Two of a Kind
Basics
Premiered: September 25, 1998
Written By: Howard Adler
Directed By: Jason Bateman and Richard Correll (I)
Genre: Comedy
Ran for: 21 30-minute episodes
Filmed In: Burbank, California
Company Credits
Produced By: Dualstar Productions, Griffard/Adler Productions, Miller/Boyett/Warren Productions, and Warner Bros. Television
Distributed By: YTV
Cast
Mary-Kate Olsen . . . Mary-Kate Burke
Ashley Olsen . . . Ashley Burke
Christopher Sieber . . . Kevin Burke
Sally Wheeler . . . Carrie Moore
David Valcin . . . Eddie Fairbanks
Jean Speegle Howard . . . Mrs. Baker
Rance Howard . . . Mr. Filmore
Ernie Grunwald . . . Paul
David Lascher . . . Matt Burke
Jesse Lee . . . Taylor Donovan
Samantha Smith (III) . . . Nancy Carlson
Anastasia Emmons . . . Jennifer Dilber
Awards
01. Young Artist Awards "Two of a Kind" was nominated for Best Family TV Comedy Series in 1999
Summary
Kevin Burke is a single dad raising his twin 12-year-old daughters, Mary-Kate and Ashley, after their mother dies. He is a science professor, and with his busy job, he needs a sitter for the girls. When the most qualified candidate to answer his ad is Carrie, the student in his class who annoys him the most, it's easy to see that he's going to be in for a wild ride. Mary-Kate and Ashley are complete opposites, and Carrie can cater to both of their interests. Ashley is a girly-girl, who gets straight-A's and loves fashion, make-up, and boys. Mary-Kate is a sports nut. Most of her friends are guys, and she is thrilled when she hears that Carrie once spent a summer at baseball camp. Carrie helps the girls through crushes and problems with their friends, and of course, she knows how to help Ashley throw the perfect sleepover. Kevin and Carrie's relationship throughout the series gets interesting. He's her teacher/friend/employer/landlord, which makes things tricky. And though she drives him insane, he finds himself falling for her toward the end of the series. It would have been nice to see how that developed if the show hadn't been cancelled.
Ashley Burke (Played by Ashley)
They don't come much more girly than Ashley Burke. She's into make-up, hair, clothes, being popular, and most of all, boys. She's in heaven when she becomes friends with Jennifer Dilber, the most popular girl in the seventh grade. Ashley is on a constant man-hunt, and she seems to find guys that she likes everywhere. She's in love with Mary-Kate's math tutor, Taylor Donovan, and she's got a major crush on a boy named Pokey Valentine. She would have done anything to be a cheerleader, but her conscience kicked in when she went too far and hurt somebody's feelings. Under all that quasi-shallowness, there's a girl with a great heart.
Mary-Kate Burke (Played by Mary-Kate)
Mary-Kate Burke is the complete opposite of her twin sister. She couldn't care less about fashion and popularity. Unlike Ashley, she doesn't do well in school, and Kevin sometimes doubts that she'll make it to college. Mary-Kate doesn't care what people think about her. She is a complete sports nut, and most of her friends are boys.
Their Relationship
Even though they're opposites, Mary-Kate and Ashley get along well in this series. They get into some fights and have disagreements, but when one of them has a scheme, the other is usually willing to help out. They worked together to get Mrs. Baker and Mr. Filmore together in the first episode, and they help each other out. When Ashley became good friends with a girl named Nicole in one episode, we see how the close the girls really are. Mary-Kate tries to sabotage Ashley and Nicole's friendship because she doesn't want to lose her best friend.