Xena: Warrior Princess season 1
Season of television series
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The first season of the television series Xena: Warrior Princess commenced airing in the United States and Canada on September 4, 1995, concluded on July 29, 1996, and contained 24 episodes. It introduces Gabrielle (Renee O'Connor), the series co-star, beside Xena (Lucy Lawless), previously a secondary character in the TV series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.[1] Gabrielle becomes Xena's greatest ally; her initial naiveté helps to balance Xena and assists her in recognizing and pursuing the "greater good."
| Xena: Warrior Princess | |
|---|---|
| Season 1 | |
DVD cover | |
| Starring | Lucy Lawless |
| No. of episodes | 24 |
| Release | |
| Original release | September 4, 1995 – July 29, 1996 |
| Season chronology | |
The first season aired in the United States in syndication; reruns later ran on the USA Network. The season was released on DVD as a seven disc boxed set under the title of Xena: Warrior Princess: The Complete First Season on April 23, 2003 by Anchor Bay Entertainment.[2]
Production
Crew
The season was produced by Pacific Renaissance Pictures in partnership with Universal Studios[3] and was aired in first-run syndication in the U.S. The executive producers were Robert Tapert (series creator), with Sam Raimi and R. J. Stewart. The main staff writers were Tapert, Stewart and many others, as Steven L. Sears (co-executive producers), Terence Winter, Peter Allan Fields and Roy Thomas. Some of the first season's episodes were written or co-written by writers on a freelance basis. The regular directors throughout the season were Doug Lefler, Michael Levine, Charles Siebert, Jace Alexander, Josh Becker, John Cameron and Gary Jones. The theme music and opening sequence was composed by Joseph LoDuca.[4]
Cast
The initial season used many New Zealand natives like Jay Laga'aia in the cast. Willa O'Neill played the sister of Gabrielle, Lila. Only the name of Lucy Lawless appears in the opening sequence although Renee O'Connor also stars.
Danielle Cormack played Ephiny, an Amazon warrior, and Alison Bruce played Melosa, queen of the Amazons. The main actors of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst,[5] appeared during the season. Robert Trebor played Salmoneus, a friend of Hercules's famous for his "get rich quick" schemes. Kevin Tod Smith portrayed Ares in two episodes and in later seasons. The American actor Bruce Campbell portrayed Autolycus, the king of thieves, a character he originated in Hercules. Tim Thomerson played Meleager, a friend of Gabrielle and reformed drunk. Karl Urban played the biblic Mael, Karl also played Cupid and Julius Caesar in later seasons. Ted Raimi played Joxer and Hudson Leick played Callisto; both are idols of the series' fandom.
Numerous supporting characters have been given expansive and recurring appearances in the progressive storyline, including: Scott Garrison as Perdicas, Darien Takle as Cyrene, Tom Atkins as Atrius and Leslie Wing as Karis.
Reception
The pilot episode garnered 4.5 million viewers, ranked in No. 44 in U.S. syndicated rank, behind Hercules: The Legendary Journeys and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Based on its strong opening, Robert Tapert produced another 23 episodes of the same style and duration. Season episode No. 12 garnered 6.3 million viewers, and was ranked in No. 13 in U.S. syndicated rank, only behind of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. The season was down on viewers on its last episode, that garnered 3.9 million viewers, again behind Hercules and Deep Space Nine.
The first season was released in another 27 countries between 1995 and 1996, eventually being seen in 105 countries.
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Sins of the Past" | Doug Lefler | Story by : Robert Tapert Teleplay by : R.J. Stewart | September 4, 1995 | |
|
Xena returns to Amphipolis, the place she grew up, in order to try to make up for past sins. On the way, she saves the people of Potidaea from the warlord Draco; her actions attract the attention of a young girl called Gabrielle, who decides to follow Xena in the hopes of a more exciting life. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "Chariots of War" | Harley Cokeliss | Story by : Josh Becker & Jack Perez Teleplay by : Adam Armus & Nora Kay Foster | September 11, 1995 | |
|
While defending a small and peaceful settlement from a vicious warlord and his son, Xena is shot with an arrow. She is cared for by a local family while Gabrielle is left to defend herself in the local tavern, which is filled with thieves and cut-throats. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "Dreamworker" | Bruce Seth Green | Steven L. Sears | September 18, 1995 | |
|
When Manus (the High Priest of the Dream God Morpheus) kidnaps Gabrielle, Xena must face the demons of her past and enter the dream world to rescue her friend. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Cradle of Hope" | Michael Levine | Terence Winter | September 25, 1995 | |
|
Xena and Gabrielle go undercover after learning of a ransom put on an infant who is prophesied to one day take the throne from a powerful king. Note: This is the first episode to feature a humorous disclaimer in the closing credits. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "The Path Not Taken" | Stephen L. Posey | Julie Sherman | October 2, 1995 | |
|
Xena is forced to pretend to be her old self, a money hungry warlord named Mezentius in order to save a young princess. However, along the way she is pushed to her limits when she discovers an old lover is working for an arms dealer. Note: It is in this episode that series lead Lucy Lawless first sings the dirge "Burial," whose music she composed herself. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Reckoning" | Charles Siebert | Peter Allan Fields | October 16, 1995 | |
|
Xena is mistakenly put on trial for killing a group of townspeople, causing Ares, God of War (Kevin Tod Smith), to be delighted with a plan he has enacted. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "The Titans" | Eric Brevig | R.J. Stewart | October 30, 1995 | |
|
Gabrielle reads an incantation from a script that releases three titans from being a stone tomb. She convinces them she is a Goddess and has them perform helpful tasks for a small village nearby; however, after they soon start to suspect her of lying, they turn on the town and threaten to destroy the town for good. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "Prometheus" | Stephen L. Posey | R.J. Stewart | November 6, 1995 | |
| 9 | 9 | "Death in Chains" | Charles Siebert | Story by : Babs Greyhosky & Adam Armus & Nora Kay Foster Teleplay by : Adam Armus & Nora Kay Foster | November 13, 1995 | |
| 10 | 10 | "Hooves and Harlots" | Jace Alexander | Steven L. Sears | November 20, 1995 | |
|
Someone is trying to start a war between the Amazons and the centaurs, which Xena tries to prevent after a dying Amazon princess leaves Gabrielle her right of caste. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "The Black Wolf" | Mario Di Leo | Alan Jay Glueckman | January 8, 1996 | |
| 12 | 12 | "Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts" | T.J. Scott | Story by : Roy Thomas & Janis Hendler Teleplay by : Adam Armus & Nora Kay Foster | January 15, 1996 | |
| 13 | 13 | "Athens City Academy of the Performing Bards" | Jace Alexander | R.J. Stewart & Steven L. Sears | January 22, 1996 | |
| 14 | 14 | "A Fistful of Dinars" | Josh Becker | Steven L. Sears & R.J. Stewart | January 29, 1996 | |
| 15 | 15 | "Warrior... Princess" | Michael Levine | Brenda Lilly | February 5, 1996 | |
| 16 | 16 | "Mortal Beloved" | Garth Maxwell | R.J. Stewart | February 12, 1996 | |
| 17 | 17 | "The Royal Couple of Thieves" | John Cameron | Steven L. Sears | February 19, 1996 | |
|
Xena drafts Autolycus (Bruce Campbell, one of Sam Raimi's partners in Pacific Renaissance Pictures) to steal back the property of some friends of hers, which turns out to be the Ark of the Covenant. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "The Prodigal" | John T. Kretchmer | Chris Manheim | March 4, 1996 | |
| 19 | 19 | "Altared States" | Michael Levine | Chris Manheim | April 22, 1996 | |
| 20 | 20 | "Ties That Bind" | Charles Siebert | Adam Armus & Nora Kay Foster | April 29, 1996 | |
| 21 | 21 | "The Greater Good" | Gary Jones | Steven L. Sears | May 6, 1996 | |
| 22 | 22 | "Callisto" | T. J. Scott | R.J. Stewart | May 13, 1996 | |
| 23 | 23 | "Death Mask" | Stewart Main | Peter Allan Fields | June 3, 1996 | |
| 24 | 24 | "Is There a Doctor in the House?" | T.J. Scott | Patricia Manney | July 29, 1996 | |
Home release
The DVD release of season one was released by Anchor Bay Entertainment in the U.S. on September 23, 2003[6] after it had completed broadcast on television. As well as every episode from the season, the DVD release features bonus material including deleted scenes, bloopers and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
| The Complete First Season | ||||
| Set details[7] | Special features | |||
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| Release dates | ||||
| UK | USA |  Australia | ||
| June 6, 2006 | April 23, 2003 | October 12, 2005 | ||