TheTVDB Bible / 02. Television Series

A series is exactly what it sounds like — a program with a defined sequence of episodes. We do not limit series to shows that have been aired on television. A series is more so defined by its episodic structure, as well as the place it was first released (which, again, does not have to be on television).


We currently allow series to be added that do not yet have a premiere date. These should be listed as “Upcoming” in the status field until their premiere date, when they should be moved to “Continuing.” That being said, we only allow for new programs that have been “ordered to series.” Series that have only received a pilot order should not be added. The one exception to this is if a stand-alone pilot aired on a television network — in this case, they should be added as a Series record and tagged with the "Dead Pilot" tag option under the TV Types & Formats tags.

Pilots that do not fit the above criteria will be deleted by a moderator. If you are unsure of the status of your series, please submit documentation through this support ticket system.

Other than these stand-alone pilots, if the program is a one-time airing then it should be considered a movie and entered as such. The exception, for now, is our historical listing of documentaries and collections — see "Documentaries" and “Collections” in this post. Specials also have their own guidelines for being added to the site, see “Specials Guidelines” below.

Made-for-TV movies should be added as movies. If in doubt, create a ticket before adding a series. Web series fall under a different set of rules which can be found here.

Movie serials — movies that were released in multiple parts in a theatre before the dawn of television — are also allowed to be added as a series. More info about movie serials can be found here.

We do not allow adult content of any kind on the site. Pornographic films, series, etc. should not be added.

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