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     `\`/>`\            /`/` /`__________,.'>___      _____   )~\
       /<`\ `\        /`/` /``\ \./------> /|\./\     |\./|  / | \
      /< `\`\ `\    /`/` /`   | | |----\ /  | |\ \    | | |././^\ \
 |\__{o}\--`\`\ `\/`/` /`-----| | |-----`------\`\`\--| | |----^ \ \----.
[\\\\\\\{*}==`>      <`=======| | ==============`\`\`\| | |=====\ \ \==-->
 |/~~{o}/-- /`/  /\ \ `\------| | |---------------`\`\\ | |------\ \ \--'
      \<  /`/` /`  `\`\ `\    | | |_____,.'>| | |   `\`\| | /'    \ \ \
       \< /` /`      `\`\ `\  ,/ /^\------> / |/^\|   \ | |/       \/^\\.
      /`/\>/`           `\`\ `\`~~~~~~~~~~~\ / ~~~~~   )^\,\,      '~~~~~
     `~~~~~`             '~~~~~`            `          ~~~~~~
==========================
XENA: THE MEDIA REVIEW #13
==========================
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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. 13
Release date: June 28, 1996
2nd edition: 07/10/96
Covering 01/18/96 to 02/08/96
Annotations XMR #140 to #159

------------
INTRODUCTION
------------
What Is Going On?
-----------------
   On my 532nd viewing of "Warrior Princess" (HTLJ, not the '...'
one of XWP), I noticed something I had never noticed before. On
the 533rd and 534th viewing, what I had merely just noticed in
passing previously, abruptly became  a major plot point of the
show. By the time I had reached my 537th viewing, I had calmed
down, and was able to put the observation into proper
perspective. However, it got me to thinking (uh-ho). I asked
myself, what is going on?
   Before jumping into an analysis, I admit that there are at
least three things wrong with my paragraph above. The first is
what am I doing watching a show 538 times (well, dubbing it for
everyone and their brother might have something to do with
it...but let's put that aside right now. It's not like I am being
forced against my will to make the dubs).  The second is how can
I be finding new things in it after admittedly EXCESSIVE repeated
viewings (other than my mind numbing over, shouldn't I have a
clue about what is happening on the screen after, say, four or
five viewings? Also, is anyone impressed that I am now a self-
avowed excessive Xena viewer? Is that even a joke outside of San
Francisco?)?  The third, and final (sigh), is why am I telling
you about it?
   Fortunate for us all, these three quandaries answer my
question of what is going on. How? Please bear with me.
   The ability to consistently watch a show over and over again
is not just a sign of mental instability.  It also is evidence
that there might just be something in there to watch.  I will
rudely gloss over the points that escapism, stress, neurosis,
compulsive disorders, and other such icky things may enter into
the picture. I want to concentrate on quality here.
   During lookover #532, I noticed the balance between the
characters Theodorus and Estrogon.  I had always felt their
symmetry, but let's face it, there was enough happening in that
episode to dwell upon other than those two "losers".  I didn't
have the inkling to pursue it...until that 532nd time. 
   Theodorus and Estrogon were Xena's last two warrior boy toys
before her conversion. Xena set up Theodorus' death in order to
get Hercules on her trail. Xena killed Estrogon when he begged
Hercules for mercy after losing to Herc in a fight. They were her
two henchmen. Or so I thought. Each time I watched the show after
that, the relationship between the two men grew and grew, until
about the 535th viewing, their relationship was deafening. If
someone had asked me what "Warrior Princess" was about, I would
have said, "It's about Theo and Estrogon."  Fortunately, that
obsession waned and I was able to see the show as it really was,
"Xena takes over," or more precisely, "Xena takes (fill in
blank)."
   Theodorus really liked Xena. I mean REALLY. He even got into a
little spat with her right before she lamed her horse. He was
willing to be skewered by an ambitious woman (who thought nothing
of laming her horse) just to make sure she was safe. If only we
all could have warrior boy toys like that! 
   Xena depended upon Theo's loyalty and purposely cultivated it. 
Petrakus, whose son had also fallen by the warrior princess'
whims, complained to Hercules that this was one of Xena's major
traits: to attract a man and then manipulate him to do her dirty
deeds. Some would just think of it as wise delegation; and Xena
knew how to delegate. 
   Taking advantage of Theodorus' jealousy (by intimating to him
that he could keep Xena from sleeping with Iolaus if Theo would
bump off Hercules...as if!), Xena blessed Theodorus and scooted
him off to certain death. When Theodorus caused his own death
(falling on a pitch fork while fighting the Big Guy...oops!),
Hercules asked him why he did it. Theo, of course, the young
romantic he was, said, "For love." He then had a spasm, said,
"Xena, I have failed you," and then died.  
   Other than giving you insight into why a warrior princess
would want to have warrior boy toys, Theodorus represented the
ideal warrior of Xena. When Theo was in the barn stalking
Hercules, Hercules noticed his presence and they traded comments
on what an honorable fight was. Theo stated that his leader said
that you take whatever advantage you can. Hercules then commented
that Theo's leader was not honorable. Ooooo, foreshadowing.
   Estrogon, on the otherhand, although bigger and more
physically imposing than Theodorus was a wimp. The first clue of
this was that in Xena's introductory scene where she whupped the
pants off of her army, Estrogon got it when she fling the well
balance around. When Xena whupped Theodorus, she achieved
physical contact and downed him with a right hook. 
   Also, I got the impression Estrogon was dumb. He made the
noise that Hercules heard when he and Xena were supposedly
secretly viewing Hercules. He wasn't the least bit nervous when
Theo suddenly disappeared and he was suddenly the stud of the
camp and inherited Iolaus angst.
   Estrogon's true colors were shown when he refused to give his
life, unlike dear Theo, for Xena. This peeved the warrior
princess so much, that she simply chakramized Estrogon's throat.
Hercules, was of course, appalled. So was Xena, but obviously for
different reasons. Just so the audience "got it"...even if it was
for me on the 532nd viewing, Xena told Herc why she killed
Estrogon: he didn't live by Xena's code.
   Xena's code. That was the key. It was the whole purpose of
Theo and Estrogon (the guy who was named after a veiled reference
to a substance that makes sex hormones). It was why THEY had to
die. 
   Well, let me tell you, making that connection was like
receiving a sign from heaven.
   In essence, though, it was merely a detail. A teeny weeny
detail. In fact, the entire show is almost wall-to-wall details.
Some are humorous, some are satirical, some are dramatic, some
are like little mandelbrot designs. And all of these details are
put in there...on purpose.
   Is that what compels me to XWP over and over again until my
eyes glaze over and my brain cells scream "No more?"
   Why do people climb Mt. Everest? Because it's there? Why do I
watch Xena? Not only because it's there, but because there are
all sorts of details and inner workings that are very difficult
to appreciate until the viewer has merged their consciousness
with the show.
   As to my original questions:
   1. What am I doing watching a show 538 times?
      Easy. Not only it is chockful of innuendo, double
entendres, in-jokes, out-jokes, social commentary, satire,
parody, drama, melodrama, dumb jokes, and literate jokes; but
it's extremely well constructed and is very, very easy to look
at. The lush New Zealand scenery and the creative camera
techniques alone invite at least the first 20 viewings.
   2. How can I be finding new things in it after admittedly
EXCESSIVE repeated viewings?
      Easy. It is show which is playfully constructed. It is
presented to the viewer on many levels: Is it BabeWatch B.C? Is
it parody? Is it satire? Is it just making a buck? Is it social
commentary? Is it a pastiche? Is it a saga? Is it filled with
hidden and deep meanings? Is it shallow and pointless? Or is it
just a cigar? 
   3. Why am I telling you about it?
      Easy. It's my party and I'll cry if I want.

And before I leave...CONGRATULATIONS to Lois Price
(LoisP@gnn.com): our 200th subscriber!!!!!! Aiy-aiy-aiy-aiy-aiy! 
---Kym, working on her repertoire of shaggy dog stories.


-----------
ANNOTATIONS
-----------
[140]
   NOTE: Here be the NATPE reports. NATPE stands for National
Association of Television Programming Executives. The
organization's annual convention is where television shows are
bought and sold. What follows are a collection of articles which
will give you a feel for what it is like to go to NATPE and how
far it effects what you and I see on the tube.


[140a] 01-18-96
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 903 words. "Hour Town Buyers will see
a lot of action on the confab floor, where even more players are
jostling into the crowded genre." By Steve Brennan
   COMMENTARY: An interesting review of the syndication market
and the other action hours competing with XWP. XWP was used as a
metaphor of the competition in this article and was discussed in
market terms by the producers.
   EXCERPT:
   Its Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles and the college game on
TV moves slower than Napoleons retreat from Moscow. So you flick
the dial, finding an infomercial on Channel 2 or reruns of Happy
Days on Channel 11. You flick again and a bronzed lady in a
leather mini-skirt is battling a six-headed giant snake. Hello?
You pause.  That's the point, you pause, says Ned Nalle, head of
production at MCA TV and a key person in the MCA TV team that
brought this show, the one-hour action drama Xena: Warrior
Princess, to the screen. A spinoff from the action hour Hercules:
The Legendary Journeys, Xena became the most successful new
action hour to jostle its way into a crowded and highly
competitive syndication programming landscape last season. Like
Hercules, its recipe calls for a mix of special effects,
mythology, lush landscapes, bizarre creatures, very bad guys and,
of course, good-looking heroes and heroines.  And as buyers and
sellers head to NATPE, the success of MCAs mythological duo looks
to be spawning a new programming push in the genre....
   ...With so much competition, distributors agree that the
syndication market for action hours is tougher than ever. So what
spurs companies to take a gamble on adventure, spending $1
million-plus per episode and millions in promotion?  Its the
dream of the golden fleece, the cash-cow machines like Star Trek
and Baywatch and the emerging Hercules and Xena franchises. 
Anytime you have a successful show in a genre, it will open up
more people to the possibility of doing programming in the same
direction...
   ...The Star Trek franchise has been unique for us, says Joel
Berman, president of domestic distribution at Paramount
Television. I think there really are different motivating factors
for what we are seeing this year, adds Ira Bernstein, executive
vp at Rysher Entertainment. I guess everybody is really looking
to begin with the right combination of domestic and international
appeal. As the Hercules and Xena hits proved last season, this
years crop of contenders must develop a unique look that makes
disenfranchised viewers pause long enough to get interested. 
   MCA TV president Shelley Schwab offers, When we first
investigated this landscape, we found that there was a niche that
was not being addressed (by the networks) and that was action not
violence action.  That was back in 1994 when MCA TV spent $100
million in producing and launching its Action Pack of recurring
syndicated telefilms, with major feature film production and
directorial talent at the helm.  Buoyant ratings for the five
Hercules telefilms eventually led to MCA TV committing to a
weekly syndicated hour that quickly rose to the top of the
ratings ladder. 
   Hercules and Xena are shot in New Zealand. Tapert says the
crisp, lush look of the landscape helps the two series jump out
from the screen, making the channel flicker pause for that
crucial moment. But the special effects remain the hallmark of so
many syndication action hours. With constantly improving
technology, effects for the small screen are becoming more
complex. They are also being done for much less money and time,
meaning producers can get more bang onto the screen. We can do
almost anything we want, Tapert says. These days most of the
special effects can be done at home on home computers....


[140b] 01-18-96
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 984 words. "Movies of the Weak? With
available timeslots dwindling, telefilms are low on the priority
list for most station managers." By Rick Du Brow
   COMMENTARY: XWP was mentioned in passing in an article about
the apparent closing market for first run TV movies.
   EXCERPT:
   As program buyers and sellers gather at NATPE, the word from
station reps and groups is that telefilms are in for some tough
times.  With a vastly changed TV landscape, telefilm producers
are finding that the domestic playing field continues to shrink
in key areas. Fox Broadcasting, now with a seven-night schedule,
has taken over a lot of once-available station space, and the
expanding UPN and WB networks are grabbing more. Cable outlets
like Lifetime, USA, TNT, HBO and Showtime, as well as the growing
international market, are providing what few rays of hope remain.
The future doesn't look very bright for telefilms...
   ...Weekly hours are replacing movie packages, says Greg Kelly,
general manager of Kelly Broadcastings KCRA in Sacramento.
Stations, he notes, are bundling up some of these dramas into
two-hour presentations, drawing on such shows as Star Trek,
Hercules, The Cape, fx, Viper, Xena, The Outer Limits, Baywatch
and Baywatch Nights. Movies are a very tough business to be in
right now, says Kelly....


[140c] 01-29-96
   ELECTRONIC MEDIA. Page 4. 1160 words. "Reporter's Notebook;
Convention News, Tidbits, Dog Tales"
   COMMENTARY: A record of various goings on at NATPE.
   EXCERPT:
   LAS VEGAS-The NATPE convention offers news and schmooze on a
grand scale. Here's a look at what was happening on the floor, at
the panels and behind the scenes.
   Edgar Bronfman Jr. said his MCA Television Group must improve
its programming output and its relationship with client
distributors and stations to regain its prominence.
   ''Right now, one of the highest priorities for the MCA
Television Group is to get closer to our U.S. broadcasting
customers, both networks and individual stations, cable networks,
as well as other emerging channels of distribution,'' he said
during the NATPE keynote address last Wednesday.   
   The Seagram Co. chief would not commit to whether or not MCA
would follow such competitors as The Walt Disney Co., Viacom,
Westinghouse and Warner Bros. in taking a greater ownership stake
in distribution outlets. But he did note that, in entertainment
as well as in the beverage industry, control over product
distribution plays a vital role.
   Tribune Broadcasting has picked up MCA TV's powerful action
duo ''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys'' and ''Xena: Warrior
Princess'' for two more years. 
   The news comes as Universal Television resigned the show's
executive producers, Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, to a longterm
drama development deal. 
   ''Hercules'' and ''Xena'' were the highest-rated new first-run
syndicated series for the 1994 and 1995 seasons, respectively.    
Larry Irving, head of the NTIA, said at a NATPE session that
''there is no way'' Congress is going to allow broadcasters to
keep both their analog and digital spectrum for a 15-year
transition period. He added that the fight against children's TV
quotas does not help their case for receiving the digital
spectrum for free...


[140d] 01-29-96
   ELECTRONIC MEDIA. Page 10. 494 words. "The Year of the Firm
Maybe"
   COMMENTARY. An editorial regarding 1996's NATPE convention.
   REPRINT:
   When program syndicators, producers and television station
executives got ready to come to the National Association of
Television Program Executives convention in Las Vegas last week,
they probably anticipated that the venerable and successful
market would be a different event.
   And they seemed to be right. A year full of programming
alliances (and the significant end of the prime-time access rule)
gave NATPE '96 an uncertain playing field, especially for
stations that didn't have such strategies.   
   Usually, before NATPE even begins there are a few new entries
glowing from early approved buys by station groups across the
country. There were fewer of those, it seemed, at NATPE '96.
   And by the end of a typical NATPE, usually a healthy handful
of syndicators can boast new programs that sold to 70 percent or
more of the country, assuring the kind of mass acceptance
syndicators want. That didn't happen quite as easily at NATPE
'96, either.
   To twist a familiar phrase, this was the Year of the Firm
Maybe. 
   Compared, let's say, to the mood of the nation around election
time, NATPE was significant for signaling that both the program
suppliers and buyers were a confused and cautious electorate.
There were no programming mandates. Nor, with the possible
exception of King World's ''Off the Hook,'' were there many
programs that disturbed the status quo.
   Indeed, game shows made something of a comeback, but even
there, the action involved remakes of titles such as ''The Dating
Game'' and ''What's My Line?'' that had been invented years
before.
   To some extent, the television industry is waiting for a whole
shelf of shoes to fall. How big will the Telecommunications Act
or the Federal Communications Commission allow station groups to
get? Will there be a little v-chip that could inhibit the proper
number of millions from watching ''Hercules'' or ''Xena?'' Who's
paying the tab for that digital transition?  And what will the
nation's best, brightest and richest broadcasters do with that
new advanced television playground?
   At this point in 1996, the answers aren't at all clear to the
people who have to shell out millions of dollars to buy, produce
and schedule programs.  Rather than see that situation bleakly
however, it's much easier to assess it positively. Television, as
it's been played, is changed forever. NATPE '96 was a clear sign
of a transition to the future. The only thing left to do is
figure out what that future is.


[140e] 01-29-96
   STAR TRIBUNE. Page 2E. 594 words. "TV-show producers hawk
their wares at programmers' annual convention" by Phil Rosenthal.
   COMMENTARY: This article had only a passing mention of XWP,
but it gave a wonderful description of what NATPE was like and
what it was about.
   REPRINT:
   Jerry Springer belts out a cruel version of "Me and Bobbie
McGee" at a party. A guy walks around the convention floor with a
boa constrictor around his neck. 
    Grown men and women pose for pictures with a guy dressed as a
giant pillow. One company has set up a full-size working carousel
to draw a crowd. Pro wrestlers are everywhere.  
    This is how much of what you will see on TV next fall will be
bought and sold. If only the shows themselves were as
interesting.
    It is the annual National Association of Television
Programming Executives convention, which goes by the acronym
NATPE. This is pronounced "gnat-pea" and is considered a very
good name by the same people who keep giving new series to Robert
Urich. It is where the TV stations go to buy their non-network
programs. 
    NATPE is a series of parties, meetings and other business
carried out in a circus atmosphere worthy of an auto show, a
Fellini film or "American Gladiators" - take your pick. Everyone
else here does.
    Groups such as K.C. & the Sunshine Band, the Village People
and Kool & the Gang are hired by syndicators to perform for
station reps at nighttime parties. During the day, the companies
woo interest on the crowded convention floor with the promise of
celebrities, more food, drinks, trinkets and comfy chairs to get
the reps off their tired feet.
    To sell stations reruns of "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman," MTM
served root-beer floats out of an Old West saloon setup. For
"Scoop With Sam and Dorothy," featuring Los Angeles TV reporters
Sam Rubin and Dorothy Lucey, ACI popped for scoops of
Haagen-Dazs.
    The Warner Bros. booth, where they were pitching reruns of
"Friends," had a version of the Central Perk coffeehouse.
Carsey-Werner had a replica of the Lunch Box diner from
"Roseanne" and served loose-meat sandwiches. Columbia brought in
Wolfgang Puck to cater.
    Not everything is on such a grand scale. Some exhibitors
offer only pretzels or hard candy.
    Casts from the network shows whose reruns soon will be
available to local stations are always popular. Station managers
and others gladly stand in line to meet Brett Butler of "Grace
Under Fire," Paul Reiser of "Mad About You" or Eddie the dog from
"Frasier."
    In the space of an hour, you might see Regis Philbin, Kathie
Lee Gifford, Richard Bey, David Hasselhoff, Mariette Hartley,
Ruta Lee and the Landers sisters, Judy and Audrey.
    Former "Hollywood Squares" host Peter Marshall greeted folks
in one booth while a tape of his proposed show played on a
monitor in a corner, showing him chatting with Marty Allen. You
just never know what will sell. 
    Many of the shows being pitched here won't. MCA had two years
of planning invested in bringing "He Says, She Says" to NATPE for
a fall launch this year. The show, featuring Mark Thompson and
Wendy Walsh, was declared dead Monday even before many NATPE
attendees had arrived.
    Saban, the company that gave the world "Mighty Morphin Power
Rangers," is pushing "Samurai Pizza Cats" for kids. That might
sound stupid, but so did the kiddie show "Bananas in Pajamas" a
year ago.
    Action dramas "Tarzan" and "Sinbad" look to ape the success
of "Hercules" and "Xena." "Beach Patrol" appears modeled after
"Baywatch." If it works once, someone always will try it again.
    Just as Jerry Springer sang at the Multimedia party Tuesday
night, most syndicators and stations at NATPE would trade all
their tomorrows for one single yesterday - if yesterday went
well, and today's food and drink are good enough. 

[140f] 01-30-96
   NEWSDAY. Nassau and Suffolk Edition. Page B48. 1030 words.
"Glued to the Tube / Viva Las Vegas? TV Biz Puts on a Freak Show"
By Diane Werts
   COMMENTARY: Passing mention of Lawless at the MCA booth at
NATPE. Included because it documented the reporter's first visit
to the convention. It allowed the reader to experience it
vicariously.
   Quote consisted of "Show biz trade papers, available free each
day, list stars on parade: Kevin ("Hercules") Sorbo and Lucy
("Xena") Lawless at MCA booth from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m..." 
   REPRINT:
   IT ISN'T LIKE I wasn't warned.    
   "Syndication is the barbaric side of the business," said a
veteran TV publicist after I'd told her I was heading last week
to my first NATPE conference   -  the annual get-together and
market of the National Association of Television Program
Executives. It's where local station officials, program suppliers
and other industry players from around the world come together
for four days to buy, sell and hype TV shows, or simply schmooze.
"It's a Roman orgy," she had gushed, outlining the world I was
about to enter:  
     Eighteen thousand TV types crawling the floor of Vegas'
cavernous 400,000-square-foot Sands Expo Center, crammed with
more than 600 booths designed to pitch everything from "Friends"
reruns to Accu-Weather forecast services. Free food at dozens of
booths. Free booze. Cool showbiz surroundings. Chotchkes galore.
Celebrity photo ops.  
     As if Las Vegas weren't sensory overload enough, NATPE is a
tube-world Coney Island, overflowing with sideshows vying for
your eyes  -  and, if you're a station exec, your pocketbook.
You've got your big names (Jane Seymour, Brett Butler, Robert
Urich, Chuck Norris). You've got your games (pinball at the
"Rescue 911" booth). You've got your animals (sitcom dogs Eddie
from "Frasier" and Murray from "Mad About You"). You've even got
your freaks (ex-evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker Messner, promoting
her new talk show).    It's loud, flashy, tacky and surreal  -  a
nonstop party designed to encourage wild abandon. But since you
and I run no risk of dropping millions on "Carnie" (ouch!), we
can roam the floor just for fun, compiling our own NATPE diary.  
     Expo Center awesome even from outside, ringed with huge
hot-air balloons painted with show names. Convention floor door
surrounded by 40-foot-high billboard faces of Ricki Lake,
"Seinfeld" cast, others. Scary. First sight inside: Regis and
Kathie Lee sitting for Polaroid photos with all comers at one end
of the Buena Vista "booth," actually more the size of a Disney
Store.  
     Big crush down the aisle at entrance to 20th Century-Fox
booth, another house-sized construction. Attraction: David
Duchovny, pumping repeats of "X-Files."  
     Nearby Warner Bros. booth dominated by replica of coffee bar
from "Friends." But booth not friendly. Being monitored by
nasties who let no one in without appointment. Wanna see Rosie
O'Donnell, here selling her summer-debut daytime talk show.
Monitors say she's too busy for press. Better I should be a TV
station manager with checkbook in hand.  
     The studios go all out for NATPE. The Paramount booth,
largest on the floor, covers 14,500 square feet (100 by 145 feet)
and costs a reported $1 million to $2 million to mount. Behind
the wide curtained entryway (65 TV screens above your head
running Paramount series) lies an enormous schmooze-arena filled
with bars, buffet lines, popcorn machines and TV stars.  
     Beyond this huge room is the real deal: 28 private offices
where Paramount sales reps can collar their quarry, crunch the
numbers on computers and nail down the deal for daily "Frasier"
reruns in Ashtabula, et al. (Big markets like New York get
personal visits before NATPE, so studios can announce here which
big stations bought what, encouraging a bandwagon effect among
the 200 other U.S. markets and dozens of international outlets.)  
     But you gotta get those local guys' attention first. Show
biz trade papers, available free each day, list stars on parade:
Kevin ("Hercules") Sorbo and Lucy ("Xena") Lawless at MCA booth
from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., talker Richard Bey at All-American TV
from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Celebs are available to chat and have
their pictures taken with NATPE members.  
     Martha Stewart, Bob Vila, John Bradshaw and
producer-novelist Stephen Cannell signing free books. Buzz Aldrin
chatting up new astronaut hour "The Cape." CNN newsman Wolf
Blitzer at Turner booth.  
     Queued up at the Paramount bar: Kelsey Grammer. How does he
stand it, smiling for hours with glad-handing strangers? "You
just have to keep your mind on that money, at the end of the
rainbow," he says. "You have to be gracious, or it can come back
to haunt you  -  in your pocketbook."  
     Sure, everybody wants to see Grammer or the "Friends" folks.
What about the little producers? They gotta try harder. Troma,
trash-flick makers of such fare as "Blondes Have More Guns,"
features in its booth  -  what else?   -  busty blondes pitching
the "Tromaville Cafe" movie series.  
     A "Butt Sketch" artist busily draws attendee backsides as a
BET booth lure: Just 2 1/2 minutes, and former Roosevelt resident
(and Newsday carrier) Krandel Lee Newton will flatter your
sitting matter.  
     Blue-haired punks in leather pose atop a Pontiac Fiero
equipped with satellite tracking systems and other gizmos for the
"Otaku Patrol Group" adventure show. Turns out they're the
real-life inspiration for this drama from Lindenhurst native Ron
Martinez, about a group of San Francisco techheads who "dig
technology and built a whole lifestyle around it"  -  a lifestyle
that includes solving crimes.  
     Perky young Tamara Awhee isn't standing still to hawk her
startup show "Saltwater Adventures," about kids having sea fun in
Florida. "Here's my booth," she burbles  -  "a silly cart that
squeaks. I figured I'd come down here and knock on every door and
shake everybody's hand" in an attempt to get this low-budget teen
show off the ground.  
     But can she?  Probably not, says William Morris Agency
senior vice president Mark Allen Itkin, who's here for the ninth
year, helping stroke his clients.  
     "NATPE is like the frosting on the cake. Hopefully, your
show is 70 percent cleared by the time you get here," says Itkin.
"It's usually just the smaller markets [you're selling to] here." 
     Nevertheless, anybody who's anybody comes to NATPE now. The
big networks have their own booths, and execs like CBS programmer
Les Moonves hang out to see their friends and what's happening. 
"It's like at the car show if Chevy and Ford don't exhibit, even
though everybody knows their cars already," says Itkin. "You
gotta be there."    Or be square, at least in the TV biz. And we
haven't even gotten to the infomercial section yet!  


[140g] 02-01-96
   THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR. Page D07. 704 words. "Talk silenced to
increase action, games"
   COMMENTARY: A local spin on NATPE.
   EXCERPT:
   More game and action shows, fewer talkers.
   That's the word from Indianapolis TV programmers who attended
the National Association of Television Programming Executives
(NATPE) convention in Las Vegas last week.  More than 17,500
people pitched, sold and bought shows at NATPE, traditionally an
elaborate carnival of TV hucksterism...
   ...Local participants describe the mood at this year's NATPE
as subdued, but see trends popping up soon on our TV sets...
   ...Biff!  Bam!  Pow!
   Action shows remain strong, King notes.  WNDY picked up The
New Adventures of Sinbad and a new Tarzan series to run with
Xena: Warrior Princess and Hercules in an action block from 3
p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays...


[140h] 02-14-96
   THE PATRIOT LEDGER. Page 24. 461 words. "TV news & views; New
talk, tabloids, games coming in fall" By Daniel M. Kimmel
   COMMENTARY: Another local spin on NATPE.
   EXCERPT:
   'What did you bring us?" is the call of many children when a
parent returns from a business trip. It was also the question I
put to the various commercial stations in the wake of last
month's NATPE convention.
   NATPE -- the National Association of Television Programming
Executives -- has an annual mid-winter blowout where TV stations
and program syndicators wheel and deal.  
   So, what did the local TV honchos bring us for next fall?...
   ...The unexpected success of mythic adventure shows such as
"Hercules" and "Xena" has led to "Sinbad," which will be run on
Channel 56 along with "Baywatch" and "Baywatch Nights." Channel
25 is heading into the supernatural with "Poltergeist," "The Psi
Factor" hosted by Dan Aykroyd, and -- coming in the fall of 1997
-- reruns of the "The X Files."...


[141] 01-19-06
   PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Page F6. 444 words. "TV Tonight" By
Christopher Cornell
   COMMENTARY: Describing XWP as of minor cult status, this was a
local promo for the episode "Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts."
   EXCERPT:
   ...XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (9-10 p.m., Ch. 57) - There's no
question this is one of the silliest programs on TV, but it has
begun to attract something of a minor cult following, most of
whom tune in each week to see just how outlandish it can get.
Tonight's installment appears to settle the question of just what
time period the series is set in, as Xena heads off to defend the
city of Troy in its long war against the Greeks. UPN....


[142] 01-22-96
   ELECTRONIC MEDIA. Page 30. 2000 words. "Twelve to Watch in
1996; MCA TV's R. Gregory Meidel" by Greg Spring.
   COMMENTARY: Interview with the chairman of MCA Television,
Gregory Meidel.
   EXCERPT:
   LOS ANGELES-R. Gregory Meidel, chairman of the MCA Television
Group, was one of the final additions to the new MCA management
team put in place following Seagram Co.'s majority purchase of
the company from Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. last year.    
At MCA, Mr. Meidel will oversee all aspects of the company's
television businesses. His charge is nothing less than reviving
what, by any measure, has been a lackluster television
department.
   For the current season, MCA has two network sitcoms on the
air, ''Coach'' and ''Partners.'' It's first-run syndicated fare
includes the successful action-hour duo of ''Hercules: The
Legendary Journeys,'' and ''Xena: Warrior Princess.'' At the
National Association of Television Program Executives convention
this week, MCA plans to launch the hour strip ''He Says, She
Says'' and the reality half-hour strip ''Justice.'' 
   On his second day at MCA, Mr. Meidel met with ELECTRONIC MEDIA
to discuss his mission...
   ...EM: What is your top priority?
   Mr. Meidel: Job No. 1 is network development. We are going
into the heat of battle in pilot season, and that will be the top
priority for me between now and next September as we try to
extend our role as a prime-time supplier through all of the
networks.
   We want to create assets, and we want to create software. We
are aggressively expanding our comedy business and expanding our
action hour and drama roster. Our goal is to get more programs to
network that we feel have more back-end value.
   I will be focusing on trying to position us to be more
commercial than we have been in the past. The studio has been the
top supplier of network programming for probably two-thirds of
the past 20 years. Now, as the business has changed, we need to
adjust to those changing cycles. First, expand our comedy
production. Next, make sure that the hours we are producing are
viable and have value worldwide....
   ...EM: How many pilots do you hope to have for the upcoming
season?
   Mr. Meidel: I'm going to be optimistic and guesstimate that
we'll have somewhere between six and nine pilots. Of those,
hopefully, on the low side two will go to series, and on the high
side four will go to series. 
   That starts building very valuable product and building asset
value for worldwide distribution. Two or three years down the
line we can start marketing that product domestically. And
immediately, come next season, we can start marketing that
product internationally...
   EM: How important has that international marketplace become?   
   Mr. Meidel: It is exploding. Everything that has occurred in
the United States over the past 20 years is now occurring around
the rest of the world in the course of five years. They are going
to be more advanced than we are in many ways.
   EM: Do you see a point where revenues from overseas sales are
greater than domestic revenues?
   Mr. Meidel: In many ways, we in television are in parallel
with what has happened in the motion picture business. Years ago
we looked at the motion picture business as the U.S. and Canada,
and the rest of the world was kind of looked upon as found money.
Now the motion picture business may have a loss at the U.S. box
office, but the rest of the world is what puts you in profit. 
That and home video.
   There are a lot of similarities there with television. A good
example is the action hour or the hour drama, which have become
far more valuable over-seas than they are in the States in their
first run and second run. We now look at the inter-national
marketplace as an absolute necessity and an integral part of our
revenue model when we develop shows, primarily hours, for here in
the States.
   (To develop those hour-long shows) just based upon what we
generate here in the states with our network license fees and our
syndicated license fees is not a good business. But put that
revenue in combination with what we have seen overseas in
partnership or in straight licensing agreements, and there is a
huge upside...
   EM: How does cable TV fit into your overall plan?
   Mr. Meidel: Cable TV has really come a long way at a rapid
pace. One of the reasons is that the premiere basic cable
networks are reaching 70 percent penetration, so what used to be
considered the threshold for selling national time on syndicated
shows is now happening to basic cable. We are a 50 percent owner
in the USA Network along with Paramount, and it has seen
explosive growth. USA is a major profit center for both of our
companies...
   ...EM: As a program distributor, does MCA need to own a
network to be competitive?
   Mr. Meidel: There definitely are advantages to owning a
network and owning stations. Owning a network provides you with
shelf space for new network series, and owning stations allows
you to launch new first-run series at the flip of the switch. It
is definitely a luxury that I wish we had.
   But we are exploring all forms of distribution outlet deals,
ones that involve partnerships. There are all kinds of
opportunities that we are examining.
   This is my second day on the job, and that is as high a
priority for me as what is occurring on the network side.
   But there is also no substitute for a hit. I worked at
Paramount 13 years, and we revolutionized the first-run business
with such shows as ''Entertainment Tonight'' and ''Arsenio'' and
''Star Trek: The Next Generation.'' 
   Fox, on the other hand, was all driven by distribution, and it
makes business a little easier in the '90s to control worldwide
distribution both with a network, owned-and-operated stations and
worldwide satellite distribution. 
   But even a company with all those outlets is still a company
that depends upon hits. Big hits drive the network. Big hits make
a lot of money for the stations. Big hits get subscribers around
the world for your satellite distribution system.
   As long as we can become a major producer of hits, we will
still have access to shelf space and the airwaves, but we have to
be in the hit business....


[143] 01-22-96
   BROADCASTING & CABLE. Vol. 126. No. 4. Page 50. 1781 words.
"Hours promise more than action; improved story lines, special
effects added to beat back competition. Action TV shows" By Steve
Coe. 
   COMMENTARY: XWP was used as a goal to aspire to. This article
discussed how XWP and HTLJ were now to be imitated because of
their success. 
   EXCERPT:
   Improved story lines, special effects added to beat back
competition 
    In television, success breeds imitation. Nowhere is that more
apparent than in the action-hour genre. With the recent strong
performance of MCA TV's Hercules and Xena, as well as the
continued success of Paramount's Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, a
host of new competitors in the action genre is preparing to do
battle this fall....
   ...Pushing Poltergeist to the Limits
   In much the same way that MCA successfully launched a
companion show to Hercules with Xena, MGM hopes to find success
with Poltergeist: The Legacy as a companion to The Outer Limits,
the company's first-year success. Poltergeist is cleared in 56%
of the country, including 18 of the top 20 markets, according to
Sid Cohen, president, domestic television distribution, MGM. 
    Many of the stations that carry The Outer Limits also are
buying Poltergeist, Cohen says. "We think maybe as many as 70% of
our clearances will be by stations that will carry both shows.
Some of the current action hours are performing well in
households or in the demographics. Hercules and Xena are
performing well in both. After Xena, I think you have to look at
The Outer Limits. I think we'll see the same kind of performance
from Poltergeist, and that's why we're getting a lot of block
clearances for both shows."...


[144] 01-22-96
   MEDIAWEEK. Vol. 6. No. 4. Page 20. 1489 words. "Universal's
new soldier; MCA Television Group chairman Greg Meidel" By T.L. 
Stanley.
   COMMENTARY: An update on how Greg Meidel was doing in his new
job as chairman of MCA Television.  XWP was cited with HTLJ as
"campy action adventures from cult favorite director-producer Sam
Raimi". 
   EXCERPT:
   ...In syndication, MCA has two unexpected successes in the
year-old Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and its spin-off, Xena:
Warrior Princess. Both series are campy action-adventures from
cult favorite director-producer Sam Raimi. While continuing to
bask in the glory of those weekly shows, MCA Television also
intends to become more aggressive in the lucrative strip
business, starting with two entries that will be offered at the
NATPE convention in Las Vegas this week: a point/counterpoint
talk show called He Says, She Says and a court-reality series
called Justice from the producer of Unsolved Mysteries and LAPD.
Both new shows are for fall '96....


[145]
   NOTE: The repeat of "The Reckoning" received a 5.3 rating. An
identical rating as to the previous week where it placed 1st; XWP
now was tied for 2nd.  


[145a] 01-22-96
   DAILY VARIETY. Page 6. 520 words. "Snow heats up syndies" By
Jim Benson.
   COMMENTARY:  The Reckoning, 2nd release.
   EXCERPT:
   With schools closed because of blizzard conditions in much of
the country, some syndicated shows with large kid and teen
components started the year off right...
   According to the Nielsen national barter rankings for the
shortened holiday week ended Jan. 7...
   In weekly action, MCA TV's "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"
regained the lead after getting its brains beat out last week by
companion "Xena: Warrior Princess." The mythical muscle man
soared 14% from its season low to 5.8. 
   All American's "Baywatch" bounced up 20% to 5.3, tying MCA's
"Xena" for second place. Compared to last year, however,
"Baywatch" was still off 22%. 
   Par's usual front-runner "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" sunk to
fourth place with a 4.8, up 7% from the previous week's
season-low mark. It fell 26% out of its year-ago ratings orbit.  


[145b] 01-22-96
   DAILY VARIETY. Page 31. "For week ended Jan. 7, 1996"
   COMMENTARY: Repeat of The Reckoning (2nd release).
   REPRINT:
Rank Program (Stations/% coverage) AA% GAA% 
1 Wheel of Fortune (223/98) 14.3 -- 
2 Jeopardy! (218/99) 11.6 -- 
3 Home Improvement (208/95) 10.1 10.7 
4 Seinfeld (213/97) 8.1 -- 
5 Entertainment Tonight (170/93) 7.6 7.6 
6 Oprah Winfrey Show (235/99) 7.5 7.6 
7 Wheel of Fortune--Wknd. (177/80) 7.3 -- 
8 Inside Edition (167/92) 6.9 7.0 
9 Simpsons (178/95) 6.4 6.4 
10 Home Improvement--Wknd. (183/84) 6.3 -- 
11 WCW Wrestling (177/93) 6.0 9.9 
12 Journeys of Hercules (219/97) 5.8 6.0 
13 Roseanne (163/90) 5.7 5.8 
14 Hard Copy (171/90) 5.5 5.5 
14 Ricki Lake (218/98) 5.5 5.7 
16 Baywatch (217/95) 5.3 5.4 
16 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (156/88) 5.3 5.6 
16 Xena (196/96) 5.3 5.4 
19 Live With Regis & Kathie Lee (234/99) 5.1 -- 
20 World Wrestling Fed. Pr. (162/90) 4.9 5.8 
AA average refers to nonduplicated viewing for multiple airings
of the same show. GAA average encompasses duplicated viewing. GAA
average does not apply when there is only one run of a show.   


[146] 01-24-96
   ELECTRONIC MEDIA. Page 50. 2307 words. "Celebrities; The Stars
of NATPE '96: Where to Find Them"
   COMMENTARY: Directions where you could find Kevin Sorbo and
Lucy Lawless at NATPE. A trivia test answer if there ever was
one!
   EXCERPT:
   ...MCA TV
   Booth 8900
   Kevin Sorbo, ''Hercules,'' Wednesday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
   Lucy Lawless, ''Xena,'' Wednesday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m...


[147] 01-24-96
   DAILY VARIETY. Page 1. 232 words. "Raimi, Tapert reup at U TV"
By Brian Lowry
   COMMENTARY: On the first page, no less, was news of
Raimi/Tapert's continued association with Universal, for at least
three more years.
   REPRINT:
   Producers Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert have inked a new
three-year deal at Universal TV, the parties confirmed, after
flirting with leaving the studio. 
   Raimi and Tapert, through their Renaissance Pictures,
currently produce three one-hour series in association with the
studio, including the firstrun hits "Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys" and spinoff "Xena: Warrior Princess."  They also
produce the CBS drama "American Gothic."
   In addition, the company is developing an action-adventure
series at ABC, tentatively titled "Lorne and Max," for next fall.
Tapert characterized the show as a sort of "modern-day version of
'The Avengers.' "
   The company is also looking to develop a series for Bruce
Campbell, who starred in the Raimi-directed "Evil Dead" movies
before landing the lead in "The Adventures of Brisco County Jr.,"
which aired for one season on Fox Broadcasting Co.
   Tapert acknowledged that the pair were "pulling up stakes and
getting ready to go" before new management at MCA was put in
place and made clear that they were "talent-friendly" and wanted
the partners to stay. The studio is in the process of re-signing
a number of producers on the lot.
   In addition to "The Evil Dead" trilogy, Raimi has directed
"Darkman" and "The Quick and the Dead." Tapert has been a
producer on all of those projects. 
   Renaissance is represented by attorney Craig Jacobson.  


[148] 01-25-96
   CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Page 4. 197 words. "Chief Intends to Be
Creative to Revive MCA" 
   COMMENTARY:  XWP mentioned in passing in an article about MCA
and Seagram's Edgar Bronfman, Jr.
   REPRINT:
   Edgar Bronfman Jr., chief executive of newly acquired MCA
Inc., pledged to combine creativity with brand identification to
revitalize the entertainment segment of the international
conglomerate.
   Last summer, Seagram Co., which is controlled by the Bronfman
clan, acquired 80 percent of MCA/Universal from Japan's
Matsushita Corp. for nearly $6 billion. The company has been a
leading producer and syndicator of television shows, but lately
has been in a slump in introducing new programming.   
   At the National Association of Television Program Executives,
the company is selling original shows based on two superheroes--
Hercules and Xena--and a courtroom series "Justice," in addition
to several off-network rerun packages. 
   Bronfman acknowledged that under previous management, MCA
wasn't maximizing the value of its brand....
   Citing the power and reach of the entertainment industry, he
argued that it took decades to establish the brand identification
for Seagram's Crown Royal whiskey, but only a weekend for viewers
to identify with "Jurassic Park," whose spinoffs soon will
include a sequel, two major theme park attractions, video games,
music and toys.


[149] 01-26-96
   CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Page 57. 225 words. "'Power Rangers' Gets
Martial Arts Society OK" By Mary Stevens.
   COMMENTARY:  Power Ranger video okayed by Martial Arts
Society.  Passing reference to XWP.
   EXCERPT:
   Butt-kicking action stars from Lorenzo Lamas ("Renegade") to
Lucy Lawless ("Xena: Warrior Princess") rarely pause to warn
viewers, "Don't try this at home!" Kids who are drawn to the
martial arts should know that mastery requires not just strength,
but wisdom and discipline.
   "The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Karate Club: The White
Ranger Kata" (debuting Tuesday on Saban Home Entertainment,
$12.95) is approved by the United Martial Arts Society and won
the Film Advisory Board's "Award of Excellence."...


[150]
   NOTE: First run episode "The Black Wolf" received a 4.8 share,
coming in 3rd in the action hours.


[150a] 01-29-96
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 262 words. "Copy' moves up on
'Inside'" By Jonathan Davies
   COMMENTARY:  The Black Wolf, first run.
   EXCERPT:
   ...In sharp contrast, Paramount's "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine"
moved at warp speed to the top of the action hour stack after a
three-week absence. The show rocketed 42% from a 4.8 to a 6.8,
surpassing both of MCA's hours, "Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys" (5.9) and "Xena: Warrior Princess" (4.8)...


[150b] 01-29-96
   VARIETY. Page 33. 191 words. "Nielsen Syndication Ratings"
   COMMENTARY:  The Black Wolf, first release.
   REPRINT:
For week ended Jan. 14, 1996  
                  Stations/
Rank Program                       % coverage   AA%    GAA     
1 Wheel of Fortune                  227/99     14.8      --     
2 Jeopardy!                         216/98     12.0      --     
3 Home Improvement                  219/97     10.9    11.6     
4 Oprah Winfrey Show                229/97      8.4     8.5     
5 Seinfeld                          215/98      8.3      --     
6 Wheel of Fortune-Wknd.            185/83      8.0      --     
7 Entertainment Tonight             173/95      7.8     7.9     
8 Simpsons                          183/95      6.8     6.8     
8 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine        234/98      6.8     7.2    
10 Home Improvement-Wknd.            211/94      6.6      --   
11 Inside Edition                    161/89      6.4     6.6   
12 Hard Copy                         176/91      6.2     6.3   
13 WCW Wrestling                     172/93      6.1     9.5   
14 Journeys of Hercules              223/98      5.9     6.3   
14 Roseanne                          174/92      5.9     6.0   
16 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air           162/89      5.8     6.1   
17 Live With Regis & Kathie Lee      233/97      5.1      --   
18 Ricki Lake                        215/97      5.0     5.3   
19 Jenny Jones                       209/96      4.9     5.2   
20 Married . . . With Children       177/91      4.8     5.0   
20 Xena                              196/96      4.8     5.2 
   AA average refers to nonduplicated viewing for multiple
airings of the same show.
   GAA average encompasses duplicated viewing.
   GAA average does not apply when there is only one run of a
show. 


[151] 01-29-96
   CHICAGO TRIBUNE. Page 1. 1554 words. "Broadcasters Scramble in
the Wake of the 'Trash Talk' Backlash" By Gary Dretzka
   COMMENTARY: A bitter critic unloaded his frustration. XWP
mentioned once again in passing.
   EXCERPT:
   Entertainment industry executives are notorious for their
short attention spans. The shorter the pitch, the quicker a
producer can get down to the serious business of ordering lunch.
   At last week's National Association of Television Program
Executives convention--where much of next fall's syndicated
programming was put up for sale--almost all of the shows could be
summed up in a clever phrase. It was a quipster's paradise....
   ...Among the hourlong action series are the usual array of cop
shows, most of which feature fashion-model types solving crimes
in discos and on beaches.  Next fall, several more will resort to
parapsychology to help them solve crimes, thanks to the success
of "The X-Files," and Hercules and Xena will be joined by new
incarnations of Tarzan--this time a Fabio-wannabe--and Sinbad....


[152] 01-30-96 through 02-26-96
   NOTE:  


[152a] 01-30-96
   PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Page F01. 1339 words. "She's a Kick in
More Ways than One. Xena, Warrior Princess, Is TV's Toughest
Sister. Foes - and Fans - Know She Can't Be Beat." By Jennifer
Weiner
   COMMENTARY: Lucy Lawless' 7th major interview (5th non-fan
magazine interview). Ironically, the actual interview with Ms.
Lawless did not uncover anything new.  What was new, however, was
that the reporter used the on-line fan movement for much of her
source material.
   A truly seminal article, this article encouraged many debates
and heated conversations on the internet and other electronic
chat areas once it was published.
   The first spark of controversy was Robert Tapert's leak about
the now greatly anticipated Xena-Gabrielle mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation scene. Apparently this scene is still intact and
will appear in episode number 24, "Is There A Doctor In The
House", scheduled to be released the week of July 29, 1996.  
   The next sparks were Ms. Lawless' infamous quote "I will
neither confirm or deny" about Xena and Gabrielle's relationship
and Robert Tapert's equally infamous quote, "All I can say about 
that is that Gabrielle satisfies her every whim." 
   Mr. Tapert's quote was most likely a reference to a scene in
"Warrior...Princess" where Gabrielle asked Xena whether she'd
miss having her every whim attended to after mascarading as
Princess Diana. Xena told Gabrielle, "That's what you are for."
However, both quotes inspired and still inspire much comment on
the internet newsgroups, irc chats, and other areas of Xenaology.
   Furthermore the article discussed Xena's extraordinary appeal
to women and based itself in part on interviews or references to
various XWP fans on AoL/irc/internet (Lord Nelson, Artemis,
Malinda, to name a few).
   This article was deeply entrenched in the on-line Xena fan
movement and was the first major media use of the resource. As
Xena Media review is a part of this culture, we say "Way to go
on-line Xena fandom!"
   REPRINT:
   You do not want to mess with Xena, Warrior Princess. She would
clean your clock.
   She'd bash you with her sword, leap into the air to deliver a
few swift kicks to your head, do a standing somersault onto a
10-foot-high scaffold, slam you with a cudgel, vault down again,
blow flaming liquor into your face, whack you with her flying
metal Frisbee, then tie you up, slap you down, deliver a few
choice words in her trademark tight-lipped sneer, and ride off
into the sunset.
   And that's if she was having a good day.
   Xena, Warrior Princess, of the syndicated TV show that bears
her name, is six feet of Amazonian bad attitude, black hair and
brass breastplate, portrayed by New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless.
A "mighty princess forged in the heat of battle," Xena sprang
fully formed from the heads of filmmakers Rob Tapert and Sam
Raimi (Darkman, American Gothic).
   She began life last year in a trio of episodes on the highly
acclaimed, ultraviolent and ultra-campy Hercules: The Legendary
Journeys. Back then, Xena was a villain. But oh, was she 
popular. And Universal Studios had been asking for a companion
piece to Herc. "So we said, `What about a woman warrior?'" Tapert
says.
   The studio took some convincing. The last woman warrior to
ride the small screen had carried a magic lasso and sported
bulletproof wristbands. Tapert and company promised them
something different from Wonder Woman - smarter, edgier, hipper. 
Go for it, the studio said.
   And so, before you could say, "Holy Zeus," Xena had a change
of heart, renounced her wicked ways, vowed to do only good, etc.,
etc., and landed a series all her own. Now Xena roams the
countryside in what the show's PR machine identifies  as "the
golden age of myth." (In Philadelphia, that's 9 p.m. Fridays on
Channel 57.)
   With her faithful sidekick Gabrielle in tow, Xena conquers
men, women, villages and the occasional entire army wherever she
sees wrong being done. 
   Women love her. In a world where TV superheroes abound but
females mostly play the girlfriend, the mother or the wife, they
say that Xena and Gabrielle are welcome anomalies. "She's
strong," said Karen Wood, who works at Harvard University. "She's
not a wasp-waisted beauty, like on Baywatch. She's intelligent -
not just an accomplice to a man. And she's got a female
accomplice."
   Angela Ludbrook, a 21-year-old college student in Toronto, 
loved Xena from the first time she saw her, on Hercules. "She's
one of the first strong females I can remember....She's strong,
and charismatic, and she has sex appeal....If women do exude that
kind of sex appeal, they're usually the bad girls."
   Xena also has her male devotees, such as Clayton J. Powers, a
military historian from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., who thinks Xena
has it all over Hercules. "He's half-god, and you know he's going
to make it up to Mount Olympus, no matter what. Xena's a human
with a dark side - she's much more interesting." Plus, said
Powers, "how many TV shows are there where a woman is the lead
character, there isn't male sidekick to bail her out, and she's
feared and held in awe by everyone she meets?"
   If you've watched any Hercules episodes, you'll feel right at
home in Xena's world. Lots of violence, but very little blood.  A
healthy amount of double-entendre and well-toned warrior flesh,
but very little lovemaking. A little dose of morality at the end
of each episode, but no deep-thoughts philosophizing.
   There's the snappy dialogue, delivered in modern American
idiom. 
   Xena to vanquished Cyclops: "You should get a new line of
work." 
   Cyclops to Xena: "Like what? I'm a blind Cyclops, for heaven's
sake!" 
   Since its September premier, the show has every indication of
being a Hercules-size hit. Xena appears in 196 markets
nationwide. She's been featured in the Village Voice and
Entertainment Weekly.  A fan club and a Xena action figure are in
the works, an official Web page is up and running, and there's a
lively Xena chat room where fans with handles such as Artemis and
Malinda compare  favorite episodes, favorite fights, and favorite
parts of Xena's anatomy. 
   Lawless (yes, that's her real name) is trying to catch her
breath. Xena isn't available in her homeland, so no one there
knows what a star Lawless has become.  So she labors for 13-hour
days, plus workouts, five or even six days a week, wearing
mercilessly tight corsets and breastplates and itsy-bitsy fringed
leather skirts, on a show  that no one she knows has seen. 
Still, she sounds happy, even by phone at 7:45 a.m., as she
tells, for the umpteenth time, the story of how a former klutz
blossomed into a warrior princess. 
   Lawless grew up in New Zealand, the fifth of seven children.
She performed in plays and musicals through high school. She
graduated, did a brief hitch at Auckland University, then headed
to Europe, then to Australia where she worked at - no kidding - a
gold mine.
   She was married in Australia, moved back to New Zealand, found
work in TV commercials, then with a comedy troupe. She studied
drama in Vancouver, British Columbia, moved back to New Zealand,
did guest shots on TV,  was briefly a cohost for a New Zealand
travel show, then landed her first guest shot on Hercules, which,
as luck would have it, was looking around for a star for the trio
of Xena episodes.
   "When another actress fell through - someone who'd been
training for a month - the producers said, `Why don't we just
cast Lucy? She's handy.'"
   Forget it, said the studio. We just used her. (Lawless had
played a centaur's bride on an earlier Hercules episode - and at
nearly six feet, with striking blue eyes and cheekbones to die
for, she's not someone you'd forget.) So the producers asked five
other actresses. All five declined. "I don't blame them," Lawless
said, "Who'd want to give up a part to come down to New Zealand
to do that, just for three episodes?"
   Meanwhile Lawless, who's now divorced, was off on a camping
trip with her 7-year-old daughter, Daisy - "absolutely
incommunicado...blissfully unaware." Producers finally tracked
her down and gave her the good news. "I went to a bus that
morning and just burst into tears," Lawless recalled. "I thought,
`I'm not ready for this!'" 
   She dyed her hair black and got ready fast. Two days later,
filming started. The episodes were a success - and Xena became a
series. 
   Lawless says that she loves the character she plays, although
Xena strikes most viewers as something of a grump. "I think she's
a loner," the actress said thoughtfully. "And I think she's
really funny. They say she has no sense of humor...but I think
we'll get to see more of that side of her in coming episodes." 
   And, um, what exactly is up with Xena and Gabrielle? The
relationship between big, strong, silent Xena and small, bubbly
blond Gabrielle (played by Renee O'Connor) have made the show a
favorite with gays and lesbians with a taste for camp - that,
plus the fact that every time Gabrielle lands a boyfriend, he
dies. When Lawless answers, you can almost see her smile across
the oceans. "Hmm," she says, "perhaps I should just adopt the
American euphemism, `I will neither confirm or deny.'"
  "All I can say about that," says Tapert, "is that Gabrielle
satisfies her every whim." And  this bombshell is sure to have
Xena-philes glued to their sets: In a coming episode, Xena gives
Gabrielle mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. "We haven't even told the
studio yet," he said. 
   And what will the future hold? Tapert promises only that Xena
will not be transformed into a perky, happy heroine. "Xena will
remain dysfunctional. That, I can say for sure."
   GRAPHIC: Lucy Lawless as Xena.


[152b] 01-30-96 through 02-18-96
   INFORMATION BANK ABSTRACTS: PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Section F;
Page 1, Column 3. 45 words. "SHE'S A KICK" By Jennifer Weiner
   COMMENTARY:  Reported by Information Bank Abstracts. Text
reprinted in XMR152a.
   ABSTRACT:
   Profile of New Zealand actress Lucy Lawless. Describes her
lead role in syndicated television show Xena, Warrior Princess;
points her depiction of strong female super-heroine especially
appeals to female audiences worldwide; photos (L)
   GRAPHIC: Photograph of Lawless.


[152c] 02-18-96
   TULSA WORLD. Page 5. 726 words. "One Tough Sister;
Syndicated TV's 'Xena, Warrior Princess' Is A Kick" By Jennifer
Weiner.
   COMMENTARY:  Edited down (mostly censored) version of XMR152a.


[152d] 02-26-96.
   THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. Page F04. 1129 words. "Xena: 6
feet of Amazonian bad attitude; Phenomenon: She's just the
neighborhood warrior princess who slays foes and wins ratings. So
why is she in such a bad mood all the time?" By Jennifer Weiner
   COMMENTARY:  Slightly pared down version of XMR152a.  Less
censored than XMR152b. Added two pictures.
   EXCERPT:
   GRAPHIC: (3 photos, 2 color, 1 b/w): WARRIOR PRINCESS; Lucy
Lawless stars as Xena, who conquers people, villages and an
occasional army.


[153] 01-31-96
   THE HOUSTON CHRONICLE. Page 6. 629 words. "Popular sitcoms
find syndication homes" By Mike McDaniel.
   COMMENTARY: XWP renewed for two more years on Channel 39.
Reporter bemoaned lackluster NATPE convention.
   EXCERPT:
   ...Participants at last week's meeting of the National
Association of Television Program Executives in Las Vegas
described the convention as lackluster, with few new programs to
cheer about.
   Purchases so far have been soft, not only because of the
programs on the market but mostly because there are fewer time
slots available.  Shows from networks, even the fledgling WB and
UPN networks, are taking up more and more of the schedules of
what were once independent stations....
   ...WB affiliate Channel 39 has added Sinbad (as in the
sailor, not the comic) to its fall schedule.  Tom Leach,
interim general manager for KHTV, feels the show, starring
newcomer Zen Gesner, ""should be a nice fit with Hercules
and Xena. '' Those two strong shows have been given
two-year renewals....


[154] 02-01-96
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 425 words. 
   COMMENTARY: XWP renewed for two seasons by the Tribune
stations in Boston, Philly, and D.C.
   EXCERPT:
   ...Tribune Broadcasting has renewed MCAs hit action duo
Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior Princess for a
further two seasons. The two shows, which have been at or near
the top of the syndication ratings this season, will begin airing
on additional Tribune stations WLVI-TV in Boston, WPHL-TV in
Philadelphia and WBOC-TV in Washington, D.C. in the fall.   Our
goal from day one has been nothing short of being the top
supplier of first-run action-hour hits, said Jim Kraus, executive
vp of sales and marketing for MCA. Tribune has played a
tremendous role in making these shows huge successes...


[155] 02-01-96
   SCI-FI UNIVERSE. Vol 2. No. 13. Page 82. "1995: The Year In
Review"
   COMMENTARY: In a two page year in review summary of ratings
given by the magazine to various science fiction movies and
television show, XWP was given a B by Mark Altman, and a B- by
Dan Vebber.


[156] 02-02-96
   THE ETHNIC NEWSWATCH. Vol. 99. No. 3106. Page 8. 827 words.
"Masha Leon"
   COMMENTARY: An opera performer was described as having a
"Xena, Warrior Princess physique".
   EXCERPT:
   ...Looks like the $450,000 budget (the largest ever for an
off-Broadway non-profit production) was spent on the costumes in
the Jewish Repertory Theatre's music catastrophe "Sheba." The
lavish, eclectic costuming included a barely dressed (breast
tassels included) ensemble of sexy females, with one firm-tushed
eye-popper whose Xena, Warrior Princess physique kept one riveted
regardless of the action on-stage. Of King Solomon's 700 wives
(and 300 concubines), we got a lone, farbisene, (embittered)
regally garbed plotting Egyptian wife, Maat (Joan Collins, where
are you where we need you?)...


[157] 02-02-96
   PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS. Page 44. 344 words. "This Trial Is an
Error" By Gary Thompson.
   COMMENTARY: A comment made in a review about the Demi Moore
movie "The Juror", whose character was accused of by the reviewer
as having a "'Xena, Warrior Princess' vibe that [would] make the
other jurors bend to her will."
   EXCERPT:
   ``The Juror'' shows us that 12 Angry Men are not nearly so
formidable as One Angry Chick...
   Demi Moore stars as a juror chosen to weigh the fate of a
crime boss on trial for murder. The people's case is pretty
compelling, so a mob hit man known as The Teacher (Alec Baldwin)
engages in a bit of jury-tampering - he picks on Moore's
character, threatening to kill her son unless she votes to
acquit. 
   Not only that, she must convince all the other jurors to
acquit as well, even though nearly all of them believe the
defendant is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 
   A tough job, but she is no ordinary woman. She's . . . a
sculptor. Which is why The Teacher chooses her. He looks into her
artistic eyes and decides, we're to believe, that she's got some
``Xena, Warrior Princess'' vibe that will make the other jurors
bend to her will. 
   Pretty stupid so far, but ``The Juror'' is just warming up. It
continues long, long after the preposterous trial is over....


[158]
   NOTE: First run of "Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts". Daily
Variety reported incorrectly that 5.8 was an all time XWP high. 
The all-time high thus far was the repeat of "Sins of the Past"
with a 5.9 rating.


[158a] 02-01-96
   DAILY VARIETY. Page 8W. 563 words. "Syndies take a tumble as
deep freeze warms" By Jim Benson.
   COMMENTARY:  Beware of Greeks, first release. The Daily
Variety was wrong about XWP hitting an all time high. XWP's all
time high to this date was the 2nd release of "Sins of the Past"
with a 5.9 share.
   EXCERPT:
   Ratings for syndicated shows chilled a bit following the
blizzard of '96. 
   The cold wave passing was bad news for some troubled freshman
and returning talkshows, whose fates ultimately will be
determined during the current sweeps period...
   ...Nielsen national barter rankings for the week ended Jan.
21...
   ...Of weeklies, Par's "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" stayed in
its first-place orbit with a flat 6.8, off 15% from last year's
stardate.
   MCA TV's second-ranked "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys"
inched up 2%, to 6.0, while "Xena: Warrior Princess" jumped 20%
to an all-time high of 5.8...


[158b] 02-05-96
   VARIETY. Page 34. 187 words. "Nielsen Syndication Ratings". 
   COMMENTARY: Beware of Greeks, 1st release.
   REPRINT:
For week ended Jan. 21, 1996  
                Stations/
Rank            Program           %coverage   AA%  GAA%     
1 Wheel of Fortune                   227/99  14.6    --     
2 Jeopardy!                          220/99  11.7    --     
3 Home Improvement                   219/97  10.4  11.1     
4 Wheel of Fortune-Wknd.             178/81   8.0    --     
5 Oprah Winfrey Show                 235/99   7.8   7.8     
5 Seinfeld                           216/98   7.8    --     
7 Entertainment Tonight              174/95   7.6   7.7     
8 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine         235/99   6.8   7.3     
9 Inside Edition                     166/93   6.5   6.5    
10 Simpsons                          184/94   6.3   6.3    
11 Journeys of Hercules              227/98   6.0   6.4    
11 Home Improvement - Wkind.         200/88   6.0    --    
13 Roseanne                          175/92   5.9   6.1    
13 WCW Wrestling                     176/92   5.9   9.2    
15 Xena                              196/95   5.8   6.3    
16 Hard Copy                         175/92   5.7   5.7    
17 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air           164/89   5.6   6.0    
18 Baywatch                          223/97   5.5   5.6    
19 Regis & Kathie Lee                234/99   4.9    --    
19 Ricki Lake                        219/98   4.9   5.1 
 
   AA average refers to nonduplicated viewing for multiple
airings of the same show.
   GAA average encompasses duplicated viewing.
   GAA average does not apply when there is only one run of a
show. 


[158c] 02-05-96
   BROADCASTING & CABLE. Vol. 126. No. 6. Page 34. 1284 words.
"Stations will play games in daytime; game shows and reality will
be counterprograming ammunition for some broadcasters this fall."
By Cynthia Littleton 
   COMMENTARY: Beware of Greeks, 1st release.
   EXCERPT:
   ...Dynamic duo
   Universal Television has signed a long-term development deal
with producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, creators of MCA
Television's first-run hits Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and
Xena: Warrior Princess. The duo's Renaissance Pictures, which
also produces MCA's American Gothic for CBS, is working on the
pilot of a drama, Lorne & Max, for ABC...
   ...NSS POCKETPIECE
   (Nielsen's top ranked syndicated shows for the week ending
Jan. 21. Numbers represent average audience/stations/% coverage.)
    1. Wheel of Fortune                         14.6/227/99 
    2. Jeopardy!                                11.7/220/99 
    3. Home Improvement                         10.4/219/97 
    4. Wheel of Fortune-wknd                     8.0/178/81 
    5. Oprah Winfrey Show                        7.8/235/99 
    5. Seinfeld                                  7.8/216/98 
    7. Entertainment Tonight                     7.6/174/95 
    8. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine                6.8/235/99
    9. Inside Edition                            6.5/166/93 
   10. Simpsons                                  6.3/184/96 
   11. Hercules, Journeys of                     6.0/227/98 
   12. Home Improvement-wknd                     6.0/200/88 
   13. Roseanne                                  5.9/175/92 
   14. Xena: Warrior Princess                    5.8/196/95 
   15. Hard Copy                                 5.7/175/92...


[159] 02-08-96 through 02-12-96
   NOTE: The first showing of "Athens City Academy of the
Performing Bards", took second place and shot the roof off with
an all-time high of 6.1.


[159a] 02-08-96
   THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 211 words. "Companion action strips
pump up ratings" By Steve Brennan 
   COMMENTARY:  Athens City Academy, 1st release
   EXCERPT:
   MCA TVs Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Xena: Warrior
Princess flexed major muscle in the weekly A.C. Nielsen
syndication rankings with the companion action weeklies notching
up their respective all-time ratings peaks. Hercules posted a 7.5
rating for Jan. 22-28, up 25% from the previous week and up 34%
from its comparative performance last year.   It was also the
highest-rated action hour of the week. Xena, the second-highest
hour, posted a 6.1 rating, up from 5.8. Third among action hours
was Paramounts Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (5.2), down from the
previous weeks 6.8. All Americans Baywatch (4.8) was down from a
5.5. MGM TVs The Outer Limits was up from 4.3 to 4.5...


[159b] 02-08-96. 
   DAILY VARIETY. Page 2. 558 Words. "'Hercules' Bounds up Syndie
Ladder" by Jim Benson.
   COMMENTARY: Athens City Academy, 1st release
   EXCERPT:
   In an otherwise bleak week for syndicated series, MCA TV's
"Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" soared to a record high and
tied King World's "Oprah Winfrey" for the first time.
   "Hercules" leaped 25% to finish atop the weekly action hour
pack with a 7.5 (and an 8.1 for viewers who watched the same
portions of the original and rerun episode) during the week ended
Jan. 28, according to the Nielsen national barter rankings.    
The show was 34% above its year-ago household mark, while
finishing second behind demo champ "Home Improvement" in men
18-49 and 25-54. It grabbed third place in men 18-34.  
   The heroic dude's leather-clad sweetheart, MCA's "Xena:
Warrior Princess," moved up a notch into the No. 2 weekly spot
with a 5% gain to a record 6.1 rating.
   Both series already have been renewed in more than 80% of the
U.S. with two-year deals. MCA expects to easily equal their
current 99% coverage levels. 
   Other weeklies didn't fare so well in the week prior to the
start of the February sweeps. Male-oriented weekly shows with
Sunday clearances were sacked for big losses by the Super Bowl.   
 Paramount's "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," the usual
front-runner, saw its Nielsen tricoder reading plunge 24% to 5.2.
It also fell 27% from a year ago. 
   All American's "Baywatch" trailed in fourth place with a 4.8,
down 13% for the week and a hefty 38% from last year.
   MGM's recently renewed"Outer Limits" rose 5% to 4.5, marking
the fourth consecutive week that it has improved....


[159c] 02-12-96
   VARIETY. Page 29. 332 words. "'Hercules,''Xena' bound up shaky
Syndie Ladder" by Jim Benson.
   COMMENTARY: Edited down version of XMR159b.


[159d] 02-12-96
   VARIETY. Page 29. 188 Words. "Nielsen Syndication Ratings"
   COMMENTARY: Athens City Academy, 1st release.
   REPRINT:
For Week ended Jan. 28, 1996  
                                  Stations/
Rank  Program                     % coverage   AA%  GAA %     
1 Wheel of Fortune                  225/97     13.8     -     
2 Jeopardy!                         215/96     11.0     -     
3 Home Improvement                  218/96      9.9  10.5     
4 Seinfeld                          216/96      7.7     -     
5 Journeys of Hercules              226/98      7.5   8.1     
5 Oprah Winfrey Show                230/99      7.5   7.6     
7 Entertainment Tonight             174/95      7.4   7.5     
8 WCW Wrestling                     177/92      7.1  11.7     
9 Wheel of Fortune-Wknd             165/77      6.4     -    
10 Simpsons                         183/94      6.3   6.3    
11 Inside Edition                   160/91      6.2   6.2    
12 Xena                             201/96      6.1   6.6    
13 Home Improvement-Wknd.           206/93      5.7     -    
14 Roseanne                         175/93      5.6   5.7    
15 Hard Copy                        170/90      5.5   5.5    
16 Fresh Prince of Bel-Air          161/86      5.2   5.6    
16 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine       233/98      5.2   5.5    
18 World Wrestling Fed.             161/90      5.0   6.0    
19 Baywatch                         220/96      4.8   4.9    
19 Montel Williams Show             159/91      4.8   4.8 
   AA average refers to nonduplicated viewing for multiple
airings of the same show. GAA average encompasses duplicated
viewing. GAA average does not apply when there is only one run of
a show. 

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

Issue #14 will begin with annotation #160, dated 02/10/96. It is
scheduled to be released July 5, 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
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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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