May 2010 Archives

The promo for the Cheers to 50 Years 2 hour show which will be broadcast tomorrow in New Zealand is now online. There is a tiny snippet of Lucy who is part of the panel.

Cheers To 50 Years is an entertaining look back at some of our most treasured moments in television as we fondly remember the history of NZ TV. (Reported by Barbara Davies)

View video promo

Here's a couple of screencaptures from the promo (created by MaryD)

Xena Warrior Princess
Season 1 Episode 21 The Greater Good

When Xena is hit with a poisoned dart, Gabrielle must disguise herself as the warrior princess in a plan to save Salmoneus (Robert Trebor) from being killed by the warlord Talmadeus (Peter McCauley).

Watch Gabrielle Grieving Xena’s Death Video | Read Review | Screencaptures | Episode Stills

I was channel surfing today and I flicked across to the scifi channel hoping there would be something interesting to watch on this lazy Sunday evening and I hear the very familiar theme to my favourite all time show!

Season 1 Episode 21 The Greater Good

When Xena is hit with a poisoned dart, Gabrielle must disguise herself as the warrior princess in a plan to save Salmoneus (Robert Trebor) from being killed by the warlord Talmadeus (Peter McCauley).

I loved this episode the first time I saw it and this time round it's even better. I think the most standout moments for me:

- Xena telling Gabrielle not to yell at her (those two are so cute together)
- Gabrielle and Argo (all their scenes - they are hysterical)
- Gabrielle in Xena's leather..if she were taller, Renee could have pulled off being The Warrior Princess
- Gabrielle trying to do the Xena yell (ooh major work needed)
- The Gabrielle Smirk (every time)
- "It's about the Greater Good" scene and Xena's request to Gabrielle...that's a tough request to be made of Gabrielle.
- Xena's Death (WOW)

- Gabrielle's grieving and tree bashing (MAJOR WOW) - the first time round this scene made me really appreciate Renee's acting abilities. Hooves & Harlots opened the door and this episode sealed the deal. If I remember correctly (it has been 14 years) I created AUSXIP Renee O'Connor (aka The ROC Files) in July 1997 because of this episode. (If you're wondering about the timeline for that - I watched them in a mammoth marathon Season 1 session...thank goodness for video tapes and friends willing to dub them...if I also remember correctly the first time I had seen this episode was in 4th generation copy (awful, snowy copy that went from colour to b/w to something in between. Xena's head turned a greenish hue every now and then) but I was as happy as a piglet in mud.

- Xena's resurrection (This was the first one in a long line of death/resurrection scenes and we won't talk about the only death that didn't have a resurrection)

Watch Video | Read Review | Screencaptures | Episode Stills

Next week: Callisto! The Psycho with the best one liners!

Goodness I love this show even after 14 years!

The Flawless Images Archive of AUSXIP Lucy Lawless has now been redesigned to actually it make it easier to find new scans, screencaptures and photos.

There may be a few glitches with the new menu system but hopefully they have been ironed out.
Please email me if you encounter any problems.

Click here to view

Herald on Sunday 30 May 2010 has a write up about the taping of Cheers To 50 Years. The event was billed as Cheers to 50 Years - two celebrity teams fighting over who knew the most about the television industry as part of TVNZ's milestone celebration. Simon Dallow captained one team brilliantly alongside his close friend Lucy Lawless....

Cheers to 50 Years will air on New Zealand TV on Tuesday, 01 June 2010

I've been contacted by a journalist from CineTVBuzz, a French website dedicated to TV shows, movies and books, and they will be at the Television Festival in Monte Carlo between the 6th and 10th June.

There will be some round table presentation where journalists could ask questions. They would like some questions to ask Lucy and Peter.

The interviews will be video taped.

If you would like to submit your questions email them to redaction@cinetvbuzz.com

More AUSXIP Lucy Lawless News about this event

- Monte-Carlo Television Festival Update Free Tickets
- Lucy Confirmed For Monte-Carlo TV Festival 6-10 June 2010
- Lucy Lawless & Peter Mensah To Attend Monte Carlo TV Festival
- Lucy Nominated for Best Actress in Monte-Carlo TV Festival Awards

AUSXIP Interviews Lucy Lawless, star of Xena Warrior Princess, Battlestar Galactica and now the Domina of the Ludus, Lucretia on Spartacus Blood and Sand.

We conducted our first interview with Lucy in 2008 while she was preparing for her London concert debut and whilst working on the Adam Sandler movie "Bedtime Stories". In this interview Lucy talks about Xena, what her fans have taught her, working on Spartacus and her fellow cast mates, her involvement with Greenpeace and why that is so important to her. Does she has future in politics, childhood memories and more.

Read Interview

TalkTalk has an interview with Lucy working on the show and how it compares to Xena and other interesting bits. The following item is of interest beyond Season 1.

DO YOU SEE THE SHOW RUNNING FOR SEVERAL SERIES?

Oh yes, I'm sure they can go off on any number of detours. I could see five or six series. I should be so lucky to be involved throughout. No doubt I'll be heinously murdered at some point.

Read the full interview

Here's some pics of Lucy from around the web.

BSG - Season 4
#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7

Dinah Shore Weekend
http://dinahshoreweekend.com/press/press-2008/RobinLucySandy.JPG

Lucy is interviewed on 91.8 MoreFM Auckland radio and it's quite an interesting interview.

Lucy talks to Josh and Tom about Spartacus, where the series is filmed, the set and what the gladiators have to go through. She's asked if she misses Xena, and if she misses Los Angeles.

Listen to the interview here

News submitted by Barbara Davies

Carpe Chakram sent in two beautiful sketches. Spartacus Family and Three Gladiators

Click here to view

There's some pretty cool wallpapers on the Playback - The Home of Cult TV site. You have to register in order to be able to download the images.

Click here to view

News submitted by Barbara Davies

Lucy filmed Cheers to 50 Years last Sunday and this 2 hour kiwi look back at New Zealand television will be broadcast on 01 June at 8:30 pm on TV One. The show will be shown later online to New Zealand viewers.

The following quote is from NZ Listener Magazine
May 29-June 4 2010 Vol 223 No 3655

Quote:

"How times have changed. That programme is available on the internet, for a start. Also, we apparently don't have the attention span for documentaries any more, because TVNZ is celebrating this golden anniversary with Cheers to 50 Years of Television (TV1, Tuesday, 8.30pm), a celebrity panel show that incorporates clips from the past half century.:

The host is, of course, Jason Gunn. The panellists are Simon Dallow, Lucy Lawless, Dave Fane, Matt Gibb, Simon Barnett, Jackie Clarke and Jordan Vandermade. "Endearing" walks down memory lane are promised; there are prizes to be won by text. Later, this programme will be available on the internet.

News submitted by Adi

Added two promo images of Lucy as D'anna Biers / Cylon Number Three to the Lucy Lawless TV Shows Promo Images section.

The images are from the Season 4 photoshoot to promote Battlestar Galactica.

View Images

You can find out all about Lucy's role on Battlestar Galactica by going to AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Battlestar Galactica subsite

Images submitted by Lori

The videos of Lucy performing at the Dinah Shore Weekend have now been fixed. It seems the new flash player didn't like to play with some people's browsers so I've reverted back to the original JW player.

Lucy performing "Black Velvet"

Watch Video

Lucy performing "I'm the Only One"

Watch Video

Lucy performing "Rag Doll"

Watch Video

You can also view screencaptures, photos and read report of Lucy’s performance on the AUSXIP Flawless Diva Dinah Shore Event Page

Bravo has gone all out to promote the show now that it's airring in the UK. They have a Beginner's guide which is basically a run down of the characters with promo images of each character.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand

Not for the faint-hearted, the controversial Spartacus: Blood and Sand brings to life the bloody world of gladiators, and depicts one of history’s most violent eras.

Meet the main characters and find out what's in store.

Click here to view

News submtted by Barbara Davies

Lucy Happy to be Forever Xena
Monday 24th May 2010

Her next TV role is about to make her a screen icon all over again, but Lucy Lawless realises she will always be Xena in the hearts of her fans. But the star of new historical epic Spartacus: Blood and Sand, says the fans of her Nineties fantasy yarn have made her what she is today.

She told the Press Association: "They are fantastic. If you have those kind of fans you should value them because they are just so powerful and loyal and they will give you so much - they will stick with you." but she admits to sometimes feeling peculiar about the lengths her fans will go to prove their support.

She laughed: "I hate it when people get tattoos of me or Gabrielle. Sometimes they're really wonky!

"People can do what they want but people ask me to sign their arm and they'll run off and get it tattooed and they come back and show me and I'm like 'what have you done?' I hate that. I even feel weird signing a kid's T-shirt in case their mothers want to kill me. Please, no."

The new series airs Tuesdays on Bravo at 10pm.

Source

Lucy was part of the Dinah Shore Weekend entertainment on 30 March 2007 where this gorgeous photo was taken.

Lucy performed three songs - Black Velvet, Only One and Rag Doll at the Dinah Shore Weekend Event in Palm Springs, California and also attended the VIP Party before her performance.

Click here to download full size image
Many thanks to Adi for the link

You can also watch Lucy perform on the AUSXIP Flawless Diva Dinah Shore Event Page

OnFilm, New Zealand's Screen Production Industry Magazine reports that the Spartacus Prequel will start shooting on 2 August and when they finish with the 6 episode mini-series, it will be followed up by the production of Season 2.

Read more on OnFilm

Keep updated with Spartacus Prequel on AUSXIP House of Batiatus
Keep updated with Spartacus Season 2 News

News submitted by Barbara Davies

Sunday Mail; Glasgow (UK)
May 2010

Actress Lucy Lawless would be the first to defend her army of fiercely loyal - some might say obsessive fans - but even she draws the line at tattoos.

It used to be enough for people to get a signed photograph, but more now feel the need to get Xena Warrior Princess immortalised on their bodies - and Lucy isn't impressed by the results.

She said: "I hate it when people get tattoos of me. I've seen full colour tattoos of Xena and Gabrielle on people's back.

"I've signed people's arms and they have run off to the tattoo shop and had my signature tattooed.

"They then come back to show me and I think 'Why did you do that?' I feel weird signing t-shirts in case people's mothers want to kill me, so to get a tattoo of me, I just hate it."

But if fans have gone to extremes to show their devotion in the past, tattoo parlours should be braced for big business after Spartacus: Blood And Sand hits screens in the UK.

It is billed as a historical epic about the legendary fighter who led a slave uprising against the Romans. But before it's arrived from the US, it has caused controversy with its scenes of graphic violence and sex.

Joshua Lou Friedman, the second assistant director for Bitch Slap has posted behind the scenes photos from the movie on his myspace page.

Anchor Bay Entertainment is set to unleash Spartacus: Blood and Sand – The Complete First Season on DVD and Blu-ray on September 21st.

The four-disc set will contain all 13 episodes, come armored in a high-end collectible packaging, and the Blu-ray edition will include four Director’s Cut Extended episodes.

The DVD will have a suggested retail price of $59.97 with the Blu-ray edition having a suggested retail of $79.97.

Executive produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight, Spartacus: Blood and Sand on DVD and Blu-ray promises to take fans even deeper into the deadly brutality of gladiator games and the decadent machinations of Roman society with hours of bonus features delving behind the scenes into the making of a modern epic, including interviews and commentaries from the actors and filmmakers, augmented with rare production footage exploring the series’ ground-breaking visual effects, production and costume design.

The set features enhanced digital effects added to several of the episodes, and the Blu-ray exclusive “Directors’ Cut Extended Episodes” will feature content too risqué for television.

The new series was the most highly anticipated original series in the history of Starz Entertainment, and premiered on January 22, 2010, and was hit with viewers and critics. The show featured a renowned international cast including John Hannah (the Mummy films), Peter Mensah (300), Manu Bennett (30 Days of Night), Nick E. Tarabay (“Crash”) and Lucy Lawless (“Xena: Warrior Princess”), and a star-making turn by UK-born and Australia-based Andy Whitfield in the title role.

DVD and Blu-ray bonus features:

Gladiator Camp
History Rewritten
Make-up Effects
The Hole
Audio Commentaries
Episodes with Enhanced Digital Effects
Behind-The-Scenes Footage
Bloopers
Trailers

Exclusive Blu-ray bonus feature:

Four “Directors’ Cut Extended Episodes” personally selected by Executive Producer Rob Tapert

Lucy will be filming The Cheers to 50 Years NZ television special on Sunday 23 May 2010. It's taking place at the Sky City Theatre in Auckland at 2.30pm.

The Cheers to 50 Years show will be broadcast on Tuesday 1 June from 8.30pm on TV ONE.

Related story on AUSXIP Lucy Lawless
- Lucy On TVNZ Cheers To 50 Years + Win Tickets!

The following is from AfterEllen.com and I have to say that is a great list of women over 40 which include some of my all time faves.

Lucy is listed #11 in a group of 20.

This year, the Top 20 Women Over 40 in 2010 as chosen by the readers are:

Read More

The 2010 AfterEllen.com Hot 100

Back in 2007, in response to Maxim's annual Hot List, we asked you to create a list of your own favorite female hotties. We were so impressed with your selections that we've since made the Hot 100 an annual event.

Lucy is #40

Read More

News submitted by Lori

How utterly cute is this video. Lucy, aged 22, appears in this 1990 NZ TV advert for Amcal Chemists. Many thanks to Barbara Davies for the alert.

Click here to view the video

A gorgeous new pic has been posted of Lucy performing with Shane Cortese and his band on 11 May 2010 in New Zealand.

This event had it's origins at the Starship Supernova Event back in September 2009 when Shane and his band went up for auction during the hugely successful silent auction on the night...from memory (mine and Sidekick Jo's) Shane and his band were being sold as an auction item to have them perform at any event of the winner's choosing and they went for $10,000 and then when it was over, Barfoot and Thompson jumped in and matched that amount which also got Lucy involved for a grand total for $20,000. I do remember Lucy jumping in and added her name to the deal at some point - it wasn't planned.

Starship raised over $100,000 for the night which was a spectacular night.

Click here to view larger version of the pic

As much fun as I had redesigning the Grease! site yesterday, this one was even more fun because I could re-live the fun when I was reading my review of all 5 performances from May 2005. Lucy starred in the musical Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle as Dorothy Shaw.

Lucy Lawless Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
May 2005

I've redesigned the subsite and have added 3 interviews Lucy did during that time. The Radio interviews have been removed to be reformatted in mp3 format.


VIDEOS

14 May 2005 - Lucy Lawless talks to Seattle Live's Allen Schauffler about starting the concert version of "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes".

Watch Video

IESB.Net Interview with Lucy about Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Xena and what she has been up to since Xena ended. Interview was done at the Saturn Awards

Watch Video

Lucy in Seattle promoting Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Interview on KOMO TV

Watch Video

Lucy will be appearing on the show "Cheers to 50 Years" and it will be an entertaining look back at some of New Zealand's most treasured moments in television as they fondly remember the shows that New Zealanders have come to love - and loath over the last 50 years.

Hosted by Jason Gunn the show features two celebrity teams fighting for the prestige of knowing the most about their industry - television. Team one captained by Simon Dallow (ONE News) includes Lucy Lawless (actress), Dave Fane (presenter, radio DJ and comedian), and Matt Gibb (Studio 2). Team two hosted by Simon Barnett (presenter, Radio DJ), Jackie Clarke (former Idol judge, comedian and singer) and Jordan Vandermade (Studio 2, ONE sport).

This classic, clip driven, panel show will play more than 120 of your favourite moments of television including advertisements from over the years that have stuck in your memory. Don’t miss this endearing walk down memory lane as you will be reminded of the shows you grew up with and the events which TVNZ has brought to you over the past 50 years.

To help celebrate this monumental show TVNZ is making this an interactive experience with Panasonic gifting two 3D 42” plasmas televisions, one given away each hour and several more fantastic prizes available through text-to-win competitions.

Win tickets to TVNZ's 50 Years of TV show!

While redoing the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Grease! event page, I moved three videos into the AUSXIP Video Lucy Lawless Channel. The mov/wmv files have been deleted to be replaced with flash versions.

A brief snippet of Lucy singing Grease Lightning on CNN from the hit musical Grease! in 1997

Watch Video

An advert for Lucy on Grease! September 1997
Promoting the show and urging people to buy tickets.

Watch Video

Lucy Lawless E! News Daily 28 September 1997
Lucy interview and footage of Lucy performing on stage as Rizzo in Grease! Click here for screencaptures

Watch Video

Check out the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless - Lucy in Grease! subsection

Okay now this totally cracks me up. Lida just sent me her pictures of Lucy in Grease!
13 years late but hey that's okay, I never say no to pictures! <g>

Lida is a super photographer and stoked to have her pics on the site.

- Billboards and Other Images

- Lucy on Stage

Check out the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless - Lucy in Grease! subsection

September 1997 I was a very newbie Lucy fan...so new, AUSXIP was 9 MONTHS old and Lucy was in New York making her stage debut in Grease!

This was the SECOND event covered by AUSXIP (the first being the 1997 Official Xena Convention which Lucy made her convention debut. It was such a thrill getting all the photos and reports from the new friends over there.

In 1997 the Xenaverse was brand new...the fandom was growing, the internet was making more and more people connected and the reports on the Grease! event page only shows how fun it was. Seems like a lifetime ago...13 years ago.

For trivia buffs: Rob proposed to Lucy at the end of Grease! and they have been together ever since.

Check out the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless - Lucy in Grease! subsection for a ride back in time!

It was time for a change. The AUSXIP Lucy Lawless site has a new banner and the main image..well I absolutely love this photo of Lucy.

Goes back to Hercules and the first episode of the Xena Trilogy, Warrior Princess. The banner also takes in Sparty (of course) and Lucy's music with the use of Steven's gorgeous Lucy shot from the very first Roxy concert where it's quite evident Lucy is enjoying herself; the joy on her face just makes you smile. Love that photo as well.

I've removed "Lucy Lawless" from the title...well it's very obvious what this site is about. It now just sports the AUSXIP logo and photos of Lucy.

Check it out - Just look up!

The Official Greenpeace March Against Mining site has Lucy on the front of their site. If you are a kiwi there are 12 days left where you can submit your feedback to the government

The Government has asked for feedback on the so-called schedule 4 proposal to allow mining in conservation areas and national parks. The official Govt. feedback form presumes the mining is going ahead so we've set up this as an alternative. Each submission will be officially counted and copied to Prime Minster John Key personally. Please edit as you see fit.

Click here to submit your feedback

You can catch up on all the news / video and images from the March Against Mining protest march event page on the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless March Against Mining Protest Page

and get the background and news of the main anti-mining campaign on
AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Greenpeace Don't Undermine New Zealand Campaign subsite

The Hollywood Reporter has the news about the Spartacus prequel but that's not what had me a little excited. It's the front cover of the print The Hollywood Reporter that made smile. Lucy and John are featured on the front; top left hand corner.

Click here to read article

Follow AUSXIP The House of Batiatus new subsite with all the latest news and multimedia on the mini-series

AUSXIP The House of Batiatus is a subsite dedicated to the prequel of Spartacus Blood and Sand Season 1. That's not the name of the mini-series, I just liked it and I'm using as the name of the site.

Click here to view site

Production on Starz' 'Spartacus' Six-Part Prequel to Begin This Summer

Andy Whitfield to Appear In Two Episodes Along With Lucy Lawless, John Hannah, Peter Mensah Plus Other Returning and New Characters

LOS ANGELES, May 11 /PRNewswire/ -- NCTA Cable Show 2010 -- Pre-production is underway on a six-part prequel to Starz' hit original series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand."  

Andy Whitfield, who played the title character in the series, will appear in the prequel briefly, but Lucy Lawless and John Hannah take center stage in this story of the rise of the House of Batiatus and its champions before Spartacus arrives as a captured Thracian slave.  With the title still to be determined, the prequel will begin production this summer in New Zealand, and is slated to air on Starz in January 2011.

John Hannah returns as Batiatus, owner of the Ludus, along with his wife Lucretia, played by Lucy Lawless.  Other returning actors include Peter Mensah (Doctore), Manu Bennett (Crixus), Antonio Te Maioha (Barca), Nick E. Tarabay (Ashur), Lesley-Ann Brandt (Naevia) - and others.  New characters will also be added - most notably the gladiator who was champion of the House of Batiatus before Spartacus or even Crixus - who will help fill in the story about the people and politics in the House of Batiatus and ancient Capua as a whole.

Production on the second season of "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" was postponed this spring to allow Andy Whitfield to be treated for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in New Zealand. His doctors indicate that the actor is responding well.

"The prequel story maintains the excitement and entertainment value of the first season of 'Spartacus,' giving audiences the engaging experience they've come to expect," said Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht. "We look forward to continuing the Spartacus story."

Produced by Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi, Joshua Donen and Steven S. DeKnight, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" was the highest rated show for the 18-49 demographic among all cable networks for 12 of the 13 Fridays on which it aired based on coverage rating.* The production team remains intact for the six-part prequel.

Starz Entertainment, LLC, is a premium movie service provider operating in the United States. It offers 16 movie channels including the flagship Starz® and Encore® brands with approximately 17.1 million and 31.1 million subscribers respectively. Starz Entertainment airs more than 1,000 movies per month across its pay TV channels and offers advanced services including Starz HD, Encore HD, Starz On Demand, Encore On Demand, MoviePlex On Demand, Starz HD On Demand, Encore HD On Demand, MoviePlex HD On Demand, and Starz Play. Starz Entertainment (www.starz.com) is an operating unit of Starz, LLC, which is a controlled subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation, and is attributed to Liberty Starz (NASDAQ: LSTZA), a tracking stock group of Liberty Media Corporation.  

*Source: Nielsen Live + SD Coverage Ratings for A18-49 each Friday between 1/29/10 - 4/16/10 among all basic and premium cable channels.

SOURCE Starz

Upcoming Lucy on DVD News:

In addition to the Spartacus Season 1 DVD which you can pre-order, the re-released Xena Season 1 DVD, there is news from tvshowsondvd.com that Flight of the Conchords - The Complete Collection will be released on a 3 DVD set on 24 August.

Lucy was a guest star on Flight of the Conchords for Season 2: Episode 8: New Zealand Town

You can view screencaptures and video on the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Flight of the Conchords subpage

Lucy was D'anna Biers / Cylon Number Three on Battlestar Galactica in Seasons 2 - 4.

tvshowsondvd.com has announced that the complete Battlestar Galactica Season 3 Blu-Ray edition will be released and will have alot of extras.

The release date is 27 July 2010

Click here to pre-order

Lucy was in the following episodes:

* Occupation - Episode 1: First aired: 10/6/2006
* Precipice - Episode 2: First aired: 10/6/2006
* Exodus, Part 1 - Episode 3: First aired: 10/13/2006
* Exodus, Part 2 - Episode 4: First aired: 10/20/2006
* Collaborators - Episode 5: First aired: 10/27/2006
* A Measure of Salvation - Episode 6:
* Torn - Episode 7: First aired: 11/3/2006
* Hero - Episode 8: First aired: 11/17/2006
* The Passage Episode 10: First aired: 12/8/2006
* The Eye of Jupiter - Episode 11: First aired: 12/15/2006
* Rapture - Episode 12: First aired: 1/21/2007

You can find screencaptures and video clips of Lucy on
AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Battlestar Galactica subsite

Advocate.com has a great article on 150 Reasons to Have Pride in 2010

Page 28 has the following Spartacus / Lucy mention

BECAUSE WE LIKE MOVIES ABOUT GLADIATORS, JOEY: If you’re complaining about the historical accuracy of Spartacus: Blood and Sand, you’re completely missing the point. The sweaty, sex-obsessed sword-and-sandals series on cable network Starz features enough glistening, chiseled, and usually nude bodies to make the cast of 300 turn green with envy. Star (and lesbian icon) Lucy Lawless’s return to scanty period garb is just icing.

News submitted by Twink

Spartacus Blood and Sand Season 1 DVD is currently on pre-order via Amazon.com and other places. The date for the release has been speculated to be around July or August. Starz on Twitter tweeted the following news about the release date

# RT @Roccovega: hey! Do you know when is the Bluray and dvd release date of season 1? (We don't have the date confirmed yet) about 4 hours ago

so basically we go back to waiting.

Spartacus: Blood and Sand DVD - Season 1 Pre-Order

Betrayed by the Romans. Forced into slavery. Reborn as a Gladiator. The classic tale of the Republic’s most infamous rebel comes alive in the graphic and visceral new series, Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Torn from his homeland and the woman he loves, Spartacus is condemned to the brutal world of the arena where blood and death are primetime entertainment. But not all battles are fought upon the sands. Treachery, corruption, and the allure of sensual pleasures will constantly test Spartacus. To survive, he must become more than a man. More than a gladiator. He must become a legend.

The following is from Greenpeace:

The Government has asked for feedback on the so-called schedule 4 proposal to allow mining in conservation areas and national parks. The official Govt. feedback form presumes the mining is going ahead so we've set up this as an alternative. Each submission will be officially counted and copied to Prime Minster John Key personally. Please edit as you see fit.

Click here for more

You can catch up on all the news / video and images from the March Against Mining protest march event page on the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless March Against Mining Protest Page

and get the background and news of the main anti-mining campaign on
AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Greenpeace Don't Undermine New Zealand Campaign subsite

The Huffington Post has posted a poll on the Hottest Female Action Stars: Who Got In the Best Shape?

Lucy is featured as Xena and is number 16 in a pool of 21 photos. You can vote for Lucy.

Scarlett Johansson worked hard to slip into her catsuit for 'Iron Man 2,' but she's not the first female action star to get ripped for a role. Which of these ladies were in amazing shape?

Click here to vote

The following photo has been released by Greenpeace on their photo site

March against mining
May 6, 2010

01 May - New Zealand. Lucy Lawless joins 40,000 people as they march against the New Zealand Government's plans to mine coal in thousands of hectares of prime conservation land, including National Parks. Find out more.

Articles

Irish Central - 9 May 2010

Lucy Lawless leads massive anti-mining protest

Nice write up about the protest march but the writer used a wrong pic of Lucy at a protest march :) The pic she used was for the JOIN THE IMPACT: UNITE FOR LGBTQ EQUALITY! Prop 8 Protest 15 November 2008 - Click here for more info on that protest

Read article in Irish Central about March Against Mining protest

You can catch up on all the news / video and images from the March Against Mining protest march event page on the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless March Against Mining Protest Page

and get the background and news of the main anti-mining campaign on
AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Greenpeace Don't Undermine New Zealand Campaign subsite

Lucy and Peter Mensah have been confirmed that they will be at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival between 6-10 June. As reported on April 09, Lucy has been nominated for an award for her work on Spartcus.

Read Lucy's confirmation post which was posted yesterday.

The latest news is that the public can get free tickets. Barbara Davies sent me the following news from parispopcorn.com site

For the public: Free tickets for autograph sessions, meetings and previews can be obtained from the Tourist Office and the Grimaldi Forum!

About This Event:

The Festival de Television de Monte-Carlo was created in 16-20 January 1961 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco who wished to "encourage a new art form, in the service of peace and understanding between men". In 2002, the festival was reorganized to include additional categories to recognize new trends in the television industry. The top prize in the festival is a statuette, a gold copy of the "Salmacis" Nymph by the Monegasque sculptor, François Joseph Bosio, commonly known as a Golden Nymph.

View scheduled guest list (with Lucy and Peter Mensah mentioned)

Official Site

More AUSXIP Lucy Lawless News about this event

- Lucy Confirmed For Monte-Carlo TV Festival 6-10 June 2010
- Lucy Lawless & Peter Mensah To Attend Monte Carlo TV Festival
- Lucy Nominated for Best Actress in Monte-Carlo TV Festival Awards

The Times Online has a very lengthy article about Spartacus and a review about the show.

The historical mini-series just got sexier

Lucy is quoted in the article:

It’s just that kind of thinking that got Xena on board. Lawless jumped at the script because her part was like Lady Macbeth, but much more naked. She plays Lucretia, Batiatus’s wife — “A toxic and heinous plotter whose only saving grace is that she loves her husband as far as her cold heart will allow,” she explains. “I realised this was a new kind of television — although I’m not sure I realised quite how new. There was a bit of press uproar before it launched, and I’d been out there banging on in interviews about how tame we really were. Then, when I saw the first episode, I thought, ‘Oh my God, we really do linger on those sex scenes. And maybe we went a bit over the top with the masturbation scene in episode two.’ That’s when the audience realises, ‘We’re not in Kansas any more.’

In calling it a new kind of television, Lawless has pretty much hit the retiarius on the galea.

Read Full Article

Confirmation has posted by Sharon Delaney on the Official Lucy Lawless Fan Club List that Lucy will be attending the Monte-Carol TV Festival.

From Sharon Delaney

Lucy Confirms Monte Carlo Appearance

I've been in contact with Lucy and she confirmed she'll be attending the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in Monte Carlo which runs from June 6-10.

About This Event:

The Festival de Television de Monte-Carlo was created in 16-20 January 1961 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco who wished to "encourage a new art form, in the service of peace and understanding between men". In 2002, the festival was reorganized to include additional categories to recognize new trends in the television industry. The top prize in the festival is a statuette, a gold copy of the "Salmacis" Nymph by the Monegasque sculptor, François Joseph Bosio, commonly known as a Golden Nymph.

View scheduled guest list (with Lucy and Peter Mensah mentioned)

Official Site

You can view the original posting about this event on AUSXIP Lucy Lawless

The Herald on Sunday (NZ Herald Sunday newspaper print and online versions) have an article about the Greenpeace March on 01 May 2010.

Photo caption: Hopefully Lucy Lawless may help spark some fighting spirit. Photo / Doug Sherring

Mention: Protest a glimmer of hope in our doormat country

Lucy Lawless summed it up well at the march when she said that two or three decades ago mass mobilisations happened because our class consciousness was so much higher than today. You go, Warrior Princess.

Read full article online

You can catch up on all the news / video and images from the March Against Mining protest march event page on the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless March Against Mining Protest Page

and get the background and news of the main anti-mining campaign on
AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Greenpeace Don't Undermine New Zealand Campaign subsite

The New Zealand newspaper The Sunday Star Times (the printed version) has a brief mention of the March Against Mining protest march which was held on 01 May 2010 in Auckland.

Sunday Star Times 9 May 2010

Actresses Lucy Lawless and Robyn Malcolm were among thousands of concerned Kiwis marching up Auckland's Queen St last Saturday in a protest against mining. "For 40,000 Kiwis to turn out and be prepared to speak with one voice must tell the government something," said Malcolm.

The above photo was taken by Olivia Hemus for the Sunday Star Times.

You can catch up on all the news / video and images from the March Against Mining protest march event page on the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless March Against Mining Protest Page

and get the background and news of the main anti-mining campaign on AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Greenpeace Don't Undermine New Zealand Campaign subsite

The following article was in today's print version of the NZ paper "The Press" and "The Waikato Times Weekend" which takes a look at whether actors can make great politicians (or not). The headline in the "The Press" was Xena, Warrior Of the House and the headline for "The Waikato Times Weekend" was "Political Roles Beckon".

Xena, Warrior of the House

It can only be a matter of time before a New Zealand actor becomes a major political figure, and I am not talking about Lockwood Smith. Got to thinking about this when I was reading about Lucy Lawless and Robyn Malcolm putting in a well-publicised appearance in the anti-mining demonstration in Auckland last weekend. Lucy, Robyn and even Keisha CastleHughes have taken quite public stances on issues and could well be cementing their positions as activist thespians with political futures. It's obviously a big step to standing for office but you can see the groundwork being laid.

A trailer for Bravo's adaptation of the sword-and-sandals epic Spartacus, created by in-house ad agency VMTV Creative



Click here to view

News by AUSXIP Affiliate: Girls Aloud Media

Lucy and Peter Mensah are scheduled to attend the Monte Carlo Television Festival from 6-10 June 2010 in Monaco as part of the Spartacus team. They are both mentioned on the official Monte-Carlo Television Festival site as attending

Barbara Davies sent in the following news related an interesting tweet this morning:

Tweet: Attending the Festival of TV at Monte Carlo: http://bit.ly/94mKol Lucy Lawless and Peter Mensah for #Spartacus. Bridget Regan for #LOTS

About This Event: The Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo was created in 16-20 January 1961 by Prince Rainier III of Monaco who wished to "encourage a new art form, in the service of peace and understanding between men". In 2002, the festival was reorganized to include additional categories to recognize new trends in the television industry. The top prize in the festival is a statuette, a gold copy of the "Salmacis" Nymph by the Monegasque sculptor, François Joseph Bosio, commonly known as a Golden Nymph.

View scheduled guest list (with Lucy and Peter mentioned)

Official Site

Here is a cool pic of Lucy with Mike Westgate who a sound mixer and recordist in New Zealand.
The pic appears to be around early 2009.

Mike WestgateSound Mixer and Recordist

Mike Westgate began working in sound in his native England. Since moving to New Zealand in the 1970s, he has contributed his skills to documentaries, drama series, and more than 20 features, and passed them on to a new generation, both on film sets and as a guest tutor at South Seas Film & Television School.

Click here to view larger image

News submitted by Barbara Davies

Klippart has sent in a gorgeous new artwork featuring the women of Spartacus: Sura, Mira, Lucretia, Ilythia and Naevia called "In Spartacus...The Women Rule"

Check it out on Klippart's Spartacus Gallery

This is another video from the March Against Mining protest march that 40,000 (and some estimates at 50,000) kiwis turned out for. This video shows Lucy chanting "Yeah Right Sexy Coal" which had me chuckling.

You can watch that bit about 1:15 into the video.

You can catch up on all the news / video and images from the March Against Mining protest march event page on the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless March Against Mining Protest Page

and get the background and news of the main anti-mining campaign on
AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Greenpeace Don't Undermine New Zealand Campaign subsite

The following was sent via email from Greenpeace this morning (AUSXIP was down for 5 hours due to a hard drive change so it wasn't posted until now).

I am Speechless

z0,000 people! I am speechless.

We made history on the weekend with the March Against Mining. Together we did something extraordinary and you should feel proud.

It’s been reported as the biggest protest in a generation and very clearly laid down a challenge to John Key’s Government that cannot be ignored.

The Government is on the back foot now and has severely underestimated how deeply feelings run in NZ when our environment is under threat. We must take action now to build on the massive momentum we’ve created. If you haven’t already, make an online submission now – it only takes about 30 seconds.

Lucy was on Campbell Live with Gerry Brownlee who is the Minister for Economic Development and Minister of Energy and Resources in the Key Government. Lucy was in the studio and Mr Brownlee was via video link in Wellington.

- Added Report by Jo
- Added Transcript of the interview
- Added link to video on Campbell Live Online

Click here to go to the Interview page

You can catch up on all the news / video and images from the March Against Mining protest march event page on the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless March Against Mining Protest Page

 and get the background and news of the main anti-mining campaign on
AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Greenpeace Don't Undermine New Zealand Campaign subsite

Mining: Lucy Lawless vs Gerry Brownlee

Lucy Lawless and Gerry Brownlee are going head-to-head on Campbell Live tonight on the issue of mining after 50,000 people marched down Queen Street, protesting the Government's plans to retrieve precious minerals from conservation land. It is a battle between Beauty and The Beast, but whose side are you on? Will New Zealand's economy benefit from the extra mining, or will this plan cause long term damage to our environment and tourism industry?

Read More

You can catch up on all the news / video and images from the March Against Mining protest march event page on the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless March Against Mining Protest Page

 and get the background and news of the main anti-mining campaign on
AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Greenpeace Don't Undermine New Zealand Campaign subsite

Greenpeace has sent out an official press release regarding the protest march which saw 40,000 kiwis take to the streets to protest against mining. You can catch up on all the news / video and images from the protest march on the AUSXIP Lucy Lawless March Against Mining Protest Page and get the background and news of the main anti-mining campaign on AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Greenpeace Don't Undermine New Zealand Campaign subsite

The official photos from the march have also been released. View those images here

GREENPEACE PRESS RELEASE 01 May 2010

International -- Over 40,000 people turned out today to a march against the Government's mining plans.

"For 40,000 Kiwis to turn out and be prepared to speak with one voice, must tell the Government something," said Greenpeace ambassador and anti-mining marcher Robyn Malcolm.

"We, the people of NZ get it; we get the argument, we see what you're up to and we won't have it. Our land will always be more important to our identity than some extra dollars in the pockets of mining companies."

"This is one of the biggest turnouts of New Zealanders I've ever seen," said Greenpeace Executive Director Bunny McDiarmid.

"People have made it very clear today that they are not happy with the direction this Government is taking us.

Herald On Sunday (Printed Edition) 02 May 2010 has an article about the march and has this quote from Lucy

Actor Lucy Lawless said the size and mood of the march brought back memories of mass demonstrations of 25 years ago.

‘‘This reminds me of the late 80s, after the Rainbow Warrior bombing, back when there was class consciousness.’’

She was particularly concerned about the effects of coalmining: ‘‘To take carbon out of the ground and burn it, when we know about climate change, is immoral.’’

Read more about the protest march on AUSXIP Lucy Lawless March Against Mining Protest March Event Page

Read more about Lucy and the Greenpeace campaign to stop the New Zealand Government from mining 3,000 ha of the Paparoa National Park for coal on AUSXIP Lucy Lawless Anti-Mining Campaign subsite

The photos, videos and news have been a steady stream since the march had ended. Below is a current list of all the multimedia related to the march. I have created an March Against Mining Protest Event page which will have all the latest press / images / video related to the protest march

View Event Page