THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS.... TWXN 74 06/11/97 Brought to you by XENA: MEDIA REVIEW (XMR): http://xenafan.com/xmr All back issues of XMR and TWXN are available at the above site. We herein give praise and thanks to Tom Simpson for the space he has graciously donated from his spectacular, TOM'S XENA PAGE (http://xenafan.com). TWXN is the advance sheet for XMR, an annotated world press review of reports regarding the internationally syndicated television show XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (1995 - 2000+?) and the castmembers, Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor. TWXN is not available for subscription, however it is posted Monday, Wednesday, and Friday on the XenaVerse, Hercules-Xena, and Chakram Mailing Lists (thank you Lucia!), the MCA NetForum, the Xenite Message Center, and alt.tv.xena. For a free e-mail subscription to XMR subscribe by e-mail to ktaborn@lightspeed.net by stating somewhere in the subject or text "sub xmr". Excerpts from the following cites will appear in future issues of XMR. I promise... From the editor: 1. I just had the pleasure of attending the First Annual Argo Awards. The winners were: Best Guest Star: Tony Todd (Cecrops) in THE LOST MARINER; Best Costumes: HERE SHE COMES...MISS AMPHIPOLIS; Best Villain: Callisto in A NECESSARY EVIL; Best Line: Gabrielle: "Can we cook with your juices?" from A DAY IN THE LIFE; Argo Achievement Award: Joseph LoDuca; Best ROC performance: THE QUEST; Best Direction: Michael Hurst for A DAY IN THE LIFE; Best LL Performance: WARRIOR...PRINCESS...TRAMP; Best Writing: R.J. Stewart in A DAY IN THE LIFE; and Best Episode: A DAY IN THE LIFE. 2. And now, a secret message for those attending the Argos ceremony: Under the cir***stances, I had a ****ens of a good time! 3. Work on XMR has come to a halt since I have misplaced two of my disks filled with subscription and unsub requests. I am optimistic I will find them, but this will no doubt add a few days to the release date of XMR #22. 4. Today's TWXN is filled with many Xena references of a three day period. There are comparisons between Xena and Princess Leia and Jamie Tarses; news of XWP beating a local ice-skating show; an update on XWP in the United Kingdom; a mention in a kid's magazine about Lucy Lawless' recovery; a nomination for the Lippin Group for their part in the marketing of XWP; updates on the RTL co-development deal with Universal and Xena toys; and finally, a look at the NZ film industry. 4. Friday's TWXN will take a gander at the TV show SAILOR MOON, a CNN interview with Kevin Sorbo, an article on Roma Downey, and some news from down under - - Auckland to be exact. [ ] 01-30-97 CHICAGO SUN-TIMES. Thursday. Page 95. 995 words. "A screen presence; For TV viewers, skating's appeal has been anything but rinky-dink" By Elliott Harris COMMENTARY: In an article reviewing where to watch skating on TV, the writer observed that a local stations "Stars on Ice" comes in behind in the ratings to XWP. [ ] 01-31-97 TIME FOR KIDS. Page 8. 1279 words. "Who's News" COMMENTARY: Lucy Lawless' speedy recovery from her Tonight Show accident and an announcement that she is back to filming shows up as a short notice in a children's magazine. It also mentions Ms. Lawless will sing in the direct to video animated Hercules/Xena film. [ ] 01-31-97 STAR TRIBUNE. Page 1E. 1230 words. "Star Quality. Something old, something new and a whole lot of borrowing gave George Lucas the formula for the mega-hits he's never equalled since." By Colin Covert (staff writer) COMMENTARY: Article discussed the "eternal" themes in STAR WARS. EXCERPT: ...- Kate in Shakespeare's "The Taming of the Shrew," Joan of Arc, and Howard Hawks' wonderfully tough heroines all are forebears of Princess Leia. A worthy foil for Han Solo, she's self-assured enough to call him "Flyboy" and toss him into a space ship garbage bin. The warrior princess Xena and Special Agent Dana Scully of "The X-Files" carry on the tradition on TV, while Sigourney Weaver takes a somewhat grimmer tack in the "Alien" film series.... [ ] 01-31-97 THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 177 words. "Campaigns for 'Evita,' 'ID4'" EXCERPT: ...The Publicists Guild of America's nominations for best motion picture marketing campaigns are "Twister" (Universal Pictures/Warner Bros. Inc.), "101 Dalmatians" (Walt Disney Studios), "Independence Day" (20th Century Fox), "Evita" (Hollywood Pictures) and "Beavis & Butt-head Do America" (Paramount Pictures). Vying for honors in the television marketing category are "The Drew Carey Show" (ABC/Warner Bros. Television), "For Hope" (ABC), "Touched by an Angel" (CBS) and "Xena: Warrior Princess" (Universal TV Entertainment/the Lippin Group). Winners will be selected via secret ballot by the Guild's entire membership and will be announced at its 34th annual Awards Luncheon on Friday, March 21, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The awards recognize outstanding achievements in publicity and promotion during the previous calendar year.... [ ] 02/01/97 TELEVISION BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL. February 1997. Page 40. 2147 words. "The Rise And Rise Of RTL" EXCERPT: RTL is Germany's - and Europe's - largest commercial television network. Last year it made DM3.2 billion ($2 billion) in gross advertising revenue. Also in 1996, its two major shareholders, Ufa and CLT, agreed to merge. RTL's shareholders are now thrashing out a plan to consolidate all of the RTL assets into a single holding company which could further bolster its dominance. Helmut Thoma, RTL's Austrian chief executive officer, is also looking to spend some of his channel's revenues in the U.S. market. Interview by Tim Westcott ...TBI: RTL has an agreement with Universal Television to co-develop action-adventure shows similar to Xena and Hercules. Have you made any progress there? When are they going to air? Does this deal extend to RTL financing other Universal series? At Natpe, they presented different projects to us, and we are going on with this co-operation. It's just started now. Our first goal is to get network series to co-finance. If there is no network series then we will (look to invest in) syndication. It's not decided, but we intend to go with Team Knight Rider and this type of program. We will be financing part of the budget and (take the rights) for the German zone and Universal will distribute it all over the world. If it is successfully distributed, we will get all our money back and in some cases even get a profit out of it.... [ ] 02/01/97 PLAYTHINGS. February 1997. No. 2. Vol. 95. Page 168. 2576 words. "The battle for retail turf; licensed toys" EXCERPT: A diverse array of entertainment properties will all vie for attention in 1997 Science fiction, action/adventure and girls' properties will share the licensing limelight for 1997, giving toy retailers varied and attractive choices for their merchandising mix. While licensors will focus on a core group of key properties, intense competition will still prevail, as similar types of entertainment properties go head-to-head for consumer attention at the box office and in stores. Retailers who received advance previews of the major new properties are impressed with their quality and potential appeal. But buyers still must decide which properties to support, how many, and to what degree. In making their choices, retailers say they will consider the track records of the licensors, their promotional plans in support of the licensing program, and the potential longevity of the property... ...Toy Biz will present new figures in its Hercules and Xena line, based on the TV series... [ ] 02/01/97 THE EVENING POST (Wellington). Page 24. 479 words. "Expo a chance to sell NZ's benefits" By Mark Russell EXCERPT: New Zealand's burgeoning film industry is preparing to roll out the red carpet to what it hopes will be a money-spinning procession of international film-makers. Film New Zealand executive director Di Oliver leaves for Los Angeles next week to sell this country's film-friendly image at Locations 97, one of the industry's most important international expos. A new Web site on the Internet and CD-Rom will be unveiled in Los Angeles, both containing generic information about filming in New Zealand, a locations pictorial library containing about 300 images, and information on Immigration and Customs policies and work permits.... ...New Zealand has plenty going for it as a feature film location. The benefits include favourable exchange rate and a deregulated workforce that while small, is recognised as highly skilled. "If (television dramas) Hercules and Xena are anything to go by, they may have come here because it's cost effective but they stayed because it's more than just that. It's value-added in terms of personnel skills, the comfortable environment to film in." [ ] 02/01/97 ESQUIRE. February 1997. No. 2. Vol. 127. Page 64. 5621 words. "Dangerous minds; the TV executives that help to shape American culture through their work" By E. Jean Carroll EXCERPT: ...Nothing in the world of television, save perhaps Xena, the grapefruit-breasted Warrior Princess, can vie with the pure confidence and brains of this thirty-two-year-old woman. And when it comes to looks, too, Jamie Tarses lays it over all the other gals. Yessir, television has helped create the new female. And now the new female is going to create television.... [ ] 02/01/97 THE DAILY TELEGRAPH. Saturday. Page 034. 4252 words. "Telegraph Magazine: Brain box David Elstein might be the cleverest man in television, but is that what's needed to make a success of Channel 5?" Interview by David Thomas. EXCERPT: ...Channel 5 programmes named so far include Beverly Hills 90210, Melrose Place and Xena: Warrior Princess, all of which have already been shown on Sky...