A season finale (British English: last in the series; Australian English: season final) is the final episode of a season of a television program. This is often the final episode to be produced for a few months or longer, and, as such, will try to attract viewers to continue watching when the series begins again.

A season finale may contain a cliffhanger ending to be resolved in the next season. Alternatively, a season finale could bring open-ended storylines to a close, "going out on a high" and similarly maintaining interest in the series' eventual return.

In the late 2000s, the terms "mid-season finale", "spring finale", "summer finale" and "fall finale" began being used by some cable and broadcast networks in the United States, to denote a series whose current season has been split into two halves in order to make room for a mid-season replacement series; generally when this occurs, the next first-run episode of the current season picks up a few months after the previous first-run episode aired.

Notable examples[link]

• Dallas (1978–91) — Every season of the US soap opera finished with a cliffhanger ending, most famously the "Who shot J.R.?" storyline in 1980, when an attempt on J. R. Ewing's life takes place in "A House Divided," the finale of season 2; the mystery is solved four episodes later in "Who Done It" (season 3).
• The Simpsons parodied the "Who Shot JR" episode with "Who Shot Mr. Burns?", the finale of the show's sixth season in 1995. The episode launched an official contest on the internet to determine who shot Mr. Burns. It's also part of the only two-part episode in The Simpsons' 23 year history.
• Star Trek: The Next Generation: "The Best of Both Worlds" (1990) — In the third season finale, the Borg attack several Federation colonies and when the Enterprise finally catches up with them, they kidnap Captain Picard. The Enterprise's normal weapons have very little effect on the Borg ship, so the crew devises a way to channel a massive amount of energy into the main deflector dish, turning it into a massive weapon. An Enterprise away team boards the Borg ship to try and rescue Picard, but discover that he has been assimilated — he is now Locutus of Borg. The episode ends with Locutus informing the Enterprise that they will be assimilated as well. Riker's only response is "Mr. Worf, fire." This episode (and its conclusion) are widely regarded by fans to be the best episodes of the entire Star Trek franchise. This was also one of the first cliffhangers outside of a soap opera.
• Friends: "The One with Ross's Wedding" (1998) — In the fourth season finale of the American sitcom, Ross and several main characters travel to London for his wedding to Emily Waltham. Rachel unexpectedly arrives, intending to tell Ross she loves him and possibly stop the wedding, but she decides against this at the last minute and the ceremony goes ahead as planned. However, during the vows Ross says Rachel's name instead of Emily's, and the episode ends with the registrar asking whether he should continue the ceremony.
  "The One in Vegas" (1999) — The fifth season of Friends ended with another cliffhanger, this time involving Ross and Rachel marrying drunkenly in Las Vegas, leading to their divorce in the following season.
• Frasier: "Something Borrowed, Someone Blue" (2000) — At the end of the seventh season, the major plotline involving Niles's secret love for Daphne ended, as Daphne seemingly rejects Niles on the night before her wedding, but then joins him in the final scene and asks him to take her away with him, and they leave as her wedding to Donny is supposed to be beginning.
• Blackadder: "The Black Seal" (1983), "Chains" (1986), "Duel and Duality" (1987) — Along with "Goodbyeee" (1989), the final episodes of the Blackadder series took a liberty that many series would be unable to take, by killing off the major characters (apart from in Blackadder the Third when only Prince George died). This reinforces the idea that the four series stand alone from each other, and the series' general black humor.
• Green Wing: series 1 finale (2004) and series 2 finale (2006) — In an ironic parody of certain season finales, both series of the British hospital sitcom Green Wing conclude with literal cliffhangers. In series 1, Guy discovers that Joanna is his biological mother, directly after sleeping with her. In a confused rage, he steals an ambulance (with Mac and Martin managing to jump aboard), and drives it to the edge of a cliff. In series 2 Dr. Statham, having accidentally killed a dwarf, worries that the police are about to find and arrest him and Joanna, so hijacks a couple's campervan (Martin again rides in the back), but Dr. Statham takes them to the edge of the same cliff. Their survival is not explained in the following Green Wing Special, and this plot device could be a criticism of the "cliffhanger" method of generating tension and ratings.
• Farscape: Bad Timing (2003) was written as the finale of the series' fourth season, ending on a cliffhanger where it appears John Crichton and Aeryn Sun had been killed. The SciFi Channel (renamed to Syfy) had announced the series' cancellation several months earlier, and despite intense fan pressure on the network, negotiations between SciFi and the Jim Henson Company failed to renew the series. In protest to the cancellation, the Henson company retained the cliffhanger and the "To be continued" titles at the end of the episode. The cliffhanger was eventually resolved in the Peacekeeper Wars two-part miniseries.

Series finale[link]

The final episode of a television series often concludes the entire premise of the show.

There are examples of episodes, ostensibly having been the "season finale", unexpectedly becoming the de facto series finale because of the cancellation of the series. Recent examples of this include John Doe, Invasion, Moesha, Two Guys and a Girl, Instant Star, Las Vegas, Everybody Hates Chris, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and Heroes.

In sports[link]

In American English, the term has developed to describe the final event of a sporting season, e.g. in soccer^[1] or Motocross,^[2] perhaps partly because of the popularity of these with television viewers.

References[link]

External links[link]

Television portal

Mary-Kate Olsen Ashley Olsen
Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival
Born	(1986-06-13) June 13, 1986 (age 26) Sherman Oaks, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actresses
Years active	1987–present
Website
http://www.mary-kateandashley.com

Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen (born June 13, 1986) are American actresses, fashion designers, and businesswomen. Following their acting debut as infants on the TV series Full House, the twin sisters appeared together in a variety of TV, film and video projects throughout their child and teenage years. Through their company Dualstar, the Olsens joined the ranks of the wealthiest women in the entertainment industry at a young age.

Early life and family[link]

The twins were born in Sherman Oaks, California to David Olsen^[1] (b. 1953) and Jarnette (Jarnie) Jones (b. 1954). Despite being very similar in appearance, they are not identical, but fraternal twins.^[2] They have an older brother, Trent, and a younger sister, Elizabeth, as well as two half-brothers, Taylor and Jake. The twins' parents divorced in 1995; Taylor and Jake are from their father's second marriage.^[3]

Mary-Kate and Ashley's sister Elizabeth became an actress as an adult, making an acclaimed film debut in 2011's Martha Marcy May Marlene.

Child and teen career[link]

In 1987, at the age of six months, the twins were cast in the role of Michelle Tanner on the ABC sitcom Full House. They began filming at nine months old. In order to comply with child labor laws that set strict limits on how long a child actor may work, the sisters took turns playing the role. The Olsens continued to portray Michelle throughout the show's run, which concluded in 1995.

While starring on Full House, the Olsens also began appearing (as separate characters) in films for video and television. The first such film, To Grandmother's House We Go, debuted in 1992 and featured cameos from several other Full House actors. In 1993, the Olsens established the company Dualstar, which would produce the twins' subsequent films and videos, including that year's Double, Double, Toil and Trouble and 1994's How the West Was Fun. A series of musical mystery videos called The Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley premiered in 1994 and continued through 1997.

In 1995, following the end of Full House, the Olsens made their feature film debut in It Takes Two, co-starring Steve Guttenberg and Kirstie Alley. In the same year, they introduced a second video series, You're Invited to Mary-Kate & Ashley's..., which continued to release new entries until 2000.

The twins returned to series television in 1998 with another ABC sitcom, Two of a Kind, co-starring Christopher Sieber as their characters' widowed father. The series lasted only one season, but aired in reruns on cable for several years afterward. 1998 also saw the release of Billboard Dad, the first of a new string of direct-to-video films starring the Olsens. The final such film, When in Rome, debuted in 2002.

In 2001, the sisters starred in two new series: So Little Time, a live-action sitcom on Fox Family (later ABC Family); and Mary-Kate and Ashley in Action!, an animated series airing Saturday mornings on ABC. Both shows were cancelled after one season, although Mary-Kate received a Daytime Emmy Awards nomination for her performance on So Little Time.

In 2004, the twins starred in a second feature film, New York Minute. It would be their last film together, as well as Ashley's last acting role. Mary-Kate has continued to appear in film and television.

Dualstar[link]

Mary-Kate and Ashley were popular figures in the preteen market during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Their names and likenesses extended to clothes, books, fragrances, magazines, movies and posters, with a market share made up mostly of the tween demographic. Mattel also produced Mary-Kate and Ashley fashion dolls from 2000 to 2005.

The sisters became co-presidents of Dualstar on their 18th birthday in 2004.Upon taking control of the company, Mary-Kate and Ashley made moves to secure the future of the company by releasing products that appealed to the teen market, including home decoration and fragrances.^[4] The Dualstar brand has been sold in more than 3,000 stores in the United States and over 5,300 stores worldwide.^[5]

The Olsens have appeared on the Forbes "Celebrity 100" list since 2002; in 2007, Forbes ranked them (collectively) as the eleventh-richest women in entertainment, with an estimated net worth of US$100 million.^[6]

Fashion[link]

As the sisters have matured, there has been greater interest in their fashion choices, with the New York Times declaring Mary-Kate a fashion icon for pioneering her signature (and now popular among celebrities and fans alike) "homeless" look.^[7] The style, sometimes referred to by fashion journalists as "ashcan" or "bohemian-bourgeois",^[8] is similar to the boho-chic style popularized in Britain by Kate Moss and Sienna Miller. The look consists of oversized sunglasses, boots, loose sweaters, and flowing skirts, with an aesthetic of mixing high-end and low-end pieces.^[8] The twins were tapped as the faces of upscale fashion line Badgley Mischka in 2006.^[9]

The Olsens have a clothing line for girls ages 4-14 in Wal-Mart stores across North America, as well as a beauty line called "Mary-Kate and Ashley: Real fashion for real girls". In 2004 they made news by signing a pledge to allow full maternity leave to all the workers that sew their line of clothing in Bangladesh. The National Labor Committee, which organized the pledge, praised the twins for their commitment to worker rights.^[10]

The Olsens have also launched their own couture fashion label, "The Row", named after Savile Row in London. ^[11] In 2007, they launched Elizabeth & James, a contemporary collection inspired by many of their unique vintage finds and pieces in their personal wardrobes. They have also released a women's clothing line for J.C. Penney, called Olsenboye, and a t-shirt line called "StyleMint".^[12]

In 2008, the sisters published the book Influence, a compilation of interviews with many of the most prominent people in the field of fashion.

Mary-Kate and Ashley have been criticized by animal rights group PETA for wearing fur and for their use of fur in their fashion line.

Filmography[link]

This section lists the filmography of the twins as a duo. See Mary-Kate Olsen for other productions in which she has appeared.

Awards and nominations[link]

• Walk of Fame
  • 2004: Star on the Walk of Fame
• Young Artist Award
  • 1989: Best Young Actor/Actress — Under Five Years of Age (Full House) WON
  • 1990: Outstanding Performance by an Actress Under Nine Years of Age (Full House) – WON
  • 1992: Exceptional Performance by a Young Actress Under Ten (Full House) – WON
  • 1994: Best Youth Actress in a TV Mini-Series, M.O.W. or Special (Double, Double, Toil and Trouble) – WON
  • 1996: Best Performance by an Actress Under Ten — Feature Film (It Takes Two) – Nominated
• Teen Choice Awards
  • 2004: Choice Movie Blush (New York Minute) – Nominated
• TV Land Awards
  • 2004: Quintessential Non-Traditional Family (Full House) – Nominated (with Candace Cameron Bure, Dave Coulier, Lori Loughlin, Bob Saget, John Stamos and Jodie Sweetin)
• Razzie Awards
  • 2005: Worst Actress (New York Minute) – Nominated
  • 2005: Worst Screen Couple (New York Minute) – Nominated
• Kids' Choice Awards
  • 1996: Favorite Movie Actress (It Takes Two) – WON
  • 1999: Favorite TV Actress (Two of a Kind) – WON
• DVD Exclusive Awards
  • 2003: Franchise Performers Award – WON

See also[link]

• Brother For Sale
• List of twins

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Olsen, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, with Damon Romine. Mary-Kate and Ashley: Our Story: Mary-Kate & Ashley Olsen's Official Biography. HarperEntertainment 2000. ISBN 0-06-107569-8.
• Tracy, Kathleen. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2003. ISBN 1-58415-256-7.

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen

• Dualstar Entertainment Group Corporate Website
• Ashley Olsen at the Internet Movie Database
• Mary-Kate Olsen at the Internet Movie Database
• Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen designer profile at Fashion Model Directory

Kylie Sparks (born 27 January 1987, in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an American actress, most known for having played the lead role in the 2005 feature film Pizza.

As of 2009 Sparks has had recurring roles in two television series - in 2007 she appeared as Kim in Desperate Housewives and during the 2004-2005 season she appeared as Brenda Razinsky in the sitcom Complete Savages. In addition, she guest starred in an episode of ER in 2005 and guest starred in an episode of Greek in 2009. She most recently guest starred on an episode of "Bones" and can be seen in an upcoming episode of "Melissa and Joey."

In the summers of 2007 and 2008, Sparks spent three weeks at the prestigious Broadway Theatre Project in Tampa, Florida honing her craft among some of Broadway's biggest names.

She is a graduate of the University of Southern California.

External links[link]

• Kylie Sparks at the Internet Movie Database
• Kylie Sparks Message Board

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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. It includes attribution to IMDb, which may not be a reliable source for biographical information. Please help by adding additional, reliable sources for verification. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2011)

Austin Rogers (born April 24, 1994) is an American actor. Rogers was born in New Port Richey, Florida, and currently lives in Southern California.

Filmography[link]

External links[link]

• Austin Rogers at the Internet Movie Database

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