It's been seven very long years since I posted to this blog. I've been thinking a lot about the show recently. Since its arrival on the El Rey Network, I've been diving back into the show on occasion. It is hard, I have to admit, because of what I found cool, fun and entertaining newly twenty years ago, isn't has fun or cool or entertaining in 2019. But, that doesn't mean I haven't stopped loving the show. Xena: Warrior Princess is forever connected to my heart.
I have not yet decided if I'll post here or on my personal website. Stay tuned!
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Tale of Two Fandoms
Recently, Lucy Lawless tweeted that the Xena movie isn't going to happen. While the chances of a Xena movie with the original cast is not going to happen, there's always a chance that Universal will reboot the franchise with an all new cast. Fans are not going to like that, in fact many are pretty much against the idea and will not see it.
Let's talk about a little old soap opera that aired on ABC from 1966-1971. Dark Shadows was the first gothic soap opera and made vampires hip. Before Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries, the ABC soap opera series had cult following that is almost as large as Star Trek. The DS fans hold annual conventions routinely attended by the cast members--both original and the revival series. Several of the cast members have written books about their time on the series.
It was also the start of the careers of David Selby, John Karlen, and Kate Jackson. It made a household name out of Jonathan Frid, probably the first soap superstar.
So when it was announced a few years ago that the series would be going to the big screen, fans were skeptical. In a few weeks, the Tim Burton directed film starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins opens in theaters. Burton and Depp extended invitations to Frid and series actresses Kathryn Leigh Scott and Lara Parker for cameo appearances. They were humble by the invitation and they accepted.
And the fans couldn't be happier.
See, this is where a fandom which is as old as Star Trek has also embraced the reboot of their beloved series. Dark Shadows fans have, by and large, accepted Burton's direction with the movie and Depp's portrayal of the original vampire heartthrob. They are excited about the movie and all of the active Dark Shadows websites have given credit to the reboot. They've embraced it. They welcome it. They're ready to line up at the theater to go see it.
Why can't Xena fans seemingly accept the same fate for their beloved characters?
Part of it, I believe, has to do with the possessiveness of the fans today. If it doesn't have Lucy Lawless as Xena, they're not interested. Instead of giving another actress a shot, they'd rather throw the whole idea under the bus.
They cannot wrap their head around another actor playing the lead character.
As a Dark Shadows fan, I was skeptical about the reboot but after hearing what Burton and Depp had in mind, I came around.
The moral of the story is, don't judge a book (or in this case, idea) by its cover. Let the pieces fall where they may. You never know what may come out on the backside of all of this. After all, the original Dark Shadows series is seeing rebirth as a result of the movie. And that, my friends, is an awesome thing.
Let's talk about a little old soap opera that aired on ABC from 1966-1971. Dark Shadows was the first gothic soap opera and made vampires hip. Before Twilight, True Blood, and The Vampire Diaries, the ABC soap opera series had cult following that is almost as large as Star Trek. The DS fans hold annual conventions routinely attended by the cast members--both original and the revival series. Several of the cast members have written books about their time on the series.
It was also the start of the careers of David Selby, John Karlen, and Kate Jackson. It made a household name out of Jonathan Frid, probably the first soap superstar.
So when it was announced a few years ago that the series would be going to the big screen, fans were skeptical. In a few weeks, the Tim Burton directed film starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins opens in theaters. Burton and Depp extended invitations to Frid and series actresses Kathryn Leigh Scott and Lara Parker for cameo appearances. They were humble by the invitation and they accepted.
And the fans couldn't be happier.
See, this is where a fandom which is as old as Star Trek has also embraced the reboot of their beloved series. Dark Shadows fans have, by and large, accepted Burton's direction with the movie and Depp's portrayal of the original vampire heartthrob. They are excited about the movie and all of the active Dark Shadows websites have given credit to the reboot. They've embraced it. They welcome it. They're ready to line up at the theater to go see it.
Why can't Xena fans seemingly accept the same fate for their beloved characters?
Part of it, I believe, has to do with the possessiveness of the fans today. If it doesn't have Lucy Lawless as Xena, they're not interested. Instead of giving another actress a shot, they'd rather throw the whole idea under the bus.
They cannot wrap their head around another actor playing the lead character.
As a Dark Shadows fan, I was skeptical about the reboot but after hearing what Burton and Depp had in mind, I came around.
The moral of the story is, don't judge a book (or in this case, idea) by its cover. Let the pieces fall where they may. You never know what may come out on the backside of all of this. After all, the original Dark Shadows series is seeing rebirth as a result of the movie. And that, my friends, is an awesome thing.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Delays and yet more delays
Sorry for the delays on the campaign folks. Updates are coming. I need to work through some issues first.
Friday, March 02, 2012
Update on the Get "X" on campaign
I'm making the final preparations this weekend on the website. I took on a freelance assignment this week that's eating up a lot of my time.* I can tell you that the network we are targeting is ION Television. It is available on DirecTV and in many regions throughout the United States on independent stations. I realize that some folks may not get this channel. This is an unavoidable circumstance because we need to think outside of the box when it comes to target networks.
Our artwork is being finalized this weekend to go with the website launch (http://www.xenaonline.net).
Now, ION does have a web contact form. While I ask that people use the snail mail method (trust me, if they hold something it'll seem a lot more tangible to them), people may also send an email to the company.
Keep in mind that no network wants to hear an obsessed fan going "if you air it, people will watch it." In stead simply say: I feel that Xena: Warrior Princess will be a great addition to your network's programming.
It truly is that simple!
About ION Television
ION Media Networks, Inc. is a privately-owned, independent network television broadcasting company that owns and operates the largest broadcast television station group in the U.S., reaching over 99 million homes in the U.S. via broadcast, cable, and satellite distribution systems. The company owns and operates 60 full-power broadcast television stations, including stations in each of the top 20 U.S. markets and 37 of the top 50 markets. The company’s flagship general entertainment network, ION Television, features a broad mix of popular television series, theatrical and made-for-television movies, specials and sports. Recent DTV digital broadcast facility upgrades provide a broadband platform using enhanced digital terrestrial spectrum capacity. As a Digital leader in the U.S., ION has pioneered the development of portable, mobile and out-of-home transmission technology using this over-the-air digital television spectrum.
Source: ION Media Networks
* This freelance project is requiring me to do massive amounts of research on a topic that has been in the news recently. I'll put it this way, already my head is about to explode at the research I've uncovered.
Our artwork is being finalized this weekend to go with the website launch (http://www.xenaonline.net).
Now, ION does have a web contact form. While I ask that people use the snail mail method (trust me, if they hold something it'll seem a lot more tangible to them), people may also send an email to the company.
Keep in mind that no network wants to hear an obsessed fan going "if you air it, people will watch it." In stead simply say: I feel that Xena: Warrior Princess will be a great addition to your network's programming.
It truly is that simple!
About ION Television
ION Media Networks, Inc. is a privately-owned, independent network television broadcasting company that owns and operates the largest broadcast television station group in the U.S., reaching over 99 million homes in the U.S. via broadcast, cable, and satellite distribution systems. The company owns and operates 60 full-power broadcast television stations, including stations in each of the top 20 U.S. markets and 37 of the top 50 markets. The company’s flagship general entertainment network, ION Television, features a broad mix of popular television series, theatrical and made-for-television movies, specials and sports. Recent DTV digital broadcast facility upgrades provide a broadband platform using enhanced digital terrestrial spectrum capacity. As a Digital leader in the U.S., ION has pioneered the development of portable, mobile and out-of-home transmission technology using this over-the-air digital television spectrum.
Source: ION Media Networks
* This freelance project is requiring me to do massive amounts of research on a topic that has been in the news recently. I'll put it this way, already my head is about to explode at the research I've uncovered.
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