Sky 2 treated us to Xena: Warrior Princess in September. This series is a spin-off from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and features a character who first popped up in Sam Raimi's celebrated fantasy show. The new kid on the block has the same production values as its successful parent, but it is the protagonist herself who must take credit for much of the interest provided.

Xena is play by the magnificently named and intriguingly proportioned Lucy Lawless and, like Hercules, she is on a quest to right wrongs and generally beat the stuffing out of as many bad guys as she can. Unlike Hercules, Xena has a somewhat shady past and, by her own admission, "the blood of many men" on her hands. The Warrior Princess is clearly a woman who relishes a good scrap and she can exhibit a real mean streak when the occasion demands. In one episode Xena decided to help a young man by retrieving his kidnapped lover. Having gained the kidnapper's confidence (she is, after all, a girl with a well-known, bad reputation), Xena was ultimately forced to show off her warrior skills when her true nature was exposed. Surrounded and outnumbered, Xena thrust a spear into the ground and, using it as a pivot, became a human centrifuge, kicking and pummelling a circular path through her opponents. This enjoyable expressive demonstration of finely honed athletic skills was accompanied by an ululating war cry that must have scared the bejesus out of her unfortunate adversaries and would surely have gained Xena straight tens at the Olympic Games of the day. Full credit must go to the dubbing editor, who not only provided the requisite thwacks and thumps for the scene, but also added a littl sonic delight by slipping in the odd creak here and there as an indication of the unusual stresses and strains to which the auburn-haired amazon's fetching leather armour was being subjected. The jury's still out on whether or not Xena: Warrior Princess provides a challenging role-model for today's young female viewer, and a question mark hangs over it correctness in the political sense. One thing's for sure though, the show is great fun and, like Hercules, it should appeal to all the family.

Out of the Box
(cover page for program listings)
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Xena: Warrior Princess

Spawned from the hugely successful Hercules series, this action-packed romp tells the tale of Xena's quest across the land, fighting for right all the way. Catch her at 19.00 on Sundays, on Sky 2. (And watch out for the trick with the dagger!)