When Xena: Warrior Princess returns to TV screens next year she will be in a “full-on” lesbian relationship with her “best friend” Gabrielle.
And the original Xena herself, Lucy Lawless, wants the relaunched show to go even a step further by casting an African-American in a black lesbian lead role.
Speaking at a Television Critics Association gathering last week, Lawless said it was time for Xena and Gabrielle to come out as lesbians.
The original series, aired between 1995 and 2001, hinted at a possible romance between the besties but the NBC network was not comfortable with letting the characters get involved in a sexual relationship.
The tension between the Xena and Gabrielle led many women to the show but out writer Liz Friedman is in two minds regarding a new version of the classic fantasy series.
“Honestly, I’m really torn about there being a remake because the first show was pretty good,” she said.
“I don’t know that it calls for a remake and yet I do think the idea of making what was subtext text is interesting and what you can add to it.
“But you know, I mean I think that was a pretty wonderful love story regardless of whether – and I mean my joke was always, ‘Look, I don’t know what the characters do between episodes. That’s their business!’
“But I think the biggest thing we did was show this profound personal connection between two women and we never walled it off and said ‘But they’re straight, but they’re straight, but they’re straight.’
“And I do think that, in its own way, is incredibly subversive.”
However, executive producer Javier Grillo-Marxuach says social views have changed and this time around there will be definitely be a full-on romantic relationship.
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