Xena: Warrior Princess | |
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Opening sequence titlecard
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Genre | |
Created by |
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Developed by |
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Starring | |
Composer(s) | Joseph LoDuca |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 6 |
No. of episodes | 134 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) |
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Location(s) | New Zealand |
Running time | 45–48 minutes |
Production company(s) | Renaissance Pictures |
Distributor |
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Release | |
Original network | Syndication |
Picture format | |
Audio format | Dolby Surround |
Original release | September 4, 1995 | – June 18, 2001
Chronology | |
Related shows | |
Website |
Xena: Warrior Princess is an American fantasy television series filmed on location in New Zealand. The series aired in syndication from September 4, 1995, until June 18, 2001. It has been praised by critics for its strong female protagonist and has since acquired a strong cult following, attention in fandom, parody, and academia, and has influenced the direction of other television series.
The series was created in 1995 by writer-director-producer Robert Tapert under his production tag, Renaissance Pictures with executive producers being 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 on a quest to seek redemption for her past sins against the innocent by using her formidable fighting skills to now help those who are unable to defend themselves. Xena is accompanied by Gabrielle (played by Renee O'Connor), who during the series changes from a simple farm girl into an Amazon warrior and Xena's comrade-in-arms; her initial naïveté helps to balance Xena and assists her in recognizing and pursuing the "greater good". In 2012 star Lucy Lawless confirmed her character Xena was from ancient Bulgaria, Thrace.
The show is a spin-off of the television series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys; the saga began with three episodes in Hercules where Xena was a recurring character originally scheduled to die in her third appearance. Aware that the character of Xena had been very successful among the public, the producers of the series decided to create a spin-off series based on her adventures. Xena was a successful show which has aired in more than 108 countries around the world since 1998. In 2004 and 2007, it was ranked #9 and #10 on TV Guide's Top Cult Shows Ever and the title character was ranked #100 on Bravo's 100 Greatest TV Characters. 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 London.