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Hercules - alt.tv.hercules Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

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Archive-name: alt.tv.hercules/hfaq_1
Posting-Frequency: Bi-weekly
Last-modified: 1999/07/24
Version: 2.10
Copyright (c) 1999-1999 Julian Buczek
Copyright (c) 1997-1998 Michael L. Martinez
Maintainer: Julian Buczek 
URL: http://www.xenite.org/faqs/hercfaq.htm
     http://202.61.202.20/~buczek/faqs/alt.tv.hercules/
e-mail: herc-faq@xenite.org
        buczek@iname.com

=================================================================
This FAQ has been created by Michael Martinez in accordance with
the prevailing traditions and customs of the Internet, which
place high value on the free dissemination and exchange of
information.  This is a living document and as such may contain
errors or outdated information which I will eventually correct
or delete.  Please let me know of any corrections or additions
you would like to see placed in the FAQ.
=================================================================
This FAQ is currently available at the following FTP sites:

ftp://ftp.dns.au.com/pub/hercfaq.txt
=================================================================
Table of Contents
=================
Section I.    About The Usenet and alt.tv.hercules
1.   What is the purpose of alt.tv.hercules?
2.   What sort of stuff should I post to this news group?
3.   What sort of stuff should I NOT post to this news group?
4.   What happens if I post something I shouldn't?
5.   Okay, but what if I want to post binary files SOMEPLACE?
6.   What if I accidentally post something I don't want to?
7.   What is Net Abuse and where can I learn more about it?
8.   I've seen another Hercules group.  Why are there two?
9.   I read this FAQ on the Web (or by email) because I
     don't get alt.tv.hercules.  What can I do?

Section II.   About HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS
1.   What is HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS?
2.   So who besides Kevin Sorbo stars in the show?
3.   And who are the semi-regular actors?
4.   Where in Hercules' life does the show take up?
5.   The Iolaus of Greek myth was Hercules' nephew (the son
     of Iphicles, in fact).  Is the series' Iolaus related
     to Herc?
6.   Who, besides Iphicles and Alcmene, have we met of
     Hercules' relatives?
7.   There seem to be a lot of Centaurs in H:TLJ.  Why?
8.   How are the Centaurs done?
9.   Is H:TLJ aimed toward a younger, less mature audience
     than X:WP?
10.  So what are the primary differences between H:TLJ
     and X:WP?
11.  What differences are there between H:TLJ and YOUNG
     HERCULES?
12.  Where is the show filmed?
13.  Where is the show being broadcast?
14.  Is it true that a network is looking at the series?
15.  What do you know about the actresses who play the
     Enforcers?
16.  What is YOUNG HERCULES?
17.  Which is really Herc's home town: Thebes or Corinth?
18.  How close to the original stories does the series come?
19.  Is Iolaus really dead?

Section III.  About Kevin Sorbo's Movies
1.   How many of the original Action Pack movies were there?
2.   Other than Deianeira, did anyone else appear in the
     movies who also appears in the series?
3.   Is there any connection between the Action Pack movies
     and earlier Hercules movies?
4.   Where can I get the movies on tape?
5.   Will the movies be shown on the USA Network?
6.   I heard another movie was being made.  Is this the
     Disney movie?
7.   What can you tell me about "Kull the Conqueror"?
8.   What can you tell me about "Black Dog"?

Section IV.   Personal Information About The Stars
1.   Okay, what are the personal stats on Kevin?
2.   And what about Michael Hurst?
3.   Why is Kevin sometimes not in the show?  Isn't
     he the star?
4.   I heard Kevin was in the hospital.  What happened?
5.   In some of the episodes Iolaus is wearing a splint.
     Why?
6.   Have there been other injuries?
7.   Who is Kevin Sorbo's wife/girlfriend and why do people
     talk about her so much?
8.   What's this about Sorbo Park?
9.   Are there any fan clubs?

Section V.    Miscellaneous
1.   You've made reference to XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS
     several times.  What's the exact connection?
2.   What is Graegus?
3.   Why do there appear to be so few fans of the
     show on the Internet?
4.   So where else do they hang out?
5.   Is there any Fan Fiction out there?
6.   Okay, what is XENA ONLINE RESOURCES?
7.   Do I have to browse the entire site just to find
     the Herc URLs?
8.   Is this FAQ on the Web somewhere?
9.   Are there any other FAQs I can look at?
10.  Why isn't there a HERCULES ONLINE RESOURCES?
11.  Why are there two young Hercules actors?
12.  Who contributed to this document?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Section I.     About The Usenet and alt.tv.hercules
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What is the purpose of alt.tv.hercules?

1. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Here is the group's charter:

alt.tv.hercules is devoted to the discussion of the syndicated
television series HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS, its actors,
production staff, stories, and related topics including but not
necessarily limited to Greek history and mythology as used in the
series, etc.  Discussion of conventions, fanfests, web sites, and
other fannish issues pertaining to the series are also appropriate
topics.  Cross-posting with the sister group alt.tv.xena is
acceptable.  Commercial advertisements not relating to sanctioned
merchandise pertaining to the show are off-topic.

Since the charter was written, the YOUNG HERCULES movie and series
have been created.  It is considered appropriate to discuss either
of them, their actors, or production and scheduling issues in
the alt.tv.hercules group.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What sort of stuff should I post to this news group?

2. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Questions and answers about the show HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY
JOURNEYS, its stars, production staff, guest stars, and related
subjects.

It's also okay to post announcements for web sites, mailing
lists, fan clubs, etc.  Basically, anything that would be of
interest to someone who wants to find out more about HERCULES:
THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS.

And, of course, you're welcome to express your opinions about
the show, its production, the actors, writers, etc.  But please
be considerate of other people's feelings, views, and refrain
from initiating flames and trolls.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
3. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What sort of stuff should I NOT post to this news group?

3. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Off-topic articles are unwelcome but forgivable unless they

     A.   advocate illegal pyramid schemes (anything involving
          lists of names and mailing money)

     B.   "reveal" cookie recipes from various department stores

     C.   ask people to send postcards to a dying boy (his
          leukemia went into remission in 1983, but he also made
          it into the Guinness Book of World Records with
          33,000,000+ postcards; the Make-A-Wish Foundation in
          Atlanta, GA now has a recording on their telephone line
          asking you not to send any more postcards)

     D.   try to warn people about the "Good Times" Virus (it's a
          hoax started on AOL in 1994) or any other email virus

     E.   try to warn people not to use a file called
          PKZIP300.EXE.  This bogus archive utility really WILL
          destroy your hard-drive, but PKWARE sent out warnings
          in 1995.

     F.   follow-up to any of these types of articles.  It's not
          necessary.  See the information on how to deal with Net
          Abuse in Question I.7 for more info.

     The only other types of articles that are frowned upon
     seriously are binary files (pictures).  Contrary to popular
     myth, the Usenet is NOT a complete and total anarchy.  There
     are rules which are adhered to on a voluntary basis by the
     system administrators who run the machines that connect to
     it.  Often these rules are enforced via connection contracts
     that stipulate what a "client" machine can and cannot send
     to various news groups.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What happens if I post something I shouldn't?

4. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
You may get flamed.

But if you post the pyramid scheme people will complain to your
Internet Service Provider (ISP), even if you try to fake your
account, and you may lose your account for that reason (but
that's between you and your provider).

Some unscrupulous people may mail-bomb you by sending your
article right back at you 1000 or 10,000 times.  Or they may
subscribe you to many mailing lists, rendering your account
unusable.  THESE ARE NOT PROPER RESPONSES TO USENET ABUSE, but
they happen and we cannot prevent people from declaring war on
you.

If you've read this far into the FAQ and you post one of the
above articles anyway, you're on your own and you'll get no
sympathy from the rest of us.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, but what if I want to post binary files SOMEPLACE?

5. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Hey, binary files are welcome on the Usenet!  Just make sure you
post to a news group with the word "binaries" or "pictures" in
it.  Then post an announcement here in alt.tv.hercules
telling us where to look.

The news group alt.binaries.multimedia.xena-herc was created
for fans of both HERCULES and XENA.  If your ISP does not carry
it, you should be able to request that they do.  You can also,
on many systems (and through many news readers) cross-post to
a non-local group if you post to a binaries group your ISP does
carry.  You should pick something appropriate, such as
alt.binaries.misc or alt.binaries.pictures.celebrities.

It's okay to cross-post to several binary groups, especially if
their names are in the alt.* hierarchy, since no alt.* group is
guaranteed to be carried by all servers (in fact, NO news group
is guaranteed to be carried by all servers).  In practice, it's
better to cross-post than to post to individual groups because
cross-posting saves space.  Posting the same article to many
different groups is called "spamming" and is frowned upon.

But there is a better option available for sharing your maps and
pictures: the World Wide Web!  Binary news groups have short
expiration periods because their articles take up so much disk
space.  Web pages that you design and own have NO expiration
periods.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
6. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What if I accidentally post something I don't want to?

6. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Don't panic.  Your news reader should have a CANCEL POST option
somewhere.  Just RELOAD OLD ARTICLES or CHECK NEW ARTICLES
without leaving the news group in your reader.  You should see
the article come up.  Just select that article and then pick
CANCEL POST.  Your news reader will send out a cancellation
advisory that may prevent your server from sending the article
out.  The cancellation advisory will be propagated by your server
if your article has already been sent out, so chances are no one
will ever see the article if you cancel it quickly.

Compuserve users don't presently have this option.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
7. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What is Net Abuse and where can I learn more about it?

7. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Net Abuse refers to any of several generally disapproved
practices, including use of faked addresses (not screen names --
as long as email can reach you, screen names are okay), posting
the same article to multiple news groups (this is called "spam"),
cross-posting off-topic articles to multiple news groups, posting
crude and malicious articles (such as defaming Jesus in a
Christian news group, or telling C programmers that BASIC rules
-- these are called "trolls"), or posting the same article dozens
of times, etc.

It is common to see "fake" addresses on articles.  As long as the
people posting the articles mind their manners otherwise, no one
really cares what they call themselves.  But using a fake address
may be a violation of your ISP's guidelines and service
agreement.  And if you try to hide behind a faked address in
order to flame someone, there are usually people who can track
you down from the information contained in the headers of your
articles, so you aren't likely to get away with anything.

The worst offenders are the trolls, the illegal pyramid schemes,
and heavily cross-posted off-topic articles.  In some cases you
can complain to an offender's ISP and that service provider will
send out a cancellation message that kills the thread on all the
machines where it's propagated (well, most of them).

There is also a group of volunteer system administrators who
regularly browse news groups on a random basis and send out
cancellation advisories, usually just to remove binary files, but
also to get rid of "spam" articles.  These folks will post an
advisory article telling the appropriate news groups what they
are doing and why.  Their activities are accepted Usenet practice
and they come as close as anyone to being monitors for Usenet
traffic.

There is a FAQ on net abuse that discusses many aspects of good
and bad Usenet behavior.  It also outlines accepted responses
used in handling abusive articles, and explains why other
practices (such as posting follow-up articles) are discouraged.

The FAQ is posted regularly to news.admin.net-abuse.misc and to
news.answers.  The FAQ explains where and how to report net abuse
or suspected abuse.

The net abuse group maintains several FAQs.  This FAQ is not
gauranteed to reflect the current views and information provided
in the net abuse FAQs.  The reader is advised to retrieve the net
abuse FAQs for more current and detailed information on net
abuse.

A master HTML version of the net abuse FAQ may be found at:
http://www.cybernothing.org/faqs/net-abuse-faq.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
I've seen another Hercules group.  Why are there two?

8. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
The original group was named alt.tv.hercules-legendary-journeys.
This group was rmgrouped -- its creation cancelled -- the day
after the original newgroup message was sent out.  It never
really had a chance to survive because the name violates Usenet
naming conventions (no more than 14 characters in each section).

Also, the group was not originally proposed and discussed in
alt.config, where interested system administrators could see
a legitimate interest in the group.

A second, also poorly named group, was created but it never
received the propagation that the first group did.  You'll
only find this other group on a very few servers.  There
appears to be no traffic in it.

In November of 1996, after more than a year of frustration with
trying to use the old group, several people discussed creating
alt.tv.hercules in alt.config.  The group was created in
December.  The old group continued to exist on a number of
servers, though, and it will always continue to exist in a
few places even though a consistent effort has been made to
advise system administrators of the new group's existence.

People who have the ability to do so are asked to cross-post
between the two major Hercules groups whenever possible as
a courtesy to those people who don't have both groups on
their feeds.  America Online Users do not have the ability
to honour cross-posts, so their portions of threads will
vanish from one group or the other.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
I read this FAQ on the Web (or by email) because I don't get
alt.tv.hercules.  What can I do?

9. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Point your Web browser to

The alt.tv.hercules Information Page.

You can read and post to the news group through several links
included on that page.
--------------------------END OF PART 1--------------------------
Archive-name: alt.tv.hercules/hfaq_2
Posting-Frequency: Bi-weekly
Last-modified: 1999/07/24
Version: 2.10
Copyright (c) 1999-1999 Julian Buczek
Copyright (c) 1997-1998 Michael L. Martinez
Maintainer: Julian Buczek 
URL: http://www.xenite.org/faqs/hercfaq.htm
     http://202.61.202.20/~buczek/faqs/alt.tv.hercules/
e-mail: herc-faq@xenite.org
        buczek@iname.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Section II.    About HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What is HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS?

1. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS (henceforth referred to as
H:TLJ) is a syndicated action/adventure series starring
Kevin Sorbo as Hercules, the legendary son of Zeus.   Kevin
originated the role in five Action Pack movies which aired in
1994.  The series was started in 1995 with a short first
season consisting of 13 episodes.

H:TLJ follows Hercules around the ancient (and mythical) world
of the Greeks and their neighbors circa 1200 BC.  A few of the
stories are based on Greek myths, but many of them simply
involve mythical creatures and characters, and in some cases
the plot lines and characters are completely independent of
Greek mythology.

In the fifth season (1998-9) Hercules is travelling beyond
ancient Greece.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
So who besides Kevin Sorbo stars in the show?

2. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Michael Hurst, who plays Herc's friend Iolaus, is the only
other actor to have star billing (from the third season on).
Other actors have recurring roles in the series, however.

Hurst, btw, has played more than one role.  He's also appeared
as Charon, the ferryman on the river Styx, and as King Orestes,
Iolaus' cousin.  He has also played a Jester Iolaus from an
alternate dimension.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
3. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
And who are the semi-regular actors?

3. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
This is an incomplete list.  Take a look at

BethD's Cast Index
for the most complete listing of actors.

Grant Bridger has played three characters: King
Augeus ("Reign of Terror"), Carris ("The
Power"), and a character in "Hercules and
the Underworld".  He has also appeared as
Sinteres in X:WP.

Bruce Campbell plays Autolycus, The King of Thieves.  To
date he has appeared in only one episode of H:TLJ but he
reprised the role in two episodes of X:WP and will be
appearing in H:TLJ a second time later in the
third season.

Brad Carpenter has appeared as Amphion in at least
two episodes.

Lisa Chappell has appeared in at least four roles but
is best known as Dirce, a princess who defended Iolaus
in "The King of Thieves" and who showed up as a guest
in "Alcmene's Wedding".  In two of the roles she was sort
of a love interest for Iolaus.  She also played one of
the daughters of Thespeus, a man from Athens, in the
movie "Hercules And The Circle Of Fire".

Andrea Croton plays Persephone, wife of Hades, in several
episodes.

Corey Everson has appeared three times as Atalanta, a
character based on the athletic princess of Greek myth.

Lisa Ann Hadley plays Niobe, wife of King Orestes,
and another (more serious) love interest for
Iolaus.

Teresa Hill plays Nemesis in two of three episodes,
but the role was originated by Karen Witter, and
lately Nemesis has been played by Kimberly Joseph.

Bridget Hoffman plays Echidna, the mother of all monsters.
She has appeared in three episodes so far.

Liddy Holloway plays Alcmene, although the role was
originated by Elizabeth Hawthorne in the first
season.  Kim Michalis and Jennifer Ludlum have
also played Alcmene.

Sam Jenkins has appeared in two roles in H:TLJ,
most recently in the three-part love story where
Hercules met and married Serena, last of the Golden
Hinds.  The character was killed in "Judgement Day",
the third part of the story.  Kara Zedeker played
Serena in a later episode, "The End of the Beginning",
in which Herc saved Serena but lost her to another
man completely.

Simone Kessel has played Rena, Iphicles' wife, in at least
two episodes and had roles in three of the Action Pack
movies.

Tawny Kitaen plays Deianeira, Herc's (now) dead wife.  She
co-starred in two of the Action Pack movies, but her
character was killed in "The Wrong Path", the series opener.

Lucy Lawless has played several roles in Hercules so
far: Lysia, an Amazon enforcer in "Hercules And The
Amazon Women"; Lyla in two series episodes; and
Xena in several series episodes.

Rose McIver has played Hercules' daughter Ilaya in
two of the Action Pack movies and in the episode
"When A Man Loves A Woman".

Paul McIver has played Hercules' son Aeson in two
of the Action Pack movies and in the episode
"When A Man Loves A Woman".

Kim Michalis has played Leah (the wife of Amphion)
in at least two episodes, the young Alcmene in one
of the Action Pack movies and two episodes of the
series, and a couple of other roles.

Peter Muller has appeared as Deric the Centaur in three
episodes.  Deric married a woman named Lyla, played by
Lucy Lawless, who went on to star in X:WP.  Although
Deric first tried to kill Hercules, he grew to respect
the hero and became his friend.

Mark Newnham has played three monsters: the giant
Antaeus in "Hercules and the Circle of Fire",
Ares in the first season episode "Ares",
and the mummy in the third season episode "Mummy
Dearest".

Paul Norell plays Falafel, the first (and worst) of the
fast food kings, although he can bake cakes and speak
true French.  He has appeared in at least three episodes
of H:TLJ and at least one episode of X:WP.

Willa O'Neill plays Phoebe, the daughter of Lycinas -- one
of the Argonauts -- and has appeared in two episodes.  She
also plays Lila, Gabrielle's sister on X:WP, and appeared
as Althea, a wannabe dancer, in another episode.

Anthony Quinn played Zeus in the five movies, but Peter
Vere Jones plays Zeus on the series (beginning with the
third season).

Tim Raby plays Archivus the Argonaut.  He has appeared in
at least two episodes.

Ted Raimi plays Joxer the Mighty.  He's a semi-regular
on X:WP who has appeared so far in one H:TLJ episode.

Glenn Shadix plays Typhon, a titan who was imprisoned
by Hera for a hundred years and freed by Hercules.
He is Echidna's husband and has appeared in two
episodes.  In the fourth season opener, "Beanstalks
and Bad Eggs", Glenn plays Typhoon, Typhon's
twin brother.

Karen Sheperd played the first Enforcer in two episodes.
She was sent by Hera to replace Nemesis and destroy
Hercules.  After Hercules destroyed her, she appeared
in Hades' realm and languished there until Herc helped
her win a reprieve.

Kevin Smith plays two of Hercules' half-brothers: Iphicles,
Herc's mortal half-brother, and Ares, God of War.  Iphicles
was introduced in the first season episode "What Is In A
Name?".  The role of Ares was handled by different actors
or special effects (computer animation) in the first season
of H:TLJ, but Kevin became the definitive Arean actor
through his work on XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS, a spinoff
series (henceforth referred to as X:WP).

John Sumner plays Domesticles the Argonaut in at least two
episodes and a couple of other roles.

Jeffrey Thomas plays Jason, leader of the Argonauts,
and King of Corinth (until he marries Alcmene).  He
has appeared in several episodes.

Erik Thomson plays Hades, God of the other side.  He has
appeared in several episodes of both H:TLJ and X:WP.  He
also played King Daulin in the first season episode,
"The Vanishing Dead".

Gina Torres plays Nebula, a Sumerian princess and
adventurer (pirate) with whom Hercules and Iolaus
have occasionally joined forces.

Robert Trebor plays Salmoneus, an enterprising businessman
well ahead of his time.  Salmoneus was introduced in the
first season of the series.  Robert has also played
a French rogue, Francois, of the 18th century in a third
season clips episode.  He almost played Salmoneus' sister,
Galmoneus, but the idea apparently was squashed.

Alexandra Tydings plays Herc's beachy half-sister,
Aphrodite, in a role that has appeared in both H:TLJ and
X:WP.

Karl Urban has played Cupid, son of Aphrodite, in
one episode of H:TLJ and two episodes of X:WP.  He also
plays Julius Caesar on both series.

Susan Ward played Psyche, the girl Cupid fell in love
with and married.  She has appeared only once so far
as I know but is a regular on the NBC daytime drama,
SUNSET BEACH.  Psyche's voice has been heard on an
episode of XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Where in Hercules' life do the shows take up?

4. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Well, you can't judge by Greek myth.  There is so little
correlation between the television series and what was
recorded about the mythical Heracles of the Greeks.

However, based on Kevin Sorbo's age, Herc appears to be
in his mid-30s.  This observation is borne out by numerous
references to Herc's earlier adventures (prior to the
movies).  It appears that the Twelve Labors are behind
Hercules (this was implied in the third season episode
"Reign of Terror").  See also Question 17.


In YOUNG HERCULES, he is still young enough that he has
not had to perform the Twelve Labors yet.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
The Iolaus of Greek myth was Hercules' nephew (the son of
Iphicles, in fact).  Is the series' Iolaus related to Herc?

5. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Not that I've seen so far.  We've met Iolaus' father and
grandmother and neither have had any connection to Herc's
family.  They even lived in a different area than Thebes,
where Herc's family comes from.

Iolaus' father was named Skouros.  Skouros' mother was
Leandra. Skouros became a great general and died fighting
in a war somewhere.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
6. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Who, besides Iphicles and Alcmene, have we met of Hercules'
relatives?

6. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Hercules' cousin Ilorin from Parthis appeared in "The Gauntlet",
the episode in which Xena lost her army and joined Hercules in
fighting her former comrades.  Ilorin's mother (Herc's aunt)
was mentioned but did not appear.  They lived in a village which
was some distance from Thebes.

On the Olympian side, we've met Zeus, Hera, Ares, Aphrodite,
Hades, Persephone (Herc's aunt-by-marriage), Cupid (Aphrodite's
son), Athena, and Hephaestus (Aphrodite's husband).

In the fourth season episode, "Two Men And A Baby", the
question of whether Hercules is the father of Nemesis'
baby arises.

Other relatives include:
-- the Minotaur, one of Zeus' many other children, killed by
   Hercules
-- Jason, Herc's stepfather (he married Alcmene)
-- Demeter, mother of Persephone, is Zeus' sister
-- Psyche, Cupid's wife
-- Athena
-- Hephaestus
-- Aphrodite also has a human son, Deon, who was introduced in
   the episode titled, "The Power"
-- Iphicles' wife is named Rena, and they have at least one child
-----------------------------------------------------------------
7. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
There seem to be a lot of Centaurs in H:TLJ.  Why?

7. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
One of the elements taken from Greek myth is Hercules' close
association with Centaurs.  He was taught by a Centaur named
Chiron and accepts their friendship easily.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
How are the Centaurs done?

8. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
>From what I've been told, the centaur "effects" are achieved
through a combination of prosthetic attachments the actors
wear (usually you can tell when they wear these devices by
the jerky movements they force the actors to make), careful
shots of horse legs and rear ends, and computer technology.

For what it's worth, the prosthetic attachment worn by Sam
Jenkins when she played the Golden Hind was more convincing
than the Centaur prosthetics because the Hind's stature was
better suited to a human than a Centaur's.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Is H:TLJ aimed toward a younger, less mature audience than X:WP?

9. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Many people feel this is so.  Some of the episodes have had a
childlike perspective (especially third season eps like
"Monster Child In The Promised Land" and "The Lady and The
Dragon").  But H:TLJ has also taken on some pretty mature
themes, including murder, justice (as opposed to vengeance),
racial conflicts (metaphorically, through Centaur-Human
conflicts, and less metaphorically), respect for individuals,
self-esteem issues, and the consequences of uncontrolled
power.  All of these themes can be presented in either a
mature or less-mature fashion.

In an interview published in late 1997, Robert Bielak, one
of the Renaissance producers, admitted the show had veered
away from the mature audience and that the fourth season
would be darker in an attempt to keep that portion of the
viewing audience interested.

The fifth season definitely has started out on a much
darker note and is exploring Hercules' darker side.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
10. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
So what are the primary differences between H:TLJ and X:WP?

10. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
You'll get as many answers to that question as you'll find
people to discuss it.  However, two key elements are present
in X:WP which are not present in H:TLJ, and at least one
key element is present in H:TLJ which is not present in
X:WP.

Hercules, being the son of a god, has a peculiar insight
into the gods and the ways they act.  He can see them
when mortals don't, and he is able to confront them and
their servants regularly.  Even Xena tries not to get
involved with gods if she can avoid it.

Xena, on the other hand, is undertaking a redemptive
journey which does not necessarily promise to deliver
her to an eternal reward of peace and beauty.  Her
dark past comes back to haunt her in various ways.

And Xena has a unique relationship with Gabrielle.  The
bi-sexual subtext (acknowledged by the show's producers
and actors) of X:WP is simply not present in H:TLJ.  You
do not have to believe that Xena and Gabrielle are lovers,
but there is no reason to believe that Hercules and
Iolaus are more than just friends.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
11. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
What differences are there between H:TLJ and YOUNG HERCULES?

11. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
This author is not well-versed with YOUNG HERCULES, but it appears
that general consistency between the two series is not to be
looked for.  In one episode of YOUNG HERCULES, Hephaestus falls
from the sky and meets Hercules, who eventually recognizes him
as a god.  This Hephaestus is much too young to be the same
Hephaestus who fell in love with Leandra, the grandmother of
Iolaus, and sentenced her village to fifty years of
non-existence.

Perhaps the most notable discrepancy is that Jason, who appears
to be so much older than Hercules on H:TLJ, is not much older
than him in YOUNG HERCULES.

Other discrepancies have been noticed by fans who watch both
shows regularly.

On the other hand, some characters, such as Ares, Discord, and
Strife, are played by the same actors on both series.  The young
Jason is played by Chris Conrad and the young Iolaus is played
by Dean O'Gorman on both series.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
12. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where is the show filmed?

12. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
Auckland, New Zealand on a tract of 70 acres of land.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
13. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Where is the show being broadcast?

13. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
I don't know all the markets in which Hercules is being shown,
but presently I can confirm that it is, has been, or will be
distributed in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany,
the Netherlands, New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Poland.
News reports indicate the show is distributed to more than 60
countries now.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
14. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is it true that a network is broadcasting the series?

14. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
The USA Cable Network airs HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS
at 6:00 PM Eastern Time from Monday through Friday. YOUNG
HERCULES airs on Fox Family Network from Tuesday through
Saturday in a morning time slot.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
15. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
What do you know about the actresses who play the Enforcers?

15. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
This is a summary of an article posted to alt.tv.xena by
Sean  on March 16, 1997:

Karen Sheperd (the "Water Enforcer") and Cynthia Rothrock
(the "Fire Enforcer") are both championship winning martial
artists who have appeared in several films.  Rothrock
actually has appeared in numerous films and is a more
accomplished martial artist.

Sheperd appeared in H:TLJ first, and reprised her role in
the episode which introduced Rothrock as the second
Enforcer.  The Fire Enforcer appears to be more powerful
than the Water Enforcer.

You can find out more about Cynthia Rothrock at:

this Web site.

You can read an interview with Karen Sheperd at:

this Web site.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
16. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
What is YOUNG HERCULES?

16. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
In early 1997 Kevin Sorbo mentioned in an interview with TV
GUIDE magazine that a television movie, "Young Hercules", was
being filmed or scheduled.  If the movie proved successful,
plans for a new series based on the movie would follow.

In September, 1997, Universal Television Enterprises, Inc.
issued a press release indicating that YOUNG HERCULES is
being released direct to video in January 1998.  A more
recent press release indicates a February 17 release date.

Fox Family Network (formerly Fox Kids Network) has
contracted for 50 episodes of YOUNG HERCULES, the
television series.  The show is a half-hour live-action
format.  Ryan Gosling plays Hercules, Dean O'Gorman plays
Iolaus, and Chris Conrad plays Jason.

Young Hercules is studying in Chiron's academy in or near
the city of Corinth, where Jason is now the king.
There is also a warrior girl named Yvenaa who has
a mysterious past she wishes to put behind her.

The 3rd episode of the 4th H:TLJ season, "Regrets I've Had
A Few", introduces a young Hercules and Iolaus.  The young
Hercules is played by Ian Bohen and the young Iolaus is played
by Dean O'Gorman. Ian Bohen starred as Hercueles in the
movie but decided not to play the role in the series.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
17. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Which is Herc's home town: Thebes or Corinth?

17. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
Beats me.  Sometimes it seems to be Thebes and sometimes it
seems to be Corinth.  Jason was king of Argos in one episode
and King of Corinth in another.  In "Atlantis", Herc says
"I don't think I'm in Corinth any more."  Corinth seems to
be the city Hercules is now most closely associated with.
He must have been off performing the Twelve Labors when Xena
attacked Corinth, and one must wonder why Herc didn't recognize
her name when he met Xena in "The Warrior Princess".
-----------------------------------------------------------------
18. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
How close to the original stories does the series come?

18. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
Not very close but there are numerous connections between
the movies, the series and Greek mythology.  Some events
are revisited in one way or another, or retold in more than
one way.

There have been references to the fifty daughters of King
Thespius at least four times: once in "Hercules and the Circle
of Fire" when a rich man from Athens named Thespias and his
three daughters stayed in the same inn with Herc -- the daughters
climbed into bed with him; once each in two first seasons
episodes, although it was Salmoneus who took care of all fifty
daughters' needs; and they appeared again in "Alcmene's
Wedding", apparently dissatisfied with Salmoneus' attentions.

The Argonauts have appeared more than once.  The first episode,
"Once A Hero", reunites them ten years after the voyage of the
Argo.  Most of the survivors die in this episode.

With respect to the Twelve Labors, the following references
occur.  Note that no mention of Megara and the children
she bore Hercules in the legends is made either in the
movies or the series.  In fact, we don't know WHY the Hercules
of television had to perform the labors:

LABOR 2: In "Hercules and the Amazon Women", he and Iolaus
find the hydra and kill it (using fire).  However, this
Hydra did not have an immortal head.  And Iolaus ran into
another Hydra in "Pride Cometh Before A Brawl".

LABOR 3: Hercules was sent to bring bag a stag with golden
horns, sometimes referred to as the golden hind (the pelt
of which figured in subsequent Greek legends).  The closest
connection is the "Serena Trilogy" of the third season, in
which Hercules goes to Ceronea to help save the last of the
golden hinds -- immortal creatures whose blood can kill
even the Olympian gods.  Zeus killed all but Serena so their
blood could not be used against him.

LABOR 4: In the third season episode "The End of the Beginning",
Hercules travels back in time to the day when Zeus kills the
golden hinds.  Ares meets him and comments that the Hercules
of that time is off hunting the boar of Mount Erymanthus.

LABOR 5: In the third season episode "Reign of Terror" Hercules
and Salmoneus go to Elis to visit Palamedes, the stableman
for King Augeus.  Salmoneus wants to sell manure from the
stabled Hercules cleaned with two rivers.

LABOR 6: In the first season episode "The Road To Calydon",
Hercules confronts the Stymphalian Bird -- the connection
appears to be only in the name.

LABOR 9:  Hercules met and fell in love with Hippolyta, the
Amazon queen, in "Hercules and the Amazon Women" but her
girdle was not mentioned and this was not described as one
of the labors.  Hera did incite the Amazons to attack him.

LABOR 11: No mention is made of Atlas and the Hesperides, but
golden apples are apparently the fruit of the Tree of Life,
which grows in the Labyrinth of the Gods, where Hercules
trapped Callisto in the third season episode "Surprise".

LABOR 12: In "Hercules and the Underworld", Hercules meets
Hades and must help recover Cerberus.  This does not appear
to be one of the labors.  Hercules meets Cerberus again in
a first season episode, "The Other Side", when he goes to
rescue Persephone.

In "Hercules and the Circle of Fire" he fights the giant
Antaeus, son of Gaia, and kills him in a manner similar to
that in the myth.

In "Hercules and the Lost Kingdom" he rescues a girl named
Deianeira from a sea serpent, killing the creature, and
taking her to her city of Troy (or Troi).  The movie does
not end quite the way the story does, and Hera is said to
be the motivating god, not Poseidon.

Hercules freed Prometheus in "Hercules and the Circle of
Fire" and in the X:WP episode "Prometheus".  Neither
portrayal was very close to the original story, but the
X:WP episode did have Prometheus chained to a peak.

In "Hercules and the Underworld" a beautiful maiden, Iole,
comes seeking his help.  There is no mention of King
Eurytis or Hercules' conquest of Eurytis city (from which
the Iole of myth was taken captive).  However, Deianeira,
encouraged by the lies of the lustful centaur Nessus,
followed Hercules and Iole.  When Nessus tried to take her,
she cried out and Hercules killed Nessus.  As he lay dying
he told Deianeira to soak her cloak in his blood, much as
in the myth.  Hercules took the cloak at he urging and
Deianeira returned home.  When he finally put it on, the
cloak burned Hercules and he leaped into the pit leading
to the underworld.  Deianeira ended up killing herself,
but Hercules brought her back from the dead (unlike in
the myth -- he burned himself and so became a god).

The Hercules of Greek myth is portrayed as rageful and not
very clever, but this seems to be an error of judgement
since he resolved the Twelve Labors (which were deemed
impossible).  The Hercules portrayed by Kevin Sorbo seldom
loses his temper, rarely kills, and is constantly using
his wits to defeat his enemies.  There are distinct
differences between the two Hercules, but Sorbo's rendition
is not entirely unfaithful to the Greek legends.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
19. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is Iolaus really dead?

19. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
Iolaus dies in the fifth season opening episode, "Faith".
He appears again as a spirit in the third episode, "Resurrection".
Long range plans include having Michael Hurst continue to appear
in the series.  And it is a long running joke that death doesn't
mean anything in the Hercules/Xenaverse.

It has lately been reported that Michael Hurst has confessed that
Iolaus has given himself to Dahak.  Long range plans apparently
are to have Iolaus' soul redeemed so he can go to the Elysian
Fields.  Michael continues to direct and occasionally appear
in episodes and will play the "jester" Iolaus from the alternate
world, who will become Hercules' new friend and sidekick.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Section III.  About Kevin Sorbo's Movies
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
How many of the original Action Pack movies were there?

1. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Five.  Their titles were:

     "Hercules And The Amazon Women"
     "Hercules And The Lost Kingdom"
     "Hercules And The Circle of Fire"
     "Hercules And The Underworld"
     "Hercules And The Maze of the Minotaur"
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Other than Deianeira, did anyone else appear in the movies who
also appears in the series?

2. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Michael Hurst played Iolaus in "Hercules and the Amazon Women"
and "Hercules and the Maze of the Minotaur".

Renee O'Connor who plays Gabrielle in X:WP, played a
princess Deianeira (not the Deianeira Herc married)
in "Hercules And The Lost Kingdom".

Robert Trebor played a slave named Weylin in
"Lost Kingdom" as well.

Lisa Chappell played a woman who snuck into bed with Hercules
in "Hercules And The Circle of Fire".

Lucy Lawless appeared in "Hercules And the Amazon Women" as an
Amazon.

Numerous secondary actors had bit parts in various movies and
have reappeared in the series.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
3. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Is there any connection between the Action Pack movies
and earlier Hercules movies?

3. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
No.  The Action Pack movies pretty much started out on
their own.  However, Steve Reeves will be guest-starring
in a fourth season episode of H:TLJ if that can be arranged.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Where can I get the movies on tape?

4. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
The first four movies have been released on video tape by
Universal Home Video.  The last movie had many clips from
the first four in it and probably will not be released.  In the
United States you should be able to buy them just about anywhere.
I've seen them on sale at Wal-Mart, for instance.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Will the movies be shown on the USA Network?

5. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
I don't know.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
6. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
I heard another movie was being made.  Is this the Disney movie?

6. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
No.  The Disney movie is completely separate from the Renaissance
Pictures production.  The animated movie that is connected with
the Kevin Sorbo series is called "Hercules And Xena: The Animated
Movie -- The Battle For Mount Olympus" and was originally due out
on HOME VIDEO the Fall of 1997.

Universal Home Video is producing this full-length feature film.
It stars Kevin Sorbo and Lucy Lawless.  The target audience is
children up to 9 years of age.  Universal Home Video also produces
the highly successful "Land Before Time" videos, so you may be
able to judge the quality of animation (and perhaps the maturity
of the story) by those videos -- but these movies are aimed at
a much younger audience.

The movie is scheduled for release on January 6, 1998.

Some of the other actors in H:TLJ and X:WP also have roles in
the movie.  Kevin Smith reprises the role of Ares, Alexandra
Tydings plays Aphrodite, Ted Raimi plays a titan, Lucy Lawless
plays Xena, Renee O'Connor plays Gabrielle, and Michael
Hurst plays Iolaus.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
7. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What can you tell me about "Kull the Conqueror"?

7. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
This movie was produced by Raffaela de Laurentiis, the daughter
of Dino de Laurentiis, who produced the movies "Conan the
Barbarian", "Conan the Destroyer", and "Red Sonja".  Conan and
Kull are pulp fiction characters created by Robert E. Howard
(1900-36) and popularized in the 1960s - 80s by a series
of books containing original story reprints, pastiches, and
new stories by authors such as L. Sprague de Camp, Lin Carter,
Robert Jordan, and others.  Marvel comics published several
series based on these characters, and Red Sonja was invented
by Marvel to be a female Conan counterpart.

The movie "Kull the Conqueror" was originally intended to
be a third Conan movie, but Arnold Schwarzeneggar (who
starred in the Conan movies and played a Conan-like
character in "Red Sonja") apparently did not want to do
it.  Eventually it was adapted for Kull with technical
advice from L. Sprague de Camp.

The story is loosely based on the only full-length Conan
novel Howard ever wrote, originally titled THE HOUR OF
THE DRAGON, retitled CONAN THE CONQUEROR.  The movie was
originally to be called "Conan the Conqueror".

Tia Carrere plays a 3,000 year old sorceress (a man in
the book) who is revived by dissidents seeking to dethrone
Kull.  This much is derived from the Conan story.  The rest
of the movie plot is a pastiche of several Kull stories
and some new material introducing a love interest for Kull.

The movie was filmed in Austria and parts of the Balkans
in 1996 while Kevin was on hiatus from H:TLJ.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What can you tell me about "Black Dog"?

8. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Kevin Sorbo was to star in this movie, which was produced in
1997.  However, prior to the start of filming Kevin fell ill
with an aneurysm. Although he was released in time to work
on the movie when shooting began in late September, 1997,
Kevin was hospitalized after only two days of filming.
He apparently decided that five years of working non-stop
was too much and elected to withdraw from the
movie so that he could rest and concentrate on H:TLJ.
Patrick Swayze took over the role and the movie was released
in 1998.  However, it appears to have been a dud and it may
be that Kevin's career would not have been well-served by
his staying with the role.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Has Kevin appeared in any other movies?

9. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
He's been around for quite a while, but so far I've only
heard of the movies "Aspen" starring Sam Elliot and Perry
King and "Slaughter of the Innocents" (Kevin plays John
Wilson).

In a press release, Universal Television Enterprises indicates
Kevin also appeared in a pilot for "Critical Condition" for
the NBC Television network.

He has had guest roles in other television series such as
"Cybil", "Murder, She Wrote", and "The Commish".  Kevin
has also appeared in numerous television commercials around
the world for products like Budweiser, Diet Coke, Lexus,
BMW, and Jim Beam.

He tried out for the starring role of "Lois and Clark" but
Dean Cain was picked over Kevin.  Reference was made to
this in the episode "...And Fancy Free."
----------------------------END OF PART 2------------------------
Archive-name: alt.tv.hercules/hfaq_3
Posting-Frequency: Bi-weekly
Last-modified: 1999/07/24
Version: 2.10
Copyright (c) 1999-1999 Julian Buczek
Copyright (c) 1997-1998 Michael L. Martinez
Maintainer: Julian Buczek 
URL: http://www.xenite.org/faqs/hercfaq.htm
     http://202.61.202.20/~buczek/faqs/alt.tv.hercules/
email: herc-faq@xenite.org
       buczek@iname.com

-----------------------------------------------------------------
Section IV.    Personal Information About the Stars
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, what are the personal stats on Kevin?

1. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
He was born on September 24, 1958.  He is 6'3" and weighs about
215 pounds.  On January 5, 1998, Kevin married his girlfriend
Sam Jenkins.  This is the first marriage for both.

Kevin and Sam presently live in New Zealand although they also
maintain a house in the western United States.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
And what about Michael Hurst?

2. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Michael is married to a New Zealand actress named Jennifer
Ward-Leland (she is actually better known there than he is).
They have a son, Jack Louis Ward Hurst, born January 25, 1997.
Michael was born on September 20, 1957.  He is 5'7", weighs
about 157 pounds, and is an accomplished Shakespearean actor.
He also choreographs some of the fights and has directed several
episodes of X:WP and H:TLJ.

Michael will be directed more in the 1997-8 season.  He has
directed the movie, "Amazon Nation" (formerly titled "Amazon
High"), for Renaissance Pictures.

Some of Michael's acting credits include:
TYPHON'S PEOPLE, a NZ TV mini-series also starring Lucy
Lawless, 1993
"Desperate Remedies", a NZ genre film, 1993
"The Footstep Man", 1992, Michael played Touluse-Lautrec
"Dangerous Orphans", NZ, 1985
"Death warmed up", TV,  Aus/NZ 1985
"Prisoner", aka 'Prisoner: Cell Block H' TV, 1978

He's appeared in a number of NZ commercials and stage productions.
Perhaps the most talked-about commercial was for a New Zealand
beer where Michael sort of walked on the set and got a part.
The actors allegedly imbibed a little too much of the product.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
3. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Why is Kevin sometimes not in the show?  Isn't he the star?

3. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Kevin occasionally travels during season production periods, and
Michael is given the task of carrying the show in Kevin's
absence.  This happened in "King for A Day" and "Long Live The
King", as well as in "Beauty And The Beast" and "The Lost City".

On one occasion Kevin was away on a promotional tour with Lucy
Lawless.  In the Fall of 1996, however, Kevin was in Austria,
filming "Kull The Conqueror".  In the fall of 1997 Kevin went
to Atlanta, GA to film the movie "Black Dog."

Kevin signed a three-picture deal with Universal Pictures.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
I heard Kevin was in the hospital.  What happened?

4. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
The week of September 5-12, 1997, Kevin was hospitalized with
an aneurysm in his left arm.  Rumors and news reports suggested
he had vision and blood clot problems.  However, doctors
announced that the condition was one which many athletes incur
and Kevin was expected to make a full recovery.

Unfortunately Kevin was hospitalized a few weeks later soon
after beginning work on the movie "Black Dog", and apparently
decided not to finish the movie to give himself a chance to
fully heal from the aneurism before returning to H:TLJ in
November, 1997.

In late October, it was announced that Kevin would not be
returning to the set of H:TLJ until December, apparently
because it was taking longer for him to recover than expected.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
In some of the episodes Iolaus is wearing a splint.  Why?

5. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
According to Robert Weisbrot's book HERCULES: THE LEGENDARY
JOURNEYS, THE OFFICIAL COMPANION (ISBN 0-385-32529-X), Michael
Hurst broke his wrist while filming a crossover X:WP episode
called "Prometheus".  When he returned to work on
H:TLJ, the episode "Cast A Giant Shadow" was altered
so that a warlord's soldiers broke Iolaus' arm.  Hence, he
was justified in wearing a splint for the rest of the episode
and subsequent episodes until his arm healed.

In at least one scene Iolaus stops in the midst of a fight,
looks at his wrist, and changes tactics to adjust for the
presence of the splint.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
6. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Have there been other injuries?

6. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
In any action/adventure series or movie there is a good chance
that people will get hurt.  Kevin Sorbo was injured on his head
filming one episode.  The next week he was filming a fight scene
with Lucy Lawless and she accidentally reopened the wound when
she hit him with a sword.  He required 17 stitches but no
permanent harm was done.  The actors take it in stride.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
7. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Who is Kevin Sorbo's wife/girlfriend and why do people talk
about her so much?

7. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Sam Jenkins is Kevin's wife.  They met in New Zealand when
she appeared in the third season episode "Prince Hercules".
It was apparently at this time that Kevin and Sam started dating.
He arranged for her to play the role of Serena, the last Golden
Hind, in the three part story shown in "Encounter", "When A Man
Loves A Woman", and "Judgement Day".  Sam was not available to
reprise the role in "The End Of The Beginning" but she and Kevin
were still an item when this episode was being filmed.

On Monday, January 5, 1998, Kevin and Sam got married in a
private ceremony.  He continues to live and work in New
Zealand, visiting the United States whenever possible.  Sam
moved to New Zealand after she married Kevin and both will
be returning to the United States when the show finishes
filming at the end of July '99.

As for why people talk about her, the reasons are many.  It's
typical for fans to take an interest in stars' love lives, but
perhaps atypical that Kevin arranged for Sam to play a major
role on his series.  Opinions on Sam's acting ability varied
when the trilogy was first shown, but fans who have met her
generally have only positive things to say about her.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What's this about Sorbo Park?

8. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Kevin's home town of Mound, MN (a suburb of Minneapolis) named
a park after him in September 1997.  Kevin and Sam showed up
for the dedication ceremony and he presented the mayor with
the sword from "The Sword of Veracity".
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Are there any fan clubs?

9. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Yes.  Fan clubs for Kevin, the show, Michael, Robert Trebor,
Kevin Smith, Lucy Lawless, and Hudson Leick exist.  The
clubs most closely related with H:TLJ are:

  Kevin Sorbo International Fan Club
  PO Box 410
  Buffalo Center IA 50424
  mailto:sorbofanclub@worldnet.att.net

  Hercules: The Legendary Journeys
  c/o Creation Entertainment
  411 N. Central Avenue
  Suite #300
  Glendale, CA 91203

  mailto:outback@primenet.com

  Michael Hurst Fan Club
  P. O. BOX 49622
  Algood, TN 38506

  Palindrome Pals
  The Official International Robert Trebor Fan Club
  3352 Broadway Blvd Suite 538
  Garland, TX 75043

  mailto:palindromepals@cyberramp.net

For a more complete list of fan clubs and contact addresses,
check out XENA ONLINE RESOURCES at
http://www.xenite.org/xenaonln.htm.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Section V.    Miscellaneous
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
You've made reference to XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS several times.
What's the exact connection?

1. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
There are *many* connections.  :)

Xena was introduced as a villain in the first season of H:TLJ.
The role was originated by Lucy Lawless but only because of
an unusual chain of events.  Lucy played an Amazon warrior,
Lysia (Queen Hippolyta's enforcer) in "Hercules And The Amazon
Women".  She then played Lyla, the wild girl who fell in
love with Deric the Centaur in the first season episode
"As Darkness Falls".  In this ep, too, Lyla played a bit
of a villain, giving Hercules a poison which blinded him.

When the producers needed their warrior princess, however,
the actress they had hired became ill, and since Lucy was
more-or-less avaiable, they brought her in.  The audience
response was overwhelming (or, at least, good enough to warrant starting a series).

The introductory episode was called "The Warrior Princess",
and Lucy reprised the role in "The Gauntlet" and its
sequel "Unchained Heart".  The season ended with this last
episode and XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS started as H:TLJ began
its second season.

There have been some cross-overs between the shows, and the
continuity has been pretty carefully maintained.  Hercules
and Xena were at one time lovers, but now seem to be only
just friends (in "Judgement Day" she tells him, "The time
when we could have been together is long past").  Nonetheless,
there is a strong bond between the characters because
Hercules was instrumental in converting Xena from evil to
good (although Salmoneus also played a key part).

There is also a relationship between Xena and Iolaus.  She
seduced him in "The Warrior Princess" in order to trick
him into killing Hercules.  Iolaus fell really hard (the
relationship lasted for more than just a few days) and he
was quite bitter over the experience.  It took some
persuasion to get him to tolerate Xena as an ally.  Xena
has on at least one occasion expressed doubt or uncertainty
about Iolaus' feelings for her.

Characters who have crossed over from one series to the other
include Hercules, Iolaus, Xena, Gabrielle, Autolycus, Salmoneus,
Hades, and Ares.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
2. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
What is Graegus?

2. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Ares' pet, a sort of dog-like monster that was used in 2 or 3
episodes in the first season.  Graegus has not reappeared in
the second or third seasons but could always be waiting in
the wings.  The monster was created with computer animation.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
3. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Why do there appear to be so few fans of the show on the Internet?

3. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
A lot of the original Hercules fans have become dedicated Xenites.
However, there is indeed a strong and loyal following for H:TLJ
which is forming its own character.  You will meet a few here in
alt.tv.hercules, but they also get together in other discussion
media.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
4. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
So where else do they hang out?

4. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Several places.

NOTE: These discussion group references are outdated.  Fans have
congregated on several new Web sites since the Netforum was shut down
in 2001.  Check out
The Hercules forum at SF-FANDOM.

MCA/Universal maintains a NetForum at their Hercules web site
(there is also one for Xena).  You can join the NetForum by
visiting http://www.universalstudios.com/tv.hercules.  However,
many fans are not happy with the way the Netforum is structured.

Some fans of the show post to alt.tv.xena.  They were originally
active in alt.tv.hercules-legendary-journeys, or never found
a Hercules news group.

Fans of Bruce Campbell have two news groups:
alt.fan.bruce-campbell and alt.tv.brisco-county.
The first group welcomes discussions of Bruce's work in H:TLJ
and X:WP.

Fans of Hudson Leick have the alt.fan.hudson-leick group.
She has appeared mostly in X:WP but made one visit to
H:TLJ in the episode "Surprise".

Some Herkuleans hang out in rec.arts.sf.tv as well.

Some fans post messages on the Hercules Message Board, which
you can find at
http://bbs2.iguide.com:8086/television/hercules/msg_index.html.
The message board is pretty easy to use, although it seems to
give false error messages on the posted messages.

Other fans participate in Hercules chat rooms.  You can find
more information about these in XENA ONLINE RESOURCES (see
below for details).

Some fans post to Compuserve's SFMEDTWO forum, which has a
Herc/Xena section.  Discussions there are about evenly split
between the shows.

There are a couple of Hercules chats on America Online.  I
don't have the information handy here but you can look up
some of it in XENA ONLINE RESOURCES.

And some discussion about Kevin occurs in alt.fantasy.conan,
although not all the Robert E. Howard fans are thrilled with
the idea of Kevin playing Kull.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
5. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Is there any Fan Fiction out there?

5. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
I believe there is more fanfic for XENA than for HERCULES, but
you should be able to find some on the XENA ONLINE RESOURCES
fanfic page.  See below for details.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
6. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, what is XENA ONLINE RESOURCES?

6. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
It was originally a FAQ I wrote for alt.tv.xena listing all the
web sites I could find for people who kept asking where all the
fanfic and web sites were.

Now XENA ONLINE RESOURCES is a web site, located at
http://www.xenite.org/xenaonln.htm.  You can find pages there
for Xena Web Sites, Bruce Campbell Web Sites, Gabrielle
Web Sites, Callisto Web Sites, and sites for Salmoneus, Iolaus,
Ares, and Joxer (a Xena character who has so far crossed over
to Herc one time).

-----------------------------------------------------------------
7. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do I have to browse the entire site just to find the Herc URLs?

7. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
No.  You should be able to link directly to various pages.  Try
these links:

Bruce Campbell Web Sites
http://www.xenite.org/xor/wwwbruce.htm

Salmoneus, Iolaus, Ares, and Joxer Web Sites
http://www.xenite.org/xor/salmiola.htm

Hercules and Xena Fan Fiction Web Sites
http://www.xenite.org/xor/fanfic.htm

Where To Find Tapes, Episode Summaries, and Disclaimers
http://www.xenite.org/xor/guides.htm

Classical Info And Mythology Web Sites
http://www.xenite.org/xor/classics.htm

For your easy reference, the main URL for XENA ONLINE
RESOURCES is: http://www.xenite.org/xenaonln.htm
-----------------------------------------------------------------
8. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Is this FAQ on the Web somewhere?

8. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
http://www.xenite.org/faqs/hercfaq.htm contains the latest
version of this document.

Other FAQs on the Web include:

Check out Hebea's NetForum reference Page at:
http://205.216.138.19/~websites/zeus/hebea.html

And also take a look at Hercules NetForum Page By Dwind'l:
http://205.216.138.19/~websites/zeus/forum.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
9. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are there any other FAQs I can look at?

9. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
p.hilling@bigfoot.com posts the alt.tv.xena FAQ in five parts.
It contains some information about H:TLJ.  The FAQ is archived
on Dejanews (http://www.dejanews.com/) and is posted about
once a month.  You can also find this FAQ at

this location.

You can also look for the WorldFAQ titled "The World of Hercules
and Xena", which is posted to alt.fan.created-worlds, this
new group, the Xena news groups, and a couple of others.
 You can also look at "Where To Find The FAQs" on XENA ONLINE
RESOURCES, which lists nearly all the FAQs now and provides
links to any which are available on the Web or by email.

The direct URL is:

here.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
10. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Why isn't there a HERCULES ONLINE RESOURCES?

10. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~~
There WAS the HERCULES ULTIMATE GUIDE .  It has been discontinued.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
11. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Why are there two young Hercules actors?

11. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
Ian Bohen was originally scheduled to play Young Hercules on
both series and in the movie.  But he apparently decided not
to stay with the role for YOUNG HERCULES, so the role was
recast and Ryan Gosling was given the job.  By that time, Ian
had already filmed the movie and several fourth season episodes
of H:TLJ.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
12. QUESTION
~~~~~~~~~~~
Who contributed to this document?

12. ANSWER
~~~~~~~~~
This FAQ was written by Michael Martinez (Michael@xenite.org).

Julian Buczek is know in charge of the FAQ as Michael does not
have the time to update it.

Some information was adapted from Hebea's NetForum Reference
Page, the alt.tv.xena FAQ, and the Whoosh! Episode Guide.

Contributions were made (knowingly or otherwise) by:
Aethelrede (Aethelrede@worldnet.att.net)
Alleigh (rogue2@airmail.net)
Ceallach (Ceallach@worldnet.att.net)
B.A. Gilbert (gilbertb@world.std.com)
Owlharp (owlharp@aol.com)
PonyG1 (ponyg1@aol.com)
Sean (galvin@erols.com)
Sue (andulasia@yahoo.com)
Tim Smith (tim.smith@omnidssi.com)
Virgilio 'Dean' B. Velasco Jr. (vbv@pris.EEAP.CWRU.Edu)
Angela Lesa Wheaton (angela.wheaton@snet.net)
----------------------------END OF FAQ---------------------------
--
 ____ Julian Buczek|buczek@dns.au.com
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