Eastertide, or the Easter Season, or Paschal Time, is the period of fifty days from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday.^[1]

It is celebrated as a single joyful feast, indeed as the "great Lord's Day".^[2] Each Sunday of the season is treated as a Sunday of Easter, and, after the Sunday of the Resurrection, they are named Second Sunday of Easter, Third Sunday of Easter, etc. up to the Seventh Sunday of Easter, while the whole fifty-day period concludes with Pentecost Sunday.^[3]

Easter Sunday and Pentecost correspond to pre-existing Jewish feasts: The first day of Pesach (פסח) and the holiday of Shavu'ot (שבועות). In the Jewish tradition, the 49 days between these holidays are known as Counting of the Omer (ספירת העומר)‎.^[4]

The first eight days constitute the Octave of Easter and are celebrated as solemnities of the Lord.^[5]

Since 2000 the Second Sunday of Easter is also called Divine Mercy Sunday. The name "Low Sunday" for this Sunday, once common in English, is now rarely used.

The solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord is celebrated on the fortieth day of Eastertide (a Thursday), except in countries where it is not a Holy Day of Obligation. In such countries it is celebrated on the following Sunday (the forty-third day of Eastertide).^[6] The days from that feast until the Saturday before Pentecost (inclusive) are days of preparation for the Holy Spirit the Paraclete.^[7]

Before the 1969 revision of the calendar, the Sundays were called First Sunday after Easter, Second Sunday after Easter, etc. The Sunday preceding the feast of the Ascension of the Lord was sometimes, though not officially, called Rogation Sunday, and when the Ascension had an octave, the following Sunday was called Sunday within the Octave of the Ascension,^[8] but when this octave was abolished in 1955, it was called Sunday after the Ascension.^[9] Pentecost was followed by an octave, which some reckoned as part of Eastertide.

When the Anglican and Lutheran churches implemented their own calendar and lectionary reforms in 1976, they adopted the same shortened definition of the Easter season as the Roman Catholic Church had promulgated six years earlier. In the Church of England, the Easter season begins with the Easter Vigil and ends after Evening Prayer (or Night Prayer) on the Day of Pentecost. Some Anglican provinces continue to label the Sundays between Easter and the Ascension "Sundays After Easter" rather than "Sundays of Easter"; others, such as the Church of England and ECUSA, use the term "Sundays of Easter".

See also[link]

• Paschal Cycle
• Pentecostarion
• Bright Week
• Mozzetta#Papal mozzetta

References[link]

External links[link]

• Easter Season Resource Library - Crossroads Initiative
• Normae Universales de Anno Liturgico et de Calendario
• French translation
• Writings on Easter, Eastertide and Lent liturgical days
• Liturgy of Hours of Eastertide

Brent Spiner
Spiner in May 2012.
Born	Brent Jay Spiner (1949-02-02) February 2, 1949 (age 63) Houston, Texas, United States
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1984–present
Website
www.therealbrentspiner.com

Brent Jay Spiner (born February 2, 1949)^[1][2] is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of the android Lieutenant Commander Data in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and four subsequent films. His portrayal of Data in Star Trek: First Contact and of Dr. Brackish Okun in Independence Day, both in 1996, earned him a Saturn Award and Saturn Award nomination respectively. He has also enjoyed a career in the theatre and as a musician.

Early life[link]

Spiner was born in Houston, Texas, to Sylvia and Jack Spiner, who owned a furniture store.^[3] After his father's death, Spiner was adopted by Sylvia's second husband, Sol Mintz, whose surname he used between 1955 and 1975.^[4] Spiner attended Bellaire High School, Bellaire, Texas, where he was influenced by drama teacher Cecil Pickett—the same man who coached his daughter Cindy Pickett, and future actors Randy Quaid, Dennis Quaid, Trey Wilson, Robert Wuhl, and director Thomas Schlamme. Spiner became active on the Bellaire Speech team, winning the national championship in dramatic interpretation. He attended the University of Houston where he performed in local theatre.^[5]

Career[link]

Spiner moved to New York City, where he became a stage actor, performing in several Broadway and Off-Broadway plays, including The Three Musketeers and Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George. He had a nonspeaking background role in the film Stardust Memories as one of the silent Felliniesque "grotesques" on Sandy Bates's train car.

Spiner appeared as a media technician in "The Advocates", a second season episode of the Showtime cable series The Paper Chase.^[6] In 1984 he moved to Los Angeles, where he appeared in several pilots and made-for-TV movies. He played a recurring character on Night Court, Bob Wheeler, patriarch of a rural family. In 1986 he played a condemned soul in "Dead Run", an episode of the short-lived revival of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone series on CBS. He made two appearances as characters in season 3 (1986) of the television show Mama's Family, playing two different characters. Spiner's first and only starring film role was in Rent Control (1984). In the Cheers episode "Never Love a Goalie, Part II", he played acquitted murder suspect Bill Grand. Spiner also had a role in a Tales from the Darkside episode, "A Case Of The Stubborns", as a priest who experiences a crisis of faith. He portrayed Jim Stevens in the made-for-TV movie Manhunt for Claude Dallas.

[edit] Star Trek

In 1987 Spiner started his 15-year run portraying Lieutenant Commander Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation, which spanned 7 seasons and 4 feature films. As a main character, he appeared in all but one of the series' 178 episodes; he was not in the episode, "Family". He reprised his role in the spin-off films, Star Trek: Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). Although billed as the final Trek movie for the TNG cast, the ambiguous ending of Star Trek: Nemesis suggested a possible avenue for the return of Data. However, Spiner has opined that he is too old to continue playing the part, as Data embodies a "childlike innocence" that Spiner can no longer credibly exhibit, as his appearance had already begun to lose that quality by the time he filmed his last Trek films.^[7][8] In addition to the shows and films he voiced his character in several Star Trek video games, such as Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: The Next Generation - A Final Unity, Star Trek: Hidden Evil, and Star Trek: Bridge Commander.^[9]

[edit] Post-Star Trek

In 1991 Spiner recorded an album of 1940s pop standards entitled Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back, the title of which was a play on the yellow contact lenses Spiner sported as Data and a Frank Sinatra's record, Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back. In 1997 he returned to Broadway, playing John Adams in the Roundabout Theatre Company revival of the musical 1776. The production was nominated for a Tony Award. A cast recording was released of the revival production.^[10]

Spiner has appeared on the TV shows Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Friends, Dream On, Deadly Games, Mad About You, Gargoyles, Frasier, The Outer Limits, as well as Joey and The Big Bang Theory as himself. He has also had several movie roles, including Independence Day, Phenomenon, Out to Sea, South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut, Dude, Where's My Car?, The Ponder Heart, I Am Sam, The Master of Disguise, and The Aviator. His TV movie appearances during this period include the 2000 TV musical Geppetto, and playing Dorothy Dandridge's manager/confidant Earl Mills in the HBO production Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.

In 2004 Spiner returned to Star Trek when he appeared as Dr. Arik Soong, an ancestor of Data's creator Dr. Noonien Soong, whom he also played, in a three-episode story arc of Star Trek: Enterprise in "Borderland", "Cold Station 12", and "The Augments". He also briefly reprised the role of Data for the series, providing a voice-only cameo in the Enterprise finale, "These Are the Voyages...". Spiner guest-starred in Friends as a man who interviews Rachel for Gucci, and later cameoed as himself in the Friends spinoff, Joey.

In 2005 Spiner appeared in a short-lived science-fiction television series, Threshold, which was canceled in November of that year after 13 episodes. In 2006 he appeared in a feature film comedy, Material Girls, with Hilary and Haylie Duff.

During the tenth season of the sitcom Frasier, in the episode "Lilith Needs a Favor", Spiner made two brief cameos as a fellow airline passenger of Frasier Crane's ex-wife, Lilith Sternin.^{[episode needed]}

In March 2008 Spiner performed alongside Maude Maggart in a radio show/musical, Dreamland.^[11] This was released as a CD album.^[12] In February 2008 Spiner joined the celebrities who feature on popular online sites like MySpace, under the name of 'The Real Brent Spiner'.

In 2008 Spiner played Dr. Strom in the feature film parody Superhero Movie. In February 2009 he played William Quint in "The Juror #6 Job", an episode of the drama series Leverage directed by his Next Generation co-star Jonathan Frakes. That same year he voiced himself in the Family Guy episode "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven".

Spiner with William Shatner and LeVar Burton in July 2010

In 2010 Spiner and fellow Star Trek: The Next Generation star LeVar Burton appeared on TWiT.tv's coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show.^[13]

In April 2011 Spiner began starring in Fresh Hell, a comic webseries in which he plays a version of himself, attempting to put his career back together after falling out of the limelight.^[14]

He appeared as Dr. Kern in the September 12, 2011 episode of the Syfy channel program Alphas entitled "Blind Spot". In October 2011 he appeared as himself in the episode "The Russian Rocket Reaction" (October 13, 2011) of The Big Bang Theory. The day after his guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory, it was announced that Spiner would guest-star in the Young Justice episode "Revelation", providing the voice of the Joker.^[15]

Filmography[link]

Films[link]

• 1970: My Sweet Charlie - a Local (Uncredited)
• 1980: Stardust Memories - a Fan in lobby
• 1982: Ladies and Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains - Corinne Burns's Boss (Uncredited)
• 1984: Rent Control (film) - Leonard Junger
• 1985: Crime of Innocence - Hinnerman
• 1986: Sunday in the Park with George - Franz/Dennis
• 1986: Sylvan in Paradise - Clinton C. Waddle
• 1986: Manhunt for Claude Dall - Jim Stevens
• 1987: Family Sins - Ken McMahon
• 1989: Miss Firecracker - Preacher Mann
• 1991: Crazy from the Heart (TV) - Uncredited
• 1994: Corrina, Corrina - Brent Witherspoon
• 1994: Star Trek: Generations - Lt. Commander Data
• 1995: Kingfish: A Story of Huey Long - Uncredited
• 1996: Pie in the Sky - Upscale Guy
• 1996: Independence Day - Dr. Brackish Okun
• 1996: Phenomenon - Dr. Rob Niedorf
• 1996: Star Trek: First Contact - Lt. Commander Data
• 1997: Out to Sea - Gil Godwyn
• 1998: Star Trek: Insurrection - Lt. Commander Data
• 1999: South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut - Conan O'Brien (Voice)
• 1999: Introducing Dorothy Dandridge - Earl Parks
• 2000: Geppetto - Stromboli
• 2000: Dude, Where's my Car? - Pierre (Uncredited)
• 2001: A Girl Thing - Bob
• 2001: The Ponder Heart - Dorris Grabney
• 2001: I Am Sam - Shoe Salesman
• 2002: The Master of Disguise - Devlin Bowman
• 2002: Star Trek Nemesis - Lt. Commander Data/B-4
• 2003: An Unexpected Love - Brad
• 2004: Jack - Vernon
• 2004: The Aviator - Robert Cross
• 2006: Material Girls - Tommy Katzenbach
• 2008: Superhero Movie - Dr. Strom
• 2010: Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey - Coach Mackey (Voice)

Television[link]

• 1978: The Dain Curse - Tom Fink (TV mini-series)
• 1979: Family - Fred (1 episode, "Prelude")
• 1981: Ryan's Hope - The Doctor Examining Kim (1 episode)
• 1984: The Paper Chase - a Student in Reeve's Class (1 episode, "The Advocates")
• 1984: Tales from the Darkside - Reverend Peabody (1 episode, "A Case of the Stubborns")
• 1984: One Life to Live - Ralph Harley (1 episode)
• 1985: Robert Kennedy & His Times - Allard Lowenstein (TV mini-series)
• 1985: Hill Street Blues - Larry Stein (1 episode, "The Life and Time of Domonic Floio Jr")
• 1985-1987: Night Court - Bob Wheeler (6 episodes)
• 1986: The New Twilight Zone - The Draft Dodger (1 episode, "The Leprechaun-Artist/Dead Run")
• 1986: American Playhouse - Dennis/Franz (1 episode, "Sunday in the Park with George")
• 1986: Hunter - Willie Vaughn (1 episode, "The Contract")
• 1986-1987: Mama's Family - Billy Bob Conroy (2 episodes)
• 1987: Cheers - Bill Grand (1 episode, "Never Love a Goalie: Part 2")
• 1987: Sledge Hammer! - a Soldier (1 episode, "The Spa Who Loved Me")
• 1987-1994: Star Trek: The Next Generation - Lt. Commander Data/Lore/Dr. Noonien Soong (176 episodes)
• 1995: Mad About You - Bob, The Dog Agent (1 episode, "Just My Dog")
• 1995: Deadly Games - Danny Schlecht (1 episode, "The Practical Joker")
• 1995-1996: Gargoyles - Puck (4 episodes)
• 1996: Dream On - Dr. Strongwater (1 episode, "The Spirit of 76th & Park")
• 1996: The Outer Limits - Professor Trent Davis (1 episode, "The Deprogrammers")
• 2003: Frasier - Albert (1 episode, "Lilith Needs a Favor")
• 2004: Friends - James Campbell (1 episode, "The One with Princess Consuela")
• 2004: Law & Order: Criminal Intent - Graham Barnes (1 episode, "Shrink-Wrapped")
• 2004-2005: Star Trek: Enterprise - Dr. Arik Soong/Lt. Commander Data (4 episodes)
• 2005: Joey - Special guest appearance as himself (1 episode, Joey and the Premier)
• 2005-2006: Threshold - Dr. Nigel Fenway (13 episodes)
• 2009: Leverage - William Quint - (1 episode, "The Juror #6 Job")
• 2009: Family Guy - Himself (1 episode, "Not All Dogs Go to Heaven")
• 2010: Generator Rex - Dr. Gabriel Rylander (1 episode, "Dark Passage")
• 2011: Fresh Hell - Himself/Brent Spiner
• 2011: The Guild (internet series) - Himself (1 episode, "Ends and Begins")
• 2011: The Big Bang Theory - Himself (1 episode, "The Russian Rocket Reaction")
• 2011: Young Justice - the Joker (1 episode, "Revelation")
• 2012: The Simpsons - Robots (1 episode, "Them, Robot")

References[link]

External links[link]

This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links, and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references. (March 2012)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brent Spiner

• Brent Spiner's personal site
• Brent Spiner at the Internet Movie Database
• Brent Spiner at the Internet Broadway Database
• Brent Spiner at AllRovi
• Brent Spiner at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)
• Star Trek.com biography
• Interview with Brent about his CD 'Dreamland'
• Interview from ComicCon 2011.