Renaissance Man
George Strayton brings the latest news direct from the offices of Renaissance Pictures…
Official Xena Magazine: Issue 04
XENA MAGAZINE: How have viewers reacted to the start of Xena’s fifth season?
As far as our ranking with regard to other series, this has been the most successful season of Xena to date. We’ve been beating many popular series in syndication such as The Rosie O’Donnell Show, The X-Files and even ER, a feat we had never before accomplished.
Did anyone at Renaissance Pictures hold a sweepstake about the name or birthdate of Lucy and Rob’s baby?
Actually, we didn’t have a pool. But we were all waiting anxiously by the phone for Rob’s call to tell us Julius had arrived.
What’s the current state of play on season five now?
Our long hiatus ended mid-November. We went back into production for several weeks, then have a couple of weeks off for the holidays, and finish off the season by April.
Is there any one episode of which you’re particularly fond?
I’ve always liked The Deliverer. It’s the first episode in which Gabrielle sheds her innocence by killing someone. It forced her to confront the grim realities of being a warrior.
What is the feeling at Renaissance about Cleopatra: 2525 and Jack of All Trades? And how does it feel to have got Bruce Campbell to finally commit to a regular series?
We’re all very excited about our new series. We’re doing to the sci-fi (not s.f.) and swashbuckling genres what we did with the “sword and sandle’’ in Hercules and Xena. And we all love Bruce! And he’s perfect for the role of Jack Styles.
Is it true that the reason Cleopatra ended up in cryogenic suspension was because she had a botched boob job?
Cleopatra did undergo cosmetic surgery, and yes, there were complications.