XENA MEDIA REVIEW #24 (08-11-97) Part 4 of 4 ====================== CUT HERE ============== [380] 07-08-96 ELECTRONIC MEDIA. Page 4. 494 words. "Xena: a Queen in May Ratings" By Greg Spring. COMMENTARY: XWP was deemed the only "bona fide hit among freshmen first-run offerings during May" in Nielsen Media Research's Cassandra Ranking Report for May 1996. XWP earned a 4.3/7 and claimed the No. 16 spot overall in May. [KT] EXCERPT: Other than MCA's "Xena," the syndication world still struggled to find a bona fide hit among freshman first-run offerings during May, while new off-network sitcoms continued to clean up during the sweeps. Also, according to Nielsen Media Research's Cassandra Ranking Report for May 1996... ...For new first-run product, the prospects were much grimmer. MCA's "Xena: Warrior Princess" topped freshman first-run shows with a 4.3/7 to claim the No. 16 spot overall in May. Next in the freshman first-run class in May was All American's "Baywatch Nights" with a 2.8/5 for No. 43 overall. Eyemark Entertainment's "Day & Date" and MGM's "The Outer Limits" scored a 2.7/8, good enough for a tie at No. 48.... ...The leading action hour in May was Paramount's "Star Trek: Deep Space 9" with a 5.6/7, followed by MCA's "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" (4.5/7) and "Xena."... ...GRAPHIC: MCA's "Xena" stars Lucy Lawless. [381] 07-08-96 PROMETHEUS. Episode no. 8. Third release. Guest stars: Michael Hurst (Iolaus) and Kevin Sorbo (Hercules). Written by R.J. Stewart. Directed by Stephen L. Posey. COMMENTARY: See XMR071.5 for synopsis. [382] 07-09-96 PR NEWSWIRE. Tuesday. Entertainment, Television, and Culture. 448 words. "Paramount's Star Trek Deep Space Nine Begins Production on its Fifth Season" COMMENTARY: In a press release for STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE's fifth season, it was announced that DS9 had beaten "the season-to-date averages of other weekly first-run series including, 'The Adventures of Hercules,' [sic] 'Xena: Warrior Princess' and 'Baywatch.'" [KT] This release makes me wonder if the folks at DEEP SPACE NINE and Paramount were feeling the hot breath of Xena and Hercules on the backs of their necks even a year ago. Normally in the publicity business, you don't mention the competitors unless you really, really feel like you have to.[DS] EXCERPT: STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE, the #1 drama series in first-run syndication produced by Paramount Network Television and distributed by Paramount Domestic Television, begins production this week on its fifth season. Production resumes with an episode entitled "Apocalypse Rising" in which Captain Sisko (series star Avery Brooks) and the Deep Space Nine crew face two of their most feared and deceptive enemies -- the Klingons and the Changelings.... ...STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE has remained the #1 drama series in first-run syndication since original episodes of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION ceased airing (it held the #1 spot throughout its seven season tenure). STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE's season-to-date average is 6.7 (NTI, GAA%), beating the season-to-date averages of other weekly first-run series including, "The Adventures of Hercules," "Xena: Warrior Princess" and "Baywatch." STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE has been sold in markets representing 99% of U.S. households.... [383] 07-11-96 THE BOSTON PHOENIX. 805 words. "Everything you always wanted to know about Xena". By Anne Scott Cardwell. http://www.bostonphoenix.com/alt1/archive/ tv/badtv/XENA.html COMMENTARY: This article veers back and forth between entertaining, insightful and irritating. Anne Scott Cardwell almost seems to catch what's going on in XWP, but then backs away from it as if she might be embarrassed to admit that she could really like such a show. Warning note for Gab fans. The writer takes a BIG swipe at Gabrielle in the last paragraph, describing her as peaking "at 8 out of 10 on the Wesley Crusher scale of annoying." The article also includes one error as it incorrectly reports that Ms. Lawless worked as a gold miner for two years. She has said in several interviews that her mining career lasted 11 months.[DS] REPRINT: Xena is a righteous b*tch. She's beautiful, fierce, independent, and undefeated -- she kicks barbaric b*tt. Even hunky half-god Hercules can do no better than stalemate the mortal warrior princess while the rest of us just lie there among our Baked Lays cheering for the good gal. Xena: Warrior Princess, the one-hour spin-off of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, is everything bad TV should be and more. Both shows are the creations of Sam Raimi and Robert Tapert, the cultmeisters behind The Evil Dead, Darkman, and the TV series American Gothic. The Raimi/Tapert recipe for Xena and Hercules appears to be stars that aren't eyesores, big-screen special effects, one-liners in the midst of battle, fight scenes full of slapstick martial arts, and -- if that ain't enough -- a mythological pantheon full of vengeful gods who seem to have nothing better to do than make our heroes' lives hell, sometimes literally. Sex, violence, comedy, and divine intervention add up, in these cases, to a righteous twanging of that camp chord deep somewhere at the base of our spine -- good goofy fun. And though both shows offer the same guilty pleasure as a bad teen movie -- ideally viewed in a hungover state on a weekend afternoon -- Xena actually rises to levels of, for lack of a better term, feminism. The main reason is the performance of Lucy Lawless (her real name), who plays the warrior princess with a straight-up strength not devoid of sexuality. The other is that the character created by Raimi and Tapert rules her own world (lives her own life) without compromise. Lawless, the fifth of seven children (four older brothers ensured her toughness), is a native of New Zealand, where both series are filmed. At the age of 17 she moved to Australia, where she got a job mining gold in Kalgoorlie, a small town in the Outback about 500 miles from Perth -- basically nowhere. She worked there for two years digging, mapping, driving trucks, and pushing huge core samples through a diamond saw (great training for future battles with Cyclops). She married in Australia and returned to Auckland to raise her daughter and pursue acting. Her career took off with guest appearances on Hercules -- first as the Amazon enforcer Lysia and then as Lyla the bride of a centaur. But it was the outrageous viewer response she received when she played Xena, Hercules's nemesis in three episodes of The Legendary Journeys, that prodded Raimi and Tapert to replace Vanishing Son, the original, highly successful partner in this "Action Pack," with Ms. Warrior Princess. Even without her tomboy ways, Lawless, at just under six feet with crystalline blue eyes, cuts the figure of an intimidating opponent and, for the same reasons, a strikingly beautiful one. Add these ingredients to the role of Xena, reformed killer with a heart, and the result is the hottest of all possible paradoxes: a sexy, tender warrior; a babe with a bite. Give Raimi and Tapert lots of points for casting the big woman. Sure, she's no chunk queen and she'll never be a poster child for cellulite, and those big breasts didn't hurt her chances at all, but she ain't petite. Xena eats waifs for breakfast (she's not worried about her warrior waistline). Even more thumbs-up praise is due these guys for moral lessons, both present and absent, in their story lines. Xena, the ruthless leader of a band of marauders (all male), comes to realize the error of her ways and begins a quest to help the helpless, but after she and Hercules become lovers, she turns down his offer of traveling together in favor of traveling alone. Sure, this aids the spin-off potential, but you've got to like the way it looks on her In addition, Xena's trip into the heart of darkness gives credibility to her fight against injustice that makes Hercules's self-righteousness appear, well, self-righteous. She shellacs a legion of savages and sneers a symbolic high-five with the forces of good; for Xena, there will be no embarrassing sentimentality. But there will be sexuality. Xena's allowed to be sexy and have sex without being punished like, say, Jocasta, or Jezebel, or any of her other contemporaries who get it stuck to them. Her strength and cunning afford her the independence that all women should have: the freedom from fear, the freedom from physical dependence. Xena doesn't need cabs or pepper mace. Okay, this show ain't high art and there is the matter of that horrible sidekick Gabrielle, who peaks at 8 out of 10 on the Wesley Crusher scale of annoying, but what is better than a guilty pleasure with guts? Nutritious junk food? Besides, the Warrior Princess spells her name with an X. Search for the Xena within at "http://www.mca.com/tv/xena" [384] 07-12-96 NOTE: Announcements about the promotion of Arthur Smith to the Senior VP for First-Run and Network Reality Programming for MCA TV. [KT] [395a] 07-12-96 THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER. 322 words. "Ups Smith to Sr. VP" By Steve Brennan COMMENTARY: XWP was mentioned in passing as an MCA first-run production. Smith will not oversee XWP. [KT] REPRINT: The restructuring at MCA TV continued Thursday with the promotion of Arthur Smith to senior VP first-run and network reality programming. Smith, who joined the MCA Television Group as senior VP in January 1995 after holding a similar post at Dick Clark Prods., has put a number of potential syndicated strip projects into development for next year, said Jim McNamara, president of Worldwide Television Distribution for the MCA Television Group. Smith will also continue to spearhead the development and production of network reality fare. "Our top priority at MCA is to get a first-run strip on the air in fall 1997," said McNamara. "Over the past 14 years, Arthur has established an impressive track record in the specials and reality genre. With his strong creative and entrepreneurial skills, he is perfectly suited to make MCA a major force in the lucrative five-day-a-week programming arena." Smith and Dan Filie, the senior VP of Universal Television overseeing the hit first-run action hours "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess," report directly to Universal Television executive VP Ned Nalle, who took over first-run programming from Shelley Schwab in 1992. "The strong creative team we have put in place signals our determination to win in the first-run programming business," Nalle said. "Now with Arthur putting his formidable creative skills and tremendous energy toward syndicated strips, we are betting Universal will repeat the success we have enjoyed with weekly action hours." Smith created and produced a number of syndicated, cable and network projects for Dick Clark Prods. He began his TV career in 1982 as a producer for CBC Sports in Canada, where he won numerous awards. He was appointed head of television sports for CBC in 1988 when he was 28. [395b] 07-12-96 DAILY VARIETY. Friday. Page 27. 160 words. "MCA TV Names Smith Senior VP of Firstrun" By Jenny Hontz. COMMENTARY: New senior VP Arthur Smith at MCA will report to Exec VP Ned Nalle at Universal Television. Also reporting under Nalle, is Dan Filie, a senior VP of Universal Television, who oversees HTLJ & XWP. [KT] REPRINT: Arthur Smith has been named senior vice president of firstrun and network reality programming for MCA TV. Smith has been a senior VP at MCA TV Group since January 1995, spearheading the development and production of network and reality fare. Smith has since developed several syndie strip projects for next year, and the new title reflects those dual roles. Smith will report to Ned Nalle, exec VP of Universal Television. Also reporting to Nalle is Dan Filie, senior VP of Universal Television, who oversees first-run action hours, "Hercules" and "Xena." Smith's top priority will be development of a new firstrun strip for fall 1997. Aside from "Hercules" and "Xena," MCA has had little success with firstrun syndie fare in recent years. Before joining MCA, Smith created and produced syndie, cable and network projects for Dick Clark Prods. At age 28, he became the youngest executive to head TV sports for the Canadian Broadcasting Co. in 1988. [395] 07-12-96 ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS. Friday. Page 7H. 863 words. "Does Baby Boom Mean Arts' Doom?; The Arts" By Mike Dunham. COMMENTARY: In an article about the "Age and Arts Participation With a Focus on the Baby Boom Cohort" research report released in May by the National Endowment for the Arts, Mr. Dunham stated, "In the piquant words of Xena, Warrior Princess, 'You got that right, Plato.'" This quote, of course, was from WARRIOR...PRINCESS (#15). [KT] Yet another example of how XWP is permeating our popular culture. The fact that Xena is mentioned in an Alaskan newspaper in an article that isn't even about Xena is darn weird mojo as my esteemed colleague KT might say. [DS] EXCERPT: A chorus of dismay accompanied the release in May of a National Endowment for the Arts research report gauging just how much interest the baby boom generation has in the arts. "Neither baby boomers nor the younger members of Generation -X show strong interest in the arts," the Washington Post wailed. The comment reflected widespread assessment that the report, titled "Age and Arts Participation With a Focus on the Baby Boom Cohort," documented a breach in the cultural dam, inevitably draining away tomorrow's arts consumers. Simply looking at the numbers, however, one might just as reasonably conclude that the reservoir is half-full. Much alarm stemmed from the report's finding of a "nonattendance" trend among younger population groups. Drawing on facts like 60 percent of Americans age 51 to 55 do not attend classical-music events compared to 80 percent of the population age 31 to 35, the report surmised, "The problem of nonattendance is serious. If the largest segment of the adult population, the baby boomers, turns away from providing support, the future for the arts is indeed grim." Yet, since the younger group in the above sample is larger than the older group by a ratio of three to two, their actual attendance figures in terms of ticket sales are about the same. Other less-than-grim indicators might have been overlooked because it is easy to reach opposite conclusions from the 148 pages of raw and crunched data based on 12,000 interviews conducted in 1982 and 1992. After receiving the report, the Philadelphia Inquirer stated that attendance at plays was down among baby boom-and-busters while the Post said it was up. Different charts support either appraisal. The contradictions continue. According to the report: "[While] opera is a discipline with a graying audience . . . the future prospects for [jazz] are good." But one table included in the research shows the jazz participation rates plunging among people age 21 to 40, while a different table indicates opera participation rates are up in the same demographic. This falls in line with another recent NEA report indicating that, in the past decade, the number of 18- to 24-year-olds attending opera increased by 18 percent even though that population category declined by 16 percent. The report considered the enormous impact that money has on how people spend their free time and found attendance for all seven fine arts surveyed to be higher for people with higher incomes. It acknowledged that workers born after 1951 were promoted more slowly than previous generations, that they have encountered a steeper cost of living and lower real income during their wage-earning years. The study also discovered that people with children -- almost exclusively boomers -- go to fewer concerts and plays than those with none. The authors dismissed this finding, however, saying it didn't change their basic concern regarding nonattendance.... ...One of the report's authors, Vanderbilt University sociology professor Richard Peterson, commented, "A massive shift in taste and tradition (has begun to) displace arts once considered among humanity's highest accomplishments." In the piquant words of Xena, Warrior Princess, "You got that right, Plato." Taste -- and technology -- shift all the time. That doesn't make them anti-art. High art is profoundly cognizant of what has come before. But change is its life-blood. [386] 07-12-96 XENA MEDIA REVIEW. No. 15. Edited by and annotations by Kym Masera Taborn. COMMENTARY: A world press review of coverage on XWP, Renee O'Connor, or Lucy Lawless. Covered 02/26/96 - 03/15/96. Lucy Lawless interview; Q&As; Brenda Lilly; fan magazines; Xena and the V-Chip; Beastmaster; trade paper news; toys; and more [KT] [387] 07-13-96 MCA XENA NETFORUM. Post from Lucy Lawless; posted by Xenastaff (aka Tyldus) for Lucy Lawless. 304 words. COMMENTARY: In her second post to internet Xena fandom, Lucy Lawless thanked her fans for their letters and gifts and singled out Jetthead for making it all possible. Reference to a partner ("I do not often go on the net unless my partner forces me to sit down for 2 seconds, but I am often charmed when I do.") caused quite a bit of conjectural activity on the 'net, but for the most part the forces of respecting Ms. Lawless' privacy won out. Eventually, the partner was publicly referred to as Robert Tapert. It was not a big surprise to many since on-line fandom had known about the union for a long time. Ms. Lawless mentioned that she gave copies of the letters to Ms. O'Connor, who read them and gave her love. Ms. Lawless also mentioned that she was in the midst of filming the first installment of the eagerly awaited Callisto two parter for the second season. Ms. Lawless said that the conclusion of the two-parter will involve "mind transfer". These episodes were RETURN OF CALLISTO (#29) and INTIMATE STRANGER (#31). Ms. Lawless concluded the post by informing the reader that "In one month, I come to the States for one week's publicity, then off to Europe for a holiday. Yipee!" The post was charming, respectful to the fans, and irresistibly engaging (especially how she drew in the reader with some insider info; it was more like sharing some secrets with an old friend than a strategic business move). Ms. Lawless either had good instinct herself in fan management, or she was getting some very good advice. Either way, the post fanned the passions of Xena fandom and gave them a respite from the long, arid season of summer re-runs. [KT] This message also mentions Jetthead, who for a brief period at the end of 1996 and beginning of 1997 was sanctioned by Ms. Lawless to run The Official Lucy Lawless Fan Club. Creation Entertainment took over the fan club duties in March 1997. [DS] REPRINT: To the Hard-core, Diehard Nutballs; Thank you so much for your kind sentiments. Providentially, your letters reached me on a very tough day when I needed them. Donna's poem actually brought a wee tear to my eye. I thank Lillian for collating your letters and obviously weeding out any idiots (I find it hard to believe there weren't any - mind you there seems to be some tacit coded of honor amongst our internetties). And send my love to Jetthead who passed the messages on. I do not often go on the net unless my partner forces me to sit down for 2 seconds, but I am often charmed when I do. I have passed a copy of your letters on to Renee who got a great kick out of them and sends her love. I am busy filming these days - currently we're shooting the 2nd Callisto ep which is a blast and then we begin the 3rd Callisto involving mind-transfer. In one month, I come to the States for one week's publicity, then off to Europe for a holiday. Yipee! Love, Lucy Lawless Xena: Warrior Princess New Zealand July '96 [388] 07-13-97 to 07-17-97 NOTE: Two articles talking about the change in time and day of XWP, the removing of ST: VOYAGER due to low viewership, removal of a series that only aired for one show, and the battle that seems to be going on between the program directors of TVNZ and TV3 about each station putting the same genre of shows in the same time slot to deny audiences having a choice. [LW] [388a] 07-13-96 NEW ZEALAND HERALD. Page 22. 446 words. "Networks Exchange Blows over 'Spoiling Tactics' Programming" Contributed by Linda Gaunt COMMENTARY: Announcement that TVNZ was dropping ST: VOYAGER and moving XWP to from Wednesdays to Fridays, after HTLJ, starting 07/24/96. [KT] REPRINT: TVNZ and TV3 are having one of their periodic spats, each accusing the other of spoiling tactics in programming. TV3's gripes: In tonight's TV2 line-up, the wildlife show HUMAN NATURE has been dropped after only one episode and replaced by the animated WALLACE AND GROMIT - up against the debut on TV3 of MUPPETS TONIGHT. CRIMEWATCH will screen Thursday on TV2 from August 1 in the same slot as TV3's INSIDE NEW ZEALAND documentary series, putting local shows head-to-head. "I think it's a disgraceful situation," TV3 programmer Gary Brown said yesterday. "Instead of being interested in attracting audiences, the only thing they seem to be interested in is denying us an audience." "I think this marks a return to the old days [in John McCready's time as TVNZ programmer] when the audience was treated as secondary. That's fine if they want to do that, but the audience is the loser. CRIMEWATCH against INSIDE NEW ZEALAND .... that one will go down in history." TVNZ's whinge: From Wednesday July 24, TV3 dumps the low-rating STAR TREK: VOYAGER and shifts XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS to Friday, following HERCULES. Replacing those shows is a movie. "It's just stupid," said TVNZ head of television Mike Lattin. "Those series have only been there for a few weeks and the next thing you know out they come and in goes a movie." "We have a movie on Wednesday and they had a series and it was working well; the viewer could choose. Now it's all movies and we've got genre against genre." HUMAN NATURE was canned after its low rating last Saturday. The show, fronted by Olivia Newton- John, drew 7 per cent of the available audience, putting it 83rd in the week's most-watched shows. "We knew we were going to die with Olivia against the Muppets," Lattin said. "She wouldn't have cracked it with the young demographic. But it's a one-week wonder. We're into sitcoms next weeks." Lattin said he did not like pitting local shows against each other - "it's not in the best interests of New Zealand producers" - but Thursday at 8.30 pm was "the only vacant slot we had" for CRIMEWATCH. "What a lame excuse," said Brown. "They seemed to have no trouble pre-empting WATER RATS on Monday. It's glaringly an attempt to compete head-on for the audience we're attracting for INSIDE NEW ZEALAND." He said STAR TREK: VOYAGER was "on hold" after low ratings, and would probably be back in summer. XENA would complement HERCULES on FRIDAY. The two shows were successfully programmed back-to-back in America. Lattin and Brown are former colleagues, having worked together for channel Ten in Australia. [388b] 07-17-96 THE EVENING POST (Wellington). Page 10. 415 words. "Xena moves to keep Hercules company" By Phil Wakefield COMMENTARY: The kiwis try to figure out if X:WP should air after Hercules, kind of like a one-two punch to really knock the audience out. They reason that since Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place were such a killer combo, the Herc and Xee linkup should be mighty fine. Hey, I want to see Buffy: The Vampire Slayer and Xena: Warrior Princess back to back (or, um, front to front....). As long as a show has got a kick-b*tt femme in the lead and a colon in the title, I'm there. [MBE] EXCERPT: XENA: Warrior Princess has been ordered out of prime time. The Hercules spin-off screens 8.30pm Wednesday for the last time tonight; from next week, it will air after Hercules at 9.30pm on Fridays. Also being pulled is Star Trek: Voyager. It goes into a scheduling black hole after tonight but may be revived for a prime-time summer run (another series is being bought). Both Xena and Voyager are being replaced by movies but only for the short term - watch for new series programming to be launched on the back of Beverly Hills 90210. The changes mark TV3's third Wednesday night overhaul this year. But TV3 programming chief Gary Brown rejects suggestions the shake-up reflects the kind of knee-jerk scheduling that has characterised TV2. "We did keep Xena on for more than a week," he says, in reference to TV2 this month pulling Human Nature after only one episode. He believes Xena is better suited to Fridays and will perform to its potential with Hercules as the lead-in. The two play back-to-back in the United States, and Brown says those who think it's an overkill should remember how well Beverly Hills 90210 and Melrose Place rated when they were a double-act on TV3.... [389] 07-15-96 CHARIOTS OF WAR. Episode no. 2. Third release. Guest stars: Nick Kokotakis (Darius), Jeff Thomas, and Stuart Turner. Story by Josh Becker and Jack Perez. Teleplay by Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster. Directed by Harley Cokeliss. COMMENTARY: See XMR41.5 for synopsis. ============= THE BACK PAGE ============= XENA MEDIA REVIEW STAFF: Living to serve Xena fandom since March 1996! Kym Masera Taborn (KT), editor-in-chief ktaborn@lightspeed.net Diane Silver (DS), editor (even issues) dswriter@idir.net Maria Erb (MBE), editor (very odd issues) maria@erb.mv.com Barbara Johnson, circulation xenatwo@aol.com Lydia M. Woods (LM), assist. to the editor-in-chief woodsl@erol.com Thomas Simpson, mascot thomas@xenafan.com ERRATA: Oops! We numbered all the annotations wrong in XMR #23. They were listed as 322 to 347 when it should have been 336 to 361. I have uploaded a corrected version of XMR #23 at the XMR Archive at http://xenafan.com/xmr BACK ISSUES: Back issues of XMR are available at the XMR Archive on the XMR web page: http://xenafan.com/xmr THIS WEEK IN XENA NEWS: TWXN is the advance sheet for XMR. Since XMR offers indepth analysis of media coverage, the issues are distanced in order to gain perspective and insight into how the media report affected the future or was affected by its peers. TWXN is a commentary-lite review of excerpts to be used in future XMRs as they are processed for the XMR database. 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 (when they are accepting posts!), the Xenite Message Center (whenever I can find them!), and alt.tv.xena. 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 below 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 below non-profit use clause. SOLICITATIONS FOR FUTURE NEWSLETTERS: Send cites, references, articles, annotations, and/or submissions to ktaborn@lightspeed.net, I will love you for it. XMR is a non-profit fan publication. The editors retain editorial control and reprint 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. 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, and any other rightful and legal copyright holder). 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 via electronic media. Banner graphic by Colleen Stephan. This is an Obsessive But Benign Publication. Copyright 1996, 1997 by Kym Masera Taborn. ====================== CUT HERE ============== XENA MEDIA REVIEW #24 (08-11-97) Part 4 of 4 Finis!