Submission Tips Column #14 – Episode Notes, Trivia, and Allusions

For all submissions, please avoid extraneous amounts of white space. This includes, but is not limited to, excess white space at the beginning of paragraphs, extra line spacing between paragraphs, and extra hard returns at the end of the last line of an entry.

Bad:

Bob: I'm going to the market.
[edit]

Good:

Bob: I'm going to the market.[edit]

Notes, Trivia, and Allusions typically shouldn't exceed 50-75 words, and should be a single paragraph.

Notes

Notes are off-camera tidbits about an episode. They should contain off-camera events that deal with a show's production. They should not deal with on-camera events or trivia.

Notes should deal only with production-type info. While titles, credits, pregnancies, etc., appear on-camera and might be considered Trivia, they properly relate to the decisions and lives of the show's production crew, actors, and agents as to who appears, in what order, if they receive a special credit, why the character is pregnant, etc.

By the same token, significant first and last appearances of stars and major recurring actors are acceptable Notes. It is permissible to list them by their character names, particularly for animated series. It's not necessary to list first appearances for the first episode of a series, for obvious reasons.

It's not necessary to "count" appearances. Thus, "This is Fred's 2nd/20th/111th appearance" isn't an acceptable submission.

It's not necessary to list season/series premieres and finales. That's what the episode lists and the season numbers and the Next/Previous arrow buttons are for.

Similar Notes should be compiled when possible. List five actors who made a first appearance in an episode in one Note, rather than five separate Notes. Ditto for songs and international air dates.

It's not necessary to list what an actor is "best known" for in Notes, unless it relates to the episode in question. Telling a lot of people what they already know is unnecessary, and there are cast links on the page where people can find out more about the actors if they don't know it.

Actor biographies are not acceptable as Notes for the same reason.

If an actor's previous role relates to something in the episode then it is an acceptable Note. Thus "In this episode, Bob Denver wears a hat like the one Gilligan wears in Gilligan's Island." is a Note. (This could also be considered an Allusion, see below.)

While cast links show an actor's previous appearances in a series in different roles, at the editor's discretion it is acceptable to list their previous appearances in different roles in the same series.

Nielsen Ratings are copyrighted material and should not be submitted to any guide.

Individuals featured in historical footage and video clips should be listed in Notes, rather than in the cast list. This is particularly true if they have no other TV appearances.

Non-entertainment personalities (sports figures, regular interviewees, experts, musicians) with a limited amount of TV appearances (2 or less), should be listed in Notes rather than as guest stars for the show that they appeared in. Examples include a scientist whose only TV appearance is a single PBS documentary, and a person doing a quick, one-off interview.

Trivia

Trivia is any small detail or goof that might not be known to people who view an episode. Trivia is attached at the episode level, not the show level. It should be specific to what aired in the episode and not deal with off-camera events, which should be submitted in the "notes" form. A car license-plate number is trivia, and a producer walking off the set is a note.

Goofs are always Trivia. However, goofs are not the only form of Trivia. Other small on-screen details go under Trivia rather than Notes.

Avoid posting Trivia that features spoilers and major plot point. They are not "small details" that "might not be known" to a viewer, so submit them as part of a complete Recap.

Trivia should be in some way interesting or significant. The main character's license plate or car model is appropriate Trivia. The license plates and car models of every one of the dozens of cars he passes by in a chase is not.

Editors can add standardized features such as Goof or a goof type (Plothole or Continuity Gaffe) or even Trivia (if goofs are the prevalent entries). For shows without editors, please stick to a basic entry without added features. If you are submitting for a show that already has added features, please match that format.

Recurring Trivia should be mentioned for the first episode it occurs in. It is unnecessary to list the main character's license plate in every episode even if the car is seen in every episode.

Obvious references to previous events in the show aren't necessary as Trivia, and should go in the Recap whenever possible, unless they are particularly obscure. Many modern-day shows with ongoing storylines and arcs refer back to dozens of previous episodes.

Trivia is not the place for reviews, analysis, or personal theories: these should go in the review section. At an editor's discretion, a common theory or mistaken goof could go under Notes as it refers to popularly held off-screen opinions held by many fans.

Trivia is not the place for debates. This includes adding comments to an existing entry discussing an issue back and forth, as well as submitting Trivia that debates/discusses another Trivia entry. If an entry is in error, it should be deleted, along with any additional entries saying why it is wrong. Editors may at their option include "common misconceptions" as Trivia, as they are small on-screen details that viewers may not be aware of. Otherwise, take debate and discussion to the show forum.

Allusions

Allusions: An allusion is an indirect or passing reference to an existing form of media, be it to another TV program, a movie, a piece of music, or a book. Allusions are prevalent in television shows, and some shows, like The Family Guy, make extensive use of this kind of humor. When submitting allusions, always credit the original media being referenced with as much detail as possible.

As noted, Allusions should allude to the media whenever possible, including historical non-fiction material. Word definitions are not Allusions. A pun on a common word is not an Allusion. A reference to a common phrase is not an Allusion.

The first line of the Allusion should include the relevant quote featuring the Allusion, or otherwise indicate what the Allusion is (i.e., Title). Quotes should follow TV.com standards. The explanation should then follow as a separate paragraph. Title formatting should also follow TV.com standards.

Allusions should be deliberate rather than accidental or unintentional. If you're not sure that a writer intended to make an allusion, then it probably isn't.

Allusions are passing references. An episode that features Dracula as the main protagonist, where the characters discuss the history of Dracula on-screen, is not making a passing reference.

Always reference the original media. If the phrase "Play it again, Sam" is used, submit the Allusion to Casablanca, not all the TV shows and movies that have also alluded to Casablanca.

Please provide "as much detail as possible." Submitting "Batman is a comic book superhero." or "Alludes to Cinderella." is not sufficient detail. More than 50-75 words is probably too much.

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Next column: Episode Quotes
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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
How to Submit an Episode