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OLD NEWS!
19th October 2019 - Lucy Lawless back on UK TV screens
UK fans needing a Brexit escape, Lucy Lawless in back on our screens in the Aussie cop drama My Life is Murder which airs on the Alibi Channel on Tuesdays at 9pm. Lucy stars as ex-cop Alexa Crowe (yes, cover your Amazon Echo ears!) who investigates crimes that outfox the cops. Ephiny herself, the great Danielle Cormack pops up in episide 2. It's fun and breezy (but probably not returning for a second season.)
Dust off your leathers, dig out the DVDs, the Creation Xena Convention is back for one last hurrah (again!) Yes, Creation have announced there will be a 25th Anniversary 'Salute to Xena' convention in LA in August 2020 - plenty of time to get saving and sort out a cat sitter!
24th February 2019 - Xena 25th Anniversary Convention Announced!
It's all taking place 28th-30th August 2020 at the Hyatt Regency, but the big news is that both Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor will be there, along with a whole host of others - Michael Hurst and Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Alex Tydings, Parid Jefferson, Brittany Powell, Musetta Vander and Steve Sears. Obviously a long way off but I hope they get Ted Raimi, Hudson Leick and producer Rob Tapert. I'd love to get head writer RJ Stewart and some of the directors like Rick Jacobson or TJ Scott too.
Right now only the eye-wateringly pricey gold packages have been announced (I've splashed out and booked mine!) but there will be more affordable options neared the time.
It has been a while so this is great news and hope to see you all there!
27th September 2018 - Xena Reboot Details Revealed!
Remember the excitement over the Xena reboot that never happened? The super talented and very cool writer, Javier Grillo-Marxuach was on the Xena Warrior Business Podcast recently where he revealed details of excatly what the rebooted Xena series would have been.
Xena is a self-made warlord who battled her way out of slavery and is now working with Hercules. They are doing the 12 labors for the king, but with an eye on earning a reward that would allow them to take over the kingdom themselves. However, Hercules betray Xena, steals her army and forces her to do the gauntlet. She is found, badly injured, by Gabrielle, who is a Scythian in this version. She is still young and plucky and verbose and wants to go to Athens to be a writer. She nurses Xena back to health. Xena starts training with Gabrielle, ostensibly so she is prepared for life on the road to Athens, but mainly so Xena can get revenge on Hercules. Just as they are starting to bond, the Scythian king arrives. Gabrielle is the spitting image of a Scythian princess and they need her to marry the leader of another Scythian tribe as they need to band together to fight an approaching army. Xena leaves Gabrielle with the Scythians and heads off to find and kill Hercules. However, it turns out the army about to attack the Scythian capital is actually Hercules' army. Xena decides to go back and save Gabrielle rather than go ahead with pursuing Hercules. The pilot episode ends with Hercules killing half of the city and kidnapping Gabrielle…
The rest of the 12 or 13 season would feature Xena teaming up with a bunch of disavowed soldiers (ncluding Joxer and Autolycus) to go to rescue Gabrielle, which would take 2 or 3 episodes. Her recovery from the ordeal would also take a while. It would be the realisation that saving Gabrielle means more to her than revenge that redeems Xena, rather than sleeping with Hercules! Callisto would also appear, as someone hired to kill Xena. The tone would be somewhere between Gladiator and Mad Max Fury Road with the violence being much more realistic than on the original show. There would still be comedy between the stoic Xena and more bubbly Gabrielle, but not the campiness of the original.
Download the podcast for the whole discussion, as well as Javi's interesting take on the season 2 episode Blind Faith. Such a shame this never happened as I think it sounds very cool. Hercules as the villain of the piece is an interesting take but sadly... not to be. How is it when everthing else gets rebooted, XENA remains... unrebooted!?
1st August 2018 - Time for an update!
So what is happening in the world of XENA? Well not much actually. Lucy's show 'Ash vs the Evil Dead' was cancelled in the spring. Despite everything under the sun getting a reboot, the XENA one appears as dead as a dodo. Lucy and Renee have been doing a few cons, mostly in the US, although Lucy was in Italy a while back. XENA:WARRIOR PODCAST is about to hit the iceburg that is 'Married with Fishsticks', so that could be fun (I rewatched it yesterday...oh my GOD what a pile of crap!)
On a positive note, XENA is back on UK tv screens on the 4Music channel - which confusingly isn't a music channel now! The episodes appear to be rather random in order as I watched Lost Mariner from S2 the other day, The Debt's were on a few days later and it looks like Warrior Priestess Tramp is up next. Still, Xena is ON! Find 4Music on Sky Ch 139, Virgin Ch 129, Freview Ch 18
I've become kind of obsessed with the Xena Warrior Podcast lately. It is run by three ladies, Vera, Katie and Livy, film grads who are reviewing each episode and releasing a podcast every Monday. The ladies do a great job analysing and discussing episodes, and have me - an old timer - re-watching and thinking again about what works and what doesn't. Yes, there were some difficult times there getting through Ulysses, Giant Killer and some of those season 1 episodes, still finding their feet. Each weekly podcast typically covers 2 episodes, but sometimes the focus is one - like the latest excellent and thought provoking 2 hour chat about The Bitter Suite. You're doing a great job ladies! I'm considering updating my reviews after getting into the show all over again!
3rd August 2017 - Listen to this: Xena Warrior Podcast!
This website turns 20 on 28th May 2017 and to celebrate, here's a look at how it all began!
24th May 2017 - HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY TO XENAVILLE!
In 1996, I first caught an episode from season 1 The Greater Good on Sky and was hooked. Back in those days, the internet was just a baby and the birth of the show coincided with the internet boom. The main Xena website was 'Tom's Xena Page' and MaryDs AUSXIP site. There were no UK Xena sites, so my imaginatively titled "My UK Xena Page" was born! It was a chance for me to write about my new obsession and importantly, there was a message board available with the GEOCITIES website where a whole bunch of UK fans got to know each other.
The site has gone through a few changes over the last 20 years. In 2000, I was bought out by www.fandom.com during the dot com boom, and joined up to be the Xena page on their site. I got a trip to Comic Con and even some money for almost a year before the bubble burst and it all went south. Since then, I've had to pay to keep the site going and things have quietened down in the Xenaverse. However, I still love to hear from Xena fans. In the last few years, as the next generation of fans discovered the show, I have enjoyed hearing from people getting into the story of the warrior princess and the bard of Poteidaia.
So happy birthday to Xenaville! If you are visiting and want to say hello, pop over to the Yuku message board or drop me a line an feedback_AT_xenaville.com (put in an @ to email me, but I learned the hard way, embedded email addresses on the website end up with a lot of junk emails from deposed princes or people wanting to help me with enlarging things!)
18th May 2017 - Updates
The much talked about Xena reboot seems futher away than a year ago. Javier Grillo-Marxauch left the project over reported 'creative differences.'
"I’m heartbroken to have left the Xena project over insurmountable creative differences. The character is dear to me, and to millions of fans worldwide, and I truly believe that now – more than ever – a land in turmoil cries out for a hero. I truly hope that the alchemy of creative elements that has to come together to make possible either a reboot or revival of this amazing property will someday coalesce, and that Xena will return in a way that does honor to what came before while looking to the future."
The UK Xenafests are alive and well and we recently got together again (Honestly, I can't remember what number we are up to now!) for a 20th Anniversary get together, where we raised money for the charity Moodswings - a wonderful £1,631. It was lovely to see old friends and several new Xena fans too.
The Xenaville Yuku Message boards have woken up! Do pop over and join in the chat.
The much talked about Xena reboot has been talked about even more lately after script writer Javier Grillo-Marxuach gained some internet notoriety for penning an episode of the popular CW show The 100 where a much loved female warrior who regularly kicked butt, ended up being killed off, not long after she and her lady-love consumated their relationship. Javi was the writer of the much discussed episode 307 'Thirteen' and the show's fandom went kind of bananas! To say there was a lot of anger was an understatement. For us Xena fans who lived through the 'A Friend in Need' wars, and Buffy fans who saw Tara killed off in a similarly brutal and senseless manner, it was nothing new. But in these much more social media savvy days, reactions were quickly shared. Javi showed real class by replying and re-tweeting the comments of fans who had valid and non-abusive arguments about the wrongness of the decision and in some of his responses, seemed to indicate that HIS version of XENA would not be so opaque about the true nature of the Xena/Gabrielle relationship.
However, after the story was widely reported on the net (even The Guardian for goodness sake!), and Lucy herself commented Grillo-Mauxuach backtracked a bit on his Tumblr page after someone asked whether a network would go for a show with a gay lead.
Javi has interacted with Xena fans and I think many of us were hopeful he would be true to the show we love. Hence, this is sad news, and once again the project is in limbo. Perhaps the release of the upcoming Wonder Woman movie might revive interest in kick-ass mythological warrior women.
20th March 2016 - Reboot Latest
So pretty much back where we started then!
A little article today on what some of the Xena staff and stars have been upto lately as several of them are flourishing! The aforementioned Liz Friedman, Rose McIver, Shiri Appleby, Marton Csokas, Manu Bennett and of course Bruce and Lucy! Click here to read on
22nd December 2015 - News Updates, Xena stars on TV
The latest on the Xena reboot movie is that apparently a writer has been hired. Javier Grillo-Marxuach has written for Charmed, Medium and Lost and co-presents that rather fab 'Children of Tendu' podcast about how to be a TV writer. For me, this is good news - someone with a good track record and an experienced writer.Read this interview with him on cnet.com that makes me vaguely optimistic!
Of course, I would rather it was RJ Stewart, Steve Sears or Liz Friedman but we will see. 
26th October 2015 - No news on Xena Movie, Ash VS Evil Dead soon
Nothing more about the possible Xena reboot that was around the TV news sites in August. However, this week seen the TV series on Ash vs The Evil Dead starring Bruce Campbell and Lucy Lawless. Sam Raimi and bis brother Ivan, plus Rob Tapert are all involved and the show is being filmed in New Zealand. Stay tuned..!
13th August 2015 - That Movie is ON!
"Yes, we're in the early stages of developing a new take on Xena and we're looking for a writer. We want to do it […] We'd love to have Lucy be a part of it — if we felt that her presence didn't overshadow the direction we take with it. I'm not sure how she could be part of it if she wasn't playing Xena, and I don't know if that's a direction we'll ever go."
Which indicates a new Xena, which to be honest it always the most likely direction. The odds of a TV Network having a 47 year old female lead an action show are slim. For fans wanting to see Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor back, it looks unlikely. Still, the warrior princess back on TV with the right cast, the right tone and good writing could be fun... I feel an opinion piece coming on!
So that movie that wasn't happening... IT'S ON!! The Hollywood Reporter carried the story today, but it isn't all good news..! NBC's Entertainment chairman is quoted as saying..
28th July 2015 - MOVIE!!!!!!!!!!??
The biggest news to hit the sleeping Xenaverse in years hit recently when it seemed a Xena reboot was on the cards! Lucy Lawless had been at Comic Con with the upcoming Evil Dead tv show and has always been quite positive about the possibility of a Xena movie. Several tv news outlets published stories about the show being relaunched and the speculation began about whether Lucy and Renee would be involved, who might be the new Xena (assuming Lucy is too old to swing a chakram these days!) and what exactly a modern reboot might be. Sadly, it appears to be nothing more than wishful thinking. Lucy herself tweeted it was just a rumour:
"Sorry, friends! news of a #Xena reboot is just a rumor. I'd love it to happen one day but it's still in the wishful thinking stage."
Oh well, we live in hope!
17th March 2015 - Updates
The next UK Xenafest is fast approaching - Saturday 28th March 2015 and we are combining it with Angie's birthday! Do come along and join in the fun.
In other Xena news, Lucy Lawless continues to pop up on TV. She is joining WGN show Salem (which I must admit, I gave up on!) for the second season. Lucy has also been announced as part of the Evil Dead TV series with Brice Campbell, reuniting with Rob Tapert and Sam Raimi.
2015 saw the final Xena convention organised by Creation Entertainment in LA recently - think they made it to 20 years of them which was pretty good going!
24th Jan 2014 - Updates
The November Xenafest was livened up by the presence of Jo, Anna and Andy, who dressed up for the fest! Jo has been one of the best Xena lookalikes for years and we all lines up for our photos with her! Such a good sport, thanks Jo! Anna and Andy contributed some wonderfully bawdy songs and entertainment to the evening too. Thanks to all of our organisers and attendees.
The next Xenafest will be on Saturday 19th July 2014. Don't miss it!
A couple of fantastic new TV shows to look out for from Xena writers/directors. Liz Friedman is attached, to 2 great shows. Elementary, the surprisingly good Sherlock Holmes reboot that stars Jonny Lee Miller and Lucy Lui and she also co-wrote the first episode of probably my favourite show of the year, Netflix show, Orange is the New Black. Not sure if she is still involved, but it has been hugely popular.
Almost as popular is Orphan Black co-created by John Fawcett, director of (almost) everybody's favourite Xena episode When Fates Collide amongst others. Orphan Black is probably my other contender for best show of the year. It features a brilliant central performance from Tatiana Maslaney as a whole bunch of clones!
Meanwhile, Xena writers, Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster are attached to The Following, the frankly preposterous but kind of enjoyable serial killer/FBI agent story starring Kevin Bacon. Karl Urban, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman continue with their world domination! Do not forget your Xena past fellas!!
17th November 2013 - Updates
The 26th Midlands Xenafest approaches! It has been a year since our last one, so getting ready to do it all over again! Check out the details on the Fest Page or at the Facebook group
In the Xena world, Lucy Lawless has been eco-campaigning, while also getting back to singing, with a role as Mama Morton in a special version of Chicago in LA, while back in Auckland, she switched to playing Velma! Meanwhile, Ephiny herself, Danielle Cormack, has been blowing us away with her interpretation of another classic role. She is playing Bea Smith in the update of the legendary Prisoner:Cell Block H that aired on Channel 5 in the UK recently as Wentworth Prison. Essential viewing.
4th November 2012 - Xenafest Total
Sorry, a bit behind updating here (does ANYONE still read this page?? Feel free to drop me a line if you do - email address right down the bottom of the page).
Anyway, Saturday 3rd of November saw us celebrate our silver anniversary - our 25th UK Xenafest. We had a quite a few people down with the flu so attendance was down a little, but we still raised a wonderful £1919.50 for the Manchester based charity Moodswings that helps people with mental health issues.
We had a Halloween theme to the quiz, a fancy dress contest and Dawn's decorations. Quite a few people were clearly Great British Bake Off inspired and brought along Halloween cakes too. A fun day was had by all and we are looking to plan Xenafest 26 for April/May 2013, so keep checking back here or why not join the
Facebook Group page and join in the fun.
30th April 2012 - Xenafest Total
Our latest Xenafest was another big success and raised a magnificent £1,519. We were joined by comedian Ida Strokes, who was a hoot and got the karaoke going! The money raised is going to support the charity Moodswings, which helps those who have mental health difficulties.
Xenafest 25, our silver jubilee fest is booked and Saturday 3rd November needs to go into your diaries. A fun time is sure to be had by all! Check out the Fest Page for more details of the venue etc. Also visit the Facebook page and join in the fun.
Good interview with Michael Ausiello
10th March 2012 - News Updates, Next Fest!
In other Xena related news, Lucy Lawless is still wowing it up on Spartacus: Vengeance but has been in the news lately for getting herself arrested as part of a Greenpeace demonstration against oil drilling in the Arctic. She and some other protesters spent several days camped out on the drilling ship in New Zealand! Reports said she was even doing her Xena yell! Go Lucy! Read more here
Browsing Xenaville, I discovered one of my favourite bits of silliness I made years ago was offline, so I've just spent a while reassembling... ARGO'S GUIDE TO GREECE which might amuse you! *Shameless self promotion!*
23rd Midlands Xenafest - 12th November 2011
29th March 2009 - Next UK Xenafest, Happy Birthday Lucy and more
Lucy also appeared on the finale of The L Word and can be seen as Detective Mary Beth Duffy on the Showtime website's Interrogation Tapes - Look out for tape 3 where she is flirting with Helena Peabody!
Thank a lot to everyone who attended the 19th Midlands Xenafest on the 29th November. It was great to meet new people who are just getting into the show and old friends who seem to have been around since the year dot! The Xena community spirit is alive and well in the UK, and once again we raised a good total for local charities. The amount raised was a brilliant £1371 so thank you very much to everyone who bought raffle tickets, entered the lucky dip and bought items in the auction.
In other news, Lucy is appearing all over the place! Look out for her in the upcoming Adam Sandler film, Bedtime Stories. She had a small role in a recent CSI: Miami episode, and can be seen in the trailer for the 6th and final season of The L Word as a detective.
Lucy Lawless returns to Series Four of Battlestar Galactica this week, in the episode The Hub as D'Anna is unboxed! (Aired in the US last Friday on the SciFi Channel, UK fans, Tuesday 10th June at 9pm, Sky One). So great to see Lucy back. I might be biased, but I love the character and she's going to be fun thins time I think! There is a VERY funny video clip on the SciFi.com website of behind the scenes with Lucy. Lots of swearing and not to be taken seriously but hilarious!
Series 2 of Army Wives starts this weekend on Lifetime tv in the US. Renee O'Connor is due to be appearing at some point, but not sure when and for how long. Created by Xena writer and fan favourite, Katherine Fugate, I enjoyed the slightly soapy show. Nice to see strong women characters on TV - even if their lives do revolve around their husbands!
Well, what a weekend that was! The Xena Convention in London was brilliant, a big highlight being Lucy's concert at the Carling Academy. Great energy from Lucy and the crowd. I've just completed my convention report right here, and you might want to visit the Xenaville message board to leave any thoughts. Roll on the next one!!
With just a few days to go before the London Xena Convention with Lucy Lawless, all us UK Xenafans are getting very excited! Hope to see lots of you down at the Hilton Metropole and at Lucy's concert (I'm going on Saturday.) It's been many years since we had a big event like this and of course Lucy has never appeared at a UK convention, so fingers crossed for a fab weekend for us all! See you there..!
Apologies for the slowness on the updates, but those of you keen for the
very latest news really should be checking out MaryDs AUSXIP page
rather than here!
FANTASTIC Christmas present for UK Xena fans, Creation Entertainment
have announced that Lucy Lawless will be headlining a Xena Convention in London in May 2008. Other
guests to be confirmed, but already on the list is Xena music maestro Joseph LoDuca, who will also be
working with Lucy on 2 live shows at a London club, so we get a chance to see Lucy sing live. The even
better news is that this is a Bank Holiday weekend, so we can party all weekend, and stagger home on
Monday! Brilliant news for us fans and a great opportunity to get together and meet Lucy.
1st December 2007 - Fest Total and more
Sorry, bit late adding this news, but our latest UK Xenafest on 10th
November was a great success. We welcomed a few new people and thanks to some generous donors had
lots of great items in the charity auction. We raised a magnificent £2,540 which will be shared
between two excellent local charities. Huge thanks to all concerned for a great day.
31st October 2007 - News Bits
Several updates in XENA news. Lucy Lawless is filming Battlestar
Galactica in Vancouver right now for about 3 episodes somewhere in the middle of the series. There's
an interview with Lucy online where she
talks about it, but the big news from this interview is Lucy says she is coming to the UK to do a show in
London! UK fans will enjoy that!! No details anywhere, although Lucy's Official site does have some news updates.
(Always a good idea to check in there regularly as she's pretty good with the updates.)
Next weekend, Saturday 10th November, is our next UK Xenafest, and this one is shaping up to be great
fun. We're got more people signed up that we have for a while, and there is some REALLY quality stuff in
the auction this time. Bring your cash along. Check out the Fest page for more
details.
16th September 2007 - Latest UK Fest and More..
A long absence again - I've been on holiday, including another trip to New Zealand. No Xena beaches this time, but what a beautiful country!
UK DVD buyers might want to check out the Universal Playback releases of Xena on DVD. They contacted me about the S1 and 2 releases (see below), but didn't tell me Season 3 and Season 4 were out, with Season 5 and Season 6 out on 24th September. While the US Davis Panzer releases are much better in terms of extras, those of you with region 2 DVD players only (why???) might be interested. Playback are also releasing an "Ultimate Collection" box set in October. Rather nice looking box - presumably with all the episodes.
In TV news, Lucy Lawless filmed a guest appearance on the TV series, Burn Notice in which she was very good. Bruce Campbell also appears on the show and got Lucy in. There's a good interview with Lucy on TV Guide.com about it. She'll be on Curb Your Enthusiasm in the coming weeks too. However, the BIG news is that Lucy will be returning to the fabulous Battlestar Galactica for an undisclosed number of episodes in the shows 4th and final season. Woo Hoo!
28th May 2007 - 10 Years of Xenaville!!
Yes, it is Xenaville's 10th Birthday today! So here's a brief(-ish) history of Xenaville.
Sometime in Autumn 1996 I accidentally caught a Xena episode when there was nothing much else on. The episode was The Greater Good, and I was instantly hooked on the drama and the characters, and also the tone of the show. I love the humour and the action, and Lucy Lawless impressed me immediately with her uncompromising portrayal of a hero.
Now there's something I haven't typed in a while. UK DVD buyers, seasons 1 and 2 are being re-isued by Universal Playback on Monday 21st May, in nice new packaging, and according to the Universal Playback site, they might even have the season 1 episodes in the correct order this time! As ever with Universal Playback, there are zero extras, but if your DVD player can't handle region 1 DVDs, you might be interested. Plus it will be nice to see XENA back on the shelves in the shops! Complete seasons, on 6 discs, Amazon is selling them for £26.24 with free P&P.
Buy Season 1 and Season 2 from Amazon
15th May 2007 - Updated News Update!
Football Wives is no more! Lucy reports on her website the show was not picked up by ABC television.
In other UK TV Lucy alerts, the absolute classic Simpsons episode, Treehouse of Horror X, which every Xena fan should see, is on Sky One on Thursday 31st May at 8.30pm. On a much crappier note, Lucy's Just Shoot Me guest spot is on Channel 4 at 8am on Tuesday 22nd May.
Want to see what Lucy's house in LA looks like? Apparently she's selling and the Real Estalker weblog - which features celebrity homes for sale - has details and photos. Guess it's a celebrity thing, but who REALLY needs 7 and a half bathrooms??? What is half a bathroom anyway?
Finally, Xenaville's 10th Birthday is approaching! 28th May 1997 was when it all began and we're still here 10 years later. Any comments or suggestions for appropriate birthday celebrations? Email me here
10th April 2007 - Zoe Bell in Grindhouse
13th October 2006 - Xenaverse News, UK Fest etc
Meanwhile, its Christmas!!! OK, so it's not quite, but the UK Xenafest Christmas Party is coming up. Put Saturday 18th November in your diary. The event will be taking place at the County Hotel in Walsall once again, and all for the bargain price of £10. For more detail, visit the updated Fest page
15th August 2006 - News Bits
11th May 2006 - News Bits
13th April 2006 - New Online Games
21st March 2006 - Baby Girl for Renee!
In sadder family news, Lucy Lawless' father Frank Ryan is reported to be seriously ill in an Auckland Hospital according to
stuff.co.nz.
Meanwhile, UK fans can check out the newly re-designed website for the next UK Midlands Xenafest which will be taking place on May 13th at the County Hotel, Walsall! Book now to avoid disappointment!!
25th February 2006 - Cylons Rule!
Spent a bit of time spotting old XENA stars this week. Marton Csokas in the movie Aeon Flux, Tim Omundsen as a baddie in 24, and kids show Madigan's Quest just finished airing in the UK. I caught on late, but am hoping for a repeat as it was classy and stylish stuff. Plus it starred Rose McIver(Little Problems), Olivia Tennent (If the Shoe Fits), Michael Hurst and Danielle Cormack. Good website too. I was rather surprised to find their official website links to my page on director Charlie Haskell! Maybe I better try and update it.
1st January 2006 - Happy New Year!
UK TV alert - 7th December, 10pm, Sky One is airing Locusts, which I enjoyed a lot. A good leading role for Lucy. Sky are also repeating Tarzan on Sunday afternoons if you didn't see it.
4th October 2005 - Planet Xena and Moon Gabrielle!
1st October 2005 - Xenaverse News
3rd September 2005 - Lucy News
10th July 2005 - Next UK Xenafest Announced
Meanwhile, next years Annual Xena Convention in Burbank will feature Renee O'Connor as the main guest once again. The event takes place on 13th January 2006 and you can find out more at the Creation website.
The second season of Battlestar Galactica begins this week on the SciFi Channel, and details are still a bit sketchy about Lucy Lawless' involvement. We know she's in episode 8, and there is talk of a further two episodes. Tune in anyway, because the series is absolutely great!
Question: Got any intel on the next season of Battlestar Galactica? John
Ausiello: Lucy Lawless is gonna do a few episodes playing a Christiane Amanpour-type character. And I hear Sci Fi censors are freaking out about a really disturbing (yet visually stunning) scene in Episode 5. An upcoming issue of TV Guide magazine will have more on that little controversy.
Excellent news, as Battlestar Galactica is a fabulous show, and workign with class actors like Edward James Olmos and Mary MCDonnell will be great for Lucy! Sounds like she'll be some sort of reporter, so no fighter pilot Lucy I guess...
I saw Locusts the other days, and actually relly enjoyed it. Lucy was excellent in the leading role, and the film was daft but fun. Less fun was Renee in Alien Apocalypse, which I thought was dire! Please get a proper job soon Renee!
Finally, UK fans, we are in the planning stages of the next UK Xenafest, and it's looking like September, so keep your weekends free then!
2nd April 2005 - Xenaverse Titbits
10th February 2005 - Lucy and Renee Updates
Meanwhile, Renee's short movie, "One Weekend a Month," is now available to view online on the Sundance site at
www.sundanceonlinefilmfestival.org
UK Convention fans, not much good news to report. The Starfury Con with Bruce Campbell has been cancelled - I guess Bruce is busy, and there is still nothing further on the Autograph Mania one.
24th January 2005 - Conventions News
12th December 2004 - UK News
On a lighter note, XENA completists may be interested in purchasing The Complete Xena on DVD - all 133 eps on 36 DVDs. It's a region 2 release from Universal Playback, so has no extras, but the box is nice! Check out my updated shopping page for more
5th December 2004 - UK Xenafest Total
16th October - S5 DVDs out now.
So, what's new in the Xena world? Well for UK Xena fans, the big news is the EXTRA SPECIAL UK Xenafest Christmas Party which has been announced for Saturday 4th December 2004. Lots of festive fun is planned, so check out the Xmas Fest Page and get booked in!
Other News Bits
Another UK Convention is in the pipeline. I had an email from www.autographmania.co.uk who are organising a Warriors and Legends Con in Manchester, March 2005. The guest line up is pretty good: Michael Hurst, Danielle Cormack, Joel Tobeck and Robert Trebor. I've no idea what the company are like, but they appear to run quite a few conventions. Vist the website for more details.
12th June 2004 - Xenaverse News - An Honour for Lucy!
Just a few days to go before the release of the Anchor Bay S4 DVDs, and if you still haven't ordered yet, check out Amazon.com
Renee O'Connor has been filming Alien Apocalypse with Josh Becker and Bruce Campbell in Bulgaria. Josh has been answering questions about it on his website that you might find interesting.
Finally, as daft as it sounds, could you NOT visit this site too often please!! Or if you have it as your home page, could you switch it. I am being hit with extra charges from my web hosting company pretty much every month now, due to heavy traffic here. I love doing Xenaville.com, and intend to continue, but I don't update that often these days (as you can see from this page!) So do drop by, but not too often!! Thanks.
Slightly disappointing that there aren't many episode commetaries - just 3 from Lucy and Renee per season, and not much from other writers and directors. Apparently the Friend in Need commentary is a new one, not the one from the DVD release. And where oh where is the Married With Fishsticks special feature/director's cut???!!
4th May 2004 - Trumpet Blowing...
30th April 2004 - Xenaverse News Bits
Had an email from a NZ Based Independent Film maker, Mark Prebble, who is making a film with some ex-Xena actors, including Akemi herself, Michelle Ang. He's looking for funding to finish the film, so check out the website www.makemarksmovie.com
Finally, if you haven't pre-ordered your S4 DVDs, take a look at my Xena Shopping Page for details and a link to Amazon.com.
5th April 2004 - UK Xenafest News
For those of you not able to make it, why not try out my UK Xenafest Quiz. I've said I'd put them online for ages, but finally got round to it. There's even a picture round..but no prizes (just like the Xenafest!)
1st April 2004 - XENA Casting Shocker!!
(Click on the picture to see the big version - have to watch my bandwidth these days!!)
1st April 2004 - UK Midlands Xenafest This Weekend!
16th March 2004 - DVD News
1st March 2004 - Oscar for Ngila Dickson
1st March 2004 - Next UK Midlands Xenafest - Book Now!
2nd February 2004 - Burbank Convention News
30th January 2004 - Burbank Convention
Turn up for a day ticket of you are anywhere near - then email me and tell me about it!!
28th January 2004 - Oscar Nominations
In other Lucy news, if you haven't seen this picture yet, you might get a surprise!
An email from Sharon Delaney at Creation seems to clear things up (thanks to LadyKate63 for this info)
Gina is at Starfury "Fusion" in Blackpool in April/May, Adrienne is at Starfury "Eternal" in London in March
6th April 2008 - News Catchup
The 4th and final series of the excellent Battlestar Galactica has just begun on US screens. The
SciFi channel on Fridays is the place to be. Not sure how many episodes Lucy Lawless is in, but there is a
video Q&A with her on the SciFi Channel Battlestar
website available now.
Lucy has been filming a part in a new Adam Sandler film, and on her official website, mentions a film called
Bitchslap with a bunch of other Xena old boys including Renee, Kevin Sorbo, Michael Hurst and
Zoe Bell.
Lucy Lawless celebrated her 40th birthday on March 29th. Happy birthday Lucy.
Renee O'Connor is appearing in an episode of Criminal Minds that is on this week I think.
Of course, for us UK fans, the May Convention
is the thing we are looking forward to. The guest list now includes Lucy, Joe LoDuca, Steven L Sears,
Adrienne Wilkinson, Paris Jefferson and Brittany Powell. There are also 2 concerts at the Carling Academy in Islington (see poster to the
left.) Pricey weekend, but it should be great. Hope to see you all there!
21st December
2007 - LUCY IN LONDON!!!!
All the available details are on the Creation
website and Gold package tickets are available to book right now (for a pretty hefty pre-Christmas
pre-January pay packet) $US397 or £199 or 276 EUROS. That Gold package does look tempting... Ideal
Christmas present to me!
Not loads happening in Xena news right now but a few updates. Former Xena star Karl Urban has been
cast as Dr Bones McCoy in JJ Abrams new Star Trek film (written by former Herc and Xena writers
Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.) Renee O'Connor will be appearing in several episodes of season 2 of
Xena writer Katherine Fugate's show Army Wives. Renee's also starring in Boogeyman 2
(Lucy Lawless was in the original) which is released in the new year. MaryDs AUSXIP Page is the one to bookmark for all the
news.
If you're a fan of Lucy Lawless' singing Creation
Entertainment have DVDs available of her recent Chicago concert with Xena music man Joe LoDuca,
plus video clips on the site.
Lucy guest starred recently on Curb Your Enthusiasm (episode 7 of this current 6th season if
you're trying to find it.) The Annual Burbank Convention in January wil lalso see Lucy return to sing at The
Roxy with everything happening the weekend of 25-27th January 2008. See the Creation Website for details.
In other news, former Caesar/Cupid Karl Urban has been cast as Doctor Leonard McCoy in JJ Abrams new
Star Trek film. Meanwhile Zoe Bell's star is definitely on the rise, and now she's appearing on
Lost. Guess Kurtzman and Orci remember their RenPics pals!
The latest UK Xenafest is not far away, 10th November 2007 and we are changing the venue again, so please do check out the details on the UK Xenafest Page. The new venue, the Baron's Court Hotel, is a 4 star hotel and sounds very nice, so please do come and join us, whether you are an old timer regular or an eager young newbie! You get a great days entertainment, with music videos, TV shows and Xena episodes, my super duper quiz, Angie's exceedingly entertaining auction, fabulous prize raffle, mystery prize lucky dip and free food too, all for the bargain price of £12. The hotel is doing a special deal on rooms too. As usual we are supporting a local charity, and hope you can join us for a fun day.
Much talked about for years, Renee's film Diamonds and Guns is finally available apparently! Seems a loooong time since we first heard of that one. Buy via the website for an autographed copy
Wish I could go, but the Chicago Xena Convention looks good. Lucy and Renee, and Lucy will be singing with Xena Music God, Joe LoDuca! Check out details on the Creation webpage you lucky convention goers.
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19th May 2007 - UK DVD News!
Just a week to go until the next UK Xenafest. If you're interested, we welcome all Xenafans - check out the Fest Page and see you on 19th May in Walsall!
UK TV ALERT - According to the Sky TV Magazine, The Darkroom with Lucy Lawless is on the SciFi Channel on 23rd May at 10pm.
"Lucy Lawless and Greg Grunberg of Heroes fame star in this creepy horror. A troubled teen befriends an escaped mental patient, who is suffering visions of young women's gruesome deaths."
For American Xena fans, get along to see the Quentin Tarentino./Robert Rodriguez double feature Grindhouse. Echoing the Evil Dead movies, Rodriguez's cannibal zombie gorefest Planet Terror mixes truly disgusting images (in a slightly tongue in cheek way) with absurdly violent shootouts.
However, for Xena fans, it's Tarentino's Death Proof that is the draw as it stars out favourite stunt woman Zoe Bell, Lucy's stunt double for the last three years on the show. Zoe also doubled Uma Thurman in Kill Bill and anyone who has seen the brilliant Double Dare film knows what an engaging and likable person Zoe is. Here she is playing herself, but does have to do a fair bit of acting before we see her do what she does best, and she's great! Zoe is one of a group of girls homicidal maniac driver Kurt Russell goes after. We have a long scene of Zoe hanging onto the bonnet of a car while Russel tries to run them off the road. In a nicely feminist twist, the girls turn the tables and go after Kurt, ending with Zoe doing a Xena-like spinning head kick to finish him off!
If you're not a Tarentino fan or into pornographically violent splatter movies, you might not like this film. Anyhow, it's only the US that is getting this release. The rest of the world will be getting the films released separately. But it is really good to see the terrifically talented Zoe Bell getting some recognition. She'll be far too famous to return as Lucy's stunt double of that Xena movie ever gets made!
Read more about Grindhouse at the IMDB
Not updated in while, but Lucy Lawless has been in the spotlight quite a bit. She made it all the way to the Celebrity Duets final, finishing as a very creditable runner up. The new series of Battlestar Galactica began last Friday on the SciFi Channel, with Lucy having a lengthy 10 episode run.
30th August 2006 - Lucy on Celebrity Duets
Lucy's Official Page has Quicktime or Windows Media Video of Lucy on Celebrity Duets singing with Smokey Robinson. Lucy and Smokey sang "Oh Baby Baby." Lucy was the very first one on singing "Time Love and Tenderness" with Michael Bolton.
Check out the FOX Celebrity Duets page which has quite a few video clips etc. I quite enjoyed the recap of the first show too.
MaryDs has very comprehensive coverage, including more video clips. Lucy made it safely through the first night without being eliminated, and looked fab, of course! Thought her song with Smokey was good too. From the website, looks like Thursdays will be the show's regular night, starting September 7th so you USers, vote Lucy!!
Long time between updates - sorry. The Xenafest in May raised £1953.50 for the Walsall Breast Cancer support group, which was wonderful. Thanks once again to all those generous Xena fans.
Lucy Lawless is going to be hitting US screens in a new reality show (yes ANOTHER) called Celebrity Duets which will feature - hey guess what? Celebrities dueting with singers!
MaryD has a page with info about this show and you can also download a podcast from Lucy's site. Lucy was also at San Diego's Comic Con in July, appearing on the Battlestar Galactica panel.
Talking of Battlestar, the Region 2 DVD will be out on 28th August (beating the Region 1, 2.5 release by a few weeks)
Buy here from Amazon.co.uk to help support the site - £34.99.
UK Xenafans, this Saturday is the 15th Midlands Xenafest, which will this time also include a Strong Women of TV theme. It's not too late to join us at the County Hotel in Walsall. For more details see the Xenafest Website
Lucy Lawless is in Vancouver filming on Battlestar Galactica. Lucy recently contributed to a CD where a bunch of celebs sang soppy songs to raise money for charity. Unexpected Dreams included contributions from Ewan McGregor, Scarlett Johanssen, Jennifer Garner, Teri Hatcher and more. You can hear clips online at various places. AOL were doing the whole CD available to listen to, but that seems to have gone. Artists Direct have a stream of the full album which you could try, although I waited a while for the streaming to start.
Xenaville is approaching its NINTH birthday - have to start planning for next year! Anyway, feeling nostalgic? Why not take a look at the original site at Geocities. Might use that title graphic...
Been discovering some stuff my web hosting service has and creating some Xena games. First off, why not test your Xena knowledge with the new Xena quiz. Do let me know if there are any errors!
Some puzzles now. Jigsaw fans, try out this Xena Puzzle. Quick tip - you have to click on the pieces to rotate them!
I'm hopeless at these ones, but I know some people like them. Try this Sliding Tiles Puzzle game. You have to click on Mix Puzzle to get started. Have fun!
Sharon from Creation passed on a note from Renee O'Connor:
"I had a baby girl yesterday, March 19. Iris Sura O'Connor -- 7 lbs. 15 oz. and very mellow."
Congratulations to Renee and her family.
With the ending of Xena, Buffy, Angel. The X Files etc, anyone in the scifi/fantasy know MUST be watching the brilliant Battlestar Galactica, and the second season is building to a climax on the SciFi Channel right now. This week's episode, "Downloaded" saw the return of Lucy Lawless, and the best news is, she's going to be back for TEN (count 'em") more episodes next year. This week's episode was FABULOUS and once again got me thinking about starting a Battlestar Galactica page...
Lucy is clearly going to have a good character to sink her teeth into, and isn't it just so cool that she gets to do her own NZ accent!
Odd link of the week, fans of The L Word, Tina's randy suitor is a film director named Josh Becker! And hey, he turned out to be a total jerk!
Happy New Year to all of Xenaville's visitors. Hope 2006 brings you all you wish for.
What lies ahead in the Xenaverse in '06? Well, some good news for Renee O'Connor who announced she is due to give birth to her second child in the spring of 2006. Congratulations Renee!
13th-15th January sees Creation's Annual Xena convention in Burbank, CA. Both Lucy and Renee are appearing, along with a whole bunch of other guests. Hope all you attendees have a blast. I'm guessing this will also be our chance for an update on any possible Xena movie, but to be honest, does anyone still hold out much hope??
Lucy fans need to keep their TVs on in the new year. Lucy is appearing on the fabulous Veronica Mars in January and returns for one, possibly two episodes of Battlestar Galactica.
UK fans, the next Midlands Xenafest WILL be happening, hopefully in the spring of 2006. Stay tuned for more details.
Finally, I'd like to thank everyone who takes to time to contact me with information/questions/comments. It's good to know people still appreciate the show and find something on Xenaville they like. Can I encourage a few more of you to visit and join up at the Xenaville Message Board. Its been a bit quiet round there lately and we always welcome new blood!
15th November 2005 - Xenaverse News Bits
Lots of bits and pieces around right now. Firstly, good news for Lucy fans. Not only will she be returning in two more Battlestar Galactica episodes in 2006, but she will be appearing in the fabulous Veronia Mars in January. Kristen from E! News reports that she will be playing an FBI agent in an episode called "Donut Run" airing on 18th January.
Meanwhile, do keep an eye on Lucy's website, where you can order her self designed t shirts, and also Renee's website, which has been updated recently.
And in other big news, I turned 40 this month...!
The coolest news of the month so far is the announcement of the discovery of a 10th planet in our solar system, informally named Xena. This week, Planet Xena's moon was spotted, and promptly nick-named Gabrielle! Clearly those astronomers were fans! Check out Lucy Lawless' Fanclub page - she's pretty pleased about the news too!
BBC News on Xena and Gabrielle
The official announcement
I especially liked this bif of that announcement:
What is the moon called?
Sadly, the committees deciding the fate of 2003 UB313 and its name have still come to no decisions. Since we get tired of saying a name with 9 syllables, we still call the tenth planet by our original code name, Xena. The moon officially goes by the name of S/2005 (2003 UB313) 1. Depending on how you count, that is something like 15 syllables.. It should come as no surprise to some, then, that we very quickly decided to call the moon by the code name Gabrielle. We look forward to the day that the committees finally decides and both of these bodies can get permanent names. In the meantime we are glad that Xena and Gabrielle are together again.
Quite a few happenings in the Xenaverse lately, chiefly, both Lucy Lawless and Renee O'Connor have launched official websites. Essential for Xena fans to check out, Lucy Lawless' Official Page and Renee O'Connor's Official Page both have similar web addresses, but while Renee's is the slicker looking, Lucy's page appears to have lots of Lucy imput. Odd that they wait til 4 years after Xena ends to launch official fan club web pages... Anyway, do check them out.
Lucy's Battlestar Galactica appearance was FAB!!! As a fan of Lucy and Battlestar, I LOVED it big time! And the best news, Lucy will be back for TWO more episodes in 2006. The series is on a break til the new year right now. Do have a look at the SciFi Channel's Battlestar Galactica page for Ron Moore's commentary on the episode and David Eick's video blog of Lucy on set. Lucy will also be reprising her role as Maddy from Locusts in a follow up TV Movie names Vampire Bats. Filming in New Orleans coincided with Hurricane Katrina, so with the Battlestar gig, Lucy certainly has been in the news lately.
On a TV theme, I hear Hudson Leick will be appearing in this week's US airing of CSI. Victim? Murderer?? For other Xena alumini, see Melinda Clarke in The OC, Kathryn Morris in Cold Case and many more!
The 15th UK Midlands Xenafest was another fun day, and over £1300 was raised for local charities. Lucy's Battlestar Galactica episode and Locusts proved very popular. Thanks to all who attended, and if you didn't make it, keep your eyes open for Midlands Xenafest 15 in Spring 2006!!
Finally, a last minute, probably too late UK TV alert. Sunday 2nd October sees Discovery Civilisations rerun almost the whole of Lucy Lawless' Warrrior Women show from 9pm. I enjoyed the series a huge heap, so do try and tune in if you missed it first time round.
What a busy girl Lucy Lawless has been lately. Next Friday (9th September) sees her guest appearance on the fabulous Battlestar Galactica, and a trip to the SCIFI.COM website will reveal the trailer and also producer David Eick's video blog of Lucy's episode.
Meanwhile Lucy's been in the news a lot as she was filming Vampire Bats, a follow up to Locusts, in New Orleans just before Hurricane Katrina hit. Lucy and the crew were forced to flee and got out of the city just in time.
See more details here
To all the UK Xenafans, it's that time again! Yes, UK Xenafest 14 is taking place in September, and you can start booking up right now. We will be having the usual videos and DVDs to watch, a charity auction, the Xena trivia quiz and you even get food - all for just £10.
Read more details right here
6th June 2005 - Lucy on Battlestar!?
According to Mike Ausiello at tvguide.com, Lucy Lawless will be appearing on the brilliant Battlestar Galactica, which will begin its second season on the SciFi Channel in July.
Sorry for not updating in a long time, but there isn't a great deal happening Xena-wise. However, both Lucy and Renee are keeping busy. Lucy and Rob have been quit high profile recently with the worldwide success of Boogeyman and Lucy getting pretty good notices. Meanwhile, Renee's movie with Bruce Campbell and Josh Becker, Alien Apocalypse aired recently on the SciFi Channel in the US. Lucy has filmed a TV movie for CBS called Locusts! starring as Dr Maddy Rierdon.
Check out MaryDs Locusts Page for more
Don't forget to vote, and check out the Archives!
Lucy Lawless racks up yet another guest starring role on a US sitcom, as she is filming a guest appearance on the CBS show Two and a Half Men which stars Charlie Sheen.
Lucy said: "I am doing Two and a Half Men this week. I am playing a chick who Charlie fancies but who is not interested in him, which drives him crazy." Not seen the show, and no news yet on when Lucy's episode will air.
Click on "Sundance Shorts," then "Films," then scroll down to the movie title to watch the movie. You must be a registered user to view the films, but registration is pretty straightforward.The short film is 11 minutes long, and is pretty much all Renee. I thought Renee was good, and the film very effective.
This weekend saw the big 10th Anniversary Convention in the US. Not heard too much yet, but there are some great pictures at the Uber Abode site.
Meanwhile, thanks to the UK people who emailed me about Autograph Mania. The latest about them is a note on their website, saying they are no longer affiliated with autographmania.com and theat all events planned for 2005 are "in the pipeline"...Hmm. Their website is at www.autographmania.co.uk.
If you are in the mood for a convention, Bruce Campbell will be attending Starfury Necronomicon in late March 2005. Xena fans will remember the Starfury conventions with affection, and they aren't likely to go out of business before then! Check out the details on the Starfury website
8th January 2005 - DVD News
The sixth and final season of XENA will be out on DVD on 8th March 2005. This is the Region 1 Anchor Bay release, and once again features the sort of extras we want! However, there are not too many commentaries on this set. Joel Metzger, writer on The Ring, Lucy, Renee, Rob and Michael Hurst on To Helicon and Back, Lucy, Renee and Rob on When Fates Collide and Lucy and Renee and Rob on A Friend in Need part 2 (which IS a new commentary and different from the director's cut DVD from a few years back.) Interesting to see that the director's cut is also included, so presumably, the ones on the DVDs are the original TV eps. As always, there are some episodes that don't have any sort of feature, and you wish they did. Haunting of Amphipolis, The Abyss, Return of the Valkyrie, The God You Know, Send in the Clones and A Friend in Need 1 are the neglected eps this time round.
Check out the Shopping page for more details of what is on the S6 DVDs.
Pre-Order Season 6 from Amazon.com
Anyone who was interested in the XENA convention organised bu autographmania.co.uk might be a bit worried. The convention was due to be held in Manchester in 2005, but the site is down - as it has been on and off for a while. Then they announced the convention was moving to London, now I see on a Michael Hurst website, he has cancelled anyway. I booked, so am one of the worried ones! If anyone has any information, do let me know right here.
Thanks very much to everyone who came to the 10th UK Xenafest Xmas party yesterday, I think everyone had a great time and once again showed their generosity. £1510 was raised, and is being
donated to two local charities - LOROS and the Walsall breast cancer support
group.
Didn't get there and want to have a go at my quiz? Click here and try your luck!
25th October - Lucy Lawless to Appear at 10th Anniversary Convention, 2005.
The Annual Xena convention in Burbank, California is looking like THE event of the year, and they've finally snagged the essential guest! Lucy Lawless will be there, and her and Renee will be doing a Q&A session on the Saturday of the convention. The event happens January 21-23, 2005 and the guests include Lucy, Renee, Hudson Leick, Claire Stansfield, Danielle Cormack, Tsianina Joelson and many more!
Click on over to the Creation Entertainment webpage for more details.
All dedicated Xena fans should have their Season 5 DVDs by now - and once again, Anchor Bay have done us proud. The S5 set includes commentaries and features, as with the other sets. Sadly, slightly less in the quantity, but one bonus is that the episode interviews/features are slightly longer this time. Most of the features are about 10-15 mins long, and are excellent. Just a shame some of the more significant episodes don't have any extras. Did we really need a directors cut of Animal Attraction, yet nothing at all on Amphipolis Under Siege?
While S5 was not one many fans will count as their favourite, this is another must have set for fans.
Order Season 5 from Amazon.com
Join in the discussion on the S5 DVDs on the Xenaville Message Boards
The Creation website has details of the all new 2005 Creation Calendars - always fab and worht having. Plus more details of the guests for the 10th Anniversary Xena Convention.
Meanwhile, US TV viewers should look out for Lucy Lawless guest starring on Less Than Perfect this week - 22nd October I hear.
15th September 2004 - Back from Bethells!
You've probably deleted Xenaville from your bookmarks by now, but for those of you still visiting, sorry for the extended delay - over 2 months! Aren't I bad...
Anyway, I had THE most amazing holiday, the highlight of which was visiting New Zealand, which was absolutely gorgeous! A trip to the Bethalls Beach area with my Xena action figure was a real thrill!
Click here to see a couple of Xena-themed photos from my trip
The next Xena DVD release - Season 5 - is due out on 19th October. Support Xenaville and pre-order Season 5 from Amazon.com
Had an email from www.craigparker.co.nz for fans of the LOTR and Xena actor.
Lucy Lawless has been filming a guest slot on a US TV show, Less Than Perfect. never heard of it myself. Some sort of sitcom?
Lucy's movie Boogeyman is due for release around February 2005
You really SHOULD check out Sharon Delaney's Xena Page on the Creation website for the very latest on the Xena Fan Club kits, and what Lucy and Renee are up to. Sharon certainly keeps busy!
7th July 2004 - DVD Details
Get saving now, as there are details available of the forthcoming Season 5 and 6 DVD releases, due later in 2004. Anchor Bay have put together another tasty package, although a tad less feature heavy than we might have hoped (or am I just greedy??!!)
Click here for more details
A fab honour for Lucy Lawless, who was recognised with an award in the Queen's New Zealand Birthday Honours announced on 7th June. She was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to entertainment and the community, which I guess covers her charity work and her role as Xena. Congratulations Lucy! A wonderful achievement. Ngila Dickson and three other Lord of the Rings crew were honoured as well.
Read more at the NZ Stuff site
http://www.beckerfilms.com/
13th May 2004 - News on S5 and S6 DVDs
Sharon from Creation has posted details of the interviews and commentaries for the Season 5 and 6 DVD releases coming up in 2004.
Click here to read
To summarise, the episodes with commentaries in S5 are: Fallen Angel (RJ Stewart), Seeds of Faith (Lucy and Renee), Antony & Cleopatra (Lucy, Renee, Rob Tapert and Michael Hurst) and Motherhood(Lucy, Renee and Rob).
In the season 6 set, commentaries will be on: The Ring (Joel Metzger), To Helicon and Back (Lucy, Renee, Rob Tapert and Michael Hurst), When Fates Collide (Lucy, Renee, and Rob) and A Friend in Need 2 (Lucy, Renee, and Rob)
There is a really excellent article on the Lesbian Nation website, celebrating one the THE best things to happen as a result of XENA - the charity fundraising Xena fans have contributed to. The generosity of Xena fans is something to be celebrated, so go on, read, and lets blow our own trumpets for once!
The UK release of Kill Bill 2 and the DVD release of Kill Bill 1 has seen a whole slew of interviews with Uma Thurman's stunt double Zoe Bell - better known to us as Lucy Lawless' stunt double for several years. Unlike some former Xena actors who appear in big hits and NEVER mention Xena (I'm thinking of you Karl Urban!) Zoe's interviews often feature snippets about her time on Xena.
BBC Films website
Channel 4 Interview
NZ Listener article
20th April 2004 - Tarzan Swings Onto UK TV!
UK viewers have their chance to make their mind up about Lucy Lawless flop shop Tarzan, which starts this week on Sky One in the UK. The first episode airs on Wednesday 21st April at 8pm, and I must admit, I thought the first ep was great. However, be warned....there is NO LUCY in this episode! Tarzan is an update of the old Edgar Rice Burroughs jungle man, with Jane as a New York cop, and Tarzan a hunky wild child who has to escape the clutches of his sinister uncle Richard Clayton (Mitch Pileggi of X Files fame). Lucy plays Tarzan's aunt, Kathleen Clayton, and appears in episode 2. The show ran for 8 episodes before being axed.
Thanks to all who came to the UK Xenafest this weekend. Great to see everyone and once again a wonderful amount raised for charity. The total was £1839! another fabulous amount. Our UK Xenafests have now raised £16,989 (or $31,370 if you like!) for various local charities. The generosity of Xena fans has to be one of the best things to come out of the success of the show.
In news sure to rock the Xenaverse, it was annouced today that the roles of Xena and Gabrielle have been recast. Producer Rob Tapert said, "We thought by going for Britney Spears and Christina Agulilera we could appeal the the younger generation. Another Xena musical now looks likely, plus there's that whole kissing girls thing..."
Britney has reportedly been practising with a staff, while Christina has been trying to work on her Xena yell. "I've nearly cracked it," she said to our reporter. "I just have trouble keeping to the notes. I'm so thrilled to be playing Xena cos I've always thought that truth lassoo was cool. However, I am a bit worried about the costume. It's just not revealing enough!"
UK People, just a quick reminder about the UK Midlands Xenafest this weekend. All are welcome, so don't think it's too late! great time guaranteed (probably!)
Find out more details right here
DVD fans can look forward to Season 4 of XENA, due for release on 15th June 2004 with Season 5 and 6 also expected in 2004 according to Anchor Bay.
You can support Xenaville and pre-order via Amazon.com (although as I am STILL waiting for my S3 DVDs, 5 weeks after its release, not sure I'd recommend Amazon!!! UPDATE - got the DVDs today - UK Customs are the culprit! Amazon posted as promised, UK customs are the idiots who lost them for a month!)
In terms of extras, content is still to be confirmed, but there will be another set of interviews, video and audio commentaries. (Check out MaryDs for details), so its sounds like another must-have set!
Former XENA costume designer Ngila Dickson was part of the LORD OF THE RINGS Oscar success at the 2004 Adacemy Awards yesterday. Ngila and Richard Taylor were presented with their Oscar by Renee Zellweger. A great night for New Zealand, with Peter Jackson and co taking 11 awards. No Best Actress award for young Keisha Castle-Hughes(Whale Rider) though.
Yes, UKers, it's that time again. The 12th Midlands Xenafest is happening on Saturday April 3rd. There will be the usual opportunuties to meet up with your XENA pals, enter the quiz, spend money in the charity auction and see some of the new stuff from the S3 DVDs (and thanks to the useless Amazon.com, I'll probably STILL be waiting to see it by then!!)
Find out more details right here
10th February 2004 - S3 DVD Clips Online!
Cinescape has 4 cute little video clips from the S3 DVDs - interview clips with Lucy, Renee and Ted. Obviously, those of you who already have your DVDs won't care, but the rest of you might want a little taster...Try to ignore their XENA ignorance in the first sentence!
Go to the Cinescape site
Want to know more about what is on those eagerly awaited DVDs? Go to the Xenaville Meassage Board
The XENA convention took place last weekend, and did indeed feature a surprise appearance from Lucy Lawless - obviously Renee doesn't read Xenaville, (or other websites) as she was apparently totally surprised by Lucy in disguise!
Hopeful news from writer Katherine Fugate about the Xena movie and more on Renee's remarkable performance was passed onto me - thanks a lot Chris.
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If you are ANYWHERE in the LA area, the Burbank XENA con this weekend looks like a must. A not that cryptic email from Sharon Delaney strongly suggests that Lucy Lawless will be there on Saturday!Let Us Celebrate You won't want to miss this extra super-special surprise that will be taking place Saturday afternoon at the Official Xena Convention at the Burbank Airport Hilton Hotel.
Tickets will be on sale at the door, and you can't say we didn't warn you not to miss what is gonna happen: it will be the talk of Xena fandom!
Ex-XENA costume designer Ngila Dickson is in the Oscar news after receiving TWO nominations for an Academy Award for Costume Design for her work on Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and also for The Last Samurai. Ngila was nominated last year too.
This years Oscars look like being a distinctly Kiwi affair, with Peter Jackson in the running for Return of the King and fabulous young actress Keisha Castle-Hughes being nominated as Best Actress for the excellent Whale Rider. Keisha was spotted by XENA casting supremo Diana Rowan (who also had a bit part in Motherhood!) Diana also found Anna Paquin for The Piano, to say nothing of being the casting director on Hercules and the Amazon Women introducing a certain Lucy Lawless!
Less than 2 weeks to those eagerly awaited Season 3 DVDs!14th January 2004 - The Definitive Word on Season 3 DVDs...??
There has been much discussion on the Xenaville Message Boards (and other places too no doubt) about what will be on the upcoming Season 3 DVDs, and especially on the US only Best Buy version, which has extra footage that some people might want.
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29th December 2003 - UK Conventions
UK Convention goers might be interested in a couple of upcoming UK Starfury Events. Gina Torres and Adrienne Wilkinson can be seen in the UK in 2004 at two separate Starfury events - well known Xena convention organisers - so check out www.starfury.co.uk for more details.
