THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS.... TWXN 72 06/07/97 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 subscribe on-line at ktaborn@lightspeed.net Excerpts from the following cites will appear in future issues of XMR. Although XMR is an subscription e-mail based publication, TWXN is not. TWXN is only officially distributed via mailing lists and the MCA XENA NetForum From the editor: 1. Back from the dead...it's Zombie TWXN! The last TWXN was 02/22/97. I am seriously considering changing the name to FOUR MONTHS AGO IN XENA NEWS (FMAXN). This should clue you in that I am going to resume where I left off way back in cold, cold January. Please bear with me. I plan to get caught up over the summer. Just think of it as a desperate attempt to combat Xena Withdrawal Syndrome. 2. I have come to terms with the reality that XWP is so hot as a TV show that I can no longer keep up with ALL of the media references. I am already mega-months late on XMR and months plus lagging behind TWXN. So, what is my response to this? Am I quitting? Am I going into seclusion? NO! I am merely re-organizing. The inspiration of the warrior princess is too compelling. I have created a "staff" for XMR: Kym Taborn (that's me!, ktaborn@lightspeed.net), editor-in-chief; Diane Silver (dswriter@idir.net) and Maria Erb (maria@erb.com), co-editors; and xenatwo (xenatwo@aol.com), circulation editor. 3. I used to do the subscription lists of XMR by hand. Xenatwo is helping me convert the existing lists over to a pseudo-list server donated by the ever gracious Tom Simpson, of Tom's Xena Page (http://xenafan.com). Stay tuned as we start the process of converting some 1500 plus addresses.... NOTE: We have a reference to Xena in a review about a staged version of MEDEA; some Lucy Lawless sitings; a brief Renee O'Connor appreciation; and two interesting articles from...Singapore. Enjoy! [ ] 01-24-97 ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS. Friday. Page 15H. 391 words. "A More Feminist Medea" By Mike Dunham EXCERPT: The press release for University of Anchorage Alaska Theater's ''Medea'' suggests that the play is graphic and kids should be left at home. No kidding! Medea is among literature's nastier candidates for the first wives club. She betrays her father, kills her brother, leaves a trail of blood from the Black Sea to Athens and murders her children to spite her husband, Jason. Or did she?... ...But Medea always has been the ultimate empowered woman. It's her two-timing husband, not she, who dies ignominiously, clobbered by a rotten timber from his own boat. She traipses from one harrowing situation to another, Xena-like, with nary a scratch. Survival is her trademark. There's a whole volume of adventures that take place after she reduces Jason to jelly and moves on. But no one remembers when opening night was for that one, and no one ever set it to music... [ ] 01-26-97 THE TIMES-PICAYUNE. Sunday. Page E2. 267 words. "R.S.V.P. Partying Shots" By Betty Guillaud COMMENTARY: Guess who went to the Superbowl, or at least checked out the part scene? EXCERPT: Super stars, before playing on (and off) the Superdome floor today, have had a few diversions in the week that was. Although not exactly chummy, the Patriots' Drew Bledsoe and his adversary, homegrown Packers QB Brett Favre, did show up at some of the same pre-game galas . . . GRAPHIC...'Xena'phile: Eric Polito with Lucy Lawless Jackee, Oh! Vanna White Ruta Lee and Paul Prudhomme Arthel Neville, Blake Pablovich... [ ] 01-26-97 NEWS TRIBUNE. Sunday. Sports. Page C6. 440 words. "Countdown to Super Sunday: a Somewhat Different, and Slightly Twisted, Take on America's Glitziest Game; It's Not So Super If You Have TCI" By Bill Reader EXCERPT: There's some great TV on FOX today. Unfortunately, it's interrupted by nine mind-altering hours of Super Bowl coverage. (Yes, nine hours). At 10 a.m., You Know Who kicks off the snooze-a-thon with his Super Bowl All-Madden team. I can almost hear him now. "Look at these hogs, they've got mud on their uniforms. Blood on their elbows. And check out that Ray Nitschke, the guy's missing three teeth." Well, John, he'd be missing all of 'em if he ever tangled with "Xena: Warrior Princess." You wanna see someone really tough, tune in at 9 a.m., when Xena and her trusty sidekick Gabrielle whup some bad-guy butt in "Here She Comes ... Miss Amphipolis." Not sure how this episode stacks up, but you could find out by checking out one of the 15,823 web sites devoted to the show.... ...GRAPHIC: Lucy Lawless: 'Big deal, Nitschke, you beat a couple of AFL teams. Bet you feel like a biiiiiiiig man.' [ ] 01-26-97 THE TIMES-PICAYUNE. Sunday. Page T10. 945 words. "'Pi' Aren't Square" EXCERPT: ...'Xena' buddy I am a fan of "Xena: Warrior Princess." I think it's great that Lucy Lawless is receiving all of the attention and publicity, but y'all have forgotten about Renee O'Connor. Please print a picture of her. -P.P., St. Rose O'Connor plays Xena's buddy Gabrielle.... GRAPHIC...WARRIOR GAL PAL: "Xena" sidekick Renee O'Connor. [ ] 01-26-97 THE STRAITS TIMES (Singapore). Sunday Plus. Page 2. 560 words. "Made-for-TV mythology made easy" By Ong Sor Fern REPRINT: HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS What happened: Hercules' Mum is a mortal, Alcmene, while Dad is Zeus, boss of the Greek gods, hence his superhuman strength. Zeus' wife Hera, however, is very put out by his philandering and decides to take it out on mortals, especially Hercules. She has the hero's beautiful wife and three kids killed. As a result, he leaves home to wander the world and save mortals from the hands of fickle gods, like Hera. Friends: He is accompanied on his travels by good friend, Iolaus (Michael Hurst), a hero-wannabe whose punchlines are deadlier than his punch. Another recurrent character is Salmoneus, a smooth-talking toga salesman who is into "self-actualisation" and who once offered to become Hercules' agent because "I could get you a contract for big dinars". Foes: Hera is the biggest baddie of the piece, but another who appears regularly is Ares, the god of war, who is forever trying to start a fight. Mythic realm: For more information on Hercules, you can check out the official website at http://www.mca.com/tv/hercules /siteindex.html For more links, there is the ultimate list at http://www.eden.rutgers.edu/ virus/ hercules.html XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS What happened: Xena is a warrior who wanted to kill Hercules in her quest for power, but was betrayed by her own army. As a result, she turns over a new leaf and decides to make amends for her bloody past. Friends: Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor) is Xena's companion on her travels. A peasant girl, she joins Xena in search of a more exciting life. Like Iolaus, Gabrielle is more a talker than a fighter and she aspires to become a bard. Foes: Ares -yes, him again -is the recurrent foe. Xena was once his protege and he is continually trying to win her back. Mythic realm: For more information, check out the official website at http://www.mca.com/tv/xena The e-zine Whoosh, devoted to all things Xena, can be found at http://www.thirdstory.com/whoosh [ ] 01-26-97 THE STRAITS TIMES (Singapore). Sunday Plus. Page 2. 307 words. "It's ancient stuff made hip and funny, say S'pore fans" By Ong Sor Fern REPRINT: SAYS Ms Cheryl Ng, a public relations officer in her 20s: "I think it's really funny. Even though it's set in ancient times, the humour's very '90s. "I think Hercules' personality is a little bit of a Snag -a sensitive new age guy. It's not about machismo, which is what you think Hercules is about traditionally. "I have just started watching Xena. She's the Wonder Woman of the '90s. She even looks like Lynda Carter. Her character just represents what's happening in the world now, with women being more independent." And Ms Nora Gomez, 28, an accountant, had this to add: "I watch the shows fanatically. At first, I laughed. I thought it was so stupid. It's like Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves -Kevin Costner and his American accent. "This one is American accents doing Greek mythology, and sometimes the Kiwi accents creep in. It's like a Benetton ad! And Anthony Quinn as Zeus! The high camp value, all those heaving bosoms, it's like a reinvention of all those tales you read as a kid. It's just really over the top. "I watch more of Hercules than Xena because it's at a sane hour. Xena is actually quite a role model ... because she's not skinny. Another thing I like about Hercules is the lines, they're so wry. And Kevin Sorbo is also really cute."