Xena: Warrior Princess

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
Opening sequence title card
Genre
Created by
Developed by
Starring
ComposerJoseph LoDuca
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes134 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Robert Tapert
  • Sam Raimi
Production locationNew Zealand
Running time45–48 minutes
Production companiesRenaissance Pictures
Universal Television
Original release
NetworkSyndication
ReleaseSeptember 4, 1995 (1995-09-04) –
June 18, 2001 (2001-06-18)
Related
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

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]

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",[2] when the character is stated in the series to come from the ancient Greek city of Amphipolis,[3] which is located in the nearby region of Central Macedonia[4] 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;[5] 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[6] and 2007, it ranked #9 and #10 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever[7] and the title character ranked #100 on Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters.[8] 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.[9]

The series overtook its predecessor in ratings and in popularity.[10] 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.[11] Cancellation of the series was announced in October 2000, and the series finale aired in the summer of 2001.[12] 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.[13] Javier Grillo-Marxuach was hired as writer and producer for the reboot,[14] 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.[15]

  1. ^ "Xena: Warrior Princess (a Titles & Air Dates Guide)". EpGuides.com. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
  2. ^ @reallucylawless (May 26, 2012). "Xena was from ancient Bulgaria, Thrace..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ "Sins of the Past". Xena: Warrior Princess. September 4, 1995.
  4. ^ "Dimos Amfipolis". Dimos Amfipolis (in Greek). Retrieved November 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "Xena: Warrior Princess". Universal-Playback.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
  6. ^ "25 Top Cult Shows Ever!". TV Guide. May 30, 2004.
  7. ^ "TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever". TV Guide. June 29, 2007. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
  8. ^ "The 100 Greatest TV Characters". Bravo TV. Archived from the original on January 10, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
  9. ^ "Xena Convention Page". Pondalee.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
  10. ^ Hontz, Jenny (February 26, 1997). "'Xena' powers to record rating". Variety. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  11. ^ Hayes, K. Stoddard (March 2003). Xena Warrior Princess: The Complete Illustrated Guide (1st ed.). London: Titan Books. p. 236. ISBN 1840236221.
  12. ^ "Xena Canceled". ABC News. October 17, 2000.
  13. ^ Lovett, Jamie (August 13, 2015). "Xena Reboot Confirmed To Be In Development". Comicbook.com. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  14. ^ Hibberd, James (December 14, 2015). "Xena reboot gets closer, hires Lost writer". Entertainment Weekly.
  15. ^ "NBC's 'Xena: Warrior Princess' Reboot Is Dead". Collider. August 21, 2017. Retrieved November 20, 2018.