Entertainment Wire
October 24, 2001
Oxygen Media Discovers Director's Cut of 'XENA, Warrior Princess' -- Exclusive Home of "XENA" Rebroadcasts Series Finale With Additional 16 Never-Before-Seen Minutes on Saturday, November 3, at 9:00 p.m. EST
NEW YORK, Oct 24, 2001 (ENTERTAINMENT WIRE) -- Oxygen Media, the exclusive home of the series "XENA, Warrior Princess," will present a special never-before-seen "Director's Cut" of the show's dramatic series finale on Saturday, November 3, at 9:00 p.m. EST.
Entitled "A Friend In Need," this final episode, which originally aired in syndication on Saturday, June 23, will contain an additional 16 minutes during the conclusion of the groundbreaking series that stars Lucy Lawless.
"As the home of 'XENA, Warrior Princess,' Oxygen is proud that it will be able to deliver this special 'Director's Cut' to all of the passionate "XENA" fans throughout the country," says Debby Beece, President of Programming, Oxygen. "Since the series ended last June, Oxygen's message boards and mail rooms have been inundated by requests from fans for more programming and information about 'XENA.' When the show's producer Rob Tapert informed us that he had an additional 16 minutes for the series finale, we knew that we had found what our viewers had been looking for."
This upcoming special presentation will be the highlight of a two-month-long celebration of Oxygen becoming the series' exclusive home. On Sunday, October 28, Oxygen will host an all-day XENATHON marathon from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. EST, featuring episodes that fans voted for online (www.oxygen/xena) throughout the past month and a live television chat.
In addition, Oxygen will be giving "XENA" fans the opportunity to win a five-night, six-day all-expense paid adventure cruise in the Caribbean, courtesy of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises, when they enter the "XENA, Be A Warrior Princess Sweepstakes." The sweepstakes, which begins on Friday, October 26, will run through Monday, November 26.
"XENA, Warrior Princess" chronicles the life-and-death-and-afterlife adventures of the warrior princess and her sidekick Gabrielle, played by Renee O'Connor. Produced by Tapert and Sam Raimi's Renaissance Pictures, the series, which debuted on September 4, 1995, blends drama with humor and is enhanced by spectacular action, superb special effects and a knowing modern-day sensibility.
Oxygen regularly airs "XENA, Warrior Princess" Monday through Friday at 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 4:00 p.m. and midnight.
CONTACT: Oxygen Media Cheryl Smith, 212/651-5442 csmith@oxygen.com Mike Wade, 212/651-2085 mwade@oxygen.com