Xena - 20 Years On

Virtual Conference

Revisiting the Warrior Princess and her legacy: Xena 20 years on 

18^th and 19^th June 2021 

On 18^th June 2021 it was twenty years since the controversial final episode of ground-breaking television series Xena: Warrior Princess, ‘A Friend in Need Part II’ aired. Although the series was first conceived as a spin-off from a series featuring a male hero, Hercules The Legendary Journeys, Xena's popularity surpassed that of Hercules, and ran for six seasons from 1995-2001. Xena paved the way for subsequent action heroines, from Buffy in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, who reached our television screens in 1997, to the re-envisioned Wonder Woman in the recent blockbuster films. The (initially subtextual) relationship between Xena and Gabrielle also influenced the depiction of LGBT relationships in popular culture. Xena garnered a large fan base and spawned an interest in the ancient world for a generation of young viewers.  

This international virtual conference brought together scholars from across a range of disciplines to mark the 20^th anniversary of the end of Xena: Warrior Princess and explored different aspects of the series and its impact. The organisers aim to publish selected papers following the conference. 

Organisers: Amanda Potter (Open University) and Anise Strong (Western Michigan University)

Final programme with abstracts is available Here.

You can also download a PDF version Here