Xena: Warrior Princess
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American fantasy television series filmed in New Zealand, which aired in first-run syndication from September 4, 1995, to June 18, 2001.[1] Critics have praised the series for its strong female protagonist, and it has acquired a strong cult following, attention in fandom, parody, and academia, and has influenced the direction of other television series.[2]
This article is about the series. For the title character, see Xena. For the eponymous video game based on the series, see Xena: Warrior Princess (video game).Xena: Warrior Princess
- John Schulian
- Robert Tapert
- R.J. Stewart
- Sam Raimi
United States
English
6
134 (list of episodes)
- Robert Tapert
- Sam Raimi
New Zealand
45–48 minutes
Renaissance Pictures
Universal Television
September 4, 1995 –
June 18, 2001
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Writer-director-producer Robert Tapert created the series in 1995 under his production tag, Renaissance Pictures, with executive producers R. J. Stewart (who developed the series along with Tapert) and Sam Raimi. The series narrative follows Xena (played by Lucy Lawless), an infamous warrior looking to be redeemed for her past sins against the innocent by using her formidable fighting skills to aid those who are defenseless. Her companion Gabrielle (played by Renee O'Connor) grows from a simple farm girl into an Amazon warrior and Xena's soulmate and comrade-in-arms during the series; her initial naïveté helps to balance Xena and assists her in recognizing and pursuing the greater good. In 2012, star Lawless asserted that her character, Xena, was from "ancient Bulgaria, Thrace",[3] when the character is stated in the series to come from the ancient Greek city of Amphipolis,[4] which is located in the nearby region of Central Macedonia[5] in modern Greece. However, at the time, Amphipolis was, in fact, a Thracian city which was inhabited by Greeks, so it is likely that she was Thracian by birth, and Greek by culture.
The show is a spin-off of the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys;[6] the saga began with three episodes in Hercules in which Xena was a recurring character originally scheduled to die in her third appearance. Aware of the character's sudden popularity among the public, the producers of the series decided to launch a spin-off series based on her adventures. Xena became a successful show which has aired in more than 108 countries around the world since 1998. In 2004[7] and 2007, it ranked #9 and #10 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever[8] and the title character ranked #100 on Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters.[9] Xena's success has led to hundreds of tie-in products, including comics, books, video games and conventions, realized annually since 1998 in Pasadena, California and in London.[10]
The series overtook its predecessor in ratings and in popularity.[11] In its second season it became the top-rated syndicated drama series on American television. For all six years, Xena remained in the top five.[12] Cancellation of the series was announced in October 2000, and the series finale aired in the summer of 2001.[13] On August 13, 2015 NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt said a Xena reboot was in development, with Raimi and Tapert returning as executive producers, with the show's debut sometime in 2016.[14] Javier Grillo-Marxuach was hired as writer and producer for the reboot,[15] but left the project in April 2017 because of creative differences. In August 2017, NBC announced that it had cancelled its plans for the reboot for the foreseeable future.[16]
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Cancelled reboot[edit]
On July 20, 2015, it was reported that NBC was developing a Xena reboot series, with Raimi and Tapert returning as executive producers, with the show's debut sometime in 2016. Insiders also requested that Lawless return to the series as Xena, as well as take up a role in the show's production.[82] A day later, Lawless tweeted that the reboot was a rumor.[83] On August 13, 2015, NBC Entertainment chairman Bob Greenblatt confirmed the reboot was in development.[14] Entertainment Weekly announced that Javier Grillo-Marxuach would serve as writer and producer for the reboot.[15]
In a post on Tumblr, Grillo-Marxuach stated that they would be "fully exploring a relationship that could only be shown subtextually in first-run syndication in the 1990s,"[84] which several websites such as The Guardian[85] and Newsweek[86] took to mean "Xena will be an out and proud lesbian."[86] These articles resulted in frustration from fans regarding the erasure of Xena's apparent bisexuality; Grillo-Marxuach said "it feels like - from a few sentences - everyone has already made up their mind about what it is I am doing. I would prefer people be surprised by the story."[87] In April 2017, Grillo-Marxuach announced that he had left the project because of "insurmountable creative differences."[88]
On August 21, 2017, NBC announced that it had cancelled its plans for the reboot. NBC Entertainment president Jennifer Salke said, "I'd never say never on that one because it's such a beloved title but the current incarnation of it is dead."[89][90]
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