» Adding Shows
| TVRage welcomes all broadcast, cable, and mainstream net series. We also accept one-shot broadcast and cable specials.
We do not accept theatrical movies. If a TV movie is a tie-in to a TV series, it should be submitted under that TV series as a Special.
We reserve the right to determine on a case-by-case what a mainstream net series is. Typically, it should be through a mainstream Internet source such as Hulu. A series of personal videos on Youtube or your website does not usually constitute a series at TVRage.
Please provide several valid URL sources for shows "in development". Attempts to generate interest for a project by posting it on TVRage are frowned on.
When submitting, please use Comments to provide as much detail as possible.
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| » Adding Episodes (updated 5/12/16)
| Please provide URL sources in Comments whenever possible for adding episodes.
For weekly shows, TBA-type titles are only acceptable for up to three weeks ahead of the current date, with or without titles. So if one titled episode exists, only the next two weeks of TBAs are allowed. If three titled episodes haven't aired yet, that is no TBAs allowed. Editors at their discretion may allow a higher or lower number.
If you have specific confirmed information about a future episode but no title, such as guest stars, please indicate that in Submission Notes.
When adding episodes with generic titles to guides for example
'Season 1, Episode 1'
either a summary of the episode or an air-date should be provided alongside it.
Please add only the official title.
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| » Main Cast (added 1/17/15)
| "Main Cast" is a somewhat arbitrary term. TVRage typically takes it to mean the people that are credited in the opening credits as show stars.
Anyone credited as a guest star in the post-opening credits is not going to be main cast no matter how often they appear. If they are recurring, the episode pages show that they are recurring.
The show itself is the best source for determining who is Main Cast. It trumps interviews, websites (official or otherwise), and other similar sources.
This is the U.S. model for scripted live-action shows, and many other non-U.S. shows follow that. Not all shows worldwide follow this, including many U.S. animated series. In these cases, use best judgment as to who is clearly a scripted main character, who appears regularly, and who is a secondary character no matter how often they appear. As always, use Submission Notes to explain what you're doing and why.
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| » Show Summary (updated 10/21/13)
| This should contain the general situation or idea behind the program. Under no circumstances should it contain any spoilers. Apart from the show's gist, some editors like to experiment and include such details as the theme song, a brief history of the show, awards it has won or major production changes.
However, to keep summaries uniform across the site, please refrain from using any personal information, reviews, or commentary. Any questions about what can and cannot be added to the show's main summary can be directed to any staff member.
Note: Summaries from unofficial sites, such as fansites or other TV related web pages and sources are not permitted and will be rejected.
Premiere dates are for the premiere of the first episode of the series. Prequels, previews, and so on would not count.
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| » Show Images (added 1/15/14)
| Show images should be an image FROM THE SHOW. It can be a logo if that's all that's available, particularly before a show premieres. But please keep in mind we want to get the users' attention. Cast photos are typically more engaging and interesting to our users and casual Google searchers.
Don't use movie images (for spinoff TV shows), book covers, shots of the actors in other roles, pictures of the characters from other media (comic books), etc. These are all misleading at best, false information at worst.
Titles are already on the page, they shouldn't be on the show image unless unavoidable.
For shows with regular turnover, the show image should be up to date. Avoid changing them more than once a season.
Please don't change an image just because "it looks better."
Show images should be submitted in 4:3 or 16:9 format whenever possible.
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| » Foreign Language Submissions
| All foreign language submissions must follow the same guidelines as their English counterparts: that is, they must be authentic (non-plagiarized) and free of grammatical mistakes. Under no circumstances are you to use an online translator to generate your foreign language contributions.
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| » Episode Numbering (updated 1/17/15)
| Episodes should be numbered in the order they aired. NOT by production order, "official order," or any other criteria. This may not apply to episodes that are pre-empted and rescheduled.
Episode numbers are the amount of episodes that have aired up to that point. For example if a show had 13 episodes in it's first season and you were adding the 4th episode of the second season this would be episode 17.
Season numbers reflect the amount of episodes that have aired in the season so far. For example the 13th episode in a show's 7th season would have the season number of 13.
Specials are not included in this count.
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| » Submission Notes
| While putting in a submission note isn't strictly mandatory, it's considered a courtesy to your fellow TVRagers if you do put something in. If you're getting your information from a web page, it only takes a couple of extra seconds to cut-n-paste in the URL. If you're making a change, particularly to a larger quote or recap, saying what change(s) you're making helps the editor to proof the changes. If an editor can't tell what you're doing or verify your information, they may reject your submission if you don't put in an explanation. If you're not sure if you should provide a submission note and the show or person has an editor, check with them first.
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| » Season Guide
| These should contain pertinent information regarding each season. Among the content should/may include: major plot points, events, and love interests; character changes, such as occupation or marital status; production changes, such as a new writer, director, cast member, etc. Simply submitting dates or other placeholders is not acceptable.
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| » Character Guide
| The Character Guide is where you can put in biographies for the characters of any show, describing their main traits and relating their course throughout the series. The content of these descriptions is up to each editor’s discretion, so be mindful that these accounts can - and probably will - contain spoilers. The way in which the Character Guides are presented is also left to each editor’s creativity. (NB: The "Attribute" field is solely to be used to specify which seasons a recurring character appeared on the series.)
Here are a couple of examples of different, yet equally acceptable, Character Guides:
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| » Show Tidbits
| Show Tidbits encompasses any bit of trivia or note pertaining to the series as a whole, from outside information not vital to understanding the program, to information needed to follow the series. An example of vital information would be: Often referred to throughout this show is Scotland Yard, New Scotland Yard, The Metropolitan Police, The Met, etc., which are all synonymous for the police for Greater London (the area around the City of London, which is only approx. one square mile). Non-vital information may include background notes on the creation of the series, trivia about cast and characters, etc.
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| » Show Status (updated 5/8/15)
| The show status should reflect the show's CURRENT status. So if a show is on its first season, but has been renewed, it would be a New Series until the first season wraps up.
You can update the number of seasons.
Canceled is for shows that were canceled by the network. This can be in the middle of their run, or at the end of a season due to low ratings. Ended is for shows that were deliberately ended by the creators. This includes mini-series and one-shot specials.
Canceled/Ended is only for when it's not clear why it was canceled, and should otherwise be avoided.
Final Season should be used when it is confirmed, overriding Returning Series.
A show between seasons should be On Hiatus until the date is set for the show to return. Then it becomes "Returning Series."
When changing a first-season show to Returning Series or On Hiatus, wait until the first season is over.
The number of seasons for a show can be changed as soon as news is announced of renewal.
If a show is in development but nothing is ever filmed, it should be deleted from the database. Ask a staff member to do so.
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| » Production Codes (added 2/13/15)
| Production codes are for the official production codes assigned to specific episodes. Production codes are never "generic" and are typically unique. Numbers like 101 and S01E01 indicate production order, but they are not production codes.
Production notes should be complete. If it's ###-101, and you don't know the ###, don't submit the last part.
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| » Show FAQ
| This section is to proactively answer common questions people may have about the show, including both the content and the production. For example:
- Content: Why does this show feature two different Robin Hood characters?
- Production: Why did Michael Praed leave the cast after the second series?
These questions are then followed by the appropriate answers.
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| » Show Slang
| Terms unique to this program that may not be easily understood by viewers. For example: Splicing: Mixing human and animal DNA to create a hybrid.
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| » Credits
| This section should be used only to credit people who granted you permission to use their material – it does not mean you can copy other people’s work and then put an "thank you" note under that page. You also must be specific in indicating what you're using from them. So as to verify the authenticity of your credits, the staff may ask you to provide evidence, via e-mail, that proves your clearance. You can also use it to thank some special member(s) who contributed in abundance to the guide.
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| » Episode Summary (updated 02/08/15)
| A brief synopsis (100 words or less) covering the main plotline and/or all sub-plots of an episode. However, your summaries should be spoiler-free – as opposed to a recap – and should never give away the ending of the episode.
When submitting summaries to upcoming episodes, the official press release may be submitted. These can be found on the series' official site. Summaries in part or in whole from unofficial sites, such as fansites or other TV related web pages and sources are not permitted and will be rejected. After an episode airs, please only submit original material.
If official summaries exceed a hundred words as noted above, they should be trimmed or rewritten regardless.
Summaries should be rewritten to TVRage standards, which includes upper-lower case.
Note: In order for the guide to be marked complete, all official summaries must be reworded.
Do not use slang terms and obscenities.
Metadata (that episode's show and episode title, actor names, references to season finales or premieres) don't go in summaries.
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| » Runtimes (added 8/1/13)
| All runtimes are based on the "scheduled" time slot, not the time without commercials. For example, a 25-minute episode with commercials (even if the commercials run after the show airs without commercials) is 30 minutes if the timeslot is 30 minutes.
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| » Recap
| A thorough account of the action of an episode. However, while a recap can contain spoilers, it should not include opinions or analyses. Keep it simple; a recap can and should be detailed, but avoid unnecessary length if brevity is sufficient. Typically, 500-1000 words per half hour is a good average.
Similar to summaries, all recaps must be original content. Any plagiarized material will be automatically rejected and official recaps are not acceptable either. As per the submission rules, once an episode has aired, official material can no longer be submitted.
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| » Screencaps (updated 9/15/13)
| In this section you can load one screencap for each episode.
The screencap should be representative and/or illustrative of the given episode. DO NOT USE GENERIC SHOTS. However, vis-à-vis the other sections, the screencap should be spoiler-free and not give too much away.
Also, screencaps should be submitted in 4:3 or 16:9 format.
The maximum size for a screencap is: 250x188
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| » Featured Songs
| This section should be used to catalog all the songs, and respective artists, listened to or played in a given episode. If someone performs a cover, the credited original artist should be listed under Artist and linked when possible. If a character(s) performs, it should be listed under Played When.
Do not format song titles when submitting. No italics, no quotation marks. The form itself will format them to TVRage standards.
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| » Episode Notes
| Something interesting or relevant related to the episode, either from (1) the real world or (2) from inside the show.
Examples:
- This episode ran an hour and nine minutes including the two Nokia commercials before and after the episode.
- Sydney has been working for SD-6 for 7 years.
Do not state obvious facts (such as, 'This is the season premiere.') or list plot keys.
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| » Episode Quotes (updated 2/5/14)
| A quote must be a word-by-word account of what is said on-screen ― do not paraphrase. It should be memorable, insightful, or funny, and bear some relevance to the character and/or episode in question.
Always submit quotes in the following format:
- No quotation marks;
- The name of the character and the colon must be in bold font type;
- Do not put in hard or soft returns within a speaker line, or otherwise try to force line breaks.
- The actions must be described in-between parentheses () and in italics
Eg.:
McKenas Cole: (to Sydney) I know you didn't wanna kiss me, but when I was taking a hit off that bottle before, I backwashed in it. I mean, like, really big-time.
or
(After whirling a drill in Will's mouth)
Suit and Glasses: You had a cavity.
As for the characters' names: use common sense. If you're quoting one of the lead characters of a show, there's no need to use his/her full name. For example, instead of "Buffy Anne Summers:", just "Buffy:" would suffice.
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| » Episode Goofs
| Mistakes seen on an episode, such as anachronisms, continuity, reused footage, visible crew or equipment, plot holes, etc. However, something that is consistent with the show's internal logic is not a goof.
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| » Episode Cultural References
| A scene or line said by someone that contains historic, literary or pop-cultural references.
The format for Cultural References includes two parts:
- a quote (or if the reference is non-verbal, a brief description (or a headline) of a 'visual' or 'audio' reference)
- a short explanation of the reference
E.g.:
Will: Her favorite movie of all time. You ready for this? Pretty Woman.
Pretty Woman is a 1990 romantic comedy about a rich businessman (Richard Gere) who pays a prostitute on Hollywood Boulevard (Julia Roberts) to spend a whole week with him. This movie is credited for making Julia Roberts famous and known as 'America's Sweetheart.'
or
Visual: Daisy's mug.
This is an image of Rambo, Sylvester Stallone's Green Beret character from the Rambo trilogy of films.
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| » Episode References
| References made to the world inside the show. It can be a reference to a previous episode or to a concept from that universe.
E.g.: (In the episode "Blasts From the Past, Part II")
"Stolen Memories"
Professor Hamilton: So, this is the orb...
Professor Hamilton is contemplating the memory module of Krypton that Superman saved from Brainiac's exploding ship. E.g.:
Lana Lang: The reason you haven't been able to find the merchandise in Metropolis is: it isn't in Metropolis - it's in Central City.
Just like Metropolis and Gotham City, Central City only exists in the DC Comics world. It's the hometown of The Flash, who will make an appearance in "Speed Demons."
NB: When a show casually alludes to another, it is a Cultural Reference, however when it purposely refers to specific episodes of another show to serve the plotline or to spoof the other show itself, it should be posted under the References section. E.g.: The extensive references to the Star Trek episodes in the episode "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" of Futurama.
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| » Episode Analysis
| A mini-essay about something relevant worth analyzing. It can be used to draw parallels between episodes, and characters; to expand on a theme, motif or irony presented in the episode; to find hidden meanings in titles or statements, and to assess character behavior, so as to draw pertinent conclusions.
E.g.:"The Last Son of Krypton"
There is a nice wordplay with the homophones "son" and "sun" on this title and throughout the episode. Brainiac says that Krypton saw its last sunrise, as in "there is no tomorrow for Krypton", so it's the Last Sun of Krypton. On the other hand, Kal-El is Krypton's last son, meaning its last survivor - hence "The Last Son of Krypton."
Please note: a review is not an analysis. This includes reviews of the episode itself, or a review of a performer. Reviews are typically broader ("This is why this episode was good," "George Smith gives a sterling performance") and more opinionated.
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| » People Guide Quotes
| Similar to Episode Quotes, quotes added to People Guides need to be word for word and follow the same format as Episode Quotes.
Always submit quotes in the following format:
- No quotation marks;
- The name of the character and the colon must be in bold font type;
- The actions must be described in-between brackets () and in italics
Eg.:
Anthony Hopkins: (about his well-known character, Hannibal Lector) I think he might be a very interesting person to have lunch with, provided that you weren't the lunch.
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| » Classifications (added 10/7/2013)
| Animation: Any animated series. Supersedes Scripted and Mini-Series.
Award Show: Any show that its primary function is to give out an award or awards.
Documentary: A work, such as a film or television program, presenting political, social, or historical subject matter in a factual and informative manner and often consisting of actual news films or interviews accompanied by narration.
Game Show: Any real-life show that features the participants playing a game against each other. Excluding sports shows (see Sports) and reality competition shows (see Reality)
Mini-Series: A limited-run scripted TV program.
News: Any show whose prime function is to present and discuss news of the day.
Reality: Any reality show that features real-life persons, either in real-life competitive situations (Survivor, Big Brother, The Voice), or living out their lives on camera.
Scripted: Any fictional TV program featuring made-up characters.
Sports: Any show that primarily features real-life sporting events.
Talk Shows: Any show with a host, either interviewing celebrity guests or real-life persons.
Variety: Any show presenting a variety of acts in a non-competitive setting. The performances can be either amateur or professional.
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| » Genres (updated 9/21/13)
| Genres represent specific categories of programming. With very few exceptions, shows only fit into up to at most three genres, and as few as necessary should be used.
Narrow genres and classifications that always include a certain other genre don't need redundant genres listed. Sports shows don't need Action and Drama listed, Superhero shows don't need Adventure added, and so on.
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| » Main Images
| The main image should be representative and/or illustrative of the series as a whole. It should be in the ballpark of 4:3 or 16:9 format, and can include either a simple logo, or a representative image of the primary cast. Try to avoid extraneous text, autographs, and so on.
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| » Pointers
| Some pointers to take into account when submitting anything:
- Be objective ― opinions belong in reviews and in the forum
- Be direct and precise ― don’t speculate
- Don't personalize your contributions ― this includes signing your name and using the first person singular (“I’m not sure,” “I think” etc....).
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| » Punctuation
| Here you have some rules about punctuation to keep in mind when contributing to any of the site's sections. They are the same used at Wikipedia.
Names of shows, movies, books and music albums in italics: e.g.: Star Trek, Futurama, Alias, Star Wars, etc...
Name of episodes, books' chapters and songs with quotation marks: "Space Pilot 3000" - a hyperlink is not mandatory, but in case you want to use it, do not hyperlink the quotation marks.
Quotes do not need quotation marks around each speaker line or in total. If a quote includes a quotation, use " quotation marks.
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| » Spoilers
| There are many significant facts in an episode that can be a spoiler for someone who didn’t watch it. Thanks to our UBB Code, you can safely post about the death of an important character without spoiling it for those who haven't watched the episode in question, and just want to browse around to check guest stars and quotes.
You can post spoilers as the following examples:
This episode marks the death of Whoever.
This episode marks the return of Whoever.
In this episode we find out that Whoever is a traitor.
Notice that you don’t need to cover the whole thing up - just the actual spoiler info.
BUT this does not mean you can post extensive plot keys - that’s not what the Notes section is for.
You can also use spoiler warnings in quotes.
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| » Episode & Show Crew (added 2/2/2014)
| All crew type names should follow standard first-letter-standard capitalization, even if their name is not a proper noun (i.e., Executive Producer, Assistant Producer), if the press release uses lower case, or if the on-screen credits use a different capitalization.
Crew type names should use the credited crew type name. If this currently doesn't exist, selecting 'other' and then filling out the relevant field will create the crew type. Try to avoid creating duplicates: picking an existing role and using Attributes to further clarify it is preferred.
Attributes can be used to indicate the season/series the crew member was present for, if it is known. Parentheses aren't necessary, the system will add them automatically. They are not to be used to indicate a character's role in the episode or biographical information.
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| » Show Gallery
| The show gallery is to be used for promotional pictures and other pictures that are meant to represent the series as a whole. Examples include, but are not limited to, group pictures of the cast, promotional images from the network, cast pictures, etc. The gallery, however, is not to be used for screencaps -- screencaps need to be added per episode, not in the gallery.
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| » People Guide Biography
| A brief synopsis covering the major roles, trivia, achievements and life events of the person. Biographies can include a list of credits; however, since their TVRage guide should contain all on-screen or behind-the-scenes TV credts, they do not need to be listed but can be referenced within the text.
To keep biographies uniform across the site, please refrain from using any personal information, reviews, or commentary. Any questions about what can and cannot be added to a biography can be directed to any staff member.
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| » Guest Star (updated 2/13/15)
| All character names should follow standard first-letter-standard capitalization, even if their name is not a proper noun (i.e., Bob Smith, Nurse #2, Security Guard #1), if the press release uses lower case, or if the on-screen credits use a different capitalization.
Character name should use the credited character name. If no on-screen name is given, please use the most complete name possible based on press releases and on-screen dialogue.
Attributes can be used to indicate an actor's alias ("as Bob Smith"), or a more detailed character name taken from onscreen dialogue (credited character name "Security Guard #2", but referred to on name badge "Jack Jones"), or both (as Bob Smith. Jack Jones). Parentheses aren't necessary, the system will add them automatically. They are not to be used to indicate a character's role in the episode or biographical information.
When possible, please indicate Rank. Rank actors in reverse order based ONLY on the order they appear on-screen (i.e., the first person to be listed would be 99, and then in descending order: 95, 90, 80, etc.). Any numbering scheme can be used. Uncredited actors by definition have no rank.
If an on-screen credit has a / (slash) separating the character name, put a space before and after the slash for readability (i.e., Clark Kent / Superboy, not Clark Kent/Superboy).
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Guest Star - Use this as a default if none of the below apply. In American live-action programs, typically applies to actors listed after the show stars in the opening credits. In older American shows, as well as most animated shows, includes actors listed in the end credits who are not credited as co-stars.
Co-Guest Star - Typically applies to actors listed in the end credits, often in smaller print. Should not be used for animated series unless they specifically say "co-star." Best avoided unless "Co-Star" is specifically used
Starring Role - Non-editors can use this category to submit show stars at the episode level. Can be used to indicate the "stars" in an episode of an anthology if the credits refer to them as stars, and editors can use this at discretion to indicate main characters who are not credited as show stars but are generally considered show stars (i.e., James Doohan in Star Trek).
Special Guest Star - Only for individuals listed as Special Guest Stars, Special Guest, Special Appearance, and similar terms.
Guest Host - Used for talk shows and some news shows.
Musical Guest - An individual or group who appears primary to perform, typically on talk shows, even if they are interviewed as well.
Interviewee - Guests interviewed on a talk or news show.
Featuring - Provided primarily for some countries like the UK and Australia as they do appear in the closing credits. Featuring is sometimes used for actors who have appeared but have no character names. They are just listed under the named character credits as Featuring. For American shows, do not use unless the onscreen credits specifically use this. It was popular in the 60s and 70s, but seems to have fallen into disuse.
Uncredited - A character who has a confirmed onscreen appearance but is not credited. Please verify whenever possible through blogs, IMDB, etc., rather than relying on "I'm pretty sure it's that guy from show X."
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| » Star Main Picture and Gallery Images
| Main Images for stars should be family-friendly and workplace-appropriate. No nude, bikini, lingerie, or "fake-naked" photos.
Rules on star gallery images are a little looser, but such images should only come from TV/movie appearances, not magazine shoots, page-3 photos, personal memoirs, and so on. Nudity is still not allowed. If you're not sure if it's nudity, it probably is.
Images should be of a person, not a group. There are many freeware photo-editing programs on the Internet: please use one to crop as necessary.
Overly large images are not wanted, since they take up excess memory. Images should be 72 to 150 DPI, and approximately 2" x 3".
Don't use images with signatures. Again, crop as necessary.
Don't use watermarked images.
Dozens of similar gallery images aren't necessary or desired.
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