> /|\./\     |\./|  / | \
      /< `\`\ `\    /`/` /`   | | |----\ /  | |\ \    | | |././^\ \
 |\__{o}\--`\`\ `\/`/` /`-----| | |-----`------\`\`\--| | |----^ \ \----.
[\\\\\\\{*}==`>      <`=======| | ==============`\`\`\| | |=====\ \ \==-->
 |/~~{o}/-- /`/  /\ \ `\------| | |---------------`\`\\ | |------\ \ \--'
      \<  /`/` /`  `\`\ `\    | | |_____,.'>| | |   `\`\| | /'    \ \ \
       \< /` /`      `\`\ `\  ,/ /^\------> / |/^\|   \ | |/       \/^\\.
      /`/\>/`           `\`\ `\`~~~~~~~~~~~\ / ~~~~~   )^\,\,      '~~~~~
     `~~~~~`             '~~~~~`            `          ~~~~~~

==========================
XENA: THE MEDIA REVIEW #29
==========================
A Labor of Love Publication
http://xenafan.com/xmr
P.O. Box 81181, Bakersfield, CA 93308

Xena Media Review (XMR) is a periodic 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. For a free e-mail subscription send
"subscribe XMR" to ktaborn@lightspeed.net either in the
subject or body of the e-mail. Copyright, legal, and
editorial notices are found at the end of this
newsletter.

Issue No. 29
Release date: November 3, 1997
Subscribers: 1289
Covering 09/16/96 - 09/30/96
Annotations 502 to 532

FROM THE EDITOR: The Problem with Men on XWP
"XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS Meet Lucy: Media Darling" 
"Let's Get GREASE-y"
AMENDED ANNOTATIONS
ANNOTATIONS
THE BACK PAGE
   Letters
   Xena Media Review Staff
   Back Issues
   This Week in Xena News
   Reprint Policy
   Solicitations for Future Newsletters
   Disclaimer


===============
FROM THE EDITOR
===============

THE PROBLEM WITH MEN ON XWP or 
WHY MADONNA AND MARTHA STEWART ARE STILL SINGLE
-----------------------------------------------

Why is it so difficult to picture a male mate for Xena?
We have no trouble at all imagining the Warrior
Princess with Gabby at her side, satisfied in every way
with the bard's gentle presence, her sweet, kind
demeanor softly sanding off Xena's gruffy edges a
little more each day. So why does a male counterpart
with those same qualities make us go belly up at the
very thought?

Gee, I don't really know. I was hoping someone else had
the answer to this one. But just for the record, let's
take a look at some of Xee's boy toys and dish on why
they offend us so much.

HERCULES

Clearly, David Schwimmer's ancestors were pre-Mycenaean
demigods. If there ever was a Mr. 90's sensitive guy,
Herc is it. Who didn't shriek with joy when Xena
announced on HTLJ that the window of opportunity for a
Xee-Herc union had been slammed shut (with weather
stripping and plenty of caulking added). He just isn't
tough enough to tame her, but he's big enough to seem
plausible for a second or two which is more than
Bachelor Number Two had going for him.

DRACO 

Has this guy been hitting the Hostess Fruit Pies a
little too hard or what? He was pretty convincing in
that arm wrestling scene from COMEDY OF EROS but once
he took his bathrobe off to get in the hot tub, all I
was thinking was "Somebody poke his belly button and
see if he giggles." Add to it that rooster thing on his
head and you've got a guy who's fodder for Velasca's
next S&M binge.

ULYSSES 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. This guy should be doing baked bean
commericals!

CAESAR...JULIUS CAESAR

Just call him "runty".  Who could possibly consider
this guy a contender after seeing him play the
scowling, whiny adolescent out to ice his little bro'
in ALTARED STATES.  HEY CASTING PEOPLE, WE REMEMBERED!!

MARCUS 

I got my first peak at Marcus a few weeks ago when THE
PATH NOT TAKEN aired in reruns.  I was expecting a
smoldering, hunky man and for the most part, Marcus
came through.  But again, he's just a little too
smooth, too well-groomed (has anyone else noticed that
only the main characters in every ep of XWP are clean? 
Everyone else is smudged with grime.  Weird.) Xena
needs someone who wrestles with the good/bad continuum
as much as she does.  Marcus gave in to goodness just a
little too quickly. He *is* big, however, and that's
important.

ARES 

The hunky god of war is still my number one choice for
Xena's love object (after Gabby, Callisto, and Buffy
the Vampire Slayer, of course).  He's bad, he's big,
he's built, and he's not going to get good over night.
Plus his hair is so much better this season! 

As for Madonna and Martha Stewart, good-looking gods
are in short supply these days.

This month's features are both written by XMR ace
correspondent Beth Gaynor. After catching Lucy Lawless
on the Tonight Show a few weeks back, I couldn't help
but think about why reporters love her so much (no
wonder she's always all over everything at the checkout
line at the grocery store). She looked so comfortable
and relaxed (was she picking her teeth at one point?)
and was chockfull of witty replies like she always is.
Contrast that with so many of the vacant guests that
seem to frequent RuPaul's show and Lucy (and now Renee)
is that much more refreshing.  Beth caught GREASE in
NYC recently and obliged us all with a review of the
show.


Maria B. Erb
New Hampshire, USA
October 12, 1997
http://www.mv.com/ipusers/erb/xena


====================================================
XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS, MEET LUCY: MEDIA DARLING 
=====================================================
by Beth Gaynor
   bgaynor@compuserve.com
http://arcane.eng.ohio-state.edu/bgaynor/xenarate.htm

Seems like you can't pass a newsstand these days
without seeing Lucy Lawless on a cover. Entertainment
Tonight, the talk shows, American Journal, and a
half-dozen other programs love to run stories about
Lucy and Xena. Why all the fuss? There are lots of
shows out there, and quite a few with a viewership
higher than XENA's. So what's special enough about Lucy
Lawless to keep her planted firmly in the spotlight?

The easy answer is that she sells. Let's face it, when
you get down to brass tacks, a babe in leather (and one
that women actually aren't offended by!) sells
magazines and keeps viewers tuned in. The show has
generated truckloads of popularity and even more talk
and discussion, so running a story about Xena is a
nice, safe bet for editors. They can count on keeping
interest. But there's more to Lucy's popularity with
the media than just that.

There are two things that journalists live for in a
story subject: good material, and pleasant material.
There's an important distinction there. Good material
is the stuff that will sell, like the basics we were
just talking about, the stuff that holds the
viewers'/readers' interest and brings in the money.
Just as important as having good material, though, is
having pleasant material. As much as journalists like
to espouse ideals of objectivity, they're human just 
like anyone else. Given the choice between inviting
someone into their studios who will be a pain to work
with and someone who will be a lot of fun, the second
person will win the story every time. Guess what? Lucy
Lawless pegs the meter on both the good and pleasant
counts.

First of all, Lawless is exceedingly good interview 
material. And it's not just because her show is
breaking syndication land speed records or just because
she's an excuse to show a good-looking chick in a
breastplate (although those are probably #1 and #2 on
the list). She's a great interview subject. She's frank
and honest, and tends to give answers that aren't
something that could have been read off a publicist's
cheat sheets. She's drop-dead gorgeous with an exotic
New Zealand accent that makes photographers giggle with
glee.

And there's never a lack of interesting questions to
ask. As the lead of a highly unusual show, the first
female heroine to kick b*tt on the screen in a decade
or more (by the most generous of counts), and a star
from another country, reporters have a smorgasboard of
questions they can ask. True, we die-hard fans get
pretty sick of seeing some of those golden oldies being
used over and over again, but for the other 98% of the
country, they'd love to see demonstrated for the
3,000th time how she does that war cry or fakes a punch
or likes living on the other side of the world.

And when she does get asked the off-the-wall questions, 
she'll roll with the punches, and isn't above knocking
the reporter for a loop with off-the-wall answers. If
you talked to that TV Guide reporter who asked her what
modern advance Xena would love to have, I'm sure that
"tampons" was the last answer in the world he was
expecting to hear, but when she said it, he must have
heard cash registers chime like church bells.
Uncoventional answers are fun for both the reporter and
the reader.

And journalists love to have fun at their job - imagine 
that. Lucy Lawless is generally lots of fun to
interview. There's nothing worse than having to pull
answers from an interviewee like wresting coins from a
miser. Lucy needs the barest fragment of an excuse to
launch into a colorful story or amusing commentary.
Watch her the next time she's on a talk show - almost
any question will lead to fun anecdotes and interesting
sidebars from Lucy. Read about it when she jokes about
dominatrix outfits on her action figures or banker fans
who like to be spanked. Interviewers love that; it
makes their job easy and their results explosive.

Lucy is also a good sport. She's proven - one time to
her severe detriment - that she's game for just about
anything. She'll do skits, she'll fake auditions for
morning talk shows, she'll get carried onto stages,
she'll sing, she'll do accents, she'll go on amusement
park rides, she'll give journalists rides in her limo
and take calls at home so they can get a chance to talk
to her. That's the kind of accessibility and
interactivity that allows stories to do more than just
talk to a static head about tired, overused subjects,
and they make Lucy a prize to net for a story.

Add to the points in Lawless's favor that, from
everything I've ever seen, she's also just plain nice
as can be to the people around her, including the
reporters who show up to do their job, ask her some
goofy questions and see if she'll do some silly things
for the camera. Total it all up, and it's no wonder ET
can't let a couple of weeks go by without mentioning
Lucy, or that the magazines will use just about any
excuse they can get to put her on a cover. The plan may 
be working a little bit *too* well; maybe next
interview, Lucy should consider giving some
monosyllabic answers to questions just to give herself
a breather for a change. The poor lady could probably
use the break.


==================
LET'S GET GREASE-Y
==================
by Beth Gaynor
   bgaynor@compuserve.com
http://arcane.eng.ohio-state.edu/bgaynor/xenarate.htm

I had expected to miss GREASE. It had been about a year 
since I had been in New York City, with no return visit
in sight. Watching the news stories about the musical
was tough, but I was handling it stoically. I would
surely survive without seeing Lucy Lawless in live
theater.

Then a bonus check from work dropped into my lap. I 
glanced at my calendar and saw a 36-hour weekend that
was, amazingly, relatively free. And wow, that weekend
was also the New York XENA con. I swear that little
bonus check stood up in my hand and did a rousing
chorus of "New York, New York" for me. I was destined
to be a Broadway rat for a day and a half. (I also
caught CHICAGO while I was out there - a fabulous
musical, I highly recommend it!)

Off to GREASE I hied my nutball self, making the
pilgrimmage to the Eugene O'Neill theater. It's a
bizarre experience - the moment I rounded the corner
onto the O'Neill's block, I'd entered the Lawless Zone.
I was given fair warning by the massive billboard with
Lucy as Rizzo smack in the middle of Times Square. The
theater was plastered with Lucy's name, her pictures,
posters -- all kinds of reminders of who was playing
there. As if that weren't enough, there were the 
barricades in permanent residence around the stage
door, and the flock of people that seemed to ALWAYS be
around. Lucy and Xena were in everyone's conversation.
While I sat by a lamppost and took in the scene, I
watched Robert Trebor (Salmoneus) emerge from backstage
with tickets for one of the weekend's shows.
Apparently, for one rerun-laden, shooting-hiatus month
and a half, the XENA world revolved around a little
theater on 49th Street.

First, let me discuss the show itself - if you're not
into theater critiques, you can just skip the next
couple of paragraphs to get straight to Lucy. GREASE is
a different style of musical than I've seen on
Broadway. The emphasis is not so much on the huge
dramatic presentations, or on musical or dance numbers
that showcase superhuman efforts, but on... well, fun.
The audience is warmed up before the  show, encouraged
to clap to the musical numbers, and occasionally
characters show up in the crowd and interact directly
with people.

It's a fun idea and neat as something different to see,
but I can see why they rely on stars to pull in the
crowds (Lawless was just the latest in a long line of
guest stars, from Rosie O'Donnell to Brooke Shields to
Dominique Dawes). Given a choice between a teeny-bopper
doo-wop show and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, for the same
cost, WITHOUT Lucy Lawless in the equation, which one
would you spend your limited resources on? I think the
novelty of its stars has helped the show along a lot.

For those who have only seen the movie, the musical
centers less on Sandy and Danny and spreads out over
all the cast, including Frenchy and Doody, Jan and
Roger (a fantastic couple of characters), and, of
course, Rizzo and Kenickie. There's less focus, less
story to keep the songs linked together, so the plot
kind of... well, meanders.

On the good side, though, there are some neat lighting
and prop effects used during the numbers. Back-lighting 
silhouettes people and scenes. Greased Lightning, the
car, has headlights that shine out into the audience.
(You've heard the THX tag line, The Audience is
Listening? In GREASE, the audience is blind.) My
favorite effect was the hula hoops: the cast dances
with hula hoops in the Act I finale number "We Go
Together." After using the hula hoops the normal way,
they pick up the hoops and spin them in their hands,
the stage lights are cut, and the hoops glow in the
dark, creating spinning hoops of color on the stage.
The audience loved it.

The cast was a fun and very talented group. I
especially liked Jan, the eager friend who was willing
to finish ANYONE'S lunch with a happy giggle, and Miss
Lynch, the dictatorial teacher who winds up on the
wrong side of the spiked punchbowl. Two absolute
show-stealers appeared: Cha-Cha, the woman who came to
the dance as Kenickie's date and ended up winning the
dance contest with Danny, was played as a hyperactive
wacko with an epileptic dance style, lots of kicks and
shimmies, and a kind of Hispanic war cry of her very
own ("Cha! Hia! YA!") that had everyone rolling in the
aisles. This woman was impossible to ignore - I was 
trying my darndest to watch Rizzo at the dance, but I 
couldn't quit laughing at Cha-Cha.

The second show-stopper was the Teen Angel, who
appeared in a wonderfully ridiculous three-foot-high
plastic headpiece and belted out Beauty School Dropout
in a James Brown/Rick James-ish powerhouse that brought
the roof down. He wasn't done when the number was,
either. He checked out his look with the audience and
launched into an encore just to keep us going. Now
THERE was an actor who knew how to use his ten minutes
of stage time.

So, let's talk about the real reason most of us were at
the Eugene O'Neill or envying those who were. I spent
90% of my time at the show with my eyes glued to Lucy
Lawless. I saw the woman who's usually playing a
Warrior Princess sing, dance, chug-a-lug, belch, crack
gum, make out behind the football bleachers, hula-hoop,
and just generally razz it up like a 50s teenager. It
was a bizarre and incredibly funny thing to watch.

A couple of my personal favorite moments: during the 
aforementioned hula hoop dance number, Rizzo (or Lucy?) 
apparently wasn't too good with that hoop. She got a
look of furious concentration as all the others
immediately launched into hula-ing. The night I was
there, she managed to keep the hoop rolling for a
decent amount of time, much to her own - and the
crowd's - delight, but it dropped before the  end,
resulting in a furious stomp and pout from Rizzo. I 
don't know whether that was an intended part of the
show or just scripted in to cover hula-hooping mishaps,
but either way, Lawless hammed it up to a T, and it was
a scene-stealer.

I was chuckling, too, during the football game. Rizzo
and Kenickie spent the entire scene making out,
including lots of serious rear-end fondling. I wondered
if the guy who played Kenickie understood how many
people would maim small children and puppies to be in
his shoes?

Of course, one of the most talked-about moments was the 
appearance of the Xena war cry. Cha-Cha crossed the
stage to Kenickie and Rizzo, "Hai!"ing and "Cha!"ing
all the way with lots of kicks and prances. I'd read
the online reviews; I knew what was coming and was
already laughing, although no small part of that was
Cha-Cha's antics. Sure enough, when Cha-Cha finally
reached the bewildered Kenickie and the unimpressed
Rizzo, Rizzo replied to the final "Chya!" with her own
"AiLILILILI!" The crowd, right on cue, went nuts.

So, objectively (or my best attempt at it), how did
Lawless do? Her dancing passed muster, although there
wasn't anything stellar there. I noticed it especially
during the big school dance; maybe it's just because
they had her in a sheath dress that looked tough as the
devil to try to move in, but her dance moves didn't
quite reach the levels the others' did. Her singing was
very nice - she belted out her own version of "Greased
Lightning" and had fun with "Look at Me, I'm Sandra
Dee." Her voice was strong and on target. But it was
Lucy's acting that really shone. When she sang "There 
Are Worse Things I Could Do," I could see her tears
from 25 rows back, and she grabbed the sympathy of a
rowdy crowd with ease. That's the level of acting
talent that has turned a camp adventure show into
something with a bit more depth to it. I was lucky to
have the chance to see it in a live theatre. My hat's
off to the GREASE producers who came up with the
brainstorm of taking advantage of a chance Rosie 
O'Donnell remark and turning it into a publicity tour
that seemed to be make everyone happy - the show
producers, Lucy Lawless, and the XENA fans. More power
to them!


===================
AMENDED ANNOTATIONS
===================

[000.3] 01-20-85 to 04-27-86
   NOTE: Non-XWP references. Furniture designer Jon
Cockrell's Xena table series was all the rage in 1985
and 1986.


[000.3a] 01-20-85
   Chicago Tribune. SECTION: HOME; Pg. 1; ZONE: C. 1259
words. "DECORATIVE ARTS; GALLERIES HAIL A RENAISSANCE
IN CRAFTSMANSHIP FURNITURE, AS SEEN THROUGH ARTISTS'
EYES." BY By Elaine Markoutsas.
   COMMENTARY: The Xena table shown in graphic. 
   EXCERPT:
   GRAPHIC:
   ... Lloyd Schwan's "Urban Furniture Plan" adapted
from a blueprint. All three designers are Chicagoans.
PHOTO: Jon Cockrell's Xena table, of plate glass, solid
aluminum and black rubber.
 

[000.3b] 04-27-86
   Chicago Tribune. SECTION: HOME; Pg. 1; ZONE: C. 1925
words. "ONE OF A KIND CITY DESIGNERS MAKE FURNITURE A
WORK OF ART" By Dylan Landis.  
   COMMENTARY: The Xena table described and priced at
only $4,500, 1986 dollars. 
   EXCERPT:
   ... farms out the construction to the best craftsmen
and metalworkers he can find, and names the designs as
if they were elements he had just discovered: Xyla,
Xulu, Xena.     
   Xena, a table, consists of three layers of glass,
held apart by bolts and  rubber cushions and resting on
aluminum ...
   ...PHOTO: Jon Cockrell and Xena, a gleaming, $4,500
table with pointed aluminum legs and a layered glass
top...


[000.4] 02-07-88
   THE NEW YORK TIMES. SECTION: Section 11WC; Page 28,
Column 6; 1117 words. By LYNNE AMES.
   COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. A pooch is named
White Crest Xena.
   EXCERPT:
   ... Bauer's entries at the two-day Westminster show,
considered to be the sport's most prestigious event,
are champion White Crest Xena and White Crest Jimbony's
Cricket, white miniature poodles bred and owned by
Alice Hartman of Yonkers. Mr. Bauer ...


[000.5] 11-21-88
   PUGET SOUND BUSINESS JOURNAL. Vol 9; No 28; Sec 1;
pg 3. 836 words. "REI Catalogs Lure Japanese Outdoor
Enthusiasts" By Debra Prinzing. 
   COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. A flashlight with
that magic name!
   EXCERPT:
   ... like Patagonia," Faris said.
   REI's prices appeal to Japanese customers, too. One
of REI's Hong Kong-made flashlights, the "Xena Lite,"
is a bargain at $39.95. The same item sells for 16,000
yen, or about $ 130, through a ...


[000.6] 01-01-89
   GIFTS & DECORATIVE ACCESSORIES. Vol. 90; Pg. 13;
103479 words
"Manufacturers, importers, jobbers, distributors;
giftwares industry; Annual Buyers Directory; buyers
guide"
   COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. Xena Designs....a
Detroit business....makes one wonder, no?
   EXCERPTS:
   ... Xena Designs (M-I-D), 
PO Box 10162 Detroit MI  48210


[000.7] 04/08/89
   THE COURIER-JOURNAL (Kentucky). NEWS; Pg. 11A; 1624
words "KENTUCKY DEATHS"
   COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. The death of a Xena,
born in 1905.
   EXCERPT:
   ... BOWLING GREEN -- Xena Vance Watson, 84, died
here Thursday. Funeral, 10 a.m. Monday, J. C. Kirby &
Son Funeral Home.... 


[001.5] 04-23-92
   NEWSDAY (Nassau and Suffolk). Pg. 89. 742 words
"SALES AND SERVICES" By Dan Feinstein
   COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. A beauty company on
Long island, NY.
   EXCERPTS:
   ... Xena's Beauty Co., 158 W. 13th St., (212)
633-8550, 11 a.m.-4 p.m....


[001.6] 08-15-92
   BILLBOARD. ALBUM REVIEWS; Pg. 57. 1037 words. "POP"
By PAUL VERNA, CHRIS MORRIS, AND EDWARD MORRIS.   
   COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. More Xena businesses!
Now it is Xena Media. 
   EXCERPT:
   ... like title track, "Universe," and "Chewy-Chewy"
could work in clubs and on adventurous modern rock
outlets.  Contact Xena Media: 617-648-2120...


[002.1] 05-25-93
   Sueddeutsche Zeitung. 2306 words. "Terminkalender
Ausstellungen - Museen"
   COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. Yes, I am taking
obsessiveness beyond sane bounds. There's a young
German pianist out there is Bavaria named...Xena!!!!
   EXCERPT:
   ...Konzertreihe Junge Kuenstler: Xena Manoussaki,
Klavier, und Ralf Forster, Klarinette, spielen
Kompositionen von Chopin, Brahms, Liszt, Poulance u.a.
20 Uhr, Pianohaus Lang, Landsberger Str. 336...


[002.2] 01-27-94
   THE TIMES. Features. 1046 words. "The she-devils,
from Medea to Madonna" By Marina Warner.  
   COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. DUH! So that's what
it means!!!
   EXCERPT:
   ...Women have, occasionally, successfully confronted
the fear issue, by highlighting their femaleness.
Virago, the feminist publishing house, is one example
another is the group of five women writers in Zagreb,
who were recently denounced as ''dangerous'' by the
Croatian nationalist press. They immediately had badges
made for themselves and their supporters, bearing the
motto: Opasna Xena (dangerous woman)....


[019.3] 05-15-95
   IAC (SM) NEWSLETTER DATABASE (TM). Product Alert.
No. 20, Vol. 25; 85 words. "Old West Venison Jerky
MANUFACTURER: Xena Game Ranch CATEGORY: Other Snacks"
   COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. The Xena Game Ranch.
Sounds entertaining!
   EXCERPT:
   ...Old West Venison Jerky is prepared for Xena Game
Ranch of Watrous, SK, Canada....


[023.5] 06/27/95
   AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Business; Pg. C1. 893
words. "Gardeners added to 'Golden Triangle'; Smith and
Hawken to join new crop of Northwest Austin merchants
this fall" By KIM TYSON
   EXCERPT:
   ... center on the northwest corner U.S. 183 and
Great Hills Trail will include a 5,300-square-foot Xena
Restaurant in the fall. Xena's is similar to Houston's
Restaurant, an American-style restaurant on Anderson
Lane, and is being built in Austin by ...
   ... Xena's Restaurant (Fall 1995)


[023.6] 06-27-95 to 08-14-96
   NOTE: Next time you are in Austin or Houstin, check
out Xena's Resturant!


[023.6a] 06-27-95
   AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Business; Pg. C1. 893
words. "Gardeners added to 'Golden Triangle'; Smith and
Hawken to join new crop of Northwest Austin merchants
this fall" By KIM TYSON
   COMMENTARY: Notice of Houston's Xena expanding into
Austin. 
   EXCERPT:
   ... center on the northwest corner U.S. 183 and
Great Hills Trail will include a 5,300-square-foot Xena
Restaurant in the fall. Xena's is similar to Houston's
Restaurant, an American-style restaurant on Anderson
Lane, and is being built in Austin by ...
   ... Xena's Restaurant (Fall 1995)


[023.6b] 12-14-95
   AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. XL Ent; Pg. 36. 422
Words. "Eatnews" by Anne Smith
   COMMENTARY:
   EXCERPT:
   WORTH THE WAIT
   Anyone involved in construction knows there are
always delays, and the owners of XENACQ HAVE recently
have been reminded of that truth. Several tentative
opening dates were left in the dust, as work progressed
on the adobe-style, earth-toned restaurant...
On Monday, with a little luck, an official opening is
slated for the 5,300- square-foot grill at 9828 Great
Hills Trail.  There's seating inside for 156, with
eight prime counter seats up front that command a view
of the food preparation. The menu is a little eclectic,
featuring grilled fish and chicken, some Southwestern-
style dishes and soups and sandwiches, plus a few
surprises (hot Thai beef stir- fry over cold greens and
fresh lump crab cakes). There's also a wine list with
about 30 labels. Owned by the Lavaca Group, Xena's
general manager is Austinite Alan Thomas, formerly of
Houston's, an American-style restaurant on Anderson
Lane.....


[023.6c] 05-16-96
   Austin American-Statesman. Pg. 25. 763 words. "A
WORLD OF CLASS; XENA FEATURES DIVERSE, QUALITY MENU,
SOPHISTICATED
DINING EXPERIENCE" BY Dale Rice
   COMMENTARY: A three and half star restaurant in
Austin, Texas. Not Greek, though. 
   REPRINT:
   XENA
   ADDRESS: 10201 Jollyville Road
   345-9944
   HOURS: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11
a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday
   CREDIT CARDS: Visa, MasterCard, American Express
   WHEELCHAIRS: Accessible
   Food *** Atmosphere *** Service ***1/2
   Most restaurants are easy to label. Italian.
Mexican. Chinese. Southern. Steakhouse. Home-style.
   But occasionally one pops up that is difficult to
classify. The new Xena restaurant in Northwest Austin
is a good example....


[023.6d] 08-08-96
   AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. XL Ent. Page 2. 514
words. "Trendoid Restaurants: improvement or
aberration?: By Ed Crowell.
   COMMENTARY: Not a XWP cite, but a Xena one. Austin's
Xena Restaurant made it as number 10 on the trendiest
restaurants list. 
   EXCERPT:
   ...Michael Barnes, who has a sharp sense of humor as
well as a good eye for trends, sums up the purpose of
his story on Page 34: ''In hopes of helping bewildered
Austin diners, we've rated some of our favorite
restaurants for levels of trendiness. The
accompanying guide will help identify the biggest
trendoids 50-feet high on our waitron scale by testing
for flashy design, quirky food and self-conscious
customers.''
   Here are the winners (if that's the word), but
you'll have to read the story to find out what makes
them loom tallest:
Bertram's, Bitter End Bistro, Brio, Coyote Cafe,
Louie's 106, Mezzaluna, Mustang Diner, Soma, Sullivan's
Steakhouse, Xena...


[023.6e] 08-08-96
   AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. August 08, 1996. XL Ent.
Page 34. 1492 words. "Attack of the Fifty Foot
Restaurant" By Michael Barnes.
   COMMENTARY: An detailed listing of why Xena
Restaurant found itself on the Ten Top Trendiest
Restaurants in Austin. "MOST TRENDY ENTREE: Tumbleweed
chicken on aguocate sauce stuffed with cheese, bacon,
jalapeno and sun dried tomatoes ($10.95)."
   EXCERPT:
   ...10. XENA
   10201 Jollyville Road
   THE CROWD: More suburban, family- oriented than
other
trendoids. 
   DISTINCTIVE DESIGN: Gotta be the wooden menu holders
or the log ceiling. 
   MOST TRENDY ENTREE: Tumbleweed chicken on aguocate
sauce stuffed with cheese, bacon, jalapeno and sun
dried tomatoes ($10.95). We also hear the spicy
stir-fry contains more than 30 ingredients!...


[023.6f] 08-14-96
   AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN. Page F1. 1223 words.
"Bring it on Home; Austinites Share Takeout Tips as
They Join the Grab-and-go Crowd" By Kitty Crider
   COMMENTARY: Non-XWP reference. The Xena Restaurant
in Austin was in the limelight again! It was cited as a
prominant eat-in restaurant with a special take-out
menu.
   EXCERPT:
   When the heat-beat days of August kill inclinations
to cook, join the carry-out cuisine movement.
   Like that hot new dance, the macarena, this movement
is nationwide. But it no longer is the province of
pizza joints and fast-food spots. Full-scale and
upscale restaurants offer takeout options.  
   When Xena, a contemporary American restaurant in the
Arboretum area, opened six months ago, it distributed
takeout menus in nearby apartment complexes, although
most of the restaurant's business is eat-in.
   People seem to expect takeout today, especially
single people and dual-income couples who work long
hours, says Xena general manager Alan Thomas...
   ...MIXED PLATE...
   ... Tumbleweed chicken ($12.80) from Xena, 1O201
Jollyville Road....  


===========
ANNOTATIONS
===========

[502] 09-16-96
   IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE. Episode no. 24.
Second release.
   COMMENTARY: See XMR408 for synopsis and commentary.


[503] 09-16-96
   DICK CLARK'S TV CENSORED BLOOPERS. NBC. 8pm.  
   COMMENTARY: XENA bloopers appeared on network
television. The bloopers shown were: 
   CRADLE OF HOPE. When Xena's checking her weapons and
the hook breaks off - LL says she "bwoke" her sword.
Also, LL's talking and says she's "got a few tricks up
my sleeve." Then mugs to the camera and says in kiwi,
"I don't have any sleeves."
   BLACK WOLF. Xerxes is pulling Xena's sword out of
the scabbard and hits her in the head with the hilt. 
He holds her head while LL puts on a mean face and
makes like she's gonna hit him.
   DEATH IN CHAINS. LL in the tunnel with the rats
crawling around her and Lucy's just grimacing, "Eeuu"
and "Yuck"-ing.
   DREAMWORKER. When X & G are getting to the village
after killing the highwaymen - Lucy's getting off the
Argo, slips off and almost falls if Renee O'Connor
hadn't helped her. Also, a scene where Xena's about to
mount Argo while they're both running, except that the
horse changes direction and Lucy goes flying off.


[504] 09-16-96
   MEDIAWEEK. Vol 6, No. 38. Page 46-47.  1242 words.
"Old heroes live again." by Michael Freeman.
   COMMENTARY: A lengthy look at why XWP and HTLJ are
so popular and what shows like SINBAD and TARZAN have
in mind. Plenty of quotes from studio execs. Actually,
this a pretty funny read which concludes viewers dig
XENA and HERCULES because they are no brainer joyrides. 
"People don't want to work too hard when they watch
TV," quips one higher-up. Like, duh, studio guy, we
don't want to work too hard when we do just about
anything that we do! Isn't that why someone invented
disposable diapers, four-wheel drive vehicles, and
take-out Chinese Restaurants? Think about it. [MBE]
   REPRINT:
   More than a half-century ago, cheaply produced
B-grade serials such as Tarzan, Zorro and The Lone
Ranger brought kids and adults in droves to
neighborhood nickelodeons. Today's viewing public may
not have the same sense of innocence or awe, but they
are nonetheless flocking to the small screen for an
hour of escapism with the hit action-adventure series
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: The Princess
Warrior.
   On the whole, yesterday's innocence has indeed given
way to jaded expectations and growing cynicism among
today's moviegoers and TV viewers. So how is it
possible that medieval-era series such as Hercules and
Xena-which lack the whiz-bang sci-fi gimmickry of a
Star Trek-capture the collective imaginations of
American and international viewing audiences? 
   The answers are varied and not always that easy to
qualify. On the surface, one thing is for sure; both
Hercules and Xena take a decidedly revisionist view of
history by injecting healthy doses of contemporary
invention and humor-almost completely blurring the
lines between myth and reality. Here's some inkling of
how Hercules playfully turns history upside-down:
   Produce stands were no doubt a reality in gothic
times, but Hercules (portrayed by Kevin Sorbo) walks up
to a fast-food vendor equipped with a flattop grill in
the middle of a remote forest. Herc takes a bite from a
sandwich in pita bread, then spits it out: "Hey, this
tastes like road kill!" The oblivious vendor instead
points to a sign above him reading "Falafel's." He
sheepishly asks, "Hey, what do you think of my name
atop the sign?"
   Singer Tony Bennett's famous ode to the city of San
Francisco becomes subtle fodder: After
strongman/sidekick Iolaus (played by Michael Hurst)
barely escapes a beheading and falling in love with a
mean-spirited king's daughter, he says to Hercules,
"You know, I left my heart in Cyros." Hercules retorts,
"Well, at least you kept your head with you."
   Undoubtedly, it's a formula that is connecting with
viewers. And, typical of today's Hollywood mindset, it
is spawning modern versions of similarly classic
fables, Tarzan and Sinbad.
   "All I can think of is that imitation is the
sincerest form of flattery," says Dan Filie, who, as
vice president of MCA Television, is the executive in
charge of Hercules and Xena. "While I think the entry
of Tarzan and Sinbad speak volumes about the health of
the hour (syndication) marketplace, clearly the success
of Hercules and Xena is unique and may not be
duplicable. In the end, viewers don't just watch
genres, they simply watch good shows."
   Given the size of the multimillion dollar budgets
put forward on action-adventure series today, it
appears that the producer/distributors of The
Adventures of Sinbad and Tarzan: The Epic Adventures
have no intentions of trying to directly emulate
Hercules' and Xena's methods of success.
   For this month's (Sept. 23) launch of All American
Television's Sinbad, creator and executive producer Ed
Naha stresses that the series "will not load up with
snappy quips or rapid-fire comebacks," but instead will
"transpose" contemporary humor through several
characters' actions and attitudes.
   "We have an absent-minded professor named Firouz
(played by Tim Progosh) who invents everything from
hang gliders to surfboards, but none of it ever
survives time because he forgets to write any of it
down," says Naha, who scripted the hit film Honey, I
Shrunk The Kids as well as some episodes of Tales of
the Crypt. "What I'm trying to do is to use Firouz and
a couple of other characters to play off Sinbad
(portrayed by Zen Gesner), but I don't want to have too
many jokes diminishing the dramatic throughline of the
show."
   It's All in the Dialog
   However, Peter Sussman, an executive vp of Atlantis
Films, the company producing Sinbad, suggests that the
viewers' renewed acceptance of period pieces is based
on the utilization of contemporary, "user-friendly"
dialog.
   "A lot of these shows offer liberal doses of modern
dialogue and humor because it allows them to be
accessible and understandable," explains Sussman, who
also takes an executive producer credit on Sinbad. "The
truth is that people don't want to work hard when they
are watching television. In today's TV universe, ease
of use becomes all the more important because viewers
can switch theaters in the click of a remote."...


[505] 09-21-96
   TVGUIDE. Sept. 21-27. "TV guide Crossword"
   Contributed by MoonHowler lone_wolf16@wow.com
   COMMENTARY:
   TV Guide Crossword. This is very small, but its for
anyone who collects even the smallest amount of
collectibles. In the TV guide (week of 9/21-9/27) in
the very back there is a crossword puzzle, as always.
BUT this one is special!! Number 22 down reads _____:
Warrior Princess. I think we all know the answer to
this one. [MH]
   Making it into the TV guide crossword means that
someone thinks you are common knowledge. [KT]


[506] 09-17-96 to 09-23-96
   NOTE: The amazing Ms. Glanton has recycled her 08-
28-96 article about XWP one more time and relied
heavily upon quotes used in the 08-28-96 article.
   Ms. Glanton opened her article fantasizing what it
would be like to peruse the job requirements of being a
warrior princess (should be strong and brave; being
pretty is a plus; must vow to protect the powerless and
battle barbarians; superhuman powers are not mandatory,
but advisable; and must be able to save whole
civilizations in a single episode).   
   Reflecting on the shows popularity, Ms. Lawless was
quoted saying, "It just seems to have hit the world at
the right time...The world is ready for a woman hero
who is smarter and stronger than she is good-looking."
   Regarding Xena's costume, Ms. Glanton wrote, "While
no one doubts Xena's brains and brawn, executive
producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi don't mind having a
little fun with Lawless's beauty. Muscular, and nearly
6 feet tall, Lawless is laced each week into a
bustier-like costume of leather and metal.  If the
outfit seems a little exploitative for a feminist icon,
a bit constricting for a superheroine, that's one of
Xena's little jokes."
   The Ms. Glanton developed the idea of "little jokes"
permeating the series by listing some (the blatant
anachronism; the disclaimers in the credits at the end
of the episodes; the show attracts a wide variety of
sexual interpretations; and no respect for continuity
of genre).
   Regarding the character of Xena, Ms. Lawless was
quoted as saying, "Xena can make mistakes, although
she's never made to look stupid...That gave me a whole
new perspective and I let go of all those
super-protective guards that actors like to have on
their characters." 
   Ms. Glanton also listed Xena's armory (chakram,
accupressure, battle cry, martial arts) and then
mentioned that Ms. Lawless was taken by surprise by the
heartfelt letters from fans, the Internet forums, and
the Ms. cover article that hailed her as a feminist
icon.  Ms. Lawless was quoted as saying, "People
somehow find [Xena] really empowering...For a long
time, I was very afraid of the role model stuff. But
only recently, I'm realizing that this is just a true
honor."
   Ms. Glanton correctly listed the second season as
ordered for 22 episodes (amazingly way before
Renaissance Pictures knew!). RP at that time was
anticipating another 24 as in the first season and
Variety reported the 2nd and 3rd seasons would have 26
episodes! [KT] 


[506a] 09-17-96 
   AP ONLINE. Tuesday. Entertainment, television and
culture. 1134 words. "Lawless Lays Down Law As Xena"
(also released as "Xena: So Mean She Got A Series") By
Eileen Glanton
   REPRINT:
   It's hard to imagine, though fun to speculate about,
the job qualifications of a television warrior
princess.
   Like superheroines before her, she should be strong
and brave.  If she's pretty, so much the better.
   She must vow to protect the powerless and battle
barbarians.   
   Superhuman powers aren't mandatory, but advisable,
and she must be able to save whole civilizations in a
single episode.
   A real-life name like Lucy Lawless may seal the
deal.
   Lawless, a 28-year-old New Zealand actress, stormed
into the world of syndicated action-adventure
television in March 1995 as a guest character on
"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys." Giant, beautiful
and fierce, Xena and her band of warriors tried to kill
Hercules in a quest for his empire. 
   But within the space of an episode, the warriors
defected and the power-hungry princess realized she was
losing her humanity. In later episodes, Xena and
Hercules became allies, then lovers. In fall 1995, Xena
pulled off a true feminist coup: She got her own
series.
   One year later, the campy, comic action show, which
blends ancient mythology with Hong Kong-style fight
scenes and special effects, has legions of fans and
solid ratings (check local listings for time and
channel). Along the way, Xena, who now fights only for
justice, has become something of a role model. 
   "It just seems to have hit the world at the right
time," Lawless said. "The world is ready for a woman
hero who is smarter and stronger than she is
good-looking."
   While no one doubts Xena's brains and brawn,
executive producers Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi don't mind
having a little fun with Lawless's beauty. Muscular,
and nearly 6 feet tall, Lawless is laced each week into
a bustier-like costume of leather and metal.  If the
outfit seems a little exploitative for a feminist icon,
a bit constricting for a superheroine, that's one of
"Xena's" little jokes.
   Some others:
   Time. The show is set somewhere in the "golden age
of myth." Dialogue, however, bubbles with the hip
double entendres of, say, "Melrose Place." 
   Closing credits. Read the fine print; you're likely
to find a guarantee that no Amazon warriors were killed
while filming the show.
   Sexuality. Men love Xena. But so do women, and
viewers and producers alike snicker about Xena's
friendship with Gabrielle, the young, blond sidekick
played by Renee O'Connor.
   Continuity. "We have no respect for that!" crows
Lawless.  "Sometimes it's completely slapstick, then
it'll be more intense and dramatic, with some fantastic
moral dilemma.'"
   Lawless believes those moral dilemmas give her
character more depth than the average superhero.
   "Xena can make mistakes, although she's never made
to look stupid," she explains. "That gave me a whole
new perspective and I let go of all those
super-protective guards that actors like to have on
their characters." 
   Xena may be vulnerable, but she's mighty well-armed.
She wields a chakram, a razor-sharp discus. She uses
the "Xena touch," a two-fingered pinch on the pressure
points of the neck, to elicit information from
uncooperative sources. Her battle cry, which sounds
something like "Yi-yi-yi," strikes fear into gods and
mortals alike. And she boasts excellent martial-arts
skills, honed in sessions with Douglas Wong, a renowned
kung fu master in Los Angeles. 
   Lawless knew from the beginning that Xena was a
formidable character. But the heartfelt letters from
fans, the Internet forums, the Ms. cover article that
hailed her as a feminist icon, took her by surprise.
   "People somehow find her really empowering," she
said. "For a long time, I was very afraid of the role
model stuff. But only recently, I'm realizing that this
is just a true honor."
   By the end of last season, "Xena" ranked as high as
11th among syndicated shows, occasionally beating out
the likes of "Baywatch." This season, in 22 original
episodes, "Xena" is aiming squarely at the Top 10. 
   Success seems imminent; after all, if Xena can save
Prometheus, can't she pummel David Hasselhoff?
   Yi-yi-yi!


[506b] 09-19-96
   THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE. Page P6D. 508 words.
"Lawless Lays down the Law Hard as 'Xena'"
  COMMENTARY: Edited down version of xmr506a


[506c] 09-21-96
   AP WORLDSTREAM. Saturday. 987 words. "AP Photo
NY460" By EILEEN GLANTON
   COMMENTARY: Pared down version of XMR506a.


[506d] 09-28-96
   CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Saturday. Page 28. 412 words. 'Lucy
Lawless Lays down the Law as 'Xena'" By Eileen Glanton.
   COMMENTARY: Edited version of XMR506a.


[506e] 09-17-96
     THE NEWS TRIBUNE (Waltham, MA). 434 words. "Xena
Updates Superheroine Image" By Eileen Glanton.
     COMMENTARY: Edited version of XMR506a.
     Contributed by XenaWPrinc@aol.com


[506f] 09-17-96
     CHATTANOOGA FREE PRESS. Entertainment Section; Pg.
B4. 775 words. "Lucy Lawless Lays Down The Law As
Television's "Xena". By Eileen Glanton
     COMMENTARY: same as XMR506a.


[506g] 09-17-06
     GT Online
http:www.usa.net/gtonline/archive/96-09-17/lif011.html
"Xena bursts into prominence." by Eileen Glanton
     COMMENTARY: same as XMR506a.


[506h] 09-23-96
   THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS. "Xena is standing tall
among superheroes." by Eileen Glanton. 
   COMMENTARY: Same as XMR506a


[507] 09-19-96
   NEW MEDIA MARKETS. 425 words. "Sky 2 Comes down to
Earth with The Simpsons"
   COMMENTARY: XWP was the top rated program for
Britain's Sky 2 for the week ending September 8, 1996.
XWP logged in 214,000 viewers that Sunday at 7pm. The
competition was ST: Deep Space Nine, showing on Sky 1
at the same time, and ST:DS9 logged in 228,000 viewers.
[KT]
   EXCERPT:
   Sky 2, British Sky Broadcasting's new peaktime
entertainment channel, recorded a viewing share in
Astra homes of 0.6 per cent in its first full week, the
week ending September 8.  Its best figures were among
men aged 16-plus and individuals aged 16-34, getting
0.7 per cent in both cases. 
   The figures represent a major fall on the channel's
first night's showing, the previous Sunday, when it
recorded shares of between 7.6 per cent and 10.4 per
cent for five old episodes of The X Files: all five got
into the Top 20 satellite programmes for the week and
that one evening's programmes produced a
whole-week score of 0.7 per cent.  
   A down-to-earth figure for the first full week was
to be expected, but British Sky Broadcasting might have
hoped for a slightly better performance. Confidential
"unconsolidated" overnight figures for the following
week, ending September 15, which do not take into
account time-shifting, suggest a further drop, to 0.5
per cent....
   ...The channel's top programme was Xena: Warrior
Princess, with 214,000 viewers. The programme was shown
at 7pm Sunday, against Sky 1's Star Trek: Deep Space 9,
which attracted 228,000 viewers.  The new channel was
also helped by Melrose Place (147,000) and New York
Undercover (129,000).
   The overall cable and satellite share for the week
was 38.6 per cent, down 1.3 percentage points on the
previous week.  The BSkyB channels as a whole were down
1.2 points.  Sky 1 won back the 0.7 points it lost the
previous week, but the three sports channels lost 1.6
points and the two premium film channels lost 0.2
points.
   Cartoon Network returned to form with a rating of
11.2 per cent among 4- 15 year-olds, with Nickelodeon
down to 7.7 per cent.  UK Gold had a low 2 per cent,
but said that a low figure was to be expected with the
launch of the terrestrial channels' autumn schedules. 
UK Living had a respectable 1.3 per cent among all
adults.
   Discovery continued to do well among Men 16-plus,
with 1.8 per cent, and Adult ABC1s, with 1.4 per cent.
   The cable and satellite share among all UK TV homes
was 10.8 per cent, a figure that represents not only
how well cable programmes performed but also the number
of cable homes in the country.


[508] 09-19-96
   DAILY VARIETY. News Section. Page 1. 394 words. "New
'Oprah' season off to a big  start.". by Jenny Hontz
   COMMENTARY: Ratings for the second run of "Death
Mask", episode no. 23. 
   REPRINT:
   King World's top talkshow "Oprah" kicked into high
gear in its premiere week ending Sept. 8. The queen of
talk averaged a 9 rating for the week, placing second
to perpetual No. 1 "Wheel of Fortune" among all syndie
shows and improving 23% from her year-ago average,
according to Nielsen... 
   ...In weekly action, Par's "Star Trek: Deep Space
Nine" finally regained its footing. After trailing MCA
TV's action hours for the past two months, "Star Trek"
rose 14% to a 4.8, tying at the top of the hour
weeklies MCA's "Hercules," which lost 6%. "Xena"
finished third despite a 2% increase to 4.5.


[509] 09-20-96
   THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE. Friday. Page E-1. 423
words. "The real mystery: Why's Profiler' even on the
air?" By Robert P. Laurence 
   COMMENTARY: In an extensive review of why the
network television show "The Profiler" was not too
good, the reviewer mentioned XWP in a non-sensical
rhetorical question: "One cop believes in her method of
figuring out the motive to find the killer, while
another, naturally, does not.  "I don't care why he
does it.  I just want to stop it," snorts the skeptic.
Will he learn how wrong he is?  Just as sure as
Nostradamus watched "Xena: Warrior Princess" every
week."
   This type of Xena non-sequitor is no longer
uncommon. More will be forth coming, no doubt, once the
new season has begun and XWP garners more critical and
cult attention. [KT]
   EXCERPT:
   ..."Profiler" offers a tinge of that surrealism, a
bit of paranormal mumbo jumbo, but its roots are more
mundane.  It's really just a weaker, dumbed-down
imitation of "Cracker," the British series of
occasional movies about a police psychologist that have
been seen the last few years over cable's A&E channel.
("Profiler" isn't even the only "Cracker" imitation on
prime time this year; CBS is offering its own
cop-shrink drama, "Moloney.")
   But where "Cracker" is a tough-minded, provocative,
often bewildering series about a fat man who eats,
drinks and gambles too much for his own good (played
brilliantly by Robbie Coltrane), "Profiler" is about a
beautiful, blond, single mom who has quit the cops but
is brought back to handle an especially tough case.  In
other words, she's been molded according to TV-network
notions of what women viewers want to see, although by
their very nature these sci-fi/fantasy shows appeal
mainly to young men.
   Ally Walker plays the title character, Samantha
Waters, a psychologist with a gift for walking through
a murder scene and seeing what happened in her mind's
eye.
   One cop believes in her method of figuring out the
motive to find the killer, while another, naturally,
does not.  "I don't care why he does it.  I just want
to stop it," snorts the skeptic.
   Will he learn how wrong he is?  Just as sure as
Nostradamus watched "Xena: Warrior Princess" every
week....


[510] 09-20-96
   BUSINESS WIRE. Friday. 889 words. "Entertainment
Drive expands staff, operations and headquarters in
preparation for Web launch"
   COMMENTARY: In anticipation of the opening of its
megasite on the web, Entertainment Drive (eDrive) has
hired five new editors. One of the editors is Natalie
Anderson, who last served as Manager of Publicity for
MCA TV overseeing publicity campaigns for "Hercules:
The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess."
[KT]
   EXCERPT:
   ...Entertainment Drive (eDrive), the online pioneer
that connects fans on CompuServe (GO EDRIVE), WOW! and
the Internet to the best in entertainment worldwide,
has filled five new editorial positions as the company
prepares for the October launch of its "megasite" on
the Web.  The new hires were announced today by
Entertainment Drive LLC President and CEO Michael
Bolanos, who also notes that the company has more than
doubled the existing loft space at the company's
corporate headquarters in New York City as it expands
its global distribution....
   ...Natalie Anderson, Consultant - Anderson comes to
eDrive from Los Angeles with an extensive background in
Hollywood publicity.  She last served as Manager of
Publicity for MCA TV overseeing publicity campaigns for
"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior
Princess." At eDrive she will serve as a booking agent
for celebrity online chats and coordinate publicity
materials submitted by major television, home video and
music companies....


[511] 09-21-96
   THE WASHINGTON POST. Saturday. Page C01. 1549 words.
"Woman of Steel; Television's Warrior Xena Is a
Superheroine With Broad Appeal" by Elizabeth Kastor. 
   COMMENTARY: Wide-ranging discussion of XWP's appeal
to feminists, little girls, lesbians, and men of all
ilks. Special emphasis is given to the bizarre
demographics of the show. Ms. Kastor interviews several
fans (a cartoonist, a Xena webpage maintainer, a toy
collector, a lesbian magazine editor, a 7 year-old-
girl). The article is divided into parts called such as
Male Fantasy, Great Hair and Mayhem: the Best of Both
Worlds, Lesbian Cult Figure, and Little Xenites.
   This article is in the tradition of the VILLAGE
VOICE article by Stacey D'Erasmo, 12-26-95,
"Xenaphilia", but not as intellectual. [KT]
   REPRINT:
   You will notice her breasts. Really there's no way
not to, what with all the swirls and twists of metal
buttressing her leather bustier. 
   And the thighs -- long and muscular beneath the
flaps of her leather miniskirt. And her ululating
battle cry: "Iyi-yi-yi-yi-yi-yi!" 
   She is the sort of woman who can grab an arrow in
mid-flight, who can hurl grown men through the air.  
   She is Xena, Warrior Princess. Turn on your TV, tune
in her show and interpret her at will.
   Xena has been heralded as a feminist icon. A lesbian
fantasy. A little girls' role model. Descendant of a
venerable line of pulp characters, Xena is a fighter
who has discovered her inner pacifist and uses her
powers to defend the weak, the injured, the sensitive.
   The syndicated series "Xena: Warrior Princess" is
filmed in New Zealand with the nearly six-foot-tall
actress Lucy Lawless in the title role, and is
broadcast on Channel 50 twice a week. (The season
opener airs Oct. 1 at 9 p.m., with a repeat Oct. 6 at 6
p.m.) A spinoff from "Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys," Xena went on to become the most successful
new syndicated series last year.
   She has inspired more than two dozen Web sites and
legions of devoted fans known as Xenites. Lesbian bars
sponsor Xena nights. A grinning Xena raised her sword
on the cover of the August issue of Ms. magazine.
Lawless has done David Letterman and Jay Leno.
   "I heard about 'Hercules' from a friend," says Sarah
Dyer, a cartoonist from Staten Island who collects
female action figures. "I really wasn't that into it,
but Xena comes on immediately after, and I thought,
'This rules!' I really, really love it."
   Xena exists in an alternate universe that is
ostensibly ancient Greece, but the costumes and
colloquialisms veer across centuries and cultures. (In
one episode she sings a dirge in Yiddish. Go figure.)
Villages and villains have that
prehistoric/post-apocalyptic look -- lots of
quasi-Roman armor and matted hair. Whenever nervous
villagers hear threatening sounds and ask Xena "What's
that?," her answer, always, is: "Trouble."
   She has a signature weapon as all good heroes do --
the discus-like "chakram," with its "razor-sharp edge"
-- and her version of Mr. Spock's Vulcan nerve pinch,
the "Xena touch."
   It is a show so self-consciously campy that when
Xena hides a small dagger in her bustier, her sassy
blond sidekick, Gabrielle, arches an eyebrow and says,
"As if your breasts weren't dangerous enough!"
   And the Xenites love it.
   The show's creators have cannily packed it with
multiple messages aimed at varied audiences. In
interviews with the gay press, the producers (one of
whom is open about being a lesbian) playfully refuse to
define the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle. But
Xena takes male lovers, and her long hair and skimpy
leather get-up are the stuff of standard heterosexual
male fantasy. Lesbians point to all those knowing
glances and suggestive conversations between Xena and
Gabrielle. But talk to straight male viewers and they
say they absolutely know Xena and Gabrielle are just
friends.
   And little girls -- they just like how Xena bashes
heads. 
   Male Fantasy
   Okay, Allen Snook admits it. "She caught my eye
because the actress is a beautiful woman." But he
quickly moved beyond that, really he did. 
   "It was not just another science fiction show like
'Star Trek,' " says the electrical engineer from
Laurel, whose wife also likes the show, although not
quite as passionately as he.
   Now, he has designed a Xena site on the World Wide
Web that gets 120 to 150 visitors a day, and has
already ordered the upcoming "Xena" soundtrack CD. He
likes to watch old episodes and polish the synopses he
runs on his Web page. 
   Sarah Dyer is an expert on female action heroes --
she is editor of the "Action Girl" comic magazines and
has a collection of action figure dolls. Xena, she
says, "is a really good girl action hero. She's a big
girl. She has big legs. She's not all waif-ish looking.
   "She really appeals to younger, post-feminist women
and girls. She wears a skirt and she proves you can
fight really good in a skirt. She has cool-looking
hair, but she kills people."
   Great hair and mayhem: the best of both worlds.
   Post-feminist though she may be, Xena is also retro,
the latest incarnation of what science fiction writer
and critic Gregory Feeley calls "the chick in a brass
bra." The archetype was created in 1916, when Edgar
Rice Burroughs published his first story about Thuvia,
Maid of Mars, in All-Story Magazine, and fearsome,
well-endowed women warriors have populated magazines,
pulp novels and comic books ever since.
   "These things were not being read by young lesbian
13-year-olds, or older gay women or young girls seeking
good role models," Feeley says of Xena's literary
ancestors. "They were being read by insecure guys.
There certainly has been a lot of psychosexual theories
about why the relatively unsophisticated, uneducated
male reader -- which was the main readership of these
books -- who would be deeply bothered by a strong woman
in his real life, could get off on a sword-wielding
damsel wearing hip thongs and a brass bra." 
   Feeley thinks the conventions of the pulp genre
allowed readers to feel safe from the swords of all
those avenging Amazon figures -- they knew the plots,
and the women would never surprise them. And Xena, he
suspects, rests on those old conventions at the same
time that she appears to be standing them on their
head. 
   Lesbian Cult Figure
   Kelly Marbury is certain Xena's fling with Hercules
was "just a phase." 
   "It was because of the trauma of her village being
destroyed," she says. Gabrielle is Xena's true love.
   Marbury, who sells computers in Virginia, spent her
childhood playing Batman, the Green Hornet, James Bond.
Her mother still has her Batmobile in storage. But she
had to wait until she was in her thirties to find a
female superhero who felt truly right for her.
   "The Wonder Woman cartoon kind of did it for me, but
'Wonder Woman' the TV series just left me empty,
because it was kind of fake and kind of girly," she
says. "It was like froufrou. But Xena is so butch."
   Xena has "major cult status" in the lesbian
community, according to Heather Findlay, editor of
Girlfriend magazine. She is not the first warrior woman
to achieve such popularity, she says, but she is
probably the most visible. 
   Watching Xena, says Marbury, "gives us a chance to
think that there's somewhere where the world will just
be okay. Maybe there's a place where we can just walk
on the street and not have the constant slap on the
face -- 'You can't get married, you can't exist, you
can't adopt children, you can't just be who you are.'
It's an hour to escape."
   The show's campiness -- the swoosh of Xena's sword
whizzing from its scabbard, the flash of absurdly
exaggerated stunts, the goofy double-entendres -- is
part of the appeal.
   "Now that it is -- for some women -- okay to be a
lesbian, there's a little more playfulness built into
our identity," says Findlay. "Twenty years ago,
lesbians bonded with one another on explicitly
political terms. Now, in the '90s, we're in a much
better position to say that as lesbians we sexually
desire other women. A figure like Xena can come along
with great cleavage and beautiful legs and we can enjoy
lusting after her on TV."
   Little Xenites
   The three girls are doing their homework, or maybe
they're not. Maybe they're just chatting and giggling
while their homework lies on the table at a Silver
Spring recreation center. Either way, mention Xena, and
they spark into simultaneous chatter, finishing one
another's sentences and bouncing in their chairs as
they punctuate their words with karate chops.
   Oh yes, they say, they love Xena.
   And why is that?
   "The way she looks and the way she acts!" begins
Karen Segovia, age 7. 
   "Like she knows -- " interrupts her sister Massiel
Aguilar, 10. 
   " -- how to fight good!" finishes Karen.
   In their own little Xena world, Karen is Gabrielle
and Massiel is Xena. (Isn't that always the way, the
older sister stealing all the good parts?) Their
neighbor Carla Rubin plays Xena's sister. They invented
the sister in order to include Carla in the game --
even if she doesn't watch Xena much, she is their
friend. They recruit their friends Patrick and Edgar to
be the bad guys and get chopped.
   That is all the boys are good for in this game.
Xena, they agree, has no boyfriends.
   "The only thing she cares about is fighting," says
Massiel, although she adds a boyfriend might be useful
as backup when Xena has to fight a particularly large
group of bad guys.
   Then, somehow, the conversation has shifted and
slipped, and now they are talking not about Xena and
her battles, but about their own; not about fighting,
but about fear. Like the way a pile of clothes can
transform into a monster when the lights are out. And
the time Massiel looked at Karen during the night, and
in the white, flat glow of the moon saw a witch.
   Childhood has always been filled with shadows and
visions and fears. Superheroes swoop in, fully armed,
invincible. Put a 5-year-old boy in a cape and he will
defeat the world. Give a 7-year-old girl an imaginary
chakram, and she can defeat the dark.
   Xena, they know, is never afraid.
   GRAPHIC: Photo, ap/g. short; Photo, mca photos,
Something for everyone: Lucy Lawless wields her deadly
chakram as the brassy heroine of the campy cult
television show "Xena: Warrior Princess." Great hair
and mayhem: Lucy Lawless as Xena, left, locks swords
with evildoer Dagnine, played by Mark Ferguson. Hudson
Leick as Callisto, left, and Xena reenact "Ben-Hur." 


[512] 09-21-96 
   THE NEW ZEALAND LISTENER. 
   Contributed by: Gary Thomas
(gthomas@manawatu.gen.nz)   
   COMMENTARY: The following is an excerpt from the New
Zealand Listener, the weekly magazine of the government
sponsored broadcasting authority. I believe that the 
magazine itself is an independent commercial company,
but I might be wrong. The magazine ran a readers' poll,
and part of the reported results, under the caption
"You said it", on September 21st, were (with my
explanations in brackets).
   EXCERPT:
   ...*New from Mars:* Lucy Lawless is the new sex
symbol - 12% of men voted  for her, as did 6% of
females, giving Xena a winning 9%. Strange though:
Alliance voters [the Alliance is the nearest thing to a
left wing political party that New Zealand has, it is
an Alliance of New Labour (the remains of the old
socialist Labour Party), the Greens (environmentalist),
Manu Motuhake (ethnic Maori party) and a couple of
minor middle of the road parties] identify with Xena
(15%) far more than, say, Labour ones (2%) [Labour used
to be the left wing party, but got hijacked by the
extreme new  right (old wrong) in the early 1980's. 
This is why New Zealand has the most free market
society in the world.  Labour was thrown out of office,
and is now desperately trying to regain its previous
left-of-centre position. It seems, however, that the
voters are unforgiving. Labour was one of the two major
parties (National, a right wing party, being the
other), but no longer]. 
   What do you do? Put her on the list with Pam? [Pam
Corkery, a very outspoken radio talkback host who gave
the job up to become an Alliance candidate in the
forthcoming election]
   Xena was closely followed by "my wife" at 7% - 17%
of men thought that woman was the sexiest,  [I can't
follow this - it implies that minus 3% of women thought
"my wife" was sexiest], Rachel Hunter scored 6%,
[Rachel Hunter, New Zealand model and wife of Rod
Stewart the singer] and women choosing themselves as
"sexiest" woman gave that category 5% overall. [As an
Alliance supporter myself, I am glad to see that
Alliance men in general show better taste than other
men.]


[513] 09-22-96
   THE SUNDAY TIMES (AUCKLAND). Features Section. Arts.
Page 2. 
   308 words. "Singing the praises of Aladdin." by
Patrick Smith.
   COMMENTARY:Discussion of a stage show that the very
talented Michael Hurst wrote and directed.  Xena is
mentioned with reference to some props in Hurst's
production that came from the show. [MBE]
   The character Hurst created in this Pantomime is
rumored to be appearing in the HTLJ shows FANCY FREE
and MEN IN PINK in the 1997-98 season.
    REPRINT:
   ALADDIN -- THE PANTOMIME, Watershed Theatre, until
September 28
   EEE, that Widow Twankey is daft -- falling down like
that and showing 'er knickers. I 'aven't laffed so much
since grandma died.
   Looking and sounding like Ken Dodd in a frock,
Michael Hurst's Widow Twankey is a marvelous dame who,
as well as being Aladdin's mum, is MC of this great
little holiday stage show.
   Hurst is obviously relishing being on the boards
again after the grind of the Hercules TV series and
it's great to have him back in this piece of
good-natured silliness, which he wrote and directed
himself.
    All the good old panto elements are here: Music,
songs, awful jokes, pratfalls, fantabulous costumes and
glittery sets (with a few props from Hercules and
Xena), romance, fights, and a really happy ending.
There's a comic dame, a dumb sidekick, a princess, a
wicked empress, policeman, robots and, of course, the
Genie of the Lamp. 
   Hurst has assembled a great cast for this bright and
lively, over-the-top spectacular: Claire O'Neil as a
classic Aladdin; Min Windle as the lovely Princess
Sharon; Willy de Wit as Bevan, the overdressed Genie of
the Lamp (whose secret ambition is to be a stand-up
comedian); wicked Alison Wall as the nasty Uncle
Abenazer/Dragon Empress of the Yellow Sea; Neill Duncan
as the fey (and terribly wishy-washy) Wishee-Washee;
and Grant Bridger as (the inexplicably Mexican) Omar
the Sheriff. Oh, and not forgetting Jason Smith as
Yehudi, "musical maestro and flim-flam controller".
   I took eight and 12-year-old boys along with me and
they both enjoyed themselves mightily, although they
weren't too keen to join the littlies and their parents
performing that magical Arafi Song. I had to do that
one.
   "Ah ram sam-sam, Ah ram sam-sam,
   Coolie-coolie-coolie-coolie-coolie . . ."
   Aw, come on, sing


[514] 09-23-96 
   THE EVENING POST (WELLINGTON). Features:
Entertainment. Page 5.
   385 words. "Taking a break from Shortland Street."
by Emily Simpson  
   COMMENTARY: Interview with one of the stars of the
New Zealand TV show Shortland Street, Kieren
Hutchinson. Keiren Hutchinson played Talus, Gabrielle's
just barely pubescent boy toy Talus in DEATH IN CHAINS.
[KT]. These articles about the NZ guest stars are so
far and few between that we have reprinted it.
   REPRINT:
    What: Shortland Street.
         Where: TV2.
         When: 7pm, Monday.
    SO, THIS is Wellington's main street." Kieren
Hutchison has discovered Lambton Quay.
   Hutchison's Shortland Street character, Jonathan
McKenna has been making mistakes lately at the clinic,
and is leaving town to cool off and spend some time
with his father. Meanwhile, the actor who plays him is
getting to know Wellington, his home for the next six
months, while he acts in a TV series of Swiss Family
Robinson.
   Hutchison plays Ernst, the eldest Robinson son who's
"on the brink of manhood". His father in the show is
played by Richard Thomas, best known for playing John
Boy on the Waltons. Speaking with a hint of the
American accent his new role requires, Hutchison says
he's having a great time playing the adventurous Ernst.
   Hutchison has wanted to be an actor since he was 10.
He loved the movies as a kid, and says he's still a
movie buff. He got involved in theatre at his high
school in Whangarei and was planning to audition for
drama school in Sydney when he landed the role of
Jonathan McKenna. He was surprised.
   "I thought I did a shocking audition."
   Hutchison appreciates that Shortland Street wasn't
afraid to have a gay character, and a non-stereotypical
one at that.
   "The fact that Jonathan is gay is secondary. He's
just one of the gang. I enjoyed playing him like that
because it breaks down stereotypes."
   Of all his storylines, Hutchison says he enjoyed
Jonathan's Aids scare most because it gave him some
serious scenes and made him think a lot about who
Jonathan was.
    Jonathan has a tendency to take off periodically,
which has given Hutchison a chance to take other parts,
such as Talus in Xena.
    "They keep sending Jonathan off to med school at
Otago in Christchurch," he says, with a typically
Auckland perspective on geography.
    Hutchison would like to act overseas, and has an
agent in Sydney and LA, but at the moment, he says,
he's living exactly how he wants to and sees no need to
go anywhere.
    This week, however, he's off to Fiji for six weeks
of filming the island scenes of Swiss Family Robinson.
    CAPTION:
    IN THE CAPITAL - Shortland Street's Kieren
Hutchison is in Wellington for the filming of Swiss
Family Robinson. 


[515] 09-23-96
   CHATTANOOGA FREE PRESS. News. Page A2. 41 words.
"Someday My Princess Will Come." by Victor Miller
   COMMENTARY: A Quick Q&A blurb. 
   EXCERPT:
   Q. What is the mailing address for Lucy Lawless,
star of the "Xena: Warrior Princess" television show?
   BILL LEMONS
   A. The actress can be written in care of Universal
Television, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City,
Calif. 91608.


[516] 09-23-96
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 296 words. "Mahern, Khouri
top WGAW vote" By David Robb 
   COMMENTARY: Brenda Lilly, staff writer on XWP, and
credited writer of the episode "Warrior...Princess",
was elected to a two year term on the Writers Guild of
America West's board of directors. [KT]
   EXCERPT:   
   Michael Mahern, who co-wrote Universal's 1991
gangster saga ''Mobsters,'' was the top vote-getter in
the race for eight seats on the Writers Guild of
America West's board of directors....
   ...Amy Holden Jones, who wrote ''The Rich Man's
Wife,'' ''Indecent Proposal,'' ''Mystic Pizza'' and
''Beethoven,'' won a seat on the board, as did Brenda
Lilly, who's a staff writer on ''Second Noah'' and
''Xena: Warrior Princess.'' Jones and Lilly both got
485 votes.  Each board seat is for two years....


[517] 09-23-96
   ELECTRONIC MEDIA. Page 32. 707 words. "Askin Taking
Tribune Shows Right to Action" By Greg Spring
   COMMENTARY:  Tribune Entertainment announced
development of two more action hours to join their
previously announced project of Battleground Earth.
Both will be based upon comic book franchises: "Terry
and the Pirates" and "The Nightman".  Tribune
Entertainment President Dick Askin was reported as
saying he was hoping that those shows will do for the
Tribune Group what MCA's "Hercules" and "Xena" has done
for them. [KT]
   EXCERPT:
   Looking to capitalize on its powerful station base,
Tribune Entertainment is developing two more action
hours as potential syndicated series for fall 1997.
   "Terry and the Pirates" and "The Nightman," both
based on comic book franchises, could join the
previously announced "Battleground Earth," giving the
company three action hours to showcase at the upcoming
National Association of Television Program Executives
conference.
   In addition, the company announced it will syndicate
''What About You?," a talk show hosted by ''Hangin'
With Mr. Cooper's'' Holly Robinson Peete for 1997. And
on the game show front, Tribune and All American
Television are developing ''Match Game 2'' and ''Card
Sharks'' as midseason replacements for the 1996 season
as part of their previously announced game show
alliance.
   The moves bolster Tribune's portfolio in all genres,
said Tribune Entertainment President Dick Askin. But
they also focus on a segment of the marketplace in
which Tribune has traditionally been lax: the action
hour. 
   And while a ''put'' on the Tribune station group is
not a sure thing, Mr. Askin said he is hoping those
stations can do for the new Tribune projects what they
have done for MCA's ''Hercules'' and ''Xena.''...
 

[518] 09-23-96
   SINS OF THE PAST. Episode no. 1. Third release.
Guest stars: Jay Laga'aia (Draco); Darien Takle
(Cyrene). Story by Robert Tapert. Teleplay by R.J.
Stewart. Directed by Doug Lefler.
   COMMENTARY: See XMR035.5 for synopsis.


[519] 09-24-96
   SOMETHING SO RIGHT. NBC Television show. 
   Contributed by: Larissa J. Frozina
(frozina@qnet.com)
   COMMENTARY: Walking in and out of the room I caught
part of 'Something So Right' on NBC. Stephanie, the
ex-wife, returns from LA for her daughter's birthday. 
(Sorry I don't know the names of the characters.)  She 
brings presents for the other two children.  The boy
gets a Thena action figure, "the breastplates come
off".  The younger girl opens her present and describes
it as "an outfit for a young hooker". Stephanie
responds that it's the costume she wears to play THENA:
WARRIOR GODDESS. Later, as Stephanie gets it on with
her soon to be ex-boyfriend, the husband and wife are
stuck in the living room.  She's eating cake and he's
playing with the action figure until his wife tells 
him to "put the breastplates back on." (Scary! sounds
like my house!  Poor Xena never seems to be able to
stay discretely clad!). They actually had a blonde 10"
action figure for him to play with. Stephanie decides
to stay in NY so she may be on next week's ep. So look
for the further adventures of "Thena: Warrior Goddess."


[520] 09-24-96
   BRUCE CAMPBELL PRODIGY SPOTLIGHT ONLINE CHAT. 
   From http://www.b-movie.com/bccentral.html
   COMMENTARY: Brief mention in Bruce Campbell on-line
chat.
   EXCERPT:
   ...SimiVllyGirl (PRODIGY Member):  I thought you
were really great on Hercules and Xena. Will you be
playing Autolycus again anytime soon? Bruce Campbell
(Speaker: We're trying, but it's a scheduling thing...



[521]  09-24-96
   SILK STALKINGS. Syndicated TV show. 
   Contributor:  novak@wolfram.com
   COMMENTARY: A character in the show made a reference
to XWP. In the scene a coroner talked to a detective.
The suspect was a woman. The coroner said something to
the effect of  unless she was Xena, Warrior Princess,
she couldn't have done it' (the victim had been
strangled  so violently that vertebrae were
dislocated). [novak@wolfram.com]



[522] 09-25-96 
   PUBLIC OPINION ONLINE. Question No. 014. 271 words.
   COMMENTARY: Notice of a Newsweek Poll.
   REPRINT:
   ...QUESTION: (Every year Newsweek's special
end-of-year issue profiles the newsmakers of the past
year. This year we'd like to ask you to help by casting
your vote for the 'newsmaker of the year' in a number
of different categories. As I read each list of names
tell me who you think is the biggest newsmaker. Please 
try to answer each question, but if you are not
familiar with any category, just say so and we'll go on
to the next.) The next category is television and the
names are...Jenny McCarthy, Rosie O'Donnell, Brooke
Shields, Hercules and Xena, Brandy the teenage star,
Kathie Lee Gifford, Michael J. Fox, the stars of
'Friends', Ellen DeGeneres, or David Duchovny. Which do
you think is the newsmaker of the year? 
   Jenny McCarthy                      - 56%
   Rosie O'Donnell                      - 16
   Brooke Shields                        -  6
   Hercules and Xena                  -  2
   Brandy                                     -  4
   Kathy Lee Gifford                   - 11
   Michael J. Fox                        - 15
   Stars of 'Friends'                      - 14
   Ellen DeGeneres                     -  8
   David Duchovny                     -  3
   Other (vol.)                             -  2
   Not Familiar with this category     -  7
   Don't know/Refused               -  8
   ORGANIZATION CONDUCTING SURVEY: PRINCETON SURVEY
RESEARCH ASSOCIATES. POPULATION: National adult. NUMBER
OF PARTICIPANTS: 601. INTERVIEW METHOD: Telephone.
SURVEY SPONSOR: Newsweek. 
   QUESTION NOTES: Adds to more than 100% due to
multiple responses.
   BEGINNING DATE: September 25, 1996. ENDING DATE:
September 29, 1996. SOURCE DOCUMENT: PRINCETON SURVEY
RESEARCH ASSOCIATES, NEWSWEEK POLL. DATE OF RELEASE OF
SOURCE DOCUMENT: September 1996


[523] 09-25-96
     ALMOST PERFECT. Television show.
     Contributed by: Lori Vollnogle
(levollno@ix.netcom.com)
     COMMENTARY:  A character in the show says that
over the summer he remodeled his house and ran out of
money. He was forced to write for XENA: WARRIOR
PRINCESS. When star Nancy Travis and her boyfriend walk
into the house they say: "Welcome to the house that
XENA built." [levollno@ix.netcom.com]


[524] 09-26-96
   U.P.I. Thursday. Domestic News. 171 words. "Klingons
top Halloween costume survey"
   COMMENTARY: Paul Blum, owner of Abracadabra, a
Greenwich Village masquerade shop, gave the results of
an informal survey of 150 customers about their early
top 10 list of disguises. The winners were: (1)
Klingons; (2) Darth Vader; (3) Xena; (4) Wonder Woman;
(5) Catwoman; (6) Princess Diana; (7) Ru Paul; (8)
Howard Stern; (9) vampires; and a tie for (10)
President Clinton and Bob Dole.  Mr. Blum stated that
the recent interest in space creatures generated by the
discovery of possible life on Mars and movies like
'Independence Day' may have boosted science fiction
figures like Klingons and Darth Vader to the top of the
list. [KT]
   REPRINT:
   Step aside, Catwoman, and get ready for an alien
invasion.  A Greenwich Village masquerade shop says the
vinyl-clad vixen from the ''Batman'' movies is being
replaced by Klingons from the ''Star Trek'' series as
the top costume for Halloween 1996.   Paul Blum, owner
of Abracadabra, said Thursday that an informal survey
of 150 customers has given him an early top 10 list of
disguises.  Klingons were followed by ''Star Wars''
villain Darth Vader; female superheroes Xena the
Warrior Princess, Wonder Woman and Catwoman; real life
fashion plates Princess Diana and
cross-dresser RuPaul; early- morning shock jock Howard
Stern; and late-night vampires.  There was a tie for
the last spot on the top 10 list -- a dead heat between
President Clinton and Bob Dole.  Blum said the recent
interest in space creatures generated by the discovery
of possible life on Mars and movies like
''Independence Day'' may have boosted science fiction
figures like Klingons and Darth Vader to the top of the
list. 


[525] 09-26-96 to 09-30-96
   NOTE: THE GREATER GOOD (#21), 2nd release, 09/02/96.
Ranked as the 3rd action hour with a 4.5 rating. [HTLJ
and ST:DS9 tied on 1st with a 4.8; and Baywatch placed
4th with 3.4]. [Callisto's 1st release (05/13/96) 
ratings: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine tied for 7th in
rank with 5.6, and placed first in the action hours.
XWP ranked 13th with 5.1, and placed 2nd. HTLJ tied for
14th with 4.7, and placed 3rd. No other action hours
made it to the top twenty.]


[525a] 09-26-96
   DAILY VARIETY. 984 words. "Preem Week Presents No
Hits in New Shows Syndie Freshman Start Slowly: Syndies
Struggle" By Jenny Hontz
   COMMENTARY: THE GREATER GOOD, 2nd release.
   EXCERPT:
   The premiere week for most new syndie series
produced no winners. The first national ratings for all
freshmen first-run strips fell from their already weak
metered-market averages the week ending Sept. 15,
according to Nielsen...
   ...New Worlds new weekly drama Two debuted at a
respectable 2.6 on 184 stations reaching 91% of the
country. MTM aired a two-hour movie special to open its
new drama The Cape, which rated a fairly impressive 3.1
on 203 *stations covering 93% of the
country. The newcomers did not challenge the big
veterans,
however. MCA TVs Hercules tied with Pars Star Trek:
Deep Space Nine atop the weekly action chart at 4.8.
MCAs Xena was third at 4.5, and All American TVs
Baywatch was fourth at 3.4.


[525b] 09-30-96
   VARIETY. Page 66. 1028 words. "Syndies Preem Week
Suffers No-hitter. Preem week presents no hits in new
shows Syndie freshman start slowly Syndies Struggle" By
Jenny Hontz
   COMMENTARY:  THE GREATER GOOD, 2nd release. Same as
XMR525a.


[525c] 09-30-96
   VARIETY. Page 66. 155 words. "Nielsen Syndication
Ratings"
   COMMENTARY: THE GREATER GOOD, 2nd release.
   REPRINT:
For week ended Sept. 15, 1996
                       Stations/
Rank  Program         % coverage      AA%       GAA%
1 Wheel of Fortune      227/99        0.0        --
2 Jeopardy!             223/99        8.5        --
3 Oprah Winfrey Show    239/99        8.4        8.5
4 Home Improvement      230/97        8.3        9.4
5 Seinfeld              219/96        6.6        --
6 WCW Wrestling         154/92        6.3        10.6
7 Entertainment Tonight 183/94        5.7        5.7
8 Simpsons              195/94        5.3        5.8
9 Journeys of Hercules  206/96        4.8        5.1
9 Star Trek: DSN        231/98        4.8        5.0
11 Wheel of Fortune Wk  170/73        4.6        --
12 Xena                 192/95        4.5        4.8
13 Inside Edition       150/87        4.4        4.4
14 Montel Williams      164/91        4.1        4.1
15 Hard Copy            176/92        4.0        4.0
15 Live w/Regis & KL    237/99        4.0        --
17 Home Improvement Wk  197/90        3.9        --
18 Jenny Jones          179/92        3.8        3.9
19 Rosie O'Donnell Show 217/98        3.7        3.7
20 Roseanne             169/88        3.6        3.9
20 Sally Jessy Raphael  164/90        3.6        --


[526] 09-27-96
   KTLA. Morning News. 
   Transcription by: Larissa Frozina (frozina@qnet.com)
   COMMENTARY: Interview with Sam Rubin. Transcript of
Lucy Lwaless on a morning talk show in LA. As usual,
she comes up with some very clever, unique responses,
the kind of thing that just endears her even more to
her fans. [MBE]
   TRANSCRIPTION:
   Transcript of Lucy Lawless' KTLA Morning News
interview with Sam Rubin on Sept. 27, 1996 at approx.
8:41 a.m.   
   SAM RUBIN: Well now we've been talking about this,
we have a new 5 a.m. newscast starting Monday morning.
As you've heard, not many people are clammoring for the
gig. We are always open to auditions. So here now, if
we could've-kinda quiet on the set. Is camera one
there? Here's her big audition. Lucy Lawless 
   LUCY LAWLESS: Good morning.  My name is Lucy Lawless 
And I know that some people that sounds like the name
of a porn star. But I never did nothing bad well, well 
not real bad . Well anyway, this is the KTLA first
edition. Among the stories we're covering... It's real
daa-dark outside. I can't imagine anyone would be
watching at this hour  But uh Really there's no traffic 
to speak of. You just tack an extra couple  of hours on
the beginning and the end of your day. Any of you want
to  know what the weather's like, just look out the
window.  Well we'll git to our headline stories
presently, but here now is Jennifer York in Skycam 5.
[Applause]
   CARLOS: Beautiful. Barbara
   BARBARA. The ratings are off the scale for the 5
o'clock...
   RUBIN: That was great! So, would you be seriously
interested? Because the Tribune executives would sign
you up right now. You were very good.
   LAWLESS: Ah...  need a day job. 
   RUBIN: We do have some entertainment news. Ah, how
do you follow that. Ah, we'll speak to Lucy in just a
moment...Lots of people I suppose would enjoy a similar
assignment with Lucy Lawless TV's Xena. Stateside once
again. We're glad she's here. Good morning.
   LAWLESS: Good morning.
   RUBIN: You brought us presents too.
   LAWLESS: I did. I brought you food 
   RUBIN: Thank you.
   LAWLESS: I didn't know there would be that enormous
crafts services table over there .
   RUBIN: This is very nice.
   BARBARA: Well that's all right. That's fine. 
   RUBIN: The more food the better!
   BARBARA: Save this.
   RUBIN: Ah... Yeah save this for Monday.
   LAWLESS: It has Xena cups.
   RUBIN: It has Xena cups?
   LAWLESS: Memorabilia    
   RUBIN: You must be... cause there are in fact people
out/outside and things. Is it just.. every time you
come here it gets bigger and bigger and bigger  Is it
gratifying to you?
  LAWLESS: Yeah. It is because it means people are
watching the show. Yeah, I am pleased about that. i
don't get recognized that much though. 
   RUBIN: Really?
   LAWLESS: No. I think that if I don't talk or quite
look or dress like Xena.. I do today cause I just kinda
had my hair done  But, umm but generally I just slop
about in shorts and I don't get picked up much  
   RUBIN: Oh well, whatever.  We have a Lucy Lawless as
Xena clip and then some scary stuff..
   LAWLESS: (off camera makes a vampire Blah sound).
   RUBIN: So take a look here at the latest from Xena
channel 5.
[New Xena clip of ruffians in tavern. From
WARRIOR...PRINCESS...TRAMP]
   RUBIN: Whoa! Do you... maybe you don't get picked up
a lot because people are afraid of you.
   LAWLESS: Yeah. You missed the fire blowing from
that. But that uh...that's a little trick I picked up
on the show.
   RUBIN: Now with the success of your show, the
success of Hercules, has spawned scores of imitators.
We had on the Morning News, tell me if this bothers
you, look at this tape. We had somebody come on from 
one of these new shows, from Sinbad ...there it is.
That's me.
   LAWLESS: I would love to see it.
[clip of SINBAD]
   RUBIN: Now, what do you think?
   LAWLESS: What do you mean 'What do I think?' You
want me to dis somebody?
   RUBIN:  No.
   LAWLESS: Like you would.
   RUBIN: No, I would never do that. She's above that.
She's bigger than  that. Be a good... Lucy, they're
running us along because you're  going to go on
vacation for a while, right?
   LAWLESS: Yes I am. Actually I've been on vacation
for the last couple of  months actually. I went to
Turkey. And I had this nightmare of a  travel schedule.
Back through Turkey and Amsterdam and I just  thought
"Oh gawd! I'm going to get pulled apart at customs."
But  it didn't eventuate. Had an amazing holiday
though.
   CARLOS: Well if you carry a sword around? C'mon!
   RUBIN: Yeah! Imagine being the customs agent who
tries to bust Xena! 
   LAWLESS: Yeah.
   BARBARA: Thank you very much!
   RUBIN: And I'm sure we'll see you Monday at 5 a.m.
   CARLOS: Great seeing you!


[527] 09-28-96
   THE WASHINGTON POST. Saturday. Page D01. 1327 words.
"'Early Edition': Stop the Presses!; Series Is Not Good
News" By Tom Shales
   COMMENTARY: Two passing mentions of XWP in a review
about "Tarzan: The Epic Adventures". Mr. Shales
described the show Tarzan as "slow and serious rather
than crazy and campy, the way the Herc and Xena shows
are". Mr. Shales implied that crazy and campy was good.
[KT]
   EXCERPT:
   ...'Tarzan'
   Me Tarzan. Me legendary jungle hero. Me also
copyrighted property of estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
So TV producer-man be warned: You no fool around with
character.
   Me no longer talk like this in "Tarzan: The Epic
Adventures," a new syndicated series that hopes to
follow in the wildly lucrative footsteps of "Hercules:
The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena, Warrior Princess."
But the episode airing this morning at 10 on Channel 20
suggests that nobody should put a down payment on a
Tarzan lunch box just yet. Burroughs might approve, but
sophisticated young thrill-seekers probably won't.
   It's slow and serious rather than crazy and campy,
the way the Herc and Xena shows are. Joe Lara, a lithe
and personable chap who previously played Tarzan in a
CBS TV movie, has no trouble with the role, but you do
wish he'd make Tarzan a little more fun-loving, a
little wilder in the head. Instead he's kind of a
killjoy who stomps around the jungle handing out moral
lessons with every last-minute rescue.
   At least the series seems more ethnically sensitive
than some of the old movies. There's even a scene this
morning in which a tribe of Africans rushes to the
rescue of Tarzan, rather than the other way around. It
seems Jungle Guy has been captured by the Leopard
People, who are under the spell of the Leopard Queen,
who in turn is under the spell of some demon or other. 
   When the demon sleeps, the nice girl whose body she
inhabits gets to be herself. Then when the demon wakes
up, she's kicking everybody around and snapping things
like: "You fool! You will submit to me!"
   Our new-agey Tarzan tries an intervention: "Fight
the demons," he tells the LQ. "Free yourself!"
   Lara has the abs and the pecs for the role, and we
all know how important abs and pecs are these days, and
nice long black hair. But his loincloth looks more like
a leather kilt, and the sissy even wears boots. Alas,
there is no Jane. 
   Some of the special effects, including a
woman-to-leopard morph and a trick shot of the queen's
temple, are fine, but not enough happens and when it
does, it happens with insufficient panache. Get some
panache injections, Tarzan, and maybe you can play with
the big guys.


[528] 09-29-96
   THE WASHINGTON POST. Sunday. Page Y03. 425 words.
"The Political Race And 'The Lottery'"
   COMMENTARY: XWP was mentioned as a season return for
Washington D.C., Tuesdays at 9pm on WBDC and Thursday
at 9pm on WNUV. [KT]
   EXCERPT:
   ...SERIES DEBUTS AND SEASON RETURNS:
   "Dangerous Minds" (Monday at 8 on ABC; this week,
WMAR only); "Nova" (Tuesday at 8 on PBS); "Hercules:
The Legendary Journeys" (Tuesday at 8 on WBDC, Thursday
at 8 on WNUV); "Xena: Warrior Princess" (Tuesday at 9
on WBDC, Thursday at 9 on WNUV); "Mystery!" (Thursday
at 9 on PBS); "The X-Files" (Friday at 9 on Fox); "Star
Trek: Deep Space Nine" (Friday at 9 on WDCA and WNUV). 


[529] 09-29-96
   THE SEATTLE TIMES. Sunday. Page M2. 484 words. "For
Warn, 'Insomnia' Brings Creative Energy" By Anthony
Flinn
   COMMENTARY: In a review of an new book of poetry by
Seattle poet, Emily Warn, called "The Novice
Insomniac", Mr. Flinn started out his review by
stating, "Emily Warn is one tough Seattle poet, tougher
than John Wayne and Xena the Warrior Princess
combined." [KT]
   EXCERPT:
   "The Novice Insomniac" by Emily Warn Copper Canyon
Press, $ 12     Emily Warn is one tough Seattle poet,
tougher than John Wayne and Xena the Warrior Princess
combined. In "The Novice Insomniac," she not only takes
on God but also juggles the hot coals of memory and
wrestles her way to an honest spiritual life. This
meticulously crafted book, each poem carefully building
upon the previous ones, describes a gritty spiritual
progress, a search for hard, real solutions to
despair....


[530] 09-29-96
   SARASOTA HERALD-TRIBUNE. Sunday. Page 1G. 747 words.
"Pride Lights up Screen at Tampa Film Festival. Tampa's
7th Annual Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Runs Thursday
Through Oct. 13." By Jay Handelman
  COMMENTARY: In a listing of the films to be shown in
a Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the film "Wing Chun"
was described as "a 1994 comedy-adventure film from
Hong Kong, star[starring] martial arts expert Michelle
Khan, who plays a woman described as 'a cross between
Hong Kong's answer to Sandra Bullock and an Asian Xena:
Warrior.'" [KT]
  EXCERPT:
  When you have filmmaker John Waters as a featured
guest, you can expect something unusual during the
Seventh Annual Pride Film Festival, Tampa's 10- day
celebration of gay and lesbian movies. 
   The festival, which begins Thursday with a sneak
preview of the feature film "Bound," runs through Oct.
13 and will include nearly two dozen screenings of
feature films, shorts and
documentaries at the historic Tampa Theatre....
   ...Other films scheduled include...
   ..."Wing Chun," a 1994 comedy-adventure film from
Hong Kong, stars martial arts expert Michelle Khan, who
plays a woman described as "a cross between Hong Kong's
answer to Sandra Bullock and an Asian Xena: Warrior....


[531] 09-30-96
   ORPHAN OF WAR. Episode no. 25 (201). First release. 
   GUEST STARS: David Taylor (Solon). CAST: Mark
Ferguson (Dagnine), Paul Gittins (Kaleipus), Alexander
Campbell (Meklan), Stephen Papps (See'er), Peter Tait
(Daylon), Richard Adams (Warrior). CREDITS: Written by
Steven L. Sears. Directed by Charles Siebert
   TV GUIDE DESCRIPTION. Xena comes to the aid of a
community of centaurs menaced by a member of her former
band, and upon her arrival is reunited with the young
son whom she left in their care nine years earlier.
Solon: David Taylor. Dagnine: Mark Ferguson. Kaleipus:
Paul Gittins.
   AIRING AND RATING INFORMATION. 1st RELEASE: 
09-30-96. An AA average of 5.3. Competition from
Syndicated Action Dramas: (1) STAR TREK: DS9 ranked 8th
with 5.8; (2) HERCULES ranked 9th with 5.6; (3) XENA
ranked 11th with 5.3; (4) BAYWATCH ranked 15th with
4.2; (5) BABYLON 5 tied with OUTER LIMITS and ranked
19th with 3.6. 2nd RELEASE:  11-25-96. An AA average of
5.3. Competition from Syndicated Action Dramas: (1)
STAR TREK: DS9 ranked 10th with 6.0; (2) HERCULES 
ranked 11th with 5.5; (3) XENA ranked 12th with 5.3;
(4) BAYWATCH ranked 17th with 4.3; (5) OUTER LIMITS
ranked 20th with 3.9.
   SYNOPSIS #1:
   Synopsis #1 is brought to you by guest synopser,
Tricia Murphy, the original administrator and original
designer of the IAXS Webpage (panthera@ix.netxom.com).
   The Story: Part 1. 
   This episode opens with Xena and Gabrielle entering
the outskirts of a village, a gloomy area adorned with
Centaur totems. Xena sees that a battle has already
taken place there between the centaurs and Dagnine.
This sleazy warlord, who used to serve in her army, has
headed for the same village in search of the magical
evil-centaur-spirit-holding "Ixion Stone".  Before too
long, Dagnine's evil goons attack the duo and it is
here that we first see just how good Gabby's getting
with that staff of hers.
   The attack thwarted, the two notice the arrival of
Kaleipus, leader of the centaurs, who is understandably
wary of Xena's arrival. (First, Xena was one bad apple
last time he saw her. Second, Xena had promised to
never return.)  Xena explains that she is not there for
anything or 'anybody', but merely wishes to aid them in
the fight against Dagnine. "Anybody?" Gabrielle asks
her, quizzically.  A yell comes from the trees above
and we see a young boy jump down, ready to attack. 
   This stout ten-year-old believes Xena to be the
murderer of his father 'Borias'.  With Borias' sword in
hand, he immediately voices his hatred for her. "I want
to kill her, Uncle," he says to Kaleipus, then says to
Xena, "You have just met your greatest enemy." 
Kaleipus keeps him in check and Gabby asks Xena, "Do
you know him?"  Xena gazes at the child, and replies,
"He's my son."  The group heads for the village.
   Background: Ten years prior, together with Dagnine
and Borias, Xena had led her fierce army against the
village.   For reasons which are not disclosed in this
episode, Borias "the man who betrayed Xena to become
the greatest friend of the Centaurs" decided that the
centaurs should be spared and took sides with them. 
Xena, obviously having had some feelings for him,
ordered that he merely be captured.  Unfortunately,
Borias got killed instead.  Our Xena, the 
"always-a-likely-scapegoat-for-those-who-need-to-divert
blame-from-themselves" Warrior Princess, got pegged for
the murder.  But, wait!  It seems that Xena and Borias
were a bit closer than anyone had imagined.  The
result- Solon.
   Knowing that her son would become a likely target
for her vindictive enemies, Xena placed the infant in
the worthy hands of Kaleipus, leader of the centaurs.
Kaleipus, obviously holding the deceased Borias in high
regard, agreed to raise the boy as his own.  The army
having been dispersed and the attack canceled, Xena
stumbled away into the forest, leaving her child
behind. 
   The Story: Part 2.
   On a distant hill Dagnine and his wizard buddy spy
on the village, all the while trying to read Xena's
lips through a medieval telescope. It seems that
Dagnine is a bit power hungry and can't wait to get his
grubby little hands on that Ixion stone.  ("Ixion" was
the father of the Centaurs.  When he had the choice of
making them "wicked" or "noble", he chose "noble". This
legendary gem is said to hold the spirit of centaur
evilness that was created and not used, promising that
anyone who possesses the stone and drinks of it's
elixir will BECOME the wicked centaur.)  Dagnine knows
that the Ixion Cavern where the stone is kept is
somewhere nearby and hopes to get Xena out of his way.
Down in the village, Gabrielle confronts Xena over her
past actions and her decision to leave her son and
never tell him who she really is.  Xena storms away to
discuss with Kaleipus in his hut her wishes for Solon
to NOT become a warrior like her, after which she
encounters Gabrielle again outside.  It seems Gabby
still isn't very understanding of Xena's decision to
not tell her son who she is.   Gabby is told,
basically, to "mind her own business". Back up on the
hill, via a good lip-reading session, Dagnine then
learns of Solon's existence and makes plans to kidnap
him. 
   Gabrielle approaches Solon in the forest, wishing to
speak with him.  The boy is still hesitant as he knows
she is Xena's friend. Gabby tells him that Xena is not
the same merciless warrior she used to be, that Xena
has changed.  That she, like Gabby, is his friend. 
Still wary, Solon proudly brandishes his father's
sword, evidently planning to be a great warrior
someday, and asks her curiously why she carries a staff
instead. Gabby begins to explain why staffs are better
than swords when Dagnine's goonies make their next
appearance.  Gabby does some good thumping on the bad
guys, all the while yelling for Solon to "run!".  The
boy ignores her advice and stands his ground. Next
thing we know our beloved sidekick gets THWAPPED on the
back of the head and knocked out. Solon, of course,
gets hauled off to the enemy camp.
   Once she regains consciousness, Gabby informs Xena
that the boy has been captured.  Xena goes after her
son, first by sneaking into Dagnine's tent and knocking
him for a loop, then by climbing a tree and snagging
the cage her son is being kept in with her whip and
throwing him the key. Solon grabs for his father's
sword which is stuck in the ground nearby. 
Unfortunately, they get spotted and the cage drops
before the boy can get out.  The ground collapses and
the cage falls through.  Xena jumps down and catches
the hand of her son, who miraculously did manage to
unlock the door. She wraps the whip again around the
tree and begins to pull them up.  As the archers are
ready to skewer them both, Xena looks at Solon and says
"Do you trust me?".  Solon nervously nods "Yes".  Xena
lets go of the whip and they fall into the cavern
below.
   By an uncanny stroke of luck the cavern they fall
into just happens to be the Ixion Cavern.  They
approach the shrine of the stone only to discover that
it is empty!  Apparently, Borias had taken it long ago
and hidden it for protection.  Solon sees that the
handprints of his father are still distinguishable in
the dust and places his hand on them in wonder.  In
need of a quick escape before the bad guys get there,
Xena breaks off a nearby root hanging from the wall and
blows into it, creating a horn-like sound. Uptop, Gabby
and the centaurs hear the call and come running. 
Dagnine also soon arrives with his gang in tow.
Eventually, Xena and Solon scamper up the rope their
rescuers have lowered for them before they can be
pulverized by the baddies.  And just when we thought
that all was well, Solon drops the sword of Borias and
it falls back down the hole.... where a good-sized
emerald dislodges from it's handle.  Lo and behold, it
is the Ixion Stone!  Dagnine grabs it and holds it
triumphantly. 
   Conclusion: "I'll kill Xena!  I'll kill Hercules! 
I'll take Athens!" Dagnine says, "I've got so much to
do, I'll have to make a list!"  He gets his sorcerer
buddy to whip him up an Ixion cocktail, dry iced, and
viola!...  he transforms into one UGLY centaur.  Back
at the village, Xena and the gang are preparing for the
new Industrial Strength Dagnine.  They set up a giant
crossbow on a launcher and make their plans.  Before
too long the evil centaur himself makes his ominous
appearance, Borias' sword in hand, while his bad guys
attack from behind.  (Here we see Gabby again do some
excellent staff wielding and a nifty little flip.) 
After doing in some good guys, Ixion-Dagnine grabs
Kaleipus by the throat, which earns him a nice swift
acupuncture thwack with her fingers below the pony tail
by our Warrior Princess.  After a little chit-chat with
her, he manages to grab Xena by the throat as he
explains that it was HE who really killed the revered
Borias.  Xena does a quick move and escapes his grasp,
sending her sword flying to cut the rope on the
launcher. The giant arrow hits its mark and Dagnine
falls to the ground. The crowd begins to chant "Xena,
Xena, Xena...".
   Final Moments. In a touching scene by a lake, Xena
sits next to her son as he gazes out to the water.  She
struggles with telling him who she really is, yet
decides against it.  "We'll always be friends," she
tells him, "don't you ever forget that."  Solon tosses
the sword out into the water and announces that he no
longer wishes to be a warrior.  Xena tells him that his
mother would have been proud.
   In the end, Xena walks away, fighting back the tears
as she once again must leave him behind. 
   (Just as a side historical note; the real "SOLON"
was an Athenian lawgiver and poet, one of the Seven
Sages. Elected "archon" (government leader) of Athens
in 594 BC, he repealed the repressive laws of DRACO and
freed those enslaved for debt.  Source: The New
American Desk Encyclopedia: 1989 Edition.)
   SYNOPSIS #2:
   Synopsis #2 is brought to you by guest synopser,
Bluesong@aol.com.
   Xena and Gabrielle are in an area of centaurs, an
area that Xena's army once conquered.  However, she
negotiated a settlement with the centaurs, telling
Gabrielle that she told the centaurs she'd never come
back to that area.  But now an evil warlord named
Dagnine was after the Ixion stone, a stone which holds
all of the wickedness of the centaurs in it. 
Apparently long ago someone was given a choice with the
centaurs -- they could chose wicked strength or
nobility; the choice was nobility, and the rest was
placed in this stone.  Xena and Gabrielle are jumped by
Dagnine's henchmen, but they beat them, but not before
the centaurs show up also.  Xena throws down her
weapons and tells the one-eyed centaur that she's not
there for anything ... or anybody, only to stop the
evil Dagnine. 
   A small boy named Solon jumps from a tree and
attacks Xena, saying she killed his father, and he is
her greatest enemy. One-eye looks at Xena and nods as
the boy runs off.  Xena says "he's my son."  Gabrielle
of course is a bit shocked but there is no further
explanation.  However, apparently a man named Borias
was Xena's lover and Xena bore his child about 9 years
ago; he turned "good" before Xena did, though, and he
died keeping her army away from this evil Ixion stone. 
(It's never clear if this is a man or a centaur.)  
   They all go to the centaurs village and Xena watches
Solon; Gabrielle thinks Xena should tell the boy she's
his mother, Xena gets mad at Gabrielle and pushes her
away (physically).  Xena has a "flashback" -- she gave
the boy to the one-eyed centaur to raise in an effort
to make a deal and to keep the child safe.
   Back to the present. Someone spies on them with a
crude telescope; Xena even senses this (she is so
GOOD!).  This person finally does enough lip-reading to
understand that Solon is Xena's son, hidden all this
time to keep her enemies from getting him.  So the evil
Dagnine decides to take the boy.  Xena talks to the boy
at his "parents" grave -- he's been told both his
mother and father are dead.  Later, Solon and Gabrielle
are attacked by about 6 men; Gabrielle valiantly fights
them off but gets clubbed in the head anyway, and Solon
is taken.  The evil Dagnine puts Solon in a cage. 
Gabrielle finds Xena and Xena goes to get Solon.  
   Xena talks to Dagnine, who was one of her soldiers,
once, and then punches him out.  She tries to get
Solon, but ultimately they end up falling through thin
ground into a cavern.  Solon breaks his arm.  Xena sets
it.  They get out of the cave but Dagnine has the Ixion
stone.  Back at the village, Xena and Gabrielle have a
tender friendship-defining moment where Gabrielle feels
she failed Xena by arguing with her when Xena is
obviously in emotional turmoil over Solon.  She wants
to be there for Xena.  "Always. Always." Xena says.  
   Dagnine eats the stone and he turns into this
hulking evil centaur. Xena sets a trap for him; he
comes to the centaur village to get her.  His henchman
come in the village the backway; Gabrielle fights them
off, and while Xena's fighting Dagnine, she sees
Gabrielle in trouble & saves her with a toss of the
chakram.  Then finally Dagnine is killed, but before he
dies he admits that he's the one who killed Solon's
father (and Xena's lover).  Xena later finds Solon by a
lake; they talk briefly.  Solon throws his sword in the
water and says he doesn't want to be a warrior; Xena
says his mother would be very proud.  She walks away. 
The end.
   COMMENTARY:
   The commentary is brought to you by guest
commentator, Tricia Murphy, the original administrator
and original designer of the IAXS Webpage
(panthera@ix.netcom.com).
   The characters of Dagnine and his goons were just so
darn funny, in a twisted kind of way.  The kind of guys
who make bad boys fun to watch.  This episode seemed a
bit more violent than most.  However, in true XWP
tradition, swords were never bloody after having been
used. And the chakram, which ended up buried in some
unfortunate bad guy's chest, wasn't either.
   My conclusions. First, this was an unnerving display
of understandable emotional weakness and turmoil for
Xena, yet it showed us the down-to-earth side of her. 
Like the soft, penetrable part of a mighty dragon's
armor that every knight aims for, this tough-skinned
warrior has a woundable heart. And that is what makes
her, for us, human.
   Second, Gabrielle gets quite harsh with Xena as they
argue over how a mother could ever give up a child.  In
return, Xena treats her as if she will never
understand, how could she... or anyone else who had
never been faced with that decision?  In an instant,
this seemed to place their friendship on some pretty
shaky ground.  Though, later on Gabby apologizes for
her questioning Xena's actions, she states that she
isn't saying she agrees with her decision, but will
always be there for her. While this difference of
opinion could set them up for a real emotional falling
apart in the future, it's hard to say if the producers
will ever follow through with this branch of the
plotline. (Though I could just be making a mountain out
of a molehill, I would still like to see this resolved
at some point.)
   Third, though Gabby got knocked out in one scene, I
saw a real improvement in her fighting skills.  Renee
O' Connor has definitely been practicing!
   Things to watch for: (1) Keep an eye on Xena's
costume. To us, it seemed the design had changed a bit
from last season; (2) The scene with Xena riding on
Kaleipus' back was well done, though they ran by in
somewhat of a blur. I plan on watching this episode
again on tape, as I swear there is one scene where a
horse is standing with it's head down and the man is
standing at just the right camera angle to look like a
centaur.  Hmm...  
   HIGHLIGHTS:
   The highlights are brought to you by guest
highlighter, Tricia Murphy, the original administrator
and original designer of the IAXS Webpage
(panthera@ix.netcom.com).
   This episode is a "must-see" and gets a definite
"grab-the-tissue-and-get-ready" rating. For those who
have children, or are just the caring sort, the scenes
between Xena and Solon as she struggles with keeping
her relation to him a secret are emotionally torturous.
Perhaps in the future he'll learn of his true identity. 
I have little doubt that we haven't seen the last of
Xena's Solon.  Especially if any of Dagnine's goonies
survived to get the word out of his location.
   The centaurs themselves are one of my favorite
entities in the series.  I can't get enough of them! 
What must it be like to say your lines with a straight
face, all the while stepping side-to-side like a horse
while you speak?  And who the heck is doing all that
whinnying, neighing, and other horse noise in the
background?  I love it! 
   I also enjoyed the little scene with the young
centaur engaging in some horse-play with Solon and the
other children as they kicked around a ball. One line
from this episode that I found memorable was during
that short scene; "Hey! No high-hoofing!"  
   DISCLAIMER: 
   No sleezy warlords who deem it necessary to drink
elixirs that turn them into scary creatures were harmed
during the production of this motion picture.  [KT]


[532] 09-30-96
   ELECTRONIC MEDIA. Page 3. 707 words. "'Rosie' Rules
as  Summer First-run"
   COMMENTARY: According to Nielsen Media Research's
 Cassandra Ranking Report for July 1996, the action
line-up ranked as follows: ST:DS9 (4.0/5, No. 16); HTLJ
(3.9/6, tie for No. 17); XWP (3.8/6, No. 20); and
Baywatch (3.4/6, tie for No. 27). 
   The July book is generally considered the least
relevant of the year because of (1) reruns, (2) lower
television viewership and, at least this summer, (3)
the unusual competition of the Olympic Games. [KT]
   EXCERPT:
   ''The Rosie O'Donnell Show'' was the summer savior
in the world of syndication, which had struggled all
season to produce a new first-run hit. 
   According to Nielsen Media Research's Cassandra
Ranking Report for July 1996, the Warner Bros. Domestic
Television Distribution talker hosted by Rosie
O'Donnell averaged a 4.9 rating (percentage of TV
homes) and 16 share (percentage of sets in use) in
households, good enough for 11th place among all
syndicated fare.  
   That landed it far ahead of the season's other
freshman first-run series, including the previous
top-ranked new show, ''Xena: Warrior Princess,'' which
managed a 3.8/6 and landed in a tie for the No. 20
spot...
   In daytime, where a majority of ''Rosie
O'Donnell's'' markets are cleared, ''Rosie'' came in
first with women 18-49, women 25-54, men 25-54 and
second place with men 18-49. Overall in households,
however, ''Regis and Kathy Lee'' still beat ''Rosie''
by a tenth of a ratings point.
   The July book is generally considered the least
relevant of the year-because of reruns, lower
television viewership and, at least this summer, the
unusual competition of the Olympic Games. This sweeps
period, for example, offered no real surprises.
   Following the pretty consistent trend of recent
times, the one-two-three punch of King World's ''Wheel
of Fortune'' (11.7/21), ''Jeopardy'' (9.4/20) and
''Oprah Winfrey Show'' (8.0/21) led the pack in July.
   Those numbers were off from May sweeps when ''Wheel
of Fortune'' pulled a 13.5/25, ''Jeopardy'' handled a
11/23, and ''Oprah'' did a 9/24. 
   Besides ''Rosie O'Donnell'' and ''Xena,'' new
first-run performers from the 1995-96 season had more
trouble attracting viewers.
   Eyemark Entertainment's ''Day and Date,'' which has
moved to a single-host format, pulled a 2.5/8, placing
it within a tie at No. 50. Behind that was All American
Television's ''Baywatch Nights,'' which has been
retooled for its second season this fall, with a 2.4/4
(tie for No. 57).
   In the talk show category, lining up behind
''Oprah'' were Buena Vista's ''Live With Regis and
Kathie Lee,'' which scored a 5.0/19 (No. 10), ''Rosie
O'Donnell,'' Multimedia's ''Sally Jessy Raphael''
(4.2/13, No. 13) and Paramount Domestic Television's
''Montel Williams'' (4.1/12, tie for No. 14). 
   Off-network sitcoms continued to have a successful
run at the Cassandras, with Buena Vista Television's
''Home Improvement,'' at 6.6/13 and No. 5, once again
besting Columbia TriStar Television Distribution's
''Seinfeld,'' (5.8/12, tie for No. 6).
   Twentieth Television's ''The Simpsons,'' meantime,
rated a 4.6/9 (No. 12), and WBDTD's ''Fresh Prince of
Bel Air'' wrapped up a 3.9/8 (tie for No. 17). 
   In the magazine race, Paramount's ''Entertainment
Tonight'' took the crown with a 5.8/11 (tie for No. 6),
followed by King World's ''Inside Edition'' (5.3/12,
No. 9), King World's ''American Journal'' (3.9/11, tie
for No. 17), WBDTD's ''Extra'' (3.8/10, tie for No. 20)
and Paramount's ''Hard Copy'' (3.7/9, tie for No. 23).
   Paramount's ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,'' which
launches its weekday strip this fall, was once again
the top-rated first-run action strip, with a 4.0/5 (No.
16), followed by MCA's ''Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys'' (3.9/6, tie for No. 17), ''Xena,'' and All
American's ''Baywatch'' (3.4/6, tie for No. 27). 


=============
THE BACK PAGE
=============

LETTERS:

---------------------
XWP Ratings in the UK
---------------------

Date: Sat, 27 Sep 97 
From: Catherine O'Grady (Cathyogrady@classic.msn.com)

I have been receiving the XMR via e-mail for a while
and thought you might be interested in the viewing
figures of XWP here in the UK from when the show
launched on terrestrial tv in July 97.

Series one and two had been on satellite tv, and had
done reasonably well, but the big intereset was how it
would do on the newest terrestrial tv channel. Channel
5 was only launched in March 97, and while HERCULES had
appeared straight away, us UK Xenites had to wait.
However, July 12th saw XENA launched with a blaze of
publicity, and it has consistently been in the top ten
ever since.


The figures and positions:


Sins of the Past    1.06million viewers number 1
Chariots of War     0.81million         number 8
Dreamworker         0.77million         number 9
Path Not Taken      unavailable
The Reckoning       0.89million         number 3
Cradle of Hope      0.89million         number 2
The Titans          0.84million         number 4
Prometheus          1.25million         number 1
Death in Chains     0.84million         number 10
The Black Wolf      1.01million         number 7
Hooves and Harlots  0.87million         number 8


Channel 5 has switched the order a few time as you can
see. It has to be said that Channel 5's viewing figures
are a fraction of those of the other main channels.
Just to give an idea, BBC1s top programme has about 
16million, BBC2s, about 5 million, ITVs about 16
million, Channel 4s about 4 million viewers. However,
XENA is certainly growing in popularity. 

Also, just to mention that there is an active group of
internet fans here in the UK, and I have a UK web page
at http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Academy/1966

Cathy O'Grady
Coventry, UK

-----
XENA MEDIA REVIEW STAFF: 
Living to serve Xena fandom since March 1996!
   Kym Masera Taborn (KT), editor-in-chief
       ktaborn@lightspeed.net
   Diane Silver (DS), editor (even issues)
       dswriter@idir.net
   Maria Erb (MBE), editor (odd issues)
       maria@erb.mv.com
   Barbara Johnson, circulation 
       xenatwo@aol.com
   Lydia M. Woods (LM), assist. to the editor-in-chief
       woodsl@erol.com
   Lucia Correa, TWXN circulation (mailing lists)
   Tim Smith, TWXN circulation (news groups)
   Angela Atkins, TWXN circulation (forums)
   Thomas Simpson, mascot
       thomas@xenafan.com
       
BACK ISSUES: Back issues of XMR are available at the
XMR Archive on the XMR web page: http://xenafan.com/xmr

THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS: TWXN is the advance sheet for
XMR. Since XMR offers indepth analysis of media
coverage, the issues are distanced in order to gain
perspective and insight into how the media report
affected the future or was affected by its peers. TWXN
is a commentary-lite review of excerpts to be used in
future XMRs as they are processed for the XMR database.
TWXN is not available for subscription, however it is
posted regularly on the XenaVerse, Hercules-Xena, and
Chakram Mailing Lists (thank you Lucia!), the MCA
NetForum (when they are accepting posts!), the Xenite
Message Center (whenever I can find them!), and
alt.tv.xena. 

REPRINT POLICY: Permission to use, copy and distribute
Xena Media Review (XMR), or parts thereof, by
electronic means for any non-profit purpose is hereby
granted, provided that both the below copyright notice
and this permission notice appear in all copies of the
newsletter itself, and that proper credit is given for
any excerpts. Any other format or purpose for
distribution requires permission of the author.
Reproducing XMR or parts thereof by any means implies
full agreement to the below non-profit use clause.
   
SOLICITATIONS FOR FUTURE NEWSLETTERS: Send cites,
references, articles, annotations, and/or submissions
to ktaborn@lightspeed.net and I will love you for it.
XMR is a non-profit fan publication. The editors retain
editorial control and reprint privileges over the
submitted materials and reserve the right to use the
material in whatever way they deem appropriate.
Submitted materials will not be returned to the sender.

DISCLAIMER: XMR (Xena Media Review) is a free non-
profit informational release. XMR in no way intends to
challenge, disregard or profit from any of the original
copyright holders of the material excerpted, reprinted,
or referred to (including but not limited to MCA,
Universal, Renaissance Pictures, and any other rightful
and legal copyright holder). This newsletter is an
academic and educational pursuit to archive, annotate,
and study the media response to Xena: Warrior Princess
(a television production from MCA/Universal/
Renaissance) and the actresses Lucy Lawless and Renee
O'Connor, especially in the light of popular culture
and the influence of mass media. XMR exercises its
right to quote, excerpt or reprint as allowed under the
law in order to review and discuss the media reports
cited and annotated herein. XMR is distributed free of
charge via electronic media. Banner graphic by Colleen
Stephan. This is A Labor of Love Publication. Copyright
1996, 1997 by Kym Masera Taborn.



