XENA MEDIA REVIEW #26 (09/05/97) Borg 1 of 3 =========================== CUT HERE =========================== _____ ______ ._ `\`/>`\ /`/` /`__________,.'>___ _____ )~\ /<`\ `\ /`/` /``\ \./------> /|\./\ |\./| / | \ /< `\`\ `\ /`/` /` | | |----\ / | |\ \ | | |././^\ \ |\__{o}\--`\`\ `\/`/` /`-----| | |-----`------\`\`\--| | |----^ \ \----. [\\\\\\\{*}==`> <`=======| | ==============`\`\`\| | |=====\ \ \==--> |/~~{o}/-- /`/ /\ \ `\------| | |---------------`\`\\ | |------\ \ \--' \< /`/` /` `\`\ `\ | | |_____,.'>| | | `\`\| | /' \ \ \ \< /` /` `\`\ `\ ,/ /^\------> / |/^\| \ | |/ \/^\\. /`/\>/` `\`\ `\`~~~~~~~~~~~\ / ~~~~~ )^\,\, '~~~~~ `~~~~~` '~~~~~` ` ~~~~~~ ========================== XENA: THE MEDIA REVIEW #26 ========================== An Obessive But Benign Publication http://xenafan.com/xmr P.O. Box 81181, Bakersfield, CA 93308 Xena Media Review (XMR) is a periodic annotated world press review of reports regarding the internationally syndicated television show XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (1995 - ) 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. 26 Release date: 09/05/97 1221 subscribers Covering 08/01/96 - 08/15/96 Annotations 411 to 436 FROM THE EDITOR: XenaStaff, Fans and Fairness "Up Close and Personal: Two Views of Lucy Lawless' August, 1997, Visit to Jay Leno" "A Fairy Story" LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ANNOTATIONS [411] 08-01-96. "A Star Trek Appreciation" [412] 08-01-96. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. Rat. PROMETHEUS [413] 08-01-97 to 08-29-97. Production charts 8/96. [414] 08-01-96. COLLECTING FIGURES. [415] 08-01-96. PREVIEWS. HTLJ comic Issue #5. [416] 08-02-97 to 08-12-97. PR for British debut [417] 08-02-96. PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. cul. ref [418] 08-02-96. DAILY VARIETY. [419] 08-04-96 to 08-18-96. Renee O'Connor Q&A [420] 08-05-96. HOOVES AND HARLOTS (#10) 3rd rel [421] 08-06-96. HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. [422] 08-08-96 through 08-12-96. Rat. CoW, 3rd rel. [423] 08-08-96. WAIKATO TIMES. Calvin Tuteao [424] 08-09-96. ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY. Picture [425] 08-10-96 to 09-04-96. O'Connor ice cream party [426] 08-11-96. THE SAN RAMON VALLEY NEWS. [427] 08-12-96. ORLANDO SENTINEL. [428] 08-11-96. NEW YORK TIMES. [429] 08-11-96. DENVER POST. [430] 08-11-96. CALGARY HERALD. [431] 08-12-96. ELECTRONIC MEDIA. [432] 08-12-96. TIES THAT BIND (#20), 2nd rel [433] 08-14-96. Q101 Chicago. Radio interview. [434] 08-14-96. WGN. TV interview. [435] 08-15-96 to 08-16-96. Rat. TITANS (#07), 3rd [436] 08-15-96. DAILY VARIETY. THE BACK PAGE Errata Xena Media Review Staff Back Issues This Week in Xena News Reprint Policy Solicitations for Future Newsletters Disclaimer =============== FROM THE EDITOR =============== XenaStaff, Fans and Fairness ---------------------------- You and I, Steve Sears, Robert Field, Sharon Delaney and even Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor and Rob Tapert are all pioneers in the wild and wide-open electronic frontier known as the Internet. For the first time in the history of mass media culture, the people who make a TV show and run it's merchandising and conventions are in constant, daily communication with fans. In the click of a mouse button, for example, you can talk directly to such active internetties as Steve Sears, supervising producer and writer; Robert Field, editor; and Sharon Delaney of Creation, who runs the Official Xena Fan Club, manages the Xena Conventions and sells Xena merchandise. Executive Producer Rob Tapert, Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor may be less obvious visitors to the Internet, but we do know they go online. If we were dependent on off-line communication, only a few fans would ever walk through the doors of Renaissance Pictures and talk to XenaStaff. Without the distance and safety the Internet allows, we wouldn't know about Mr. Sear's bizarre sense of humor. We wouldn't know about Mr. Field's panic at the thought that a modern fork might accidentally have been left on the ground in THE GREATER GOOD (#21). We wouldn't know that Ms. Delaney, deep in her heart, is a true fan of XWP. Without the Internet, XenaStaff wouldn't know how many fans like subtext. They wouldn't know that many hate Ulysses or dislike Joxer. They wouldn't hear the complaints about GIANT KILLER (#27), THE TITANS (#7) and other episodes. XenaStaff wouldn't know how a rumored story line, like Gabrielle's alleged rape, would upset and anger fans. All of this instant, world-wide communication is marvelous. Sometimes online Xenadom feels to me like a delightful toy that will never get boring. On other days, though, it just feels like one, big tangled mess of misunderstandings, miscommunication and incredibly hurt feelings. And, I'm not even talking about the flame wars between fans. I'm talking about the venom that some fans sometimes direct at XenaStaff. This most often occurs when someone posts what may or may not be accurate information about an upcoming episode. D*mn, it gets nasty sometimes. Reading some of the comments, you'd think XenaStaff were the most vile form of life on the planet. And, you'd be convinced that XWP is going to be transformed into a series about Leather Barbie and her witless, boy-crazy sidekick. Funny, though, that transformation hasn't happened yet. No matter how many times a leaked plot line or a rumor has led to the declaration that the XWP is dead, it has survived. Xena remains Xena. Gabrielle remains Gabrielle. Of course, this doesn't mean that XenaStaff hasn't made mistakes, sometimes big ones. Personally, I think Joxer is one mistake that will haunt the show and may someday drive viewers away. At times, Gabrielle has been portrayed so inconsistently that I'm surprised no one has yet written a WHOOSH article entitled, "The 100 Faces of Gabrielle." This also doesn't mean that there is no possibility the show might not someday be turned into Baywatch BC. As fans, what do we owe XenaStaff? Frankly, the only thing that makes sense to me is a kind of Wait-And-See-But-Warn-Them Approach. In other words, I've learned that not every rumor is true, and that I can't judge an episode until it is broadcast. An idea, like Gabrielle's marriage, may sound horrible to me, yet I may feel differently when I see the episode. In the case of Gabrielle's marriage in RETURN OF CALLISTO (#29), the rumors left me feeling a bit panicked as a subtext fan, yet I felt much better after seeing Xena's pained face at the wedding. The treatment of Xena's son in ORPHAN OF WAR (#25) was also far different than many fans feared. At the same time, I don't believe it is fair to XenaStaff or ourselves to remain silent when we hear something disturbing about upcoming episodes. What I feel I owe XenaStaff is to be both fair and honest. If enough fans do this, then XenaStaff might be able to make a mid-course correction, if needed. But this kind of speech is a delicate balancing act. When I tell XenaStaff that an idea sounds terrible, I have to do it firmly at the same time that I have to say that I can't judge an episode until I've seen it and that my information may be wrong. Of course, there is one added bonus for fans who wait to see an episode before getting angry about it. Such an approach lowers your blood pressure and decreases your antacid bill. And what about XenaStaff? How should they approach fans online? First, I think they have to realize how important it is for them to respond to rumors quickly, honestly and accurately. They say they try to do that, and I take them at their word. However, their recent responses to the rumors of an alleged rape of Gabrielle seemed confusing at times. In particular, it was hard to tell if one staffer's response was more official or more right than another's. Mr. Sear's article in the August, 1997, WHOOSH resolved many issues, at least for me. (See "Tyldus Interviews Himself") However, it would have made a huge difference if that kind of statement had come sooner. XenaStaff also have to remember that internetties are an incredibly important part of their fan base. We are not only a world-wide network, but we are in nearly instant communication with each other. Because of this, we can organize and take action quickly. We may not represent every XWP fan in the world, but we have an incredible impact on the publicity for the show. Everything we do has an effect from organizing Xenafests, to lobbying for talk show appearances by the stars, to what we put on our web sites and the many times we are interviewed by reporters. Reporters visit our web sites and even make inquiries on our mailing lists. The Internet fans are now mentioned in practically every article about XWP. If we internetties ever did rebel, the news media would report that fact very quickly. Even if the rebellion were based on a misunderstanding, even if it was based on a false rumor, it would still hurt the show. We are all stumbling around in a brave new world here on the Internet. There are no cops to protect us, not even a referee to blow the whistle and call a foul. Perhaps it's time we all sat down for a moment and thought about what we're doing. Diane Silver, The Long Winded dswriter@idir.net Lawrence, Kansas Aug. 25, 1997 ===================== UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL: TWO VIEWS OF LUCY LAWLESS' AUGUST, 1997, VISIT TO JAY LENO ===================== The View From WordWarrior ------------------------- I managed to get to Bat Morda's house around 2:30 p.m. or so and we rolled out to head for NBC. MommaBat works at NBC and was nice enough to give us her parking spot on the lot (MommaBat really came through for us big time in a lot of ways for this experience). We walked over to her office, and hung out with her for a bit. Our party consisted of Batsky, Mrs. Bat and me. Later, we went over to the commissary for sodas. We had seen the huge line of Xenites out front and later learned they'd gotten there somewhere around 7 a.m., but we tried not to dwell on that as we watched the Rosie O'Donnell Show in the commissary and sipped sodas. When we left, we had a couple minutes before we needed to get back and hung out in the parking lot. Lyle Lovett was there, signing an autograph and we figured it wouldn't be long before ... what's this? Another limo pulling up? Who's that leggy dark-haired woman in the white tank top? Why yes, it's Lucy! So, we watched as she made her way backstage, stopped by a couple of frantic fans who had also managed, like us, to get behind the gates. She looked gorgeous as usual. We made our way back to MommaBat's office, and then followed her as she led us backstage at the Tonight Show. A page led us to the green room, which had lots of munchies and drinks and was rather crowded with people waiting to be seated. We were taken to the stage by our page and were seated opposite the Leno desk in the first row of the upper seats. Below us we spotted many a Xenite, and Batsky started shouting names. Lani was there, as was Chris, Toy, Lilac, Vada and Verda, and a host of others. After we played "Name That Xenite" for a while, Jay came out and did some warm up, getting his picture taken with folks from the audience. He went off to get dressed and the warm-up guy took over, handing out cups and T-shirts while we waited for the show to start. Rodney Dangerfield was the first guest, but he didn't stick around. We knew Lucy was second and the theatre was vibrating with excitement, cuz it was packed with Xenites. When she came out there was an audible gasp. The dress, in person, was amazing. She looked stunning. You can see for yourself how the interview went. We were all hoping he wouldn't show the Star Spangled Banner tape. We'd seen it on a monitor backstage and didn't like the fact that this was going to be discussed. But, Lucy was her usual good sport about it all. She is a big fan of Lyle Lovett and was very excited he was going to be there. Several times, when the camera wasn't on her, during Jay's mention of Lovett, she was bouncing around as excited to see him as we were to see her. When he played, Jay took her to the edge of the stage so she could watch, and her attention was rapt as she listened to him sing, then he introduced her to Lovett, and they cut to commercial. She was so excited, she was beaming. At one point, during the commercial break, she was sitting on the second couch and Lyle was talking to Jay, so neither man was paying attention to her. She looked out into the audience, where we were all waving, and she pointed to Lyle mouthing: "Look at me! I'm sitting next to Lyle Lovett!" She indicated the small space between them. It was so cute. She really did look like she was having a great time, and I know we were having a blast just watching her. When the show ended, she did a couple promos with Jay, sitting on the desk, doing some of her little character voices, etc, then off she went. We all filed over to the Acapulco restaurant, which put us in a large room. (Can't have Xenites mixed in with real people, y'know.) Although it took a while to get everyone served, we had a great time. I asked that we go around the room and introduce ourselves, mainly because I always hear later that so and so was there but I never knew. There were about 40 people there, so it was quite a group. I got home around 9:30 and have to say it was a great time. Hope you enjoyed the Tonight Show cuz we sure did! The View From Athena aka Rita Reckless aka Rita Schnepp ------------------------------------------------------- Jay Leno WAS totally smitten by Lucy, and *WE* were totally smitten by her as well!!!!!! Leno told her how beautiful her dress was and stood back as she posed. During the interview, she said how much she loved Lyle Lovett and genuinely got excited. Leno took her by the hand and walked her over to the edge of the stage to watch Lovett perform. They were so cute standing together side by side. She had low shoes on for once, but was almost as tall as he was. The back of her dress was to die for. During the break, she was looking around the audience and waving to each of her fans. She recognized some. At one point when Lyle was sitting next to her, Lucy turned to the entire audience and mouthed: "I'm sitting next to Lyle Lovett!!!!" She was like a kid. She was like *us*, so we didn't feel so bad about being in our Warrior Princess Haze. (At the same time, she was strikingly beautiful and VERY professional!!!) After the show was over, Lucy did some teasers for the Tonight Show with Jay. She sat on the desk and did a Meg impression, leaning against Jay as he told people to stay tuned for the Tonight Show. In another teaser, Lucy sat on the desk doing her nails like a 'gangsters' moll', all sexy and seductive,7F pretending to chew gum. Jay said, "Come here, sweetie. I can give you a few tips on advancing your career." And, she said, "What d'ya mean???? I bust my *ss for my show ... and your's too!!!!!!!" The two of them together were hilarious. Leno really treated Lucy with great respect. The anthem incident was handled with humor, and she just faced it with grace. It really isn't a big deal anymore. She's got a terrific sense of humor. It was all really sweet and entertaining. Everyone seemed to have fun. ============= A FAIRY STORY ============= By Bret Rudnick Once upon a time, there was a little pie company named Renascence Pies. It was a fine little company, owned and staffed by some very fine pie-makers. These craftspersons had a variety of experience making pies for other pie companies in the past, but life and circumstance led to them all working merrily in their little factory at Renascence Pies. One day, the pie factory came up with an unusual pie that they quickly discovered was enjoyed by many people. It was a successful little pie, and in its construction and after a little while experimenting with the recipe, the Renascence Pie folk produced a second pie which was, in part, based on the successful first pie, but with quite a different flavour. "I quite like this new pie," a number of people were heard to say. "It's darker than the first pie, has more substance to it, and quite a lot more of one particular ingredient and quite a lot less of another." It took a little while for this second pie to catch on. This new pie was always popular with a particular segment of society, but soon many others decided they preferred the new pie as well. After a time, the second pie consistently outsold the first, even though by pie-selling standards, they were both profitable. Merchandise related to the second pie soon outstripped sales of merchandise for the first pie by a wide margin. There were ten times as many websites developed that were dedicated to the admiration of the second pie than there were for the first pie. Events that promoted or lauded the second pie sold out, while seats for the first pie were readily available. This is not to say the first pie was "bad", but the second pie was enjoying quite a renaissance of its own. But all was not strawberries and cream in pie-land. For you see, although the good people at Renascence Pies crafted their own pies, another group of people, the Ubiquitous/Maladroit Clueless Alliance, actually distributed and *sold* the pies. As the market for the second pie grew and grew, it knocked the Alliance for six. "Harumph," the Alliance people grumbled in between mouthfuls of their many pies, "We never thought this second Renascence pie would amount to anything! Who knew!" Obviously the Alliance people, who initially backed the thought of the second pie with the full expectation it would fail and thereby assist in pie write-off schemes, did not take into account the very talented and capable chefs at Renascence Pies. But the numbers didn't lie. The second pie was a hot item, and the Alliance decided it liked the money that sales of the second pie generated. They wanted to make sure those numbers didn't fall off. The pressure was on at the Renascence Pie factory. Now what? Will the Alliance attempt to alter the recipe in order to "fix" things? Will too many cooks indeed spoil the pie? Will we start to get too much of the "other" ingredient, all too prevalent in the first Renascence pie? Will the cooks become preoccupied with what makes a "good" pie and diddle with the recipe beyond all recognition? Will we see inferior ingredients substituted? Will new pies being designed be nearly as "good" as the old pies? In order to get the answers, stay tuned, kids. This story is still unfolding. We will have to trust that our cooks will make subtle and intriguing changes rather than drastic ones. After all, we all know what happened with "New Coke" and "Pepsi Clear". ===================== LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ===================== Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 Subject: Re: XENA MEDIA REVIEW #24 (08/11/97) Hiya Kym: I noticed Tendre's Tablet was mentioned in the abbreviated list of Xena fanfic sites [listed in XMR #24). I host the Tablet for my favorite bard and just wanted to say that interested readers will be able to admire her keen wit once again as soon as she's out of the hospital and back on her feet. Until the happy day when she makes good her escape from the followers of Hippocrates, the site remains intentionally blacked out. Max crazymax@rio.com =========== ANNOTATIONS =========== [411] 08-01-96 "A Star Trek Appreciation" By L.A. Graf [Julia Ecklar and Karen Cercone]. THE FINAL FURY. Star Trek Voyager. Invasion 4. Pocket Books. August 1996. Page 299. 139 words. By Dafydd Ab Hugh. COMMENTARY: Mention of XWP appeared in Star Trek Pocket Books first multipart novel spanning the four Trek manifestations. The reference was found not in the novels, but in one of the essays contained in the final Invasion installment. In a fanciful dialogue between Kira and Bashir discussing their realization that they have found themselves in a Star Trek novel, Kira expressed her disgust in being in a novel: "We're supposed to be back in Deep Space Nine, protecting Federation space from the Dominion, and the Cardassians, and the Klingons." Bashir then added: "Not to mention Xena: Warrior Princess." This is a rather tongue-in-cheek reference to the up and coming competition that XWP was beginning to give STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE. Little did any one know that XWP would be soon beating the proverbial pants off of everyone less than a year later. [KT] EXCERPT: ...Dax nodded, stepping into the plain white border to scan one cleanly justified margin. As the results scrolled across her tricorder's little screen, she glanced up at the others with a smile. "It's all right, Benjamin--we're in a STAR TREK novel." "Am I on the cover?" Bashir asked eagerly. Dax flicked the question mark at him with a sigh. "Well, what are we doing here?" Kira wanted to know. She stooped to catch the question mark as it tumbled past, turning it over in her hands in the hopes of finding something useful about it. 'We're supposed to be back in Deep Space Nine, protecting Federation space from the Dominion, and the Cardassians, and the Klingons.' "Not to mention Xena: Warrior Princess." Bashir ducked to avoid a rain of displaced apostrophes and commas from farther up the page... [412] 08-01-96 THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 161 words. "Hercules' Outruns Rivals" COMMENTARY: Ratings for Prometheus (#8), 3rd release, 07/08/96, 3rd action hour with 5.0 share. [1st release, 09/11/95, #20, 3rd place action hour, 4.4 rating; 2nd release, 12/04/96, 5.4 rating). [KT] EXCERPT: "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" continued to flex muscle in the syndication rankings for MCA TV as it maintained its top place among action hours for the third consecutive week, July 15-21, according to Nielsen Media Research. "Hercules" posted a 5.7 rating, up from a 5.6. Paramount's "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" was up from a 4.5 to a 5.1, second among the action hours. "Xena: Warrior Princess," stable mate of "Hercules," was third in the genre with a 5.0, up from a 4.9. [413] 08-01-97 to 08-29-97 NOTE: Production charts for 08/96. [413a] 08-01-96 DAILY VARIETY. Thursday. Page 12. 6138 words. "Production Chart Key" COMMENTARY: Production chart for LA area: HTLJ and XWP. EXCERPT: Abbreviation: SUPR EXP-Supervising executive producer(s); EXP-Executive producer(s); COEXP-Co-executive producer(s); SUPR PROD-Supervising producer(s); PROD-Producer(s) COPROD-Co-producer(s); DIR-Director(s); CASTING-Casting director. Affiliated production companies indicated when applicable in parentheses after show title. Anthology titles follow show title. Unless a specific director is noted, show uses various directors. Gray screen indicates new entry this week. The TV Production Chart includes only programs that cast actors in the L.A. area.... ...MCA TELEVISION (818) 777-1242 HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS (synd) (in assn w/Renaissance Pictures) EXP, Robert Tapert, Sam Raimi; COEXP, John Schulian; SUPR PROD, Robert Bielak; PROD, Eric Gruendemann; COPROD, David Eick; CASTING, Beth Hymson-Ayer. XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (synd) (in assn w/Renaissance Pictures) EXP, Robert Tapert, Sam Raimi; COEXP, R.J. Stewart; SUPR PROD, Steven Sears; PROD, Eric Gruendemann; COPROD, Liz Friedman; CASTING, Beth Hymson-Ayer. [413b] 08-08-96 DAILY VARIETY. Thursday. 6048 words. "TV and Cable Production Chart." COMMENTARY: Same content as XMR413a. [413c] 08-15-96 DAILY VARIETY. Thursday. 6249 words. "TV and Cable Production Chart" COMMENTARY: Same content as XMR413a. [413d] 08-29-96 DAILY VARIETY. Thursday. COMMENTARY: Same content as XMR413a. [414] 08-01-96 COLLECTING FIGURES. No. 20. August. Page --. 111 words. "The Year's Hottest Female Figures" Contributed and reviewed by Reader Stephanie TNT (slr@p.tribnet.com) COMMENTARY: The top female toy figures were Xena, Wonder Woman, Lt. Uhura, Shi, Angela from Spawn, Statue of Liberty Barbie, She Hulk, Florence Griffith-Joyner, Princess Leia, and Kara from Dragonheart. The picture was of the 10-inch (I know this from the curved sword), but it seemed as though the writer meant the 5-incher, since the 10-incher only just came out (and likely wasn't out before his deadline). Xena was No. 4 on the Action Figure Hot List, with the note: "These have all but disappeared.") The price list in the back of the mag, which had prices on everything from Barbies to James Bond to Laverne and Shirley action figures, put the 5-inch Xena at $20+. The 10-incher was not listed. The L&S set, meanwhile, goes for $110, while Lenny and Squiggy are $135. Whew. The magazine had three different covers each month. Xena and the other 10 top female figures were on the comic version. The general circulation version had Barbies on the cover,7F highlighting an article on men collecting Barbie. There was also a sports version with a close-up of a Mike Tyson figurine. In the article, there was a graphic of the 10-inch Xena action figure, as well as Wonder Woman. EXCERPT: ...Xena makes my list because the figure is so well-done. The minute you see the figure, there is no doubt who it is (something that can't be said, unfortunately, about many on the market today). Inspired by the TV series of the same name, this figure has almost a cult following and is, at this time, nowhere to be found. The current market has the figure hovering at about $15 -$20, and judging from the number of inquiries I get every week, demand still seems to be very high. If other spin-offs occur and interest remains high in the original series, this figure will continue to be a solid bet.... [415] 08-01-96 PREVIEWS. HTLJ comic Issue #5. COMMENTARY: In the premiere ordering magazines for the comic book market, the Hercules Topps Comic book is promoted. [KT] Contributed by paks@ccnet.com REPRINT: Concluding the epic Xena: Warrior Princess trilogy! The is the battle you never expected to see - Hercules vs. Hercules - Xena battling Xena. How is it possible? Anything is possible when you cross the vengeful gods of Olympus! Learn the origin of Hercules' most dangerous enemy - Periclymenus. A story so incredible that you'll swear it was made up by Salmoneus himself! It's non-stop action with plenty of thrills and surprises. Plus the usual cast of characters (and we do mean characters) as Gabrielle, Iolaus, and Atalanta jump into the fray! [416] 08-02-97 to 08-12-97 NOTE: Press release for XWP's debut on British channel Sky Two in September 1996. Head of Programmes, David Elstein, was quoted as saying "They are great fun, tongue-in-cheek adventure action series [XWP with HTLJ] which I think the kid-dult audience will really enjoy." [KT] =========================== CUT HERE =========================== XENA MEDIA REVIEW #26 (09/05/97) Borg 1 of 3