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Post by kg redhead on Dec 4, 2005 14:27:29 GMT -5
New Zealand's most successful sequel...
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Post by kg redhead on Dec 5, 2005 9:28:12 GMT -5
Set in a fantasy ancient Greece, the series told the adventures of former Hercules villain Xena (Lucy Lawless), a reformed warlord, on a quest to redeem her past sins. Xena was accompanied on her travels by Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), a young girl who became her best friend and most trusted ally. The series was filmed in New Zealand.
The show freely borrowed names and themes from various mythologies around the world, primarily Greek mythology, adapting them to suit the demands of the storyline. Real historical figures and events also made numerous appearances. These ranged from an encounter with Homer (before he was famous), to the capture of Julius Caesar by pirates with Xena cast as the pirate leader. This quirky mix of timelines and the amalgamation of historical and mythological elements fueled the rise of the show to cult status during the 1990s, and the name Xena became synonymous with a strong and independent female heroine.
The show was a mixture of styles, ranging from high melodrama in one episode to slapstick comedy in another. Although ostensibly set in ancient times, the themes of the show were essentially modern: taking responsibility for past misdeeds, the value of human life, personal liberty, and friendship. This universal, flexible fantasy framework accommodated a considerable scope of content and style, even including an original musical episode, The Bitter Suite. Despite being deeply concerned with ethical dilemmas, such as the morality of pacifism, the storylines rarely sought to provide unequivocal solutions. The resulting conflicting answers and ambiguity gave Xena a complexity that went largely unremarked by the casual viewers, but generated much lively debate among fans. It was also hinted that Xena and Gabrielle were lovers. This was left deliberately ambiguous, leading to much heated debate over what became known as the subtext. Some critics found it to be a marketing tactic—or, conversely, outright cowardice—avoided by most shows thereafter until the character Willow explored her sexuality in Buffy. The fandom became increasingly divided over the issue, particularly with the development of a romantic storyline between Xena and Ares, the God of War, which was also left ambiguous.
he show also featured a wide assortment of recurring characters, including adversaries Ares (Kevin Smith) and Callisto (Hudson Leick); and trusted friends like Autolycus (Bruce Campbell) and Joxer (Ted Raimi).
Most exotic among the weapons used by Xena is a variant of the chakram, a flying disc.
The program had a considerable lesbian fan base during first run, and continues into syndication. Many lesbians believe that Xena and Gabrielle were clandestine lovers, and consider them lesbian icons.
The Canadian sketch comedy series This Hour Has 22 Minutes featured a recurring segment in which character Marg Delahunty (Mary Walsh) accosted real-life Canadian politicians while dressed in a Xena-like outfit as "Marg, Warrior Princess".
In an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer ("Halloween", 2x06), Willow says about Buffy's costume: "She couldn't have dressed up like Xena?"
In 2005, it was announced that the recently-discovered body 2003 UB313, a possible tenth planet, had been given the temporary name Xena, in honor of the TV character. On October 1, 2005, the discovery team announced that "Xena" had a moon, which had been nicknamed Gabrielle. Neither name is expected to be permanently applied to either body by the International Astronomical Union.
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