     _____               ______                               ._
     `\`/>`\            /`/` /`__________,.'>___      _____   )~\
       /<`\ `\        /`/` /``\ \./------> /|\./\     |\./|  / | \
      /< `\`\ `\    /`/` /`   | | |----\ /  | |\ \    | | |././^\ \
 |\__{o}\--`\`\ `\/`/` /`-----| | |-----`------\`\`\--| | |----^ \ \----.
[\\\\\\\{*}==`>      <`=======| | ==============`\`\`\| | |=====\ \ \==-->
 |/~~{o}/-- /`/  /\ \ `\------| | |---------------`\`\\ | |------\ \ \--'
      \<  /`/` /`  `\`\ `\    | | |_____,.'>| | |   `\`\| | /'    \ \ \
       \< /` /`      `\`\ `\  ,/ /^\------> / |/^\|   \ | |/       \/^\\.
      /`/\>/`           `\`\ `\`~~~~~~~~~~~\ / ~~~~~   )^\,\,      '~~~~~
     `~~~~~`             '~~~~~`            `          ~~~~~~
==========================
XENA: THE MEDIA REVIEW #12
==========================
http://www.teleport.com/~gater/IAXS.html
c/o RIF BBS, P.O. Box 81181, Bakersfield, CA 93308
RIF BBS (805) 588-9349  [24hrs, 14.4bps, free]

199 subscribers and growing!
This document has 1411 lines.

Xena Media Review (XMR) is a periodic annotated world press
review of reports regarding the internationall syndicated
television show Xena: Warrior Princess (1995 - ) and the
castmembers, Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor.  For a free e-mail
subscription send "subscribe XMR" to ktaborn@lightspeed.net.
Copyright, legal, and editorial notices are found at the end of
this newsletter.

Issue No. 12
Release date: 06/21/96
2nd edition: 07/10/96
Covering 12/26/95 to 01/16/96
Annotations XMR #115 to #139

------------
INTRODUCTION
------------

Changes are in the air
----------------------
   I have decided to include fan magazine annotations in XMR.  I
have been trying to catch all that I can, but if anyone knows of
one that I have missed, I would appreciate being sent the cite. 
   As a rule I will not excerpt the fan magazine articles.
However, like all rules, there will be notable exceptions. Since
I do not get these articles in ascii format, nor do I have the
time to physically type portions of the articles, they will be
for the most part not excerpted. Only really special articles,
like XMR128, will get me doing grunt work.
   I have also decided to start stream-lining this newsletter. I
got rid of the annotation list and the episode synopses. The
annotation list was redundent and the synopses will appear in
Whoosh!, XMR's sister publication.
  Also, to date we have 199 subscribers....who will be the lucky
200th subscriber? Find out next week (I hope!).

Xena as allegory
----------------
   I finally got a copy of the May 1996 issue of Spectrum, which
contains the first part of an episode guide (episodes 1 through
10) and a seasonal review of XWP. It's a wonderful effort and I
applaud an "off-Broadway" journal for beating Cinefantastique and
SCI-FI Universe to the punch of putting together an episode by
episode review of XWP.  Much thought and care to detail went into
the production and some very good issues were raised.  I feel
somewhat disappointed that Whoosh! did not beat Spectrum as the
first journal to present XWP as an artwork worthy of such
analysis, but I am also heartened knowing that Whoosh! will
devote it's whole being to XWP and not just ten pages out of
forty.
   In the analysis for "The Reckoning" (where that wild and crazy
god Ares attempted to seduce Xena back to the dark side while
Xena was being tortured and put on trial for murders she did not
commit) Craig Miller (the producer of Spectrum) wrote:
     "Just as 'Cradle of Hope' seems partially inspired by the
     story of Moses in the Old Testament, "The Reckoning" brings
     to mind the incident in the New Testament where Satan tempts
     a weakened Christ. This parallel might seem like a bit of a
     stretch, although Robert Tapert told SCI-FI ENTERTAINMENT,
     'For both shows [Hercules and Xena], we'll start to raise a
     few stories from the Bible.' On the other hand, this
     parallel (and others) should not be over-emphasized or over-
     analyzed. Xena is certainly not an allegory, and we doubt
     that it employs, or even attempts, symbolism. The writers
     simply pull story elements from a wide variety of sources
     for whatever occasion suits their needs."

   There are several issues I should like to discuss.
   First. The theme of temptation is firmly established in our
literary traditions. It's historical antecedents include not only
Christ's temptation but also is found in the modern age in Star
Wars, westerns, and many other popular artforms.  It easily joins
in with the themes of redemption and the hero's quest, which are
also themes found in great supply in XWP. 
   Many of the themes found in the Bible are found in earlier
tales and later tales. These themes are used in the art of
storytelling.  The story-teller uses themes as tools to weave
their craft. Thus, it is not really that much of a stretch to
read the episode as an essay in temptation. Ares uses a variety
of techniques to convince Xena to join him as his Queen. That he
would go to that much trouble clearly establishes that temptation
is a major focus, if not THE focus, of this episode.
   Since the anticipated audience for this episode would be
primarily western Christian, it does not take a rocket scientist
to make the connections between this episode and the other great
tales of temptation in our past.  The Temptation of Christ is a
major western civilization theme. 
   Second. Such parallels seem to abound in XWP. The writers and
the producers are very canny people. They have made a very
intelligent parody that has a firm foundation in many themes
exalted by western civilization. The fact that XWP can be
analyzed in progressively deeper levels (as is being discovered
on several of the mailing lists about XWP) shows that there are
things in it worthy of analysis.  Things which perhaps are
capable of surviving over-emphasis or over-analysis.
   Third. XWP is an allegory. An allegory is "a literary,
dramatic, or pictorial device in which each character, object,
and event symbolically illustrates an idea or moral or religious
principle." (from Webster's).  
   XWP is not an allegory as Dante's Inferno is (which, to give
Mr. Miller a reasonable doubt, I shall assume this is what he
meant by saying XWP is not an allegory).  Of course not, because
XWP is a television show which must make money and entertain at
the same time. It also gets made weekly with a possibility of
continuing another year if it's lucky. It is not written by one
person, it is not guided by one creative power, and it is not
likely to be completely self-consistent.  However, there are
classic themes involved in the story-telling in Xena. These are
great themes found in all literature and all stories of all
cultures on earth (and even in Klingon stories!): redemption;
temptation; loyalties of friendship; the hero's quest; and tests
and difficulties, to name a few. These themes are played out
through characters, objects and events in XWP. It happens with
such a great frequency that one can only conclude that the
writers and producers are aware of this and are cultivating it
(hmmm, sounds like a conspiracy to me! Quick call Oliver Stone!).
   Fourth. XWP not only utilizes symbolism, but in fact embraces
it. Perhaps given the inspiration of the fuzzy pre-classical
Greek timeframe, the show reaps symbols from all over the world
from ancient times to the present.  The show is a cultural
moshpit: racially diverse cast and extras; asian marital arts;
middle eastern weapons; Southern California accents; popular
culture references and American slang; European medieval
clothing; permed hairstyles; anachronistic set design; etc. 
Through all this confusion, the use of symbolism and allegory
have become important unifying devices of the show.
   All of this is too prevalant. This prevalance is evidence that
it is being done purposely and is being developed and cultivated.
I would say this is strong evidence that the writers and
producers not only are attempting symbolism, but that they are
successful at it.
   Fifth. True, "the writers simply pull story elements from a
wide variety of sources for whatever occasion suits their needs." 
On a level which is concerned with the integrity of the
individual story elements, that is true. However, one mus ask
what are the writers' needs? How do they use these elemtns? Do
they produce something which is unique to that episode? Or do
they try to build on something that has already been started? Do
they employ the devices of symbolism and allegory? Do they
hearkened back to a previous tradition or allude to a moral
theme? Do they implement macro-themes or micro-themes? The the
macro-theme an allegory? Is the micro-theme a symbol?
   I obviously disagree with Mr. Miller's observation that XWP is
not an allegory or that it attempts to use symbolism. XWP is a
very witty and canny television show. It is also campy and silly.
However, many of the underlying themes and continuing plots
employed by the show are indeed expressed through allegory and
symbolism.
   I am leaving the soap box now, but if anyone has a copy of the
SCI-FI ENTERTAINMENT article referred to by Mr. Miller, please e-
mail me.
---Kym


-------------------
AMENDED ANNOTATIONS
-------------------
[050.1] 10-01-95
   SCI-FI UNIVERSE. Vol. 2. No. 10. Page 23. "Herc's So Good.
Executive producers Robert Tapert and Sam Raimi pull off another
guilty pleasure with Hercules: The Legendary Journeys". By Dan
Vebber.
   COMMENTARY: Passing mention in a full-color four page
interview/spread on HTLJ and Kevin Sorbo.
   EXCERPT:
   ...So much media savvy that the show became the highest-rated
new program in syndication last season, and will this fall be
joined by Xena: Warrior Princess, an hour-long spin-off based on
one of Hercules' most popular peripheral females..."


[050.2] 10-01-95
   SCI-FI UNIVERSE. Vol. 2. No. 10. Page 27. "Xena. Xena: Warrior
Princess follows Hercules into the treacherous ground of first-
run syndication this fall". By Dan Vebber.
   COMMENTARY: One page introduction to the series with three
photos of Lucy Lawless (one does not look like it is from XWP).
   Robert Tapert is quoted as saying, "Xena is a long story, all
about ratings and budget. What it boils down to is Vanishing Son,
which is a very good show in its own right, was probably not the
proper show to follow directly on the heels of Hercules. The
studio made a decision that they wanted to move forward with
something more compatible. We had done one of the episodes with
Xena, so we said, 'Hey, maybe we can do something with this.'"
   Mr. Tapert's comment that the decision to go with Xena for a
series was made after "Warrior Princess" had been filmed (not
aired) jibes completely with the timelime XMR has reconstructed. 
The first media reference to XWP as a series was made in the
Daily Variety on 03/05/95 (XMR008).  This was after HTLJ "Warrior
Princess" had been filmed (and the other two of the trilogy had
been as well), but before the episode's release on March 13,
1995.  The article, curiously enough, was not a promotional
mention, but as an aside in an article about MCA hiring a new
President.
   Apparently the role of Xena had been developed as part of a
story arc to be played over a single episode which would
introduce her and then be concluded two months later in a
dramatic two-parter which would conclude with the Warrior
Princess' fiery death.  It was to be a "big event" for the
season's last half.
   The role of Xena was offered to at least five other actresses
who all showed great interest and intended to play the role
except other events barred them last minute from starting. 
Finally, an actress was hired, and they began pre-production on
the first of the trilogy "Warrior Princess".  Three days before
filming was to start, the actress was taken ill and could not
appear for the filming (XMR117).
   The producers remembered Lucy Lawless, who had played an
Amazon in the Hercules movies "Hercules and the Amazon Women" and
played a part as a "centaur's moll" (tentative XMR271) in HTLJ's
first season "As Darkness Falls."  The producers were convinced
that Ms. Lawless could rise to the occaison of taking on a role
so quickly. They called her only to find out that she was camping
in the wilderness over the New Year's weekend (tentative XMR128].
So, they hunted her down in the wilderness. (XMR117). She was
found and immediately accepted the role. 
   Ms. Lawless took to the part so well, that a decision was made
to keep Xena alive at the end of the following two-parter. While
filming the two-parter in January of 1995, Robert Tapert began
discussions with Ms. Lawless about the possibility of a series
for Xena with Ms. Lawless (XMR084a and XMR128).
   

[50.3] 10-01-95
   SCIENCE FICTION AGE PRESENTS SCI-FI TV FALL PREVIEW. Page 61.
"The Best of the Rest" By Don E. Peterson.
   COMMENTARY: In a review of the new SF influenced TV shows for
the '95-'96 season, XWP is discussed on pp. 65-66.  
   Calling XWP, "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys meets Hong
Kong's Bride with White Hair", this article used the same promo
sheet as PR Newswire on 05-05-95 (XMR013).  How do I know? The
article described XWP's premise as Xena being pursued by "the
evil warlord Khan the Great".
   Producer Robert Tapert is further quoted as saying, "We're
promising this to be the wildest action anyone's put on American
TV in a one-hour pilot. There have also been a bunch of movies
coming out of Hong Kong for the past five years which have very
strong women warrior characters, and I've always enjoyed them.
There [are] all kinds of action things we've wanted to
incorporate into Hercules but weren't appropriate for the John
Wayne style hero, and Xena is going to allow us to do that. Xena
battles in a more kinetic fashion, which is sort of a combination
of marital arts, acrobatics, and weaponry; while Herc is just a
giant ballroom brawler."
   The article mentioned the female superhero three season curse,
but still predicted that XWP had a very good chance of staying
around past the third season.


[50.4] 10-01-95
   CINESCAPE. Vol. 2 No. 1. Page 74. "Television. Tuned In" By
Andy Mangels.
   COMMENTARY: Appearing in a column, under the sub-title
"Syndicated & Cable", XWP received a paragraph shared with HTLJ.
The blurb gave a one sentence synopsis of "Sins of the Past".


[50.5] 10-01-95
   CINESCAPE'S 1995 SCIENCE FICTION TELEVISION YEARBOOK. Page 78.
"Fall Preview"
   COMMENTARY: On pages 79-80, XWP gets half a column of copy. 
   The article began by commenting that the target audience for
XWP is those who watch both HTLJ and Baywatch (ouch). 
   Sam Raimi is quoted as calling Xena a "block-bustin' ball-
buster who is long overdue for her own show."  Raimi is also
quoted as stating the main thrust of the show will be exploring
Xena's "tough journey of redemption." 
   Raimi is said to believe that Xena is a unique role model for
both boys and girls. "I think she's a much richer character [than
most TV heroes] because she's got a much larger journey than
people like Hercules, who are born good, are good and always will
be good."
   This interview was unique because usually Robert Tapert was
the producer who was interviewed.


-----------
ANNOTATIONS
-----------
[115] 12-26-95
   THE VILLAGE VOICE. Page 47. 1467 words. "Xenaphilia" By Stacey
D'Erasmo.
   COMMENTARY:  To date (as of June 1996), this Village Voice
article represents the most savvy cultural analysis about what
XWP could possibly be "about".  Ms. D'Erasmo cannily picked up on
all the major eccentricities of the show and related them to the
psychology (and pathology?) of our times.  This article is easily
the most significant Xena article ever printed in the major
media.
   REPRINT: 
   We don't need another hero, except for Xena, Warrior Princess.
Like something out of Russ Meyer combined with Betty Page and
projected onto the walls of the Clit Club, Xena is full-tilt,
strap-on, Greco-medieval realness, as much superfreak as
superhero in her leather minidress and breastplates, her
thigh-high lace-up leather boots, her coal black hair, her
piercing blue eyes, her fetching way with a spear. Xena
rules--literally. "In a time of ancient gods, warlords, and
kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero," intones the
intro, over shots of Xena galloping around in her leathers and
fighting some big computer-generated thing that looks like King
Neptune as played by Casper the Friendly Ghost. Bagpipes play.
Trumpets sound. Xena vanquishes everybody with her deadly
kickboxing.
   What time exactly would this be? Spun off from a three-episode
adventure of Hercules: the Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior
Princess takes place during an odd moment heretofore unknown to
history where Greek myth meets feudalism meets haircuts of the
'70s. A time when peasant women threshing the fields sing songs
that sound distinctly like the Bulgarian State Radio and
Television Female Vocal Choir. A time when bad guys growl, "Are
you gonna smite us, little girl?" or when Hades, looking like a
car salesman, surprises Xena and her sidekick, Gabrielle, on the
road and reassures them with, "Hey, relax, I'm a big fan."
   Me, too. When a peasant, apropos of not very much, recites an
entire Greek myth and is asked where he learned it, he says,
"From books." What books? This is supposed to be medieval or
mythological or something--peasants didn't have books. But who
cares? In the sufficiently hazy mists of the ancient, much
hanky-panky takes place, primarily around the construction of
Xena herself, who seems to have sprung full-blown from the head
of Susie Bright.  Over six feet tall, dominant for days, played
by an actress with the transcendent name Lucy Lawless, Xena lends
herself even more to lesbian interpretation than Sigourney
Weaver's Warrant Officer Ripley. One recent episode, in which
Xena and Gabrielle are kidnapped by the Amazons--all of whom seem
to be wearing leather bustiers, body paint, and feathered ear
cuffs--and forced to dance in a circle with them, gave me the
happy feeling of being transported back to a Lesbians at Barnard
meeting. Gabrielle, a wholesome pink-cheeked blond, spends much
of every show following Xena around, begging to be taken along on
the next adventure. Xena is usually more interested in her horse;
now and then she'll let Gabrielle ride on the back of her horse,
or, more rarely, have the privilege of taking care of her horse,
although she has also been heard to snap "Don't you ever touch my
horse again."
   Closer to Batman and Robin in their dynamic than to Superman
and Lois Lane, Gabrielle and Xena save each other's lives quite a
bit, although Xena tends to get most of the credit. The only
romance is the sublimated one between them. Sometimes Gabrielle
gets a boyfriend for a second or two but then he is usually
killed (boo hoo) by a disease or some other untimely accident.
Xena is alternately charming, mean, and protective toward
Gabrielle; she's also really arrogant. When Gabrielle took on a
dysfunctional family of Titans, Xena sighed, "She must be trying
to prove herself to me." Tenderness, for Xena, doesn't go much
beyond sentiments like "For your information, I could never hate
you." In the very first episode, Gabrielle met Xena by saving her
warrior butt from a stoning. Later, she crept to Xena's campfire
saying, "I don't belong there, Xena. I'm not the little girl my
parents wanted me to be.  You understand." Xena patronizingly
replied, "It's not easy proving you're a different person. You
can sleep over there." Gabrielle, methinks, could do with a
little consciousness raising, although if Xena weren't so
rejecting, there would be no narrative chaperone between them at
all. As it is, if the NEA had to approve this program for a
grant, they wouldn't, which is why it's good that it's made in
New Zealand and plays in the no-man's talk-and-genre land of
channel 11, thick with commercials for video games.
   Actually, Xena is a sort of video game primarily because she's
so relentless. Like Pac-Man, she just goes and goes, crunching
insane numbers of bad guys with her kicks, her spear, or her
sword. There is something very computer about her arsenal--it's
limited to the same few moves employed as if punched up on a
keyboard. Xena flips through the air; she kicks; she utters her
Amazonian war cry; she whooshes her staff around like a majorette
on steroids, then kills people with it. Xena also has a sharp
circular weapon called a chakram that she wears at her belt, and
a Vulcan-like paralyzing touch. At the same time, she knows
everything about healing, and is a crack diagnostician. When
necessary, she performs surgery with her bare hands; on one
episode she performed what looked like a pneumothorax on a
wounded centaur slumped over a stile. Sticking her hand into his
side, she wiggled her arm around, then pulled out her bloody hand
and barked, "Bring me some leather twine!" Giants are a favorite
special effect, as are bamboo cages placed over tiny mortals. The
male gods all have a faded porn star look and are inclined to
pout. Lady gods wear headbands. 
   How innocent it all is. Unlike, say, MTV's Aeon Flux, who is
positively Jamesian in her knowledge of sex and power, Xena
inhabits a prelapsarian world in which it is possible for a woman
in thigh-high boots to win every battle, all the time, always
fighting fair. One of the most striking things about the plains
of Xena: Warrior Princess is that they are entirely devoid of
sexual violence. Despite the centurion-matresse getup, many
heaving bosoms, and much hand-to-hand combat, there is rarely
even the hint of the threat of rape, never any of the standard
scenes of evildoers tying up the heroine and suggesting that
worse violations are to come. Faced with Xena in her low-cut
breastplates, the enemy warlord or god (always male) will
inevitably just say something along the lines of, "Xena! You
vanquished my entire army last time!" or "Xena! Come fight with
me!" Villagers offer their shoulders to Xena to fight an airborne
battle, saying, "C'mon, Xena, walk on me!" without even once
looking up her leather dress. Like Marlene Dietrich as Catherine
the Great in The Scarlet Empress, who ends the movie riding her
horse up the steps of the Winter Palace in full unpunished
victory, Xena has the truly superhuman power of utter sexual
unselfconsciousness, a gift for dominance with no memory of
submission. She's a stone hero.
   In this respect, Xena is like an ultratraumatized,
six-foot-tall nine-year-old, hard and strong and fast and
uncaring. She can still climb trees. She can ride around on her
horse all the time and never go home. She can love her
girlfriend, then dump her, then love her again. She can win and
win with some tacky moves she got off TV. She can fly through the
air.  Mother-daughter conflict--unambiguously expressed by Xena's
mother (no soft touch herself) drawing a sword on her--is
resolved by Xena saving their entire village, then riding off
into the sunset with Gabrielle. (I mean, who's writing this
stuff?) 
   Real life, of course, is harder. Spears break, girlfriends
have their own superpowers, horses go lame. Saving the world will
not convince your mother that you wouldn't be happier if you were
a little less different. But it is very good for a girl to know
that somewhere, not too far away, Xena, Warrior Princess, is
galloping in her leather minidress across a landscape that never
existed in nature or history, on her way to victoriously proving
her difference, again and again and again.
   GRAPHIC: Don't ever touch her horse.


[116] 12-26-95
   NEWSDAY. Page B41. 1114 Words. "Glued to the Tube/looking Back
at 1995, the Diverse Year That Was" By Diane Werts.
   COMMENTARY: In a year end review, XWP was cited along with the
avalanche of other SF and fantasy programming introduced in 1995.
   EXCERPT:
   HAPPY OLD YEAR! It's time again to reflect on the tube that
was, over the last 12 months, as we forge ahead into 1996. But
let's forgo the standard list of momentous developments (which
you'll get in this Sunday's FanFare section anyway) and instead
offer a more personal peek back. These are some TV happenings
that made impressions on me in 1995...
   ...Sci-fi snowball. Was it the success of "The X-Files"? The
third "Star Trek" series? The growing cults for "Babylon 5" and
"Hercules"? Whatever the reason, prime time found fantasy in a
big way. From midseason's "Star Trek: Voyager," "Legend," "VR.5"
and "Sliders" to this fall's "Space: Above & Beyond," "Deadly
Games," "Xena," "Strange Luck," "Nowhere Man" and "American
Gothic," everywhere you looked there were shows filled with
futuristic elements, fantasy, paranoia and creep-show scares.
They offered a fresh way to treat contemporary concerns like
prejudice, privacy and evil  -  and also a broad, escapist way to
have fun...


[117] 12-29-95
   GANNETT NEWS SERVICE. 559 words. "TV or Not TV". By Mike
Hughes.
   COMMENTARY:  Ms. Lawless' 4th major media interview.
   EXCERPT:
   On a gentle island, on the quiet side of our globe, Lucy
Lawless' life was an open-air adventure.
   "I'm one of seven children," she says. "I used to be outside
all the time ... I'd never wear shoes." 
   This was New Zealand, with its unlimited horizon. There's no
spot that doesn't have a mountain in view; there's no spot more
than 80 miles from a beach.
   Life was casual; dreams were easy. "I'd hear my family going
to the gym, but I would rather go and look at the waterfall."
   Even there, alas, people need jobs. "I went through a brief
fling of thinking I'd be a pathologist," she says.
   Since pathologists work indoors, this was a shaky choice. 
   A better ideas? She would become Xena, the warrior princess. 
   It's perfect - except that it doesn't really end.
   "You don't know what it's like until you're in the thick of
it," says Lawless. Now she heads to work at 5:30 a.m. and returns
at 7:30 p.m. 
   The result is half of a one-two success story, which some
viewers catch on Fridays. There are:
   - "Hercules: The Legendary Journey." Kevin Sorbo, a muscular
Minnesotan with an articulate charm, stars.
   - "Xena: Warrior Princess." Lawless stars.
   Together, those air at 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. EST Fridays on cable
giant WGN. That may be way more sinew than you need in one
sitting.
   Separately, many stations air them sometime during the
weekend. Ratings have been hardy, putting both near the top of
the syndication market, near "Baywatch" and "Deep Space Nine."
   Quality, of course, is another thing. There are only so many
stories one can tell with amazons or demigods in the woods.
   Still, viewers like the robust nature of the setting, the
stories, Sorbo and now Lawless.
   Career ambition didn't burn hot, she grants. "I'd never been
particularly interested in acting ... I've really just got
serious about it." 
   Still, she found plenty of work.
   "You do all the co-productions," Lawless says. "You kiss Rick
Springfield, work in a 'Ray Bradbury Theatre' ... I usually play
someone with prosthetics all over her face."
   Then came the word: A two-part "Hercules" was pairing Sorbo
with an Amazon warrior. An American actress had dropped out,
three days before filming. 
   "We were trying to give my daughter the camping experience,"
Lawless says, "when they said they needed me right away."
   That was soon spun into a series. In September, as "Hercules"
began its second full season, "Xena" premiered.
   The show has apparently satisfied both worlds. Like Lawless'
childhood, "Xena" is sunny and breezy; unlike it, it has awesome,
swordswomen and three-headed dragons...

[118] 12-29-95
   ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. Page 56. 737 words. "The Year That Was
1995" By Ty Burr.
   COMMENTARY: A picture of a drawing of Xena in a photo montage.
   EXCERPT:
   Graphic: 
   ... COLOR ILLUSTRATION: GARY PANTER, XENA, [Drawing of
Princess Xena character]...


[119] 12-29-95
   ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. Page 50. 172 words. "5 Kevin Sorbo &
Lucy Lawless; Hercules and Xena, Tv's Most Pec-tacular Duo" By
A.J. JACOBS
   COMMENTARY: Primarily concerned with Kevin Sorbo, this quasi-
interview included a few comments from Lucy Lawless.
   REPRINTED:
   THANK ZEUS for those few TV shows free of latte bars and
Manhattan apartments. In other words, thank Zeus for buff
thespians Kevin Sorbo and Lucy Lawless, who masterfully lord over
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess, two
syndicated hours of Bronze Age camp.   This year, Sorbo's
Fabio-length locks and deadpan delivery snagged him both colossal
Hercules ratings and a seven-figure movie deal (he'll star in
Kull the Conqueror). It's a breakthrough, says the veteran
commercial actor, that seemed centuries in coming. "I've paid my
dues," sighs Sorbo, 37. "It's not like I was an accountant and
all of a sudden I said, 'Hey, I want a series.'" Much less one so
popular that it yielded a spin-off starring Lawless, 27. The kung
fu-chopping actress says she "turned green" with jitters after
learning Xena would get her own series, but she soon got comfy in
those dominatrix boots. "I guess it's the culmination of 35 years
of feminism," she says. "Women can be as badass as any man ever
was."
   GRAPHIC: Kevin Sorbo; Lucy Lawless


[120] 12/29/95
   ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. Page 88. 10 words. "Great Performances;
from an Iowa Farm to Mission Control, Our Picks for 1995's Top
Acts"
   COMMENTARY: The article consisted of photographs.  In a
caption for one, it compared Xena with Lisa Marie Presley.
   EXCERPT:
   ...Graphics:...Lisa Marie Presley. Xena, the Warrior Princess,
may be TV's toughest chick, but the tube's best snarls this year
came from another royal: Lisa Marie Presley...


[121] 12-29-95 through 01-01-96
   NOTE: Repeat of "Dreamworker" (episode 3). 4.7 rating. First
run rating was 4.4 (XMR055).

[121a] 12-29-95
   DAILY VARIETY. Page 3. 402 words. "Mags sag; gabs lag; 'Home'
hot" by Brian Lowry.
   COMMENTARY: Dreamworker.
   EXCERPT:
   The holiday doldrums took their toll on firstrun magazine
shows in Nielsen syndication rankings for the week ended Dec. 17,
with virtually all the tabloids down compared with their year-ago
performances.
   ...Paramount's "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" remained the
top-rated weekly hour, followed by the MCA duo of "Hercules, the
Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess," which both
dipped from the prior week...


[121b] 01-01-96
   VARIETY. Page 63. 406 words. "Mags sag; gabs lag; 'Home' hot"
by Brian Lowry.
   COMMENTARY:  Same as XMR121a.


[122] 12-31-95
   NEWSDAY. Page 30. 926 words. "Jump to '96" by Diane Werts. 
   COMMENTARY:  Year end summary listed Hercules as an "unsung"
TV happening of 1995. It also mentioned XWP in passing as being
Hercules' "spawn".
   EXCERPT:
   SURE, THERE'VE been lots of "important" TV happenings this
year  -  all that merger mania, the ratings collapse of CBS, Jay
Leno's viewership triumph over David Letterman and, of course,
the trial of that guy with the citrus juice initials.  
     But what about the intriguing, offbeat and just plain weird
tube events? Lest they be forgotten, here's a look at some of the
unsung TV happenings of 1995...
   ...`Hercules'
   Well. What can we say? This one came out of nowhere to reach
ratings heights with its gleeful beef and cheese-cake, daffy
anachronisms, cartoon action and all-around zest. Its syndicated
success (on WPIX/11 here) has already spawned the female
counterpart "Xena," also produced in New Zealand by zany
splat-master Sam Raimi. Is star Kevin Sorbo a hunk for the '90s,
or what?...
   
[123] 01-01-96. 
   ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH. Everyday Magazine. Page 8E. 135
words. "TV Q & A Column" By Steven Cole Smith.
   COMMENTARY: Direct from a PR sheet, this article represented
one of the many approaches the local "answer" columnists could
take.
   REPRINT:
   Q: I like the show "Xena." Could you tell me about Lucy
Lawless, who plays the title character? Is she a professional
athlete? 
   A: "Xena," a syndicated spinoff of "Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys," is gaining quite a cult following, just as "Hercules"
did. Lawless is athletic, but she has never been a professional
athlete. A native of Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand,
Lawless, just short of 6 feet tall, is the fifth of seven
children. She worked as a gold miner in Australia, then married,
then returned to New Zealand where daughter Daisy, now 7, was
born. Landing the role of Xena on three episodes of "Hercules"
was her big break. The physical "Xena" is filmed in and around
Auckland. Lawless had little previous experience with stunt work,
but has trained with a martial arts master.


[124] 01-01-96
   THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT (NORFOLK). Page E1. 705 words.
"Resolutions for the New Year Start with Chung" By Larry Bonko.
   COMMENTARY: Mr. Bonko did a spirited 600 word defense in April
1996 on XWP (Tentative XMR239) but then by June 1996 called XWP
the "Worst impression of Wonder Woman" (Tentative XMR279).  So
much for his resolution to defend XWP.
   EXCERPT:
   MY NEW YEAR'S resolutions:...
   ...I also resolve to defend ''Xena, Warrior Princess'' against
those who say the series is nothing but trash that exploits
bosomy women. It's art....


[125] 01-01-96
   TEXAS MONTHLY. Page 22. 97 words. "Hot Ingenue." by Helen
Thompson
   COMMENTARY:  A concise Texan paean to Renee O'Connor.  Thus
far, only Texas has recogized Gabrielle as the real star of XWP.
   REPRINT:
   If one of the surprises of the fall TV season has been the
success of the campy syndicated show Xena: Warrior Princess,
another has been the star turn of Renee O'Connor (left), who
plays Gabrielle, Xena's perky protegee. O'Conner, who is 24,
attended Houston's High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
and studied at the Alley Theatre, but a big break came when she
appeared in a Visa commercial shot at the Austin restaurant
Threadgill's, which happens to be owned by her stepfather, Eddie
Wilson. Nice to know she can always wait tables if things don't
work out.
   GRAPHIC: [no caption, of Ms. O'Connor].


[126] 01-01-96
   MEDIAWEEK. Vol. 6. No. 1. Page 3. 671 words. "MCA's Meidel
moves to shore up syndie. MCA-Universal Inc., Greg Meidel;
syndication" By Michael Freeman.
   COMMENTARY:  Passing mention how XWP and HTLJ were the jewels
in MCA TV's crown.
   EXCERPT:
   Although Greg Meidel just this week takes over the television
operations of MCA/universal as chairman of the MCA Television
Group, he's been hard at work for months trying to lure former
Columbia Tri-Star syndication veterans Ed Wilson and Bob Cook to
set up shop under the MCA umbrella. However, the talks, according
to executives in the syndication and rep communities who would
not speak for attribution, have collapsed...
   ...MCA TV is suffering from a continuing lack of a presence in
the highly lucrative strip syndication marketplace. Since the
early 1980s, each of the five other major studios has placed a
first-run strip in syndication. MCA TV has concentrated on the
weekly action-adventure and sitcom genres. After numerous stabs
at developing a hit weekly series, MCA TV finally hit paydirt two
years ago with the launch of the Universal Action Pack block,
which spawned the top-rated Adventures of Hercules and Xena:
Warrior Princess weeklies. However, Meidel, who was president of
Twentieth Television before he joined MCA, stressed that "every
effort and resource" is going to be expended to make MCA TV a
"player" in the strip marketplace. The syndicator will take two
strip concepts to NATPE this year: the talk show He Says, She
Says and a reality-based series called Justice...


[127] 01-01-96
   FEMME FATALE. Vol 4. No. 5. Page 46. ""Lucy Lawless. Xena.
Warrior Princess" By Frederick C. Szebin.
   COMMENTARY: Full color graphics and a unique spin on the
interview made this fan-magazine coverage fun to read, if not
illuminating.  Information not found in the usualy mainstream
press abounded (Ms. Lawless was quoted as saying "I've avoided
advertising Tampax--oops! sorry, don't use a brand name!--I mean,
feminine hygiene products." and "We had a sort of gay Mardi Gras
recently. The American producer was down here and couldn't
believe all the women's breasts around...There were families
gathered and we had our seven-year-old daughter there. I had to
leave when the S&M float came along--not that there's anything
wrong with S&M, you understand!--I thought maybe my kid had seen
enough then. But she never blinked. It was cool.") and Mr. Szebin
was quite informative when he's not trying to be a writer for
Vanity Fair.
   Ms. Lawless was also quoted as saying regarding the physical
requirements of XWP: "It's very bruising. My husband was
embarrassed to be seen with me for about a month after shooting,
because I was so mottled! I don't own any discreet clothing, so
he didn't want to look like a wife beater or something."

[128] 01-01-96
   STARLOG. No. 222. Page 50. "The Savage Sword of Xena" 
   COMMENTARY: This first major fan magazine interview of Lucy
Lawless is the most significant interview to date given by Ms.
Lawless in a U.S. print medium.  The excerpts below cover all of
Ms. Lawless' direct quotes in the article.
   EXCERPTS:
   ...[regarding the physical nature of the role] "I've actually
gotten much better about that. I just got five bruises today, and
I don't even know how they happened. When the camera rolls, you
don't even think about it, and your reflexes get sharper after
you've been hit a few times!"...
   ..."I've never thought of myself as a very physical person. I
was never a sports freak or anything like that. My nickname was
'Unco' or "Uncoordinated' at school, so it was a big shock to me
to be doing this sort of thing. They've been giving me a lot of
training, which has helped a lot. Unlike Kevin Sorbo, who is a
sportsman from way back, I need to get my skills up and keep them
up, because it doesn't come naturally to me."...
   ...[regarding her starring in a series so quickly] "I don't
really feel the pressure, because I'm surrounded by so many
people who are giving their all as well. Everybody--from the
people who lay out the cups, to the generator operator, to the
make-up people--everybody is working so hard that it's not really
my show. There's a really good feeling. We saw the first episode
the other day, and it just galvanized everyone."...
   ...[regarding who or what the character Xena is] "I'm still
looking for it, and it doesn't matter what's on paper. After your
first rehearsal for the first episode, you know what the history
is, and that acts as fuel, but because Xena's always a character
in transition and she's on this journey, you never quite know
what she's about. I just have a feeling, and the rest of it
happens organically and continues to grow, or at least I hope it
does."...
   ...[regarding Xena's developing wry humor] "You haven't seen
anything yet! I don't think Xena ever thinks she's funny. She
isn't the knee-slapping, thigh-slapping, rib-tickling sort, but
as you'll see, there's a wry humor to her. I'm also sorry to tell
you this, but Gabrielle never entirely gets the better of
her."...
   ...[regarding the relationship between Xena and Gabrielle as
the key to the show] "It's getting better and better the more we
get to know each other. I have huge respect for Renee as a
person. She's easy to listen to in film acting terms, and that's
the magic: if you're actually listening and taking in somebody's
face. That's real acting."...
   ...[regarding Hercules and the Amazon Women] "You know, I
don't even remember doing fight scenes when I was in that. Were  
there really fight scenes?"
   [regarding the physical nature of the role] "I have to say,
I've surprised myself by the physicality of it all, because it's
obviously some sort of natural aggression that shines through.
It's something that I never recognized before, but I think
growing up in a house with seven kids probably helped in that
regard. I have five brothers, so it was pretty much the law of
the jungle. It was a very loving home and everything, but it was
still very rowdy. I could really relate to that running-the-
gauntlet scene in the second Xena episode [HTLJ "The
Gauntlet"]."...
   ...[regarding working with Anthony Quinn in "Amazon Women"]
"He was great; I was really surprised. Some people were a little
nervous about having him around, but because I had not, to my
everlasting shame, ever seen an Anthony Quinn movie, it didn't
bother me. I knew his name and that he was somebody, but you
treat everybody the same until you find out they're an idiot. He
seemed to like me because I didn't kowtow to him or whatever, but
he was a superstar and I could see that. I felt really privileged
to meet him, because there aren't many of them left. There are
only a few of his caliber from that era, and I know he's working
still, which only makes him greater. He was a real gentleman."...
   ...[regarding Kevin Sorbo] "Kevin really hasn't changed very
much; he's a nice guy and good to work with. This has, in a funny
way, become Kevin's home, and I think he's looking at buying a
place because he has been down here for two years. He has a lot
of friends here, and it's quite enriching, living in another
country for a period of time. He seems to be handling it fine,
and because he's here, he doesn't have people hounding him every
two seconds. It's like a beach holiday."...
   ...[regarding why she got the Lyla part in "When Darkness
Falls"] "I don't know, that's a producer's question, so you would
have to ask Eric Grundemann that. Hey Eric! Eric would know, or
Rob Tapert, but I couldn't tell you."...
   ...[regarding special FX] "I don't have any trouble with
special FX. If you have an active imagination, you just use it
and it's not difficult at all. I actually find it easier than
working off actors. It never even occurred to me that this might
be a difficulty; it was just normal acting."...
   ...[regarding Lawless being cast as Xena] "I had just been in
the previous episode, so I think the execs were saying, 'Oh, no,
we can't use her because we just used her. Here's a list of five
other actresses you should try,' and every one of them pulled out
for some reason. Pilot season was coming up, so they decided, 'Oh
no, we don't want to go down to the bottom of the world in pilot
season and do a three-week stint that will come to nothing, when
we could stay here in LA and do a pilot that could possibly
become a series,' so thanks girls, thank you very much!" [see
tentative XMR212 for the story on the actress who turned down
Gabrielle and is now destitute in LA because she did not want to
go to New Zealand!].
   ...[more on getting the Xena part] "I flew up there two days
before and had my hair changed. They made the costume up for me
and then I was shooting. I had been on a camping holiday just
before that, so they had to move heaven and Earth to find me. It
was a huge twist of fate or good luck, or whatever you want to
call it, but here I am."...
   ...[regarding Michael Hurst, who played Iolaus, Xena's love
interest in "Warrior Princess"] "We did develop a really good
rapport early on. I don't think it had anything to do with the
fact that he's an established New Zealand actor, because we were
only barely acquainted before that, but we really hit it off.
Most women love talking to Michael. I think he gets a lot of mail
already, but he's a pretty good guy, and would never get uptight
about it. He and his wife drafted out some replies, but at this
stage, I think the load is already getting too heavy and they
just won't be able to keep doing that. He's such a busy man,
directing plays and all sorts of things."...
   ...[regarding The Gauntlet] "That first episode was directed
by Bruce Seth Green, and then Jack Perez did the next one, which
was a much darker show. It was written dark, and shot dark. Xena
is a very different character now. Before, she had no honor, but
this Xena is very different. It's part of her life-changing
transition, and now she does have her own warped code of
honor."...
   ...[regarding about how she first heard about XWP] "I was
sitting in the second AD's bus, and I was trying to be all cool
about it, saying, 'Yeah, yeah, we'll believe it when it happens,
and I'll talk to you later, thank you, Mr. Tapert.' I went away
and had lunch on my own, and tried to pretend I hadn't heard what
I heard. Anyway, the upshot is four months from that day, it was
happening. It seems like forever ago, but it was really only
January, and now we're already up to our ninth episode."...
   ...[regarding her training for XWP] "It was like the old
studio system; they took me to LA for training in dialogue, kung
fu, personal training and film technique. It was just wonderful
and really kick-started me again. After I left acting school four
years ago I had kind of plateaued. It took me four years to
understand everything I had been taught, and then to think, 'Holy
guacamole, where do I go from here?'"...
   ...[regarding her family life] "It is difficult sometimes, but
we're managing. My daughter comes down to the set after school
some days, and I know she's well-looked-after because she's with
her father, and she couldn't have a better father, so she's
fine."..."[Daisy, her daughter] thinks it's pretty cool. She
likes to have the posters and things, but she hasn't actually
seen any of these new episodes yet."...
   ...[regarding whether XWP is appropriate for children] "I
might have had a question mark over that one before, but now I
think yes, I would [let Daisy watch the show], because all the
sound FX and speed ramping make the fights cartoonish. I think
she could see Xena; she has seen The Rocky Horror Picture Show,
and we're a bit less inhibited about those things here. We just
had a festival which is like Mardi Gras, and I was surprised at
how shocked our American friends were at all the naked breasts
walking around on the main street, but that's New Zealand."...
   ...[regarding watching XWP] "You get that once or twice a day.
You might see the playback, and you see somebody slug you on the
head with a foam thing. They came nowhere near you, but it looks
fantastic because you dropped at precisely the right moment. I've
got to say, although initially they were never my favorite thing
to do, watching the fight scenes is really rewarding. In fact,
seeing them once the sound FX have been put in, I get the biggest
kick out of them."...
   ...[regarding the fight scenes] "They still use a double
sometimes, because some of the things are not only difficult but
dangerous, with the flips and so forth. I have wonderful
acrobatic doubles and a stunt double and a horse riding double.
These women do the most amazing things, and beautifully, too.
That's what I mean when I talk about this not being just my show.
They all help to enrich the character, so it's really a huge team
effort and I'm grateful to all of them for their hard work."...
   ...[regarding the rivalry between XWP and HTLJ] "Not really,
because we screen at different times, so there's no point in
being in competition. We don't really compete, because the
flavors of the two shows are so distinct from one another. There
are things that happen on Hercules that will never happen on
Xena, and vice versa. There's no point in competing. I also think
we're working way too hard to be looking at each other's
shows."...
   ...[regarding Prometheus, the XWP which guest starred Kevin
Sorbo as Hercules] "We just shot it, and I think it turned out
great. It was so nice to work with Kevin again. It's really like
an ensemble cast, because everybody knows their characters and
you're not mucking around trying to find something in a scene, so
filming went much faster."...
   ...[regarding XWP going multiple seasons] "If you're going to
play a character for a couple of years, then I can't think of a
better character to play. She has such duality and complexity
that I should consider myself a very lucky actor if I do."
   

[129] 01-02-96
   THE DETROIT NEWS. Accent. 612 words. "'Hercules' proves
ratings strength; 'Baywatch' flounders at No. 20" By Jefferson
Graham 
   COMMENTARY: Robert Tapert in an interview stated his surprise
at HTLJ taking on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He mentioned they
originally viewed their competition as Baywatch, not Star Trek. 
   XWP is mentioned in passing as joining HTLJ.
   EXCERPT:
   In the fantastic world of syndicated drama, Hercules has
muscled its way past Baywatch's bathing beauties on the ratings
chart.
   Hercules: The Legendary Journeys has moved up to No. 14 among
all syndicated series, and Baywatch, a longtime top 10 fixture,
has dropped to No. 20. (The highest-rated syndicated drama is
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, No. 6 on the overall list. Hercules
is the second-highest rated drama.)  
   "When Universal asked us to do Hercules, we said we could
never beat Star Trek, but we always had our eyes on doing better
than Baywatch," says Robert Tapert, co-executive producer (with
Sam Raimi) of Hercules. "We figured that if we just told good
stories and kept the action up, we could get the viewers."    
The beefcake action series (8 p.m. Saturdays on Channel 20 in
Detroit), about the heroic half-man, half-god of Greek and Roman
mythology who battles monsters and demons to protect mankind,
premiered in January 1995, spun off from a 1994 action series of
made-for-TV movies syndicated by Universal Television. 
   "We filled a void," says Tapert. "We wanted to do a Butch
Cassidy and the Sundance Kid-style version of Hercules with
monsters and special effects and contemporary dialogue, and it
worked.
   "Instead of togas and Cyclops, we got a good-looking
quarterback, the sort of guy you'd like to have in your living
room every week. There was nothing like it on TV, and viewers
found us right away."
   Hercules, produced in New Zealand, stars former University of
Minnesota football player and TV commercial actor Kevin Sorbo.
His reward for his Herculean efforts: the lead role in Universal
Pictures' fall film Kull the Conqueror...
   ...Hercules, which has now been joined by Xena: Warrior
Princess, airs in only four countries: the USA, Canada, Germany
and France. 
   The current Baywatch cast and crew are committed to the show
through the end of the 1996-97 season, Back says, and he believes
the show can continue for many more years.
   But All American has acknowledged the power of Hercules. The
company recently announced plans for a new syndicated action hour
based on the adventures of Sindbad, the Arabian Nights sailor...


[130] 01-04-96 through 01-05-96
   NOTE: In a celebration of what the author called "trash tv",
XWP was mentioned as "Baywatch B.C." and the author opined that
"It's amazing that women back then knew how to kill a rabbit,
skin it and make a Wonderbra out of it."

[130a] 01-04-96
   THE VANCOUVER SUN. Page C3. 1017 words. "Trash essential part
of well-balanced TV diet" by Alex Strachan
   EXCERPT:
   A colleague stopped me the other day and offered his opinion
about what makes television tick. What amazes him about
television, he said -- what keeps him glued to the set for hours
on end, oohing and ahing at gooey, retro nineties buzz -- is the
trash...
   ...After all, just think how boring it would be if every show
on TV were a paean to the betterment of the human condition. What
if every sitcom had the wit and sophistication of Frasier? What
if every current-affairs program was as enlightening and
informative as The National?
   The world as we know it would grind to a halt, that's what.    
Why would you ever leave the house and go to work? Why would you
spend time with your loved ones, knowing that wasting time on the
imperfect people in your life would take you way from your steady
diet of excellence and human achievement?
   No, the reason we watch, the reason we love it so, is the
trash. 
   Not just the bad, but the BAD. Craig Nelson wrote a book about
it. (That's Craig Nelson the writer, not to be confused with
Craig T. Nelson, the brilliant practitioner of the thespian arts
from such BAD classics as Coach and Call to Glory.) In his Bad TV
(Delta Trade Paperbacks, 1995), writer Craig Nelson reveals the
six golden rules of BAD TV:
   * The perfect pet is a cross between Superman and Jeeves.      
   * When wealthy people move into a new neighborhood, it's a
laugh riot. 
   * There's nothing as much fun as watching people reveal some
deep, horrible secret ...
   * ... unless it's watching people dress up as fruits and
vegetables and become drunk with greed.
   * Well-to-do people compulsively spend their money on junk and
schemes. 
   * Well-to-do Hungarians compulsively spend their money on junk
and schemes....
   ..."When I lie in the sack and flick on the remote switch and
look at the box, I see things like Let's Make a Deal -- a
clinical study in avarice and greed where perspiring yo-yos go
into convulsions trying to latch on to a warehouse full of free
acquisitions while the studio audience screams and gurgles," Rod
Serling said in 1973. 
   "I see The Dating Game, where a vapid miniskirted beauty
throws out well-rehearsed, thinly veiled sexual asides to a trio
who are obviously lusting after her body. I see the dregs of
television, Gilligan's Island and Hee Haw, and all the havoc and
damage that man can wreak on his fellow man."...
   ...Aw, c'mon, Rod, don't be such a grouch. Where would the fun
in life be without Xena: The Warrior Princess, more aptly
referred to as Baywatch B.C.? (It's amazing that women back then
knew how to kill a rabbit, skin it and make a Wonderbra out of
it.) ...


[130b] 01-05-96
   CALGARY HERALD. Page D4. 642 words. "Why do we watch TV? It's
the terrific trash" By Alex Strachan.
   COMMENTARY:  edited down version of XMR130a.


[131] 01-07-96
   THE PROVIDENCE JOURNAL-BULLETIN. Page 6T. 628 words.
"Questions & Answers" 
   COMMENTARY: Another example of the local answer column: a
question regarding Lucy Lawless.
   EXCERPT:
   ...I have fallen in love with the show Xena: The Warrior
Princess. Can you tell me about Lucy Lawless, who plays the title
character? Is she a professional athlete? 
   C.G.
   Xena, a syndicated spin-off of Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys, is gaining quite a cult following, just as Hercules
did.
   Lawless is athletic, but she has never been a professional
athlete. A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Lawless, just short
of 6 feet tall, is the fifth of seven children. Her father is a
politician in New Zealand. She attended Auckland University
before heading for Europe, then moved to Australia where she
worked as a gold miner. She married, then returned to New Zealand
where daughter Daisy, now 7, was born.
   Lawless began working in local TV, performed in Canada for a
while, then returned to New Zealand to host a travel show that
was broadcast in New Zealand and Asia. Landing the role of Xena
on three episodes of Hercules was her big break. Xena is filmed
in and around Auckland. Lawless had little previous experience
with stunt work, but has trained with a martial arts master... 



[132] 01-08-96
   NOTE: Repeat of "Cradle of Hope." (episode no. 4). 4.9 rating.
Down from first run rating of 5.5 (XMR060).


[132a] 01-08-96
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 135 words.
   COMMENTARY:  Cradle of Hope. Second showing.
   EXCERPT:
   ...Among the weeklies, MCA TVs Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys was up from a 5.4 to a 6.2 while Paramounts Star Trek:
Deep Space Nine was up from a 5.9 to a 6.1. MCA TVs Xena: Warrior
Princess was up from a 4.7 to a 4.9...


[132b] 01-08-96
   DAILY VARIETY. NEWS; Pg. 6. 532 words. "Holiday gives hike to
new chat" By JIM BENSON.
   COMMENTARY: Cradle of Hope.
   EXCERPT:
   The younger-skewing freshman and sophomore talkshows got a
little Nielsen Christmas present during the week ended Dec. 24,
when lots of freshmen and sophomores home from school for the
holidays took over TV sets...
   ...Of the weeklies, which had to contend with NFL football
competition on Saturday, MCA TV's "Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys" topped the list for the first time this season (its
last victory came during the week of Oct. 2, before the season
premiere of Paramount's "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"). 
   "Hercules" soared a mythical 15% to 6.2, a notch ahead of
"Deep Space," which added 3% to 6.1.
   In third place, MCA's "Xena: Warrior Princess" fought for a 4%
increase to 4.9. MGM's "The Outer Limits," meanwhile, leaped 15%
to 4.5, putting it ahead of All American's "Baywatch" (it dipped
2% to 4.4)...


[132c]  01-18-96
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 135 words
   COMMENTARY:  For some unfathomable reason, the Hollywood
reporter reprinted the same article as XMR132a, which was
originally printed 01-08-96, ten days before!  The Daily Variety
at this date had two days previosuly released the 12/25 to 12/31/
95 numbers.


[133] 01-10-96
   THE TORONTO STAR. Page D4. 484 words. "Tonight in T.O."
   COMMENTARY: Minor mention in a minute promo listing.
   EXCERPT:
   ...TV Critic Jim Bawden...
   ...Xena: Warrior Princess is the New Zealand-made series that
neatly combines humor and derring do with an athletic female
state (9 on ch. 3)...


[134] 01-15-96
   VARIETY. Page N24. 498 words. "FIRSTRUN HOUR WEEKLIES;
(currently available)"
   COMMENTARY:  This issue was a special issue following NATPE
'96. This article listed the programs for sale at NAPTE for the
'96-97 season.   
   This is the first notice that XWP had went from a 24 episode
season to 26.
   EXCERPT:
   ... [Program]     Xena: Warrior Princess
       [Distributor] MCA                 
       [Episodes]    26 
       [Runs]         2 
       [Terms]       B (9/5) ...
   ... [Program]     Xena: Warrior Princess          
       [Comments]    Repl. for Vanishing Son...


[135] 01-15-96
   VARIETY. Page N27. 20310 words. "What's for Sale at Market"
   COMMENTARY: This issue was a special issue following NATPE
'96. This article discussed the episodes already in production.
   XWP is noted as having 22 episodes. The first season actually
had 24 episodes. 
   EXCERPT:
   Product listings for the NATPE market in Las Vegas, Jan.
22-25...
   ...MCA TV
   100 Universal City Plaza
   Universal City, CA 91608
   (818) 777-1000
   Fax: (818) 733-1430
   Booth: 8900
   Attending: Greg Meidel, chairman, MCA Television Group; Shelly
Schwab, president; Jim Kraus, exec VP, director of sales and
marketing; Steve Rosenberg, senior VP, national sales manager;
Bill Trotter, VP, Western region sales manager; Arthur Hasson,
VP, Northeast region sales manager; Tony Fasola, VP, Southeast
region sales manager; Mark Forgea, VP, Midwest region sales
manager; Cameron Hutton, VP, Southwest region sales manager;
Karen Zollman, senior VP, advertising sales; David Brenner,
senior VP, advertising sales and marketing. 
   Product highlights:
   "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys," action series; 60 min. 
   "Xena: Warrior Princess," action series; 60 min.
   "He Says, She Says," talkshow; 60 min. daily.
   "Justice," reality show; 30 min. strip...
   ...MCA TV Intl.
   100 Universal City Plaza
   Universal City, CA 91608
   (818) 777-4275
   Fax: (818) 733-1554
   Booth: 8900
   Attending: Colin Davis, president; Peter Hughes, exec VP; Ron
Suter, VP and general manager, Toronto; Wanderley Fucciolo,
Edenir Amadio, VPs, Sao Paulo; Reha Salomon, VP, administration.  
   Product highlights:
   "American Gothic," sheriff of South Carolina community is
secretly a demonic force; 22 x 60 min.     
   "Partners," engaged couple is tested by addition of his best
friend; 22 x 30 min.
   "Savage Dragon," animated tales of super-powered "freaks" in
Chicago; 13 x 30 min.
   "Xena: Warrior Princess," action-adventure saga of female
crusader; 22 x 60 min...


[136] 01-15-96
   VARIETY. Page N16. 712 words. "Hercules Lifts Genre" By Rita
Street
   COMMENTARY: This issue was a special issue following NATPE
'96. This article gave some insight into how Shelly Schwab
affected the marketing and pre-planning of HTLJ and XWP which
have contributed greatly to their marketplace success.
   REPRINT:
   Until the 1994 release of "Hercules," action, camp and romance
were considered stand-alone genres in television, seldom mixed
together to create a salable pie. In fact, the "Hercules" recipe
is so unusual that MCA TV president Shelly Schwab admits peers
"snickered" when he gave the one-hour series a greenlight.    
But Schwab has definitely had the last guffaw as the witty show
gears up for its third firstrun season with clearances rival
distributors would die for: 216 stations or approximately 99% of
the country.
   Schwab attributes the winning formula to solid casting and the
talents of executive producers Robert Tapert and Sam Raimi of
"Evil Dead" and "Darkman" fame.  
   To pull off the lead character's charming blend of
handsome-meets-muscle-meets-good-guy, the producers cast relative
newcomer Kevin Sorbo. Best known as a commercials actor, Sorbo
had just started to break into gueststar sitcom roles when Tapert
and Raimi pegged him as their mythical hero. 
   Says Tapert of the 6-foot-3-inch Sorbo:"We knew we couldn't go
with a traditional muscle man. Our model for the character was
always a Joe Montana type, a star quarterback who wasn't
off-putting because of his size or good looks, just a decent good
guy you'd want to sit at a bar with or invite into your living
room. Kevin is just that type."
   Sorbo's character, the son of the god Zeus and mortal woman
Alcmene, battles gods, monsters and bad guys with superhuman
strength, resorting to violence and weapons only when there is no
other out. Set in a beautiful but dangerous fantasy world before
the rise of Greece and Rome, the series is dominated by the
fickle finger of untrustworthy gods.
   The Raimi/Tapert signature style of wild camera work adds
another dimension to the series, lending it a feature film look.
This along with their zany take on the unnatural make the fantasy
elements accessible to even the most sophisticated audiences.    
And with the success of "Hercules" still fresh in the ratings,
the MCA team brought the spinoff hit "Xena: Warrior Princess" to
firstrun last fall. 
   In addition to Schwab's theory of solid casting and producer
talent, part of the "Hercules" and "Xena" success phenomenon is
due to pre-planning. In 1994, MCA TV came out with a program of
features called "The Action Pack," geared specifically to capture
the lost market of action-adventure. 
   Says Schwab: "At one point the nets' schedule used to be 28%
action-adventure programming; now they've all switched to drama.
We realized there was a gap when we first went out with the
commitment of 'The Action Pack.' There is definitely a niche
opportunity in real action-adventure, not violence." 
   Ned Nahl, executive vice president of Universal Television, a
division of MCA Inc., explains that the decision to claim the
action-adventure niche came after laborious one-on-one interviews
with station managers.
   "We went around to station groups asking what they wanted to
program. The common response was a complaint that the studios had
shut off the supply of two-hour action movies. It had become the
station managers' common remorse that movies were taken directly
to cable, bypassing traditional outlets." 
   Nahl's "Action Pack" offered continuing series of two-hour
actioners for television directed by vet theatrical directors.
The results were as expected:"The Action Pack" became a nursery
for new series, birthing two spinoffs, "Hercules" and "Tech
Wars."
   But, as Nahl admits, "Hercules" was the show contemporaries
felt had the lesser chance of success.
   The "Hercules" multigenre formula is certainly far from the
mainstream, but its current popularity is signaled not only by
solid numbers in domestic firstrun, but acceptance
internationally.
   "I've been listening to the international market for years.
They've been saying the American cerebral shows don't play for
our audiences. 'Hercules' does. It's language-proof and it's
fun," says Nahl.
   And, if success is counted by imitation, "Hercules," is
over-the-top with two new competitors coming on board for the
fall 1996 lineup. "Tarzan: The Epic Adventures," will be launched
by Keller Siegel Entertainment and "Sinbad" by All America
Television Inc. Both follow the "Hercules" formula to a T --
action, camp and a dash of romance.


[137] 01-15-96
   ELECTRONIC MEDIA. Pg. 1. 494 words. "At Press Time;'F/X'
Clears 65%; 'Trek' Leads Action Hours;'Day & Date' Gets Go; MGM
Clearance Update; Bohbot Revamps Blocks;'boy Meets World' Sold;
'Kagan' on Hiatus"
   COMMENTARY:  November sweeps averages announced. XWP got a
4.3/7.
   EXCERPT:
   ...LOS ANGELES-''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' scored an
average 6.6 Nielsen Syndication Service household rating and an 8
share, leading all first-run weekly action-adventure hours
through the November sweeps period. Following ''Star Trek'' in
the action field was ''Baywatch,'' which averaged a 5.3/7.  MCA
Television's fantasy duo pulled strong numbers, with ''Hercules:
The Legendary Journeys'' grabbing a 4.8/7, and ''Xena: Warrior
Princess'' getting a 4.3/7...


[138] 01-15-96
   BROADCASTING & CABLE. Vol. 126. No. 3. Page 58; 1595 words.
"Action gets tough for old and new hours; action television
ratings" By Steve Coe. 
   COMMENTARY: MCA's Action Pack (which includes HTLJ and XWP)
was deemed the season success story for syndicated action hours.
   EXCERPT:
   Ratings generally are down; among those turning in strong
numbers are 'Deep Space Nine,' 'Baywatch,' 'Hercules' and 'Xena'
   Action hours, like most other syndicated shows, have had a
tough new season, with most new and returning series ...
   ... strong last season that the syndicator launched a
companion in Baywatch Nights this season, has seen some erosion.
"Hercules, Xena and possibly Highlander have moved ahead of
Baywatch," says Bjork. "Baywatch may have slipped due to dilution
of the product, with its airing in the ... 
   ... season-to-date numbers--behind Paramount's Star Trek: Deep
Space Nine and MCA's one-two punch of Hercules and Xena, which
ranked second and third, respectively.
    The success story of the current season to which most
observers point is MCA's Action Pack, which includes Hercules and
Xena. Based on the success of those shows, MCA is signing
two-year renewal deals for both. According to Shelly Schwab, ...
   ... convention we'll be clearing up the medium and smaller
markets." 
    Schwab says that the highest-rated new hour in syndication is
Xena, and to illustrate the continued strength of Hercules, he
says that its highest-rated episode was a threepeat (a repeat of
an already repeated episode), which pulled in a 7.2 Nielsen
rating: "Xena is the highest-rated new hour in syndication, and
you have to remember we canceled a successful show in Vanishing
Son to launch  ...
   ... Entertainment, calls the show "our easiest renewal. It's
very strong among women. We don't have as many double-runs as
maybe Hercules or Xena, so basically we have only one play on
stations and we're doing a 3.5 rating." ...


[139] 01-16-96
   DAILY VARIETY. Page 20w. 384 words. "'Xena's' paradox: No. 1
spot in poor syndie week" By Jim Benson.
   COMMENTARY:  XWP was ranked for the first time, the 1st in
hour long syndicated dramas. The episode was the repeat of "The
Path Not Taken" rated at 5.3.  The first run took a 4.8 (see
XMR064).  The highest to date rating was 5.9 for the repeat of
"Sins of the Past", the season opener.
   At press time, "Path Not Taken" had been chosen to be one of
the episodes to be given a third release (scheduled to be
released it's third time: 06/24/96.).  It is suspected that it
will be followed by "Mortal Beloved". Both episodes concern
themselves with Xena's relationship with Marcus.
   EXCERPT:
   MCA's "Xena: Warrior Princess" delivered a Christmas whipping
to companion "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and Paramount's
"Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" during the holiday week ended Dec.
31.
   Emerging victorious on the weekly list for the first time,
"Xena" racked up an 8% gain in the Nielsen national barter
rankings. "Hercules" ate "Xena's" dust for the second time this
year after sliding 18% to a season low of 5.1.   
   The routine winner, "Deep Space," uncharacteristically landed
in the third spot. It crashed 26% to a season low mark of 4.5 and
24% from the previous year. 
   Most other syndicators found a big lump of coal in their
stockings. Although many omitted Christmas Day from their
week-long totals, the year-to-year comparison picture wasn't
pretty...

-------------
THE BACK PAGE
-------------

Issue #13 will begin with annotation #140, dated from 01/18/96.
It is scheduled to be released June 28, 1996.

PREFERRED CITATION:  When citing an annotated review, use the
format: XMR:007.  This example means Xena Media Review [issue
#01], annotation #007.

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, --).  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. Only
national/international major media released in electronic form
are considered for inclusion. Banner graphic by Colleen Stephan.
Copyright 1996 by Kym Masera Taborn.

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
above 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 above non-profit-use clause.
   
SOLICITATIONS FOR FUTURE NEWSLETTERS
   Send cites, references, articles, annotations, and/or
submissions to ktaborn@lightspeed.net. 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.


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