How to Submit an Episode

The heart and soul of TV.com are the episode pages. When adding or editing new episodes, it's important that people include precise and accurate information in the proper format. So let's go down each entry field.

One important note: only list episodes that are produced. Do not post unaired scripts, fan fiction, fantasy seasons, etc. as episodes.

When submitting new episodes that have not aired yet, you must provide a verifiable URL with two out of three of:

Episode Title
Episode Summary
Episode Air Date

For any new episode, you must always put in valid Season and Lifetime episode numbers.

Episode Name

Use the on-screen name whenever possible. Titles should follow normal title capitalization rules. In general, do not use upper caps even if the title is shown on-screen all in upper caps. Exceptions should be noted and sourced.

In general, do not include extraneous information such as quotation marks. If you need to, please note and source why a specific title is an exception. However, for foreign episodes with a translated title, it is acceptable to list the translated English name in parentheses after the original title.

There is no set rule for indicating a multi-part episode, although a (1), (2), etc., is often used. If possible use the same format as the on-screen title.

Episode Synopsis

The Synopsis, or Summary, should be a relatively brief unique description of the episode, at least one complete grammatical sentence in length, using appropriate punctuation and TV.com title formatting for movie, song, and show titles.

Editors can add standardized features such as Opponent or Location or Enemy: at their discretion. For shows without editors, please stick to a basic summary without added features. If you are submitting for a show that already has added features, please match that format.

Synopses should not give away the ending of an episode or any other spoilers. They should be unique, rather than just a restatement of the show summary or basic show concept.

Cast information goes in the Cast section, not the summary (or recap).

Summaries and recaps should be purely factual and omit opinion and commentary.

Blank spaces, TBA, Coming Soon, etc., are not acceptable. If you don't have a summary to submit, please put nothing in the Summary field.

Episode Recap

The episode recap should be a complete scene-by-scene description of the entire episode, as detailed as possible and at least 100 words. It can and should include spoilers. Always apply appropriate capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and title formatting.

For ease of reading, double-spacing between paragraphs is recommended.

Whenever possible, use a spell and grammar checker on your material before submitting it. Your best bet is to write it using word processing software then cutting-and-pasting it into the recap field.

Season Number

Use this to indicate the season the episode aired in: pretty straightforward. However, typically a season # will not appear as an option unless there is a preceding season. If you try to submit Season 15 episodes when only seasons 1-3 listed, no 15 will become available. Please start with the earlier episodes and work forward.

Episode Type: Regular, Pilot, Special, TV Movie

The vast majority of episodes are Regular.

Not every first episode is a pilot. A Pilot refers to an episode that was produced to sell the series and obtain a production contract. The pilot is often produced months in advance of the other episodes. Somewhat confusingly, not even every first episode titled "Pilot" is a pilot. If you're not sure if the first episode is a pilot, don't mark it Pilot.

Special is used to indicate documentaries, making of features, Christmas one-offs, etc. It can also be used to indicate one-shot programs that are not TV movies, such as Frosty the Snowman.

TV Movie is used to indicate... TV movies. This includes both one-shot TV movies, and TV movies that make up part of a series. Disney Channel movies are one-shot TV movies. Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars could also be considered a TV movie.

Theatrical movies that are made from a series should be submitted at movietome.

Episode Number (season)

First of all, an important note: episodes should be listed in the order they aired. Very few shows air all their episodes in the order they are produced and the industry standard for listing episodes is by air order. As necessary use Notes to indicate when an episode is aired out of order, or the information can be listed on a pinned thread in the forum.

Episode # (season) does not refer to the season the episode aired in. It refers to the episode's order within a season. If a show runs 8 seasons, then there will be eight episodes with an Episode Number (season) of 1. What differentiates them is the Season # and the Episode # (lifetime).

Each episode must have a valid season #. 0 (zero) is only acceptable for an unaired pilot.

Episode Number (lifetime)

This refers to the placement of the episode within the series as a whole. The 100th episode would be Episode # (lifetime) 100.

Again, 0 (zero) is only acceptable for an unaired pilot.

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How does this all come together?

Example 1

The first episode of a series:

Season 1, Episode # (season) 1, episode # (lifetime) 1

Example 2

The ninth episode of a series in season 1:

Season 1, Episode # (season) 9, episode # (lifetime) 9

(For the first season of any series, the season and lifetime numbers should almost always be identical.)

Example 3

A show runs 22 episodes a season. The first episode of Season 2 would be:

Season 2, Episode # (season) 1, episode # (lifetime) 23

Example 4

A show runs 22 episodes a season. The hundredth episode runs in season 5 and is the 12th episode of season 5. This would be:

Season 5, Episode # (season) 12, episode # (lifetime) 100.

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First Aired Date

Put in the show's first airdate in its primary market. Some shows get preview showings in other countries, but the originating country's airdate should be used. Alternate air dates should be indicated in Notes.

If the episode was not aired during the series' original run, mark it as Never Aired. If the episode later airs in syndication or in another country, indicate the air date(s) in Notes.

If you don't know the episode airdate, don't guess. Don't put in an approximate date such as January 1, 2000 if you know it aired in January 2000 but don't know what date. Mark it as Never Aired.

Did This Episode Air

Don't check this off if you know the airdate. If the episode never aired, or if you don't know the airdate, mark this as Never Aired.

Episode Production Code

The code to put here is the official company production code. Don't guess, don't assume any previous codes are correct or that the production code matches the air order. Just because the last episode aired was 2000-001 does not mean the next episode is 2000-002. Again, episodes are often not aired in the order they are produced.

Always provide a source when entering production codes.

Some sites, including many fan sites, use their own numbering system when they don't have access to company numbers. One good indicator is if the production code listed is a simple 1-3 digit number. Try to find an independent source and verify it.

Another good indicator of unofficial production codes is if a site lists multiple shows produced by different companies, all with the same production codes.

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Next column: Episode Notes & Trivia

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Previous columns:

Write Like You Talk
Sourcing Your Material
Know Your Capitals!
A Matter of Timing
Soundalikes and You
Periods and Commas and Colons, Oh My!
Apostrophes, Hyphens, and Quotation Marks, Oh My!
Numbers and You
New Season New Shows
How to Write a Better Biography (1)
Tips on Trivia (2)
Star Quotes and Appearances