"She's a block-bustin' ball-buster, baby. she follows his
path to righteousness." She gets her own show! Why? I'll tell you Before turning to good deeds, Xena why: because she's an interesting character had spent her life burning, looting and
and we got a great audience response to her. The people at Universal said, 'They love her so much, you guys should give her her own show.' That's what happened."
So proclaims Sam
Raimi of the syndicated Hercules spin-off, Xena Warrior Princess, which debuts this fall on various indepenedent stations. Considering that Hercules is the third most popular syndicated drama (following Star Trek: Deep Space
Nine and Baywatch) it clearly seems to be a viable idea.
"I think she's an interesting character because she really has an evil history,' says Raimi. "She's a great warrior, skilled in martial arts and ancient fighting techniques long lost. But as our series begins, she has
changed. She has decided to forgo evil forever to take up the fight for good. She's been so influenced by Hercules, her mentor, that she follows his path to righteousness."
Before turning to good deeds, Xena had spent her life burning, looting and stealing from the villages around where she grew up.
"Having developed a conscience," Raimi explains, "she's now returning to these places and trying to make up for the sins of her past. So she has a very exciting history to her—she's not cheered, she's hated. And she's on a journey of redemption. She's learning what it means to be good, about the types of sacrifices it takes to be a hero. So I think she's a richer character in that she's got a much larger journey than superheroes like Hercules who are born good, are good and always will be good. As such, I think she's a role model for women and men." — Dean Lamanna