THE STEVE SEARS AND LIZ FRIEDMAN SHOW OR
WHY GABRIELLE DOESN'T RIDE A HORSE
By Diane Silver (dswriter@idir.net)
Content © 1997 held by author
WHOOSH! edition © 1997 held by Whoosh!
1111 words
Supervising Producer Steven L. Sears and Producer Liz Friedman took to the stage in Burbank like a veteran comedy team. Each holding microphones, they bantered with each other, quipped with the audience, and even engaged in a little inadvertent slapstick when Sears accidently clunked Friedman in the head when he was waving his hand to make a point.
Photo courtesy of Betsy Book
Sears spoke first, noting that all of the show staff were surprised by the intensive fan interest in XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS (XWP). In his 13 years of work in television, XWP is one of only a handful of shows that has become more than "just a job" for him, Sears said.
Photo courtesy of Catherine M. Wilson
Sears also described XWP staff as "a very good group of people who are very, very strange." He added that the staff is already holding meetings to plan the third season of the show.
Photo courtesy of Catherine M. Wilson
Friedman added, "The thrill about Xena is getting to make Wonder Woman for the 90s. That was always my favorite show when I was a kid except that I thought Wonder Woman cared too much about breaking her nails. Xena doesn't give a ****."
Photo courtesy of Betsy Book
After their remarks, the two producers answered questions. Here are just a few of their replies. This account is based on my notes and my confused memory. It is not a complete transcript.
DO YOU TAKE SCRIPTS FROM FREELANCE WRITERS?
Sears: "For legal reasons, we can't do that."
Sears suggested that scriptwriters find an agent and let the agent approach Renaissance.
HOW DO YOU HIRE THE REST OF THE STAFF?
Friedman: "In terms of directors, there is a pool of directors we usually use. I tend to always be looking for good people."
DO YOU WORK ON BOTH XENA AND HERCULES?
Sears: "I'm specifically Xena."
Friedman said she worked on both shows.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE EPISODE?
Sears: "That's hard for me to answer. I think of the scripts that I've written, my personal favorite is DREAMWORKER. I had a chance to further explore Gabrielle's character and Xena's inner torment...I get a kick out of PROMETHEUS."
Friedman: "My favorite episode of Xena is CALLISTO."
WHAT WAS THE MOST DIFFICULT EPISODE?
Friedman said the upcoming episode THE PRICE was probably the most difficult in terms of production. "CALLISTO may have been hardest with the ladder fight."
HOW DID HUDSON LEICK GET THE PART OF CALLISTO?
Sears: "She auditioned...She walked in as Callisto. She scared us."
DO YOU HAVE A BACKGROUND IN PSYCHOLOGY?
Sears: "I'm insane, if that's what you mean...In college, my major was theater. I had to get a minor and I had all the psychology and sociology credits I needed."
AND THE LESBIAN INNUENDO? HAS THE FACT THAT THE SHOW IS SHOT IN NEW ZEALAND ALLOWED YOU TO GET AWAY WITH INNUENDO?
Friedman: "I think it's more not having a network...I think it's still played as subtext. What we intend that relationship between Xena and Gabrielle to be is irrelevant. It's really your guys show and how you want to take it is fine."
THANK YOU FOR THE FISHING SCENE IN ALTARED STATES.
Friedman: "My pleasure."
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF ALL THE INTENSIVE ANALYSIS AND DEBATES THAT GO ON BETWEEN FANS ABOUT THE CHARACTERS?
Sears: "I think it's wonderful. It's a reflection of how well we're tapping our characters. If our characters changed drastically from episode to episode then that kind of analysis couldn't work....I like the fact that they (fans) are arguing about the characters."
WHERE DO YOU GO TO AUDITION FOR THE SHOW?
Sears: "Auckland. Usually we cast one person for each episode from the U.S."
WHAT IS DONE IN LOS ANGELES AS COMPARED TO WHAT IS DONE IN NEW ZEALAND ON THE SHOW?
Friedman: "All the writing is done in LA and editing and special effects. All the production is done in New Zealand."
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE ENDING TO INTIMATE STRANGERS AND HOW IT WAS EFFECTED BY LUCY LAWLESS' ACCIDENT?
Sears: "INTIMATE STRANGERS was written way before Lucy's accident and was shot then...There was an alternate ending to it...We were able to rewrite the ending of INTIMATE STRANGERS to leave Xena inside Callisto's body."
XENA'S COLOR APPEARS TO BE PURPLE. IS THIS THE OFFICIAL XENA COLOR? HOW DID YOU CHOOSE IT?
Friedman: "I think telling Xena what her color is would be a bad idea."
Sears: "I don't think we've ever discussed a color for Xena, except dark."
WHY DOESN'T GABRIELLE HAVE A HORSE?
Friedman: "Gabrielle is in every episode. Horses cost a lot."
She said the production has to use three horses to portray Argo, Xena's horse. This would mean they would have to pay for six horses if both Gabrielle and Xena rode horses.
Friedman: "We thought, maybe Gabrielle doesn't like horses, maybe she likes to walk."
Sears: "On the character level, we wanted to avoid the Sancho Panza look. Gabrielle is a full-fledged character. She is not just a sidekick. It gave us an opportunity to explore other aspects of Gabrielle."
WILL THE AMAZONS APPEAR THIS SEASON?
Sears: "Yes, we've got a really kick-b*tt Amazon episode coming."
WHAT ABOUT THE CHARACTER OF XENA?
Sears: "She doesn't apologize to anybody...It is so refreshing to do a TV show where you have a female hero who can do something and not look at a man to see if it's OK."
HOW MANY BROTHERS DOES XENA REALLY HAVE?
Sears: "Two brothers."
WHY DOES GABRIELLE'S HAIR KEEP CHANGING?
Friedman: "Her hair changes because the hair people like to keep busy."
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF WORKING WITH XENA?
Sears: "The actress who plays Xena manages to manifest that character so well that I and everybody else totally believes it."
IS GABRIELLE REALLY SUPPOSED TO BE ANNOYING?
Friedman: "Can we plead the 5th?"
Sears: "She's endearing...That's why Gabby is such a good name for her."
WHY DOES GABRIELLE'S CLOTHING CHANGE WHILE XENA'S OUTFIT NEVER CHANGES?
Sears: "You tell Xena to change her clothes. Xena's outfit never changes. That outfit suits her."
HOW COME EVERY GUY GABRIELLE KISSES DIES?
Sears: "It's the lipstick. On a story level, it's worked. There is no real Gabrielle curse, although in the future we will be identifying her boyfriends with red shirts."
HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT FAN FICTION?
Friedman: "I think it's great stuff because what we're doing is inspiring people to write."
Sears said that he does not read fan fiction because one of his personal rules is to never read anything about a character that he's working on.
January 12, 1997
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