As a Dutchie, Xena and Hercules really were 2 of the best shows I watched when I was young. They are still till this day incredible to me. Additionally X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer were just the best of the best. I really hope you'll react to Buffy the Vampire Slayer too (hoping this has already been requested) as even till this day, I re-watch it every few years and it withstands the passing of time, still amazing in this current era.
Throughout the show there are very deep episodes, very funny episodes, and very emotional episodes, but all are entertaining, memorable, and take you on a journey in time. They did everything on this show. You never knew what Xena, and Gabrielle would get up to next. In a funny way, you felt like you were learning history, and Xena was always there. This will always remain one of my favorite shows, if not my very favorite.
Xena is such an important show. It never gets the recognition it should. It did so much first. They experimented and did things that are now industry standards. There is no queerbaiting. Xena and Gabrielle love each other. Please continue to watch, as it gets sooo good
This was a spin-off from Hercules. In the early age of cable and independent stations there was a need for action, adventure, fantasy, and science fiction. Xena became a social event showing up in sit-coms and references in straight movies. Xena and Gabrielle started Lesbian Subtext which grew in time to conventions and on-line groups. And what looks like cheesy action and cheap sets were not so by the standard of average televisions. Not until GoT was there such a dedicated fan base. It’s fun at the beginning, but becomes quite intertwined with mythology and history from Rome to Troy to China and via time jumps to LA. You’ll see much of the Wonder Woman backstory stolen directly from Xena. It’s worth watching.
I've seen some of your previous reactions before and I have to admit I've never been more excited to see a reactor I was already familiar with reacting to my favorite show of all time. I know it's a long series but if you decide to keep going with It, I will most certainly be along for the entire journey. Thank you so much for this.
Xena was introduced as a villain in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and later had a redemption arc that put her on the path to make up for the many evils she had committed. She was the ruthless leader of a large army that raided many cities and looted them, also blackmailed and strong armed ransom from kingdoms by accepting payment for the privilege of her not attacking them. They were deliberately campy in a lot of the fight scenes. 6 Seasons, mostly episodic, "villain of the week" with a few story arcs woven in. Filmed in New Zealand.
Xena was a spin-off of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which was so phenomenally popular, and Xena was created so they could have a Hercules spin-off before everyone else had a Hercules knock-off. Xena ended up getting ratings numbers that were, usually, even higher than Herc's, although not by much, contrary to some beliefs. These two shows were, probably, the most watched shows in the world. And they deserved to be.
Yay Lucy Lawless the Best New Zealand Actor in the world , Lucy is still in acting rolls to this day . Comparing so called old to new trick to watching movies " Don't Think 🤔 just watch " You will enjoy this show , Peter Jackson got idea's for Lord of the rings off this show just saying . We need more Fun Entertaining Shows like this , instead of boring shows that try and have an agenda . There I'll hop off my soapbox now . Oh thunked something else need movies / series need less producers and more actual Director Directing instead of corporations thinking money instead of Entertaining . Series Don't have to be deep they need to be Entertaining being able to be liked by a wide Audience . Oh yes I am an oldie I watched this show back in the last Century . Oh another great tv series is the 1960s Series Of The Batman now that show is pretty corny 🍿 anyway I'd better get outa bed and greet the afternoon 🤪rainbow's 🌈 Rule
And then the star of Hercules turned into a complete nut, who now only stars in weird creationist/antisecular movies, and Xena proved to still be the bad ass she was in the show and call him out for being a clueless idiot. lol
@LordHyena That is the problem his defenders have, they think this is about belief, not reality, so willingly "believe" any thing they are told about those outside their world view, while never once having met, spoken to, or knowing a single thing about anyone and anything such movies rail against. But, sure.. revel in your culture war ignorance and pretend that anything in those movies isn't ridiculous nonsense, designed to promote the absurd notion that any of it is real. What is real is that we see this stuff over and over. If it's not some Satanic panic, which gets some nuts riled up and innocent people accused, it is the somehow imaginary threat that less than 10,000 people in the whole nation, who are Trans, are somehow so powerful they can "come after people's kids" and are thus some sort of huge threat, or its that a nation in which you can't walk 10 feet without stumbling over sone politician trying to push their one, singular, religion, above all other, on everyone is under threat from people that LITERALLY have maybe one single politician in any branch of government, and on, and on. What I would love is to see any of these people you think are right to actually address real problems, instead of what they actually do, which is distract fools with pointless nonsense and imaginary threats, while lining the pockets of those who serve only Mammon, or... perhaps appropriate to this TV series - War.
I'm so glad younger people are reacting to Xena! The show was so revolutionary and there hasn't been anything like her since. And it's definitively not a super serious show. It was campy at the time as well. 😄 It's a balance of dark themes and humour.
I loved this show. I was so young when it was airing. Like 8 and then up. I don't think I've seen every episode, but I know I loved it when I was a kid. My mom used to let me stay up late to watch it every week and we would watch it together. And then all my friends and I would talk about it at school and be running around our elementary school trying to do that fighting yell xena does. I do hope you continue it. I haven't watched it in YEARS. So it would be so fun to relive it this way. LOL.
A couple of things: The campiness of the fighting is deliberate and loosely inspired by kung-fu movies. And yes in the 90's it was pretty original. Some of the episodes are darker and some are lighter. Xena is a pretty dark character. I became obsessed with this show on the first random commercial for it before season one. If Xena was made today, it would definitely be slicker production like the various big-budget shows on streaming services.
I loved Xena:Warrior Princess even before she got her own show.😄 I have always been into Greek & Roman Mythology so I began to watch Hercules: Legendary Journeys. I was in my early 20s when I started watching the series. When Xena was introduced my curiosity about her was piqued. On a couple of Hercules episodes, she was the bad girl, but also badass. It was "The Gauntlet" episode on the Hercules series that Xena began her redemption arc. When I heard there was going to be a Xena spin-off, I made sure to watch it. Yeah, it was campy & sometimes ridiculous, but that was what made it fun to watch. It also had it's heartfelt & heartwrenching moments. Surprise, surprise, I had a crush on Gabrielle, not Xena like most people. Heck, I liked the show so much, I was a member of the Official Xena Fan Club. I know, I'm a nerd, but I don't care. Anyway, I really liked your reaction & hope u do continue w/the series.😊👍
Aweee xena Was my favorite show in the 90's 🥰🥰 I met my now husband at a Xena CONVENTION. We have been married for 23 years now🥰 So I owe this series the love of my life. Xena Rulez 🖤🌹
Great reaction! The Xena Warrior Podcast is incredible as well if you want more Xena content/background information - the whole series is complete and each episode is analysed in depth by three Xena fans.
I'm rewatching the show after watching a tiktok of it. ther first time I watched it I was like 5! I grew up loving it but I forgot about it with time. Now I can see this show was ahead of its time and bcz it was a success I'm so glad people from different backgrounds know about this show. I love that Xena was a woman with atroubled past but she tries to be a better person. That was not very common to see in a female character and a lot of girls and boys learned from it a lot.Furthermore, when you see it at an age where you realize things, you can notice that the show dealt with many moral issues and always left you with a very profound lesson. Another thing that I didn't notice when I was a child (now I'm 28) was the love that Xena and Gabrielle had for each other. I thought they were best friends, but apparently their relationship was much more than a friendship and it impresses me that one of the biggest shows of the 90s has given them that recognition. Lastly, what I like about Xena the series is that nothing was forced, they didn't include installment characters like Disney or Netflix. O love this show! I'm currently on season 4
Just left a comment on your reaction to episode 2. All I have to say is the show is ICONIC. A must watch. Trust me, you won’t have any regrets having watched it all the way through. Not every great show has a strong beginning. Xena still does conventions and the actors are very devoted to their fans. Unlike any other shows I’ve seen do. It’s wonderful to be a part of the Xena Community. Hope you stick around!! I enjoy your commentary.
I went to school on the back lot of Universal Studios in 2002/3. One day as I was walking through the lot I swear I walked past Lucy Lawless. I could be wrong but it looked exactly like her.
Omg! It's was my fav show back in childhood (used to run home from school as fast as could to watch a new ep) and Ares&Zena was my first ship as well although at that time I didn’t even know that this term excited 😂
This show was highly influential on shows that came later. There weren't many shows with the strong female lead back then. There was Wonder Woman in the 70s and Bionic Woman. So it wasn't unheard of. But Xena really kicked ass. Which I think had an influence on a show like Buffy. There's that combination of comedy with drama and that outrageous fighting style. Complete with all the sound effects.
I loved this show when I was younger it's Lucy Lawless at her best really though she does have other good shows too. The idea for Xena started with Hercules the ledgendary hero where she was the villian and Hercules is the one that convinced her to try and find redemption. I loved the connection between Xena and Gabriel and yes they wanted to ship them but it wasn't accepted back then so they never did in the end. It had 6 seasons but the later seasons get a bit strange and they mix myths and religions in there as well. I loved watching a woman kicking butt even though the way she does it doesn't always make sense but back then it was accepted haha. Xena and Hercules were both my favorite shows but I liked Xena more dk just always liked her character. You will even tually lean more of her past just don't remember when exactly. Yes it doesn't stand up to do day's standers that is true but back then it was fun. Glad you reacted to this one and it is what made me a Lucy Lawless fan to begin with..side note she also acted in Ash vs the Evil Dead as a main chacatre there in case you have ever seen it. Also the scenes where she is riding the horse isn't the actress she refused to get on the horse because of her fear of thwm so that is why most of the time when she rides you see her from the back.
You're not supposed to take the impossible fighting skills too seriously. There are a mix of dark and light-hearted episodes - some of the most fun ones have Bruce Campbell (of Evil Dead fame) playing a master thief called Autolycus. You're right about the lesbian fanbase - Xena became a gay icon, though anything romantic in the relationship with Gabrielle is only rarely implied and only strongly in the very last episode.
Xena was an ambitious warlord who served the aspirations of Ares The Greek God of War who was her patron. She was well on her way as a conqueror until she ran into Hercules who convinced her to travel the hero's path instead. Gabrielle also helps as her sidekick just as Hercules had Ioalus to help him out. 😅 Cyclops are giants with one big eye. Xena took out his eye. So a blind Cyclops is going to have a hard time. 😮 Xena went for six seasons. Hercules started as a series of made for TV movies, then became a series.
Yes there are lots of silly, campy elements but as the series progresses the growth of Zena and Gabrielle’s ’ relationship is gratifying and Gabrielle really changes a lot.
Also I’ll be the nerd. If you keep going..Xenas village was threatened by a warlord ..she and her brother decided to fight back and mount a defense. He died. She “won” and decided to conquer other villages in the area in the name of “offensive defense”. She kept conquering …and the remaining seasons are a story of how far she went/conquered/hurt/murdered after her defending her village ….juxtaposed with how she came to know it was WRONG and tried to redeem herself (starting with this episode) SO so many back stories..so many twists. This show is an unbelievable shitshow of awesomeness and nonsense❤
You need to see the Hercules episodes first that introduce Xena, it show some of her backstory and it will explain why the a small person who hate her later on
Hercules is kinda boring, though. I tried to do that and didn't like that show. I watched Xena as its own show and only watched the episodes that introduce her in Hercules. It was fine like that. Hercules is "meh".
Xena and Gabrielle fans may wanna check out a movie called "B!tch Slap!" Both actresses pay homage to Xena in the most hilarious way. Actors who played Hercules and Iolas from their show also was in it.
I hope we get to see more Xena Reaction videos from you Larissa. I can promise you that this series will get better and better from season to season. And some episodes really deep. My favorite episodes are the Dahak episodes. A bit dark 😁 I can only recommend you...stay tuned. I think you won't be disappointed 😊 P. S. And you definitely have to meet Callisto 🤣😉😁
I watched this back then and we all shipped it as well!! This was hilarious, I needed the strong women the great relationships and the hilarious fun in my childhood and Xena gave us all of it!! If we aren’t all still in love with Lucy Lawless (who is also an amazing singer FYI) I don’t know what we are doing here!! lol Hope You keep watching and excited to watch along if You decide to keep reacting on the channel ❤
This is the first episode but not really the pilot. This was a spin off of a show called Hercules, that's where you see her as the evil Xena. In the first season episode Warrior Princess she's bad, then we see the events that change her in the 2 part Season 1 finale on Hercules. If you do decide to watch this further it will be helpful to watch those because there are crossovers later on
Would love to see more reactions the show finds its footing in season 2 and gets extremely good in season 3. This show paved the way for shows like Buffy, Dark Angel and Nikita and while it’s full on camp and 90’s cheese that’s what gives it charm.
let's be clear here. while the executives that greenlit _buffy_ were probably encouraged by the response to _xena_ the fact is that _buffy_ was based on a movie that came out years before xena was created.
Getting past YT sensors for this series is a little stricter than normal. Sherry Obsessed has found that there is usually no problems doing 5 seconds clips and blur the rest. They usually block rather than copyright.
Ah, that might explain why there's not enough people on yt doing reactions to this. They should figure out that this is a great way to advertise the show to a new audience who's never heard of it before. Geez.
@@gungho1284 - Agreed, the company sells more of their product but alas. There are a handful that are reacting to Herc and/or Xena on Patreon if you didn't know that.
'Xena...' ranges from _very_ tongue-in-cheek to poignantly moving but the tone is _usually_ NOT "super serious" - even at the time we knew it was cheesy, that's part of the charm (in fact one of my favourite moments from the show is quite knowingly _utterly_ ridiculous and also, y'know, a bit magnificent :). The action especially is somewhat "hyper-real" - remember this is the world of the Greek gods so most events can be seen through a slightly mythological lens. That said, she's _definitely_ a badass :). And because of that cheese 'Xena...' doesn't always get the credit it deserves. In some ways she walked so Buffy could run (on TV at least - the 'Buffy...' movie was earlier) and a lot of the ideas that became standard for genre TV did so _partly_ because they appeared here if not first then earlier than most ("the musical episode", "the 'Groundhog Day' episode" etc.) - if you get vibes of lots of later shows/books/games i'd say that just indicates how low-key influential this series was.
The world needs more xwp reactions! It's my favorite show, i got into it thinking it would be predictable and it absolutely surprised me Edit: also you are not supposed to take it 100% seriously. It IS silly sometimes
I'm very excited to see your journey on Xena. It truly is one of the best shows even though a bit dated . The series gets better as the episodes go on.
Not one of the OGs, but started it watching it in 2002; at the time seasons 5 and 6 hadn't broadcast yet in NL if I remember correctly. Overall, I seem to come back to this show over and over again, for different reasons: - It has the best love story portrayed imho. - How they can have a comedy (bordering slaptick) episode one week and do an 180 into drama all the way the next. The way they make fun of themselves at times as well. - I'm not sure if it qualifies as queer baiting, because, well, season 6 (and more earlier eps as well tbh, starting in S1) and how they couldn't show what they wanted to show. - It has one of the most welcoming and charitable fandom (e.g they raised over millions of dollars -over 20 if I'm not mistaken- for charity since the show started up to today). Recently, during the Xena con in January 2024, money was raised for at least 3 charities of choice by the actors attending. - One of the cast members is currently creating TikToks as the character she played on the show, and a handful of people that have been in the show are doing cameos in those TikToks. I could continue this list for a long time 😂 personally I'd love to see more reaction on UA-cam just to spread the love and the message this show has to offer.
By the way, you 100% do not need to watch Hercules before Xena, the TV shows simply mention each other here and there otherwise they have nothing to do with each other And I highly recommend checking it out, Kevin Sorbo is the best person to ever leave Hollywood.
I hope that you will give this show a chance and watch some more. It's actually a rather fun show, and does get better. It has had a really large cultural impact on pop culture and on later fantasy and adventure shows. Xena was of course also a big icon within the lesbian and feminist communities of the 90s. It was really quite rare for a show of this kind to have a strong, muscular and not traditionally feminine female lead hero at this time. It's not a show that is meant to be taken very seriously though for the most part - it's more of a silly and entertaining comedy adventure show, even if there are also some more serious elements at times. The budget is also very low, as you noted. and it didn't even look that good for its time. A lot of the scenery is quite gorgeous though, as it was mostly filmed on location in New Zealand. There are also a lot of fun guest roles and cameos throughout the series of actors who would later become famous, so those are quite fun to look out for as well now.
It is an old show, but it set the scene so well for the fantasy genre in the future. I love the campy nature of it and the obvious queer-baiting (though back then, that was all you got). Xena is an absolute all-time fave of mine. Does it hold up to the quality of shows today? No, it's almost 30 years old (which instantly makes me feel old). Is it an enjoyable watch? Absolutely!
I wouldn’t call it queer baiting as the writers, actors and producers all wanted it to happen but the network prevented it from ever becoming official, but that didn’t stop them as season 6 is the gayest piece of media I’ve seen.
right now all the queerness that is Xena is accidental on the writers part. but once the sapphic ladies started to take notice and watch in droves it became quite intentional. this show was as close to an explicitly queer show as was possible when it came out.
I think you will like this series. It can be very funny. I enjoyed it when it first came out and look forward to your reactions to it. I subscribed when you started watching Dead Like Me and it seemd to take you a few episodes to get into it and I believe it will be the same with Zeni. Now I have two series that I will look forward to your reactions!
Xena was one of the few shows that embraced its LGBTQ+ fanbase, and they actually did what they could to make Xena amd Gabrielle's love for each othet explicit within the constraints the networks put on them. So while it may appear like its queerbaiting by todays standards, just know they are actually wanted to do more, its just they had the threat of cancellation if they did. I met Lucy Lawless earlier this year and she was so kind too. Edit: i'm gunna start a rewatch of the show. The show knows very much what it is, its campy and it embraces that very much, but it can be deep and emotional too. And it is obviously funny too. And there are some over-arching elements too. So it is easy viewing but it has some over-arching elements. I know this video is 10 months old but i hope you are enjoying the show. When the show originally started i was only 1. So i didn't get to watch it until a little later on so about 4 years old when i started watching it properly, and obviously being a toddler i couldn't grasp the concept of 1 new episode per week, and only for a few months per year. But i remember absolutely loving it. The music in particular always made me really happy. It wasn't until 2010 that i managed to watch it all from start to finish so there is some nostalgia bias there but the nostalgia bias isn't too strong as my memories of the show were hazey. Like the show is definitely showing its age, but to me it's always been this epic adventure. Also, also, there is a special Director's Cut of the final episodes of the show. New scenes/footage were added to it, and basically turned the final two episodes of the show into a movie.
Xena Warrior Princess didn't have queer baiting. Everyone involved in the show wanted to have Xena and Gabrielle's relationship to be more explicit, but the network were bigots.
Chosen One Reactions did all of Xena, and then Liam Catterson did, as well. Sora Miyano is doing Hercules and Xena right now. Introvert Reacts, if she comes back to reacting, should resume Herc and then add Xena. EvilQK is doing Xena.
I'd like to see Danielle rose Russell play xena granddaughter and how about dove Cameron play Gabrielle second daughter or great niece it would be great story passing on legacy hero warrior princess?
With the super cheesy special effects, it's worth noting that this isn't as much about the age of the show as the budget. This was a cheap action show, made in Australia, aimed at younger audiences. They also had to deal with network censorship rules (no blood, etc.). They're trying to look unrealistic. Some of it gets better as the show becomes popular, but some of it is the chosen aesthetic. In any case, love your reactions! Keep it up.
Xena, like Hercules, was made in New Zealand. The primary target demographic for Hercules was males, age 12-17, and Xena targeted an audience mostly the same, but angling also for viewers somewhat older. They were actually probably the best looking shows on television; the main reason Xena had a seemingly "unrealistic" fighting style was its deliberately drawing inspiration from Hong Kong martial arts films.
@@LordHyena They weren't even close to the best-looking shows on TV, but they weren't bad for their budget and they were using that budget very differently than American shows. Xena (1995) & Hercules (1995) had budgets around $1 million per episode and were mostly using it on costuming. In the same period we have CGI heavy shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) at $1.3 million, Deep Space Nine (1993) at $2 million, Voyager (1995) at $3.3 million, Babylon 5 (1993 pilot, 1995) at $1 million, and Stargate SG-1 (1997) at $1.3 million. The only American show I can think of that looked as good with a lower budget was Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997) which had $4 million and an empty warehouse for the entire 12-episode first season.
@@cmlemmus494 I'll stand by my statement. It's certainly easy to believe that a great deal of the shows' budgets went into costumes (as well as props,) as these weren't things which could simply be purchased.
@@LordHyena Hear, hear! The production value of both shows is so unappreciated in a lot of quarters and visually the landscapes of New Zealand were breathtaking backdrops. There's a reason they were the two most popular series in the entire world at one time and still hold up greatly for their entertainment value, their wonderful mixing of styles (which if you know about the series' influences makes a lot of sense) and the fact they could juggle both serious drama and comedy. I miss TV this experimental and plainly enjoyable. Digital TV doesn't hold the same appeal to me and most of it feels soulless. Hercules and Xena had heart and remain for me two of the greatest TV series ever produced. I think some of the modern generation don't have the ability to just embrace the sheer ecapism of both and look at them with too "serious" a lense as it were. Any seemingly "ridiculous" events in them are very intentional by design.
@@cmlemmus494 I felt Buffy was filmed like a sitcom in later seasons. Even though I like some of it I think its a vastly overrated series in many ways.
I think you should continue reacting to Xena. There are not many reactors who do, but it is a fun show. Kind of campy, kind of cheesy, and heartwarming too. Like many shows of that time, it's serialized, so you'll be getting the episode of the week. If you do decide not to continue with Xena, perhaps you can ask for recommendations of episodes of Xena to watch. Or other shows as well. Although that might spoil it for you if you do decide to watch the whole series.
This show is supposed to be silly at some points. And don't even try to make sense of historictimeline, just go with the flow and you'll be just fine. New subscriber here!
For me it's not more unrealistic than Kill Bill. Or watching Witcher or a Chinese Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon like martial arts. Yes human can't do these. You can take it as fun, take they aren't regular humans but have chi, power, lvl20+ D&D heroines/heros and enjoy. Or don't like it than don't watch obviously. The world itself if literally Greek Mythology, Cyclops, Hercules, Zeus, Gorgon, centaurs, etc. etc. Monsters Heroes, Gods, half gods, creatures are all based on that well known world.
This show runs on practical effects❤ best show ever, I suppose the Witcher would be a great comparison in modern terms but as much as I love Henry Cavill2 is Xena is like five times more epic to me😘 do you haven't even gotten into the media episode so you've only watched like five of them so far?
This ashow & Hercules aren't meant to be taken too seriously, but they are very entertaining. It's about as serious as Buffy the Vampire Slayer Show. Serious, but not too serious... and a bit silly.
As a Dutchie, Xena and Hercules really were 2 of the best shows I watched when I was young. They are still till this day incredible to me. Additionally X-Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer were just the best of the best. I really hope you'll react to Buffy the Vampire Slayer too (hoping this has already been requested) as even till this day, I re-watch it every few years and it withstands the passing of time, still amazing in this current era.
Throughout the show there are very deep episodes, very funny episodes, and very emotional episodes, but all are entertaining, memorable, and take you on a journey in time. They did everything on this show. You never knew what Xena, and Gabrielle would get up to next. In a funny way, you felt like you were learning history, and Xena was always there. This will always remain one of my favorite shows, if not my very favorite.
I watched for the first time in 2021 and in s2 I already knew this was my favorite show of all
Xena is such an important show. It never gets the recognition it should. It did so much first. They experimented and did things that are now industry standards. There is no queerbaiting. Xena and Gabrielle love each other. Please continue to watch, as it gets sooo good
This was a spin-off from Hercules. In the early age of cable and independent stations there was a need for action, adventure, fantasy, and science fiction. Xena became a social event showing up in sit-coms and references in straight movies. Xena and Gabrielle started Lesbian Subtext which grew in time to conventions and on-line groups. And what looks like cheesy action and cheap sets were not so by the standard of average televisions. Not until GoT was there such a dedicated fan base. It’s fun at the beginning, but becomes quite intertwined with mythology and history from Rome to Troy to China and via time jumps to LA. You’ll see much of the Wonder Woman backstory stolen directly from Xena. It’s worth watching.
I've seen some of your previous reactions before and I have to admit I've never been more excited to see a reactor I was already familiar with reacting to my favorite show of all time. I know it's a long series but if you decide to keep going with It, I will most certainly be along for the entire journey. Thank you so much for this.
Xena was introduced as a villain in Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and later had a redemption arc that put her on the path to make up for the many evils she had committed. She was the ruthless leader of a large army that raided many cities and looted them, also blackmailed and strong armed ransom from kingdoms by accepting payment for the privilege of her not attacking them.
They were deliberately campy in a lot of the fight scenes.
6 Seasons, mostly episodic, "villain of the week" with a few story arcs woven in.
Filmed in New Zealand.
Xena was a spin-off of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, which was so phenomenally popular, and Xena was created so they could have a Hercules spin-off before everyone else had a Hercules knock-off. Xena ended up getting ratings numbers that were, usually, even higher than Herc's, although not by much, contrary to some beliefs. These two shows were, probably, the most watched shows in the world. And they deserved to be.
And the assumption was that you would be familiar with Xena from Hercules, and the world they inhabit, since most Xena viewers were Herc viewers.
Yay Lucy Lawless the Best New Zealand Actor in the world , Lucy is still in acting rolls to this day . Comparing so called old to new trick to watching movies " Don't Think 🤔 just watch " You will enjoy this show , Peter Jackson got idea's for Lord of the rings off this show just saying . We need more Fun Entertaining Shows like this , instead of boring shows that try and have an agenda . There I'll hop off my soapbox now . Oh thunked something else need movies / series need less producers and more actual Director Directing instead of corporations thinking money instead of Entertaining . Series Don't have to be deep they need to be Entertaining being able to be liked by a wide Audience . Oh yes I am an oldie I watched this show back in the last Century . Oh another great tv series is the 1960s Series Of The Batman now that show is pretty corny 🍿 anyway I'd better get outa bed and greet the afternoon 🤪rainbow's 🌈 Rule
And then the star of Hercules turned into a complete nut, who now only stars in weird creationist/antisecular movies, and Xena proved to still be the bad ass she was in the show and call him out for being a clueless idiot. lol
@@patrickelliott2169 Whatever you need to believe.
@LordHyena That is the problem his defenders have, they think this is about belief, not reality, so willingly "believe" any thing they are told about those outside their world view, while never once having met, spoken to, or knowing a single thing about anyone and anything such movies rail against. But, sure.. revel in your culture war ignorance and pretend that anything in those movies isn't ridiculous nonsense, designed to promote the absurd notion that any of it is real.
What is real is that we see this stuff over and over. If it's not some Satanic panic, which gets some nuts riled up and innocent people accused, it is the somehow imaginary threat that less than 10,000 people in the whole nation, who are Trans, are somehow so powerful they can "come after people's kids" and are thus some sort of huge threat, or its that a nation in which you can't walk 10 feet without stumbling over sone politician trying to push their one, singular, religion, above all other, on everyone is under threat from people that LITERALLY have maybe one single politician in any branch of government, and on, and on.
What I would love is to see any of these people you think are right to actually address real problems, instead of what they actually do, which is distract fools with pointless nonsense and imaginary threats, while lining the pockets of those who serve only Mammon, or... perhaps appropriate to this TV series - War.
I'm so glad younger people are reacting to Xena! The show was so revolutionary and there hasn't been anything like her since.
And it's definitively not a super serious show. It was campy at the time as well. 😄 It's a balance of dark themes and humour.
Indeed. Very campy and only takes itself seriously when necessary.
I loved this show. I was so young when it was airing. Like 8 and then up. I don't think I've seen every episode, but I know I loved it when I was a kid. My mom used to let me stay up late to watch it every week and we would watch it together. And then all my friends and I would talk about it at school and be running around our elementary school trying to do that fighting yell xena does. I do hope you continue it. I haven't watched it in YEARS. So it would be so fun to relive it this way. LOL.
Same
A couple of things: The campiness of the fighting is deliberate and loosely inspired by kung-fu movies. And yes in the 90's it was pretty original. Some of the episodes are darker and some are lighter. Xena is a pretty dark character. I became obsessed with this show on the first random commercial for it before season one. If Xena was made today, it would definitely be slicker production like the various big-budget shows on streaming services.
It was a massive game changer for its time. It still has conventions to which many of the actors attend.
I loved Xena:Warrior Princess even before she got her own show.😄 I have always been into Greek & Roman Mythology so I began to watch Hercules: Legendary Journeys. I was in my early 20s when I started watching the series. When Xena was introduced my curiosity about her was piqued. On a couple of Hercules episodes, she was the bad girl, but also badass. It was "The Gauntlet" episode on the Hercules series that Xena began her redemption arc. When I heard there was going to be a Xena spin-off, I made sure to watch it. Yeah, it was campy & sometimes ridiculous, but that was what made it fun to watch. It also had it's heartfelt & heartwrenching moments. Surprise, surprise, I had a crush on Gabrielle, not Xena like most people. Heck, I liked the show so much, I was a member of the Official Xena Fan Club. I know, I'm a nerd, but I don't care. Anyway, I really liked your reaction & hope u do continue w/the series.😊👍
Omg xena, what a throwback. You're watching all my childhood shows. I used to watch Hercules and young Hercules with Ryan gosling.
Aweee xena Was my favorite show in the 90's 🥰🥰 I met my now husband at a Xena CONVENTION. We have been married for 23 years now🥰
So I owe this series the love of my life. Xena Rulez 🖤🌹
Mine too next to buffy charmed?
Great reaction! The Xena Warrior Podcast is incredible as well if you want more Xena content/background information - the whole series is complete and each episode is analysed in depth by three Xena fans.
You should watch the three episodes she appeared in Hercules' first season .They introduced her character and you can see where she started.
Xena started off on hercules legendary journey, for 3 episodes then this show started and Xena got her own show.
I would love to see more episodes of this show from you!
I'm rewatching the show after watching a tiktok of it. ther first time I watched it I was like 5! I grew up loving it but I forgot about it with time. Now I can see this show was ahead of its time and bcz it was a success I'm so glad people from different backgrounds know about this show. I love that Xena was a woman with atroubled past but she tries to be a better person. That was not very common to see in a female character and a lot of girls and boys learned from it a lot.Furthermore, when you see it at an age where you realize things, you can notice that the show dealt with many moral issues and always left you with a very profound lesson. Another thing that I didn't notice when I was a child (now I'm 28) was the love that Xena and Gabrielle had for each other. I thought they were best friends, but apparently their relationship was much more than a friendship and it impresses me that one of the biggest shows of the 90s has given them that recognition. Lastly, what I like about Xena the series is that nothing was forced, they didn't include installment characters like Disney or Netflix. O love this show! I'm currently on season 4
Just left a comment on your reaction to episode 2. All I have to say is the show is ICONIC. A must watch. Trust me, you won’t have any regrets having watched it all the way through. Not every great show has a strong beginning.
Xena still does conventions and the actors are very devoted to their fans. Unlike any other shows I’ve seen do. It’s wonderful to be a part of the Xena Community. Hope you stick around!! I enjoy your commentary.
I LOVED this show when I was a kid. Dang I miss it.
I went to school on the back lot of Universal Studios in 2002/3. One day as I was walking through the lot I swear I walked past Lucy Lawless. I could be wrong but it looked exactly like her.
i hope you continue to watch this. i loved this show. used to watch it with an exGF. i think i even have the finale on dvd somewhere around here.
Omg! It's was my fav show back in childhood (used to run home from school as fast as could to watch a new ep) and Ares&Zena was my first ship as well although at that time I didn’t even know that this term excited 😂
This show was highly influential on shows that came later. There weren't many shows with the strong female lead back then. There was Wonder Woman in the 70s and Bionic Woman. So it wasn't unheard of. But Xena really kicked ass. Which I think had an influence on a show like Buffy. There's that combination of comedy with drama and that outrageous fighting style. Complete with all the sound effects.
There was also the Avengers in the 60's with Emma Peel played by Diana Rigg.
I loved this show when I was younger it's Lucy Lawless at her best really though she does have other good shows too. The idea for Xena started with Hercules the ledgendary hero where she was the villian and Hercules is the one that convinced her to try and find redemption. I loved the connection between Xena and Gabriel and yes they wanted to ship them but it wasn't accepted back then so they never did in the end. It had 6 seasons but the later seasons get a bit strange and they mix myths and religions in there as well. I loved watching a woman kicking butt even though the way she does it doesn't always make sense but back then it was accepted haha. Xena and Hercules were both my favorite shows but I liked Xena more dk just always liked her character. You will even tually lean more of her past just don't remember when exactly. Yes it doesn't stand up to do day's standers that is true but back then it was fun. Glad you reacted to this one and it is what made me a Lucy Lawless fan to begin with..side note she also acted in Ash vs the Evil Dead as a main chacatre there in case you have ever seen it. Also the scenes where she is riding the horse isn't the actress she refused to get on the horse because of her fear of thwm so that is why most of the time when she rides you see her from the back.
OH MY GOD! GEWELDIGE SERIE! Heb alle DVDS. Mijn favoriet is toch Callisto, die je later in de serie tegenkomt. ❤
Zeker de moeite waard om verder te kijken 💪🏻 #spreadthelove
You're not supposed to take the impossible fighting skills too seriously. There are a mix of dark and light-hearted episodes - some of the most fun ones have Bruce Campbell (of Evil Dead fame) playing a master thief called Autolycus. You're right about the lesbian fanbase - Xena became a gay icon, though anything romantic in the relationship with Gabrielle is only rarely implied and only strongly in the very last episode.
till the later episodes and they really brought out their relationship
It's the first episode you don't judge somebody on the first date. You wait for about a week
Nobody can play Xena except Lucy Lawless.
Ugh! My childhood! Thank you for reacting to this. :)
Xena was an ambitious warlord who served the aspirations of Ares The Greek God of War who was her patron. She was well on her way as a conqueror until she ran into Hercules who convinced her to travel the hero's path instead. Gabrielle also helps as her sidekick just as Hercules had Ioalus to help him out. 😅
Cyclops are giants with one big eye. Xena took out his eye. So a blind Cyclops is going to have a hard time. 😮
Xena went for six seasons. Hercules started as a series of made for TV movies, then became a series.
If I recall, each week was a different story with new villains
And you are missing the two episode back story from Hercules Legendary Journeys.
Yes there are lots of silly, campy elements but as the series progresses the growth of Zena and Gabrielle’s ’ relationship is gratifying and Gabrielle really changes a lot.
Also I’ll be the nerd. If you keep going..Xenas village was threatened by a warlord ..she and her brother decided to fight back and mount a defense. He died. She “won” and decided to conquer other villages in the area in the name of “offensive defense”. She kept conquering …and the remaining seasons are a story of how far she went/conquered/hurt/murdered after her defending her village ….juxtaposed with how she came to know it was WRONG and tried to redeem herself (starting with this episode) SO so many back stories..so many twists. This show is an unbelievable shitshow of awesomeness and nonsense❤
Great show, glad someone is reacting to it. A good old show to check out is Dark Angel, though you may need to get your hands on dvd's to see it.
That's the show that made Jessica Alba famous.
I watched this plenty when it was new on TV so if you keep reacting I'll keep watching along with you.
Hola Larissa, siempre es genial volver a ver Xena la princesa guerrera una serie de culto.✌😎
You need to see the Hercules episodes first that introduce Xena, it show some of her backstory and it will explain why the a small person who hate her later on
The show gave my auntie the courage to come out.
I don't remember this episode but I will assume Xena was not surprised and she did hear them coming.
She hears the noises but she thought they were her haunting memories until she snapped out of it
Hercules and Xena are one big show intertwined, best to start with Hercules, then switch back and forth with airdates.
Hercules is kinda boring, though. I tried to do that and didn't like that show. I watched Xena as its own show and only watched the episodes that introduce her in Hercules. It was fine like that. Hercules is "meh".
Both shows are great. If called upon, I would have to lean towards Herc. But it's certainly best to go with both.
Xena and Gabrielle fans may wanna check out a movie called "B!tch Slap!" Both actresses pay homage to Xena in the most hilarious way. Actors who played Hercules and Iolas from their show also was in it.
I think Xena's mom Cyrene blames her for Lycias's Xena's brother death. He followed her into battle.
I hope we get to see more Xena Reaction videos from you Larissa. I can promise you that this series will get better and better from season to season. And some episodes really deep. My favorite episodes are the Dahak episodes. A bit dark 😁
I can only recommend you...stay tuned. I think you won't be disappointed 😊
P. S. And you definitely have to meet Callisto 🤣😉😁
I watched this back then and we all shipped it as well!! This was hilarious, I needed the strong women the great relationships and the hilarious fun in my childhood and Xena gave us all of it!! If we aren’t all still in love with Lucy Lawless (who is also an amazing singer FYI) I don’t know what we are doing here!! lol
Hope You keep watching and excited to watch along if You decide to keep reacting on the channel ❤
Xena was pretty good, but Hercules started it all and Kevin Sorbo was my hero as a little child... Good times 🤣
Xena and Hercules were just good old fashion escapist fun. Not to be taken seriously. And yep ... I don't think I missed an episode.
Also, Xena isn't actually a princess. the Warrior Princess is just how she was known throughout the land as legend, so to speak.
This is the first episode but not really the pilot. This was a spin off of a show called Hercules, that's where you see her as the evil Xena. In the first season episode Warrior Princess she's bad, then we see the events that change her in the 2 part Season 1 finale on Hercules. If you do decide to watch this further it will be helpful to watch those because there are crossovers later on
Would love to see more reactions the show finds its footing in season 2 and gets extremely good in season 3. This show paved the way for shows like Buffy, Dark Angel and Nikita and while it’s full on camp and 90’s cheese that’s what gives it charm.
let's be clear here. while the executives that greenlit _buffy_ were probably encouraged by the response to _xena_ the fact is that _buffy_ was based on a movie that came out years before xena was created.
Xena must've become a Naval Admiral in future lives after so many ships.
Original Ares stan
Getting past YT sensors for this series is a little stricter than normal. Sherry Obsessed has found that there is usually no problems doing 5 seconds clips and blur the rest. They usually block rather than copyright.
Ah, that might explain why there's not enough people on yt doing reactions to this. They should figure out that this is a great way to advertise the show to a new audience who's never heard of it before. Geez.
@@gungho1284 - Agreed, the company sells more of their product but alas. There are a handful that are reacting to Herc and/or Xena on Patreon if you didn't know that.
gabrielle is a bard smooth talking through converstaions is what they do.
Wow forgot about this show used to watch it with my kid back in the day
Actress was lady weightlifter from New Zealand. If the daddy issues don't make you a villain the mother issues will ;-)
She was never a weight lifter or bodybuilder of any kind.
'Xena...' ranges from _very_ tongue-in-cheek to poignantly moving but the tone is _usually_ NOT "super serious" - even at the time we knew it was cheesy, that's part of the charm (in fact one of my favourite moments from the show is quite knowingly _utterly_ ridiculous and also, y'know, a bit magnificent :). The action especially is somewhat "hyper-real" - remember this is the world of the Greek gods so most events can be seen through a slightly mythological lens. That said, she's _definitely_ a badass :).
And because of that cheese 'Xena...' doesn't always get the credit it deserves. In some ways she walked so Buffy could run (on TV at least - the 'Buffy...' movie was earlier) and a lot of the ideas that became standard for genre TV did so _partly_ because they appeared here if not first then earlier than most ("the musical episode", "the 'Groundhog Day' episode" etc.) - if you get vibes of lots of later shows/books/games i'd say that just indicates how low-key influential this series was.
Definitely keep them coming there's not enough people doing it. It's great series. S1 is a bit slow but boy does it get better.
The world needs more xwp reactions! It's my favorite show, i got into it thinking it would be predictable and it absolutely surprised me
Edit: also you are not supposed to take it 100% seriously. It IS silly sometimes
I'm very excited to see your journey on Xena. It truly is one of the best shows even though a bit dated . The series gets better as the episodes go on.
Not one of the OGs, but started it watching it in 2002; at the time seasons 5 and 6 hadn't broadcast yet in NL if I remember correctly.
Overall, I seem to come back to this show over and over again, for different reasons:
- It has the best love story portrayed imho.
- How they can have a comedy (bordering slaptick) episode one week and do an 180 into drama all the way the next. The way they make fun of themselves at times as well.
- I'm not sure if it qualifies as queer baiting, because, well, season 6 (and more earlier eps as well tbh, starting in S1) and how they couldn't show what they wanted to show.
- It has one of the most welcoming and charitable fandom (e.g they raised over millions of dollars -over 20 if I'm not mistaken- for charity since the show started up to today). Recently, during the Xena con in January 2024, money was raised for at least 3 charities of choice by the actors attending.
- One of the cast members is currently creating TikToks as the character she played on the show, and a handful of people that have been in the show are doing cameos in those TikToks.
I could continue this list for a long time 😂 personally I'd love to see more reaction on UA-cam just to spread the love and the message this show has to offer.
By the way, you 100% do not need to watch Hercules before Xena, the TV shows simply mention each other here and there otherwise they have nothing to do with each other
And I highly recommend checking it out, Kevin Sorbo is the best person to ever leave Hollywood.
I hope that you will give this show a chance and watch some more. It's actually a rather fun show, and does get better. It has had a really large cultural impact on pop culture and on later fantasy and adventure shows. Xena was of course also a big icon within the lesbian and feminist communities of the 90s. It was really quite rare for a show of this kind to have a strong, muscular and not traditionally feminine female lead hero at this time.
It's not a show that is meant to be taken very seriously though for the most part - it's more of a silly and entertaining comedy adventure show, even if there are also some more serious elements at times. The budget is also very low, as you noted. and it didn't even look that good for its time. A lot of the scenery is quite gorgeous though, as it was mostly filmed on location in New Zealand. There are also a lot of fun guest roles and cameos throughout the series of actors who would later become famous, so those are quite fun to look out for as well now.
It is an old show, but it set the scene so well for the fantasy genre in the future. I love the campy nature of it and the obvious queer-baiting (though back then, that was all you got). Xena is an absolute all-time fave of mine. Does it hold up to the quality of shows today? No, it's almost 30 years old (which instantly makes me feel old). Is it an enjoyable watch? Absolutely!
I wouldn’t call it queer baiting as the writers, actors and producers all wanted it to happen but the network prevented it from ever becoming official, but that didn’t stop them as season 6 is the gayest piece of media I’ve seen.
It still surpasses shows today in my opinion for sheer entertainment value, great performances and incredibly creative storylines.
@miatheworld it came out in the 90s. If they were gay it would have felt more natural back than
right now all the queerness that is Xena is accidental on the writers part. but once the sapphic ladies started to take notice and watch in droves it became quite intentional. this show was as close to an explicitly queer show as was possible when it came out.
I think you will like this series. It can be very funny. I enjoyed it when it first came out and look forward to your reactions to it. I subscribed when you started watching Dead Like Me and it seemd to take you a few episodes to get into it and I believe it will be the same with Zeni. Now I have two series that I will look forward to your reactions!
Xena was one of the few shows that embraced its LGBTQ+ fanbase, and they actually did what they could to make Xena amd Gabrielle's love for each othet explicit within the constraints the networks put on them.
So while it may appear like its queerbaiting by todays standards, just know they are actually wanted to do more, its just they had the threat of cancellation if they did. I met Lucy Lawless earlier this year and she was so kind too.
Edit: i'm gunna start a rewatch of the show. The show knows very much what it is, its campy and it embraces that very much, but it can be deep and emotional too. And it is obviously funny too. And there are some over-arching elements too. So it is easy viewing but it has some over-arching elements. I know this video is 10 months old but i hope you are enjoying the show.
When the show originally started i was only 1. So i didn't get to watch it until a little later on so about 4 years old when i started watching it properly, and obviously being a toddler i couldn't grasp the concept of 1 new episode per week, and only for a few months per year. But i remember absolutely loving it. The music in particular always made me really happy. It wasn't until 2010 that i managed to watch it all from start to finish so there is some nostalgia bias there but the nostalgia bias isn't too strong as my memories of the show were hazey.
Like the show is definitely showing its age, but to me it's always been this epic adventure.
Also, also, there is a special Director's Cut of the final episodes of the show. New scenes/footage were added to it, and basically turned the final two episodes of the show into a movie.
Xena Warrior Princess didn't have queer baiting. Everyone involved in the show wanted to have Xena and Gabrielle's relationship to be more explicit, but the network were bigots.
I was a fan of this show and Hercules
Oh yeah, no one reacts to Xena. We are starved for content lol
Chosen One Reactions did all of Xena, and then Liam Catterson did, as well. Sora Miyano is doing Hercules and Xena right now. Introvert Reacts, if she comes back to reacting, should resume Herc and then add Xena. EvilQK is doing Xena.
Alias with Jennifet Garner and Bradley Cooper is great too .
Draco main villain….oh honey you haven’t met Callisto 😂
I'd like to see Danielle rose Russell play xena granddaughter and how about dove Cameron play Gabrielle second daughter or great niece it would be great story passing on legacy hero warrior princess?
With the super cheesy special effects, it's worth noting that this isn't as much about the age of the show as the budget. This was a cheap action show, made in Australia, aimed at younger audiences. They also had to deal with network censorship rules (no blood, etc.). They're trying to look unrealistic. Some of it gets better as the show becomes popular, but some of it is the chosen aesthetic.
In any case, love your reactions! Keep it up.
Xena, like Hercules, was made in New Zealand. The primary target demographic for Hercules was males, age 12-17, and Xena targeted an audience mostly the same, but angling also for viewers somewhat older. They were actually probably the best looking shows on television; the main reason Xena had a seemingly "unrealistic" fighting style was its deliberately drawing inspiration from Hong Kong martial arts films.
@@LordHyena They weren't even close to the best-looking shows on TV, but they weren't bad for their budget and they were using that budget very differently than American shows. Xena (1995) & Hercules (1995) had budgets around $1 million per episode and were mostly using it on costuming.
In the same period we have CGI heavy shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) at $1.3 million, Deep Space Nine (1993) at $2 million, Voyager (1995) at $3.3 million, Babylon 5 (1993 pilot, 1995) at $1 million, and Stargate SG-1 (1997) at $1.3 million. The only American show I can think of that looked as good with a lower budget was Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997) which had $4 million and an empty warehouse for the entire 12-episode first season.
@@cmlemmus494 I'll stand by my statement. It's certainly easy to believe that a great deal of the shows' budgets went into costumes (as well as props,) as these weren't things which could simply be purchased.
@@LordHyena Hear, hear! The production value of both shows is so unappreciated in a lot of quarters and visually the landscapes of New Zealand were breathtaking backdrops. There's a reason they were the two most popular series in the entire world at one time and still hold up greatly for their entertainment value, their wonderful mixing of styles (which if you know about the series' influences makes a lot of sense) and the fact they could juggle both serious drama and comedy. I miss TV this experimental and plainly enjoyable. Digital TV doesn't hold the same appeal to me and most of it feels soulless. Hercules and Xena had heart and remain for me two of the greatest TV series ever produced. I think some of the modern generation don't have the ability to just embrace the sheer ecapism of both and look at them with too "serious" a lense as it were. Any seemingly "ridiculous" events in them are very intentional by design.
@@cmlemmus494 I felt Buffy was filmed like a sitcom in later seasons. Even though I like some of it I think its a vastly overrated series in many ways.
Just an FYI there are 6 seasons.
You look like Enid. My favorite show growing up.
This is a comedy adventure show with other themes in it.
I think you should continue reacting to Xena. There are not many reactors who do, but it is a fun show. Kind of campy, kind of cheesy, and heartwarming too. Like many shows of that time, it's serialized, so you'll be getting the episode of the week. If you do decide not to continue with Xena, perhaps you can ask for recommendations of episodes of Xena to watch. Or other shows as well. Although that might spoil it for you if you do decide to watch the whole series.
There are arcs in the show, its not all standalone.
This show is meant to be somewhat campy.
This show is supposed to be silly at some points. And don't even try to make sense of historictimeline, just go with the flow and you'll be just fine. New subscriber here!
For me it's not more unrealistic than Kill Bill. Or watching Witcher or a Chinese Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon like martial arts.
Yes human can't do these. You can take it as fun, take they aren't regular humans but have chi, power, lvl20+ D&D heroines/heros and enjoy.
Or don't like it than don't watch obviously.
The world itself if literally Greek Mythology, Cyclops, Hercules, Zeus, Gorgon, centaurs, etc. etc. Monsters Heroes, Gods, half gods, creatures are all based on that well known world.
This show runs on practical effects❤ best show ever, I suppose the Witcher would be a great comparison in modern terms but as much as I love Henry Cavill2 is Xena is like five times more epic to me😘 do you haven't even gotten into the media episode so you've only watched like five of them so far?
As far as queerbaiting? one of the much later episodes a trans woman wins a beauty pageant against cis women. They were trailblazers!
Wait until later seasons. The representation gets really good and a lot. More obvious than some shows were doing it at this time
Realism is not our concern.
I think you should do a reaction of the show heroes someday
Entertaining show! great fight scenes for 1995, kinda feminism. You stayed speechless while she landed on his chest stepping on him with her boots 😂
The show was cheesy back then too.
Did you just say everybody is easy to convince @Larissa Zeeuwe that’s literally America 🇺🇸.
16:17
This ashow & Hercules aren't meant to be taken too seriously, but they are very entertaining. It's about as serious as Buffy the Vampire Slayer Show. Serious, but not too serious... and a bit silly.
The pseudo bronze age and word etymology is quite good ;-) The Hercules show was gay too.