THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS.... TWXN 62 01/24/97 Brought to you by Xena: Media Review (XMR): http://xenafan.com/xmr TWXN is the advance sheet for XMR. 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. Excerpts from the following cites will appear in future issues of XMR. [ ] 01-04-97 THE PLAIN DEALER. Saturday. Page 9E. 289 words. "Devil Reprises Popular 'SINBAD' Role" COMMENTARY: SINBAD's creator-writer-exec producer Ed Naha gives his theory as to why SINBAD, and those other shows like XWP and HTLJ are so popular. Right. Amazing how SINBAD, who has only made it perhaps once, if even that, in the top twenty syndicated shows this season is now a peer of XWP and HTLJ which have both been consistently in the top 15, and usually in the top 10. This is a blatant example of how the promoters of the competition have essentially given up on competing with XWP/HTLJ, and now are trying to associate themselves with them in the media. EXCERPT: Fans of the increasingly popular syndicated series "The Adventures of Sinbad" know that the adventure- mythology action-drama is the place to go if you're in the mood to see monsters. The series has provided viewers with sea serpents, harpies, ghosts, giant spiders and "a nasty tendriled floating eyeball brain demon," as series creator-writer-exec producer Ed Naha describes it. Then there's the devil himself. "We have him as a fairly traditional guy - ram's horns, cloven feet, sits on a throne of skulls," says Naha. "He was so popular when we had him on a few weeks ago, we're going to bring him back."... "Sinbad" airs at 6 p.m. Sundays and 3 p.m. Saturdays on WBNX Channel 55. Naha has a theory on the popularity of "Sinbad" and other syndicated shows such as "Hercules" and "Xena." "Basically, I think we've gone through the '80s and early '90s where we had violence for violence's sake, and where we had heroes who were troubled - men who were divorced and estranged from their children, or closet alcoholics, or what have you. Well, life is hard, and life is not getting any less hard right now, and I think people long for escape, as they did during the Depression and World War II. I think people are also looking for pure heroes ... heroes who are unreservedly championing the values they grew up with."... [ ] 01-05-97 THE TORONTO SUN. Sunday. Page C13. 414 words. "BAYWATCH Brainwash" By Meredith Renwick COMMENTARY: In a review of the book "Planet Baywatch: The Unofficial Guide To The New World Order", the reviewer revealed "The shows preferred by trash-TV junkies vary according to personal taste. Melrose Place does it for some. I like Xena, Warrior Princess and Hard Copy." [ ] 01-05-97 THE TIMES-PICAYUNE. Sunday. Page T8. 1003 words. "Capturing Michael COMMENTARY: This is a Q&A which is most interesting because of two points. First, Ms. Lawless' publicist gave out old information. The LL Fan Club's current address as of three or four months ago is LUCY LAWLESS FAN CLUB, P.O. Box 279, Pendleton, IN 46064. Let's hope Ms. Lawless' publicist is at least "up" on the other information. Second, the postscript to the graphic of Lucy Lawless demonstrates that pressure was placed upon the Q&A master (mistress?) to deliver on a published picture. I hope this inspires Xenafans from all around the world to pester their local papers for more GRAPHICS of XWP! EXCERPT: ...HE LOVES LUCY Please print Lucy Lawless' address. Thank you. -Johnny Wilson, Jefferson Her publicist says write Lucy Lawless International Fan Club 8516 S. 1000 W. Pendleton IN 46064 As you may know, "Xena: Warrior Princess" is shot in New Zealand, but the publicist recommends using the U.S. address. As you also may know, Ms. Lawless and fellow superhero Kevin Sorbo ("Hercules") are in town the middle of next week for the (closed to the public) National Association of Television Program Executives - NATPE - convention. GRAPHIC:...YOU ASKED FOR IT: Frequent Forum Correspondent M.S. of Slidell will be very pleased to see we've finally printed a picture of Lucy Lawless as "Xena: Warrior Princess." [ ] 01-05-97 THE DES MOINES REGISTER. Sunday. Page L-1. 2054 words. "What's hot and not" COMMENTARY: EXCERPT: It's time for us to go out on a limb again with our list of year-end trends. Where do we get them? From our required reading of entertainment magazines and other pulp fiction. What are they good for? To give readers a bright spot in the day, we hope, after grueling holiday preparations. What's Hot------What's Not... ...Hercules & Xena - Barbie & Ken... [ ] 01-06-97 VARIETY. Page N37. 28202 words. "What's Selling at NATPE" Product listings compiled by Kirstin Swanson and Lee Simkins COMMENTARY: EXCERPT: The following are product listings for the National Assn. of TV Program Executives market, Jan. 13-16 in New Orleans. Listings submitted after the deadline may appear in Variety's Jan. 13-19 issue... ...Universal Television Group 100 Universal City Plaza Universal City, CA 91608 (818) 777-1000 Fax: (818) 866-1429 Booth 399 Attending: Greg Meidel, chairman, Universal TV Group; James McNamara, president, Universal TV Enterprises; Tom Thayer, president, Universal TV; Robert Fleming, exec VP & chief financial officer; Ned Nalle, exec VP, Universal TV Enterprises Prods.; Susan Workman, exec VP, administration & business affairs; Lonnie Burstein, senior VP, research; Dan Filie, senior VP, development; Libby Gill, senior VP, media relations; Susan Kantor, senior VP, advertising & promotions; Sara Rutenberg, senior VP, business & legal affairs; Bill Vrbanic, senior VP, syndication distribution; Jim Benson, VP, media relations; Jeff Dellin, VP research; Steve Sass, VP, business affairs; Georgia Scott, VP, affiliate relations/creative services; Glenn Weisberger, VP, legal & business affairs. Product highlights: "Sally," talk-show hosted by Sally Jessy Raphael; 60 min. "Jerry Springer," topic-driven talk-show; 60 min. "Team Knight Rider," a team of crime fighters possesses technologically advanced cars with personalities; 60 min. "New York Undercover," two undercover detectives work under the watchful eye of their female lieutenant; 60 min.... ...GRAPHIC...Pictures 1 and 2, BREAKING THE AIRWAVES, Republic Entertainment is offering Robert Wuhl's satirical "Open Season," while MCA TV is selling "Xena: Warrior Princess," starring Lucy Lawless... [ ] 01-06-97 VARIETY. Page N1. 1176 words. "NAPTE: Studios skip strips, go weekly" By Jenny Hontz EXCERPT: NATPE 1997 is shaping up to be the year of weeklies. Most of the big studios are forgoing big strip projects, instead launching weekly hours that tend to sell overseas. Two of the biggest weekly action hours are from Tribune Entertainment, "Battleground Earth" and "Night Man." Both are being launched on the Tribune station group. "Battleground Earth," whose pilot was written by "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry before his death, is generating much buzz. Universal Domestic TV is expanding on its success with "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena, Warrior Princess" by launching an ensemble remake of the series "Knight Rider," called "Team Knight Rider," which has cleared several Chris-Craft stations. Other weeklies include Western Intl. Syndication's "Conan the Adventurer"; ACI's "First Wave," which stars Richard Grieco and is executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola; and Rysher Entertainment's "Soldier of Fortune."... ...Time squeeze The main problem for these weeklies is the timeslot squeeze, which will be made worse by the debut of several high-profile off-net dramas in the next two seasons, including Twentieth TV's "The X-Files" and "NYPD Blue," as well as Columbia TriStar Television Distribution's "Walker, Texas Ranger" and Warner Bros.' "ER." Few of this season's new weeklies have been able to enter the ratings realm of the veterans.... Despite the proliferation of weeklies, only three are on Katz Television's "contender" list: "Battleground Earth," "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" and "Soldier of Fortune."...