The TV Series Grabber in SceneFlix is a sophisticated content creation tool that allows you to automatically fetch comprehensive TV show information from The Movie Database (TMDB) and create detailed TV show posts on your WordPress site.
This powerful feature handles the complexities of TV series data including seasons, episodes, networks, and ongoing air dates.
What is the TV Series Grabber?
The TV Series Grabber is an intelligent content management system that connects to the TMDB API to retrieve complete TV show information including plot summaries, cast details, trailers, ratings, air dates, season information, episode counts, and network details.
Unlike movies, TV shows have additional complexities like multiple seasons, ongoing episodes, and network affiliations that the Series Grabber handles seamlessly.
Accessing the TV Series Grabber
To access the TV Series Grabber feature:
- Navigate to WordPress Admin – Log into your WordPress admin dashboard
- Find SFCore Menu – Look for the “SFCore” menu in the left sidebar
- Access TV Series Grabber – Click on the TV series-related option in the SFCore menu
- Series Grabber Interface – You’ll see the “SceneFlix TV Series Grabber” page
Understanding the TV Series Grabber Interface
The TV Series Grabber interface is designed for efficiency while handling the complexity of TV show data:
- TMDB TV Show ID Input Field – A text input field where you enter the TMDB ID of the TV show you want to fetch (e.g., “1399” for Game of Thrones)
- Fetch Data Button – A red button that initiates the data retrieval process from TMDB
- Series Preview Area – A comprehensive section that displays the fetched TV show information including seasons, networks, and episode details
- Action Button – A dynamic button that changes based on the series status (Create, Update, or scheduled for auto-post)
- Episode Generation Tools – Additional functionality for managing season and episode data
How to Get TMDB TV Show ID
Before fetching TV show data, you need the TMDB TV Show ID. The interface includes a helpful “How to Get TMDB ID?” link. To find TV Show IDs:
- Visit TMDB Website – Go to The Movie Database (themoviedb.org)
- Search for TV Show – Use the search function to find your desired TV series
- Navigate to TV Show Page – Click on the TV show from search results
- Extract ID from URL – The ID appears in the TV show’s URL (e.g., themoviedb.org/tv/1399 – where 1399 is the ID)
Step-by-Step Process: Fetching TV Show Data
Step 1: Enter TMDB TV Show ID
- Input the ID – Type the TMDB TV Show ID in the input field (e.g., “1399”)
- Validate Entry – Ensure the ID is correct and contains only numbers
- Click Fetch Data – Click the red “Fetch Data” button to initiate the process
Step 2: Review Fetched TV Show Data
Once you click “Fetch Data,” SceneFlix will:
Display Loading Animation – A loading spinner appears while data is being fetched
Retrieve Comprehensive Data – The system connects to TMDB API and retrieves detailed TV show information
Show Series Preview Card – A detailed preview card displays comprehensive information including:
- TV show title and overview
- Embedded YouTube trailer (if available)
- TV show poster image
- First air date and current status
- Genre information and network details
- Number of seasons and total episodes
- Cast and creator information
Step 3: TV Show Status Detection
SceneFlix automatically detects the TV show’s status and displays appropriate messages:
- New TV Show – Green alert: “TV Series with this ID doesn’t exist yet. Let’s create it!”
- Action: “Create TV Series Post” button appears
- Existing TV Show – Red alert: “TV Series with this ID already exists! Update it?”
- Action: “Update TV Series” button appears
- Scheduled TV Show – Blue alert: “TV Series with this ID has been scheduled for automatic posting.”
- Action: “Create TV Series Post Now” button appears
TV Show Data Structure
Basic Information
- Title – Official TV show name
- Overview – Complete plot summary
- First Air Date – When the series originally aired
- Status – Current status (Ended, Returning, Canceled, etc.)
- Rating – TMDB vote average
- Genres – All applicable genres
Season and Episode Data
- Number of Seasons – Total seasons available
- Episodes per Season – Automatic calculation of episodes in each season
- Season Metadata – Individual season information and episode counts
Network and Production
- Networks – Broadcasting networks (HBO, Netflix, etc.)
- Creators – Show creators and executive producers
- Cast Information – Main cast members
- Languages – Spoken languages in the series
Creating TV Show Posts
Automatic Post Creation
When you click “Create TV Series Post,” SceneFlix automatically:
Generates WordPress Post – Creates a new post with the ‘tv’ post type
Populates Content – Fills in the post title, content, and excerpt with TV show information
Sets Featured Image – Downloads and sets the TV show poster as the featured image (1280px width)
Adds Comprehensive Metadata – Includes detailed metadata such as:
- TMDB ID for tracking
- Number of seasons and total episodes
- Network information
- First air date and current status
- Vote average and vote count
- Creator and cast information
- Trailer YouTube key
- Original language and genres
Assigns Multiple Taxonomies – Automatically assigns:
- Genre terms (Drama, Comedy, Action, etc.)
- Language terms (English, Spanish, etc.)
- Network terms (HBO, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.)
Creates SEO-Friendly URL – Generates a clean, SEO-optimized permalink
Processes Season Data – Automatically fetches and stores episode counts for each season
Advanced Season and Episode Handling
The TV Series Grabber includes sophisticated season and episode management:
Season Metadata – For each season, the system:
- Fetches individual season information
- Counts episodes in each season
- Stores season-specific metadata
- Updates episode counts automatically
Episode Data Structure – Creates custom fields like:
season-1-episodes– Number of episodes in season 1season-2-episodes– Number of episodes in season 2- And so on for all available seasons
TV Show Post Content Details
Each created TV show post includes:
Title – The official TV show title from TMDB
Content – The complete TV show overview/plot summary
Custom Fields – All TV show metadata stored as custom fields:
_tmdb_tv_series_details_original_title_tmdb_tv_series_details_total_seasons_tmdb_tv_series_details_networks_tmdb_tv_series_details_release_tmdb_tv_series_details_genre_tmdb_tv_series_details_language_tmdb_tv_series_details_created_by_tmdb_tv_series_details_casts_tmdb_tv_series_details_trailer_tmdb_tv_series_details_rating_tmdb_tv_series_details_votes
Featured Image – High-quality TV show poster with proper alt text
Multiple Taxonomies – Organized by genre, language, and network for advanced filtering
Season Episode Counts – Individual metadata for each season’s episode count
Updating Existing TV Show Posts
TV shows often have ongoing seasons and episodes, making updates crucial:
Update Process
- Detect Existing Post – SceneFlix checks if a TV show with the same TMDB ID already exists
- Show Update Option – Displays “Update TV Series” button instead of “Create”
- Fetch Latest Data – Retrieves the most current information from TMDB
- Update Post Content – Refreshes all post content and metadata
- Update Season Information – Adds new seasons and episode counts
- Refresh Featured Image – Updates poster if it has changed
What Gets Updated
- TV show title and overview
- All metadata fields including new seasons
- Featured image (if changed)
- Taxonomy terms (genres, languages, networks)
- Season and episode counts
- Cast and creator information
- Current status and air dates
Advanced Features
Episode Generation
The TV Series Grabber includes advanced episode generation capabilities:
- Season Processing – Automatically processes each season individually
- Episode Counting – Accurately counts episodes in each season
- Progressive Loading – Handles large series with many seasons efficiently
- Error Handling – Gracefully handles missing or incomplete season data
Network Management
- Network Taxonomy – Creates and manages network terms automatically
- Multiple Networks – Handles shows that air on multiple networks
- Network Metadata – Stores network information as both taxonomy and metadata
Language Support
- Multi-language Support – Handles shows with multiple spoken languages
- Language Taxonomy – Creates language terms for filtering
- Original Language – Preserves original language information
Error Handling and Validation
SceneFlix includes comprehensive error handling for TV shows:
Data Validation
The system validates:
- Valid TMDB TV Show ID
- Presence of essential data (title, overview)
- Network and creator information
- Season and episode data integrity
Common Error Messages
- “Invalid response from TMDB API” – TMDB ID doesn’t exist or API issue
- “No valid series data received” – TV show data is incomplete
- “Series already exists” – Duplicate prevention
- “No API keys configured” – API key configuration issue
Best Practices for TV Shows
Before Creating Posts
- Verify TMDB ID – Ensure the ID corresponds to the correct TV show
- Check Series Status – Understand if the show is ongoing or completed
- Review Season Count – Verify the number of seasons is accurate
After Creating Posts
- Review Generated Content – Check all metadata and taxonomies
- Verify Season Data – Ensure episode counts are accurate
- Check Network Information – Confirm network assignments are correct
- Optimize for SEO – Add additional keywords and descriptions
Managing Ongoing Series
- Regular Updates – Update ongoing series periodically for new seasons
- Episode Tracking – Monitor episode counts as seasons air
- Status Monitoring – Track series status changes (renewed, canceled, etc.)
Success Confirmation
After successful TV show post creation or update, you’ll see:
- Success Message – Confirmation with season count information
- Action Links – Quick links to:
- View the newly created TV show post
- Edit the post in WordPress admin
- Season Summary – Information about total seasons processed
- Smooth Scrolling – Automatic scroll to the success message
Troubleshooting TV Show Issues
Common Issues
- “No episode data found for season X” – Season may not have episode data in TMDB
- “Series already exists” – Duplicate TV show with same TMDB ID
- “Failed to fetch season data” – Network or API issue when fetching season information
- “Error creating the TV Series post” – WordPress post creation failure
Solutions
- Check TMDB ID – Verify the ID is correct and exists
- Verify API Key – Ensure TMDB API key is valid and active
- Check Series Status – Some series may have incomplete data
- Review Network Connection – Ensure stable internet connection
TV Show vs Movie Differences
Understanding the key differences helps optimize your workflow:
TV Shows Include:
- Multiple seasons and episodes
- Network affiliations
- Creator information (vs. director for movies)
- Ongoing air dates
- Episode counts per season
Movies Include:
- Single release date
- Runtime information
- Director information
- IMDB ID (more critical for movies)
- Production company details
What’s Next?
Now that you understand how to fetch and create TV show posts, you can explore the Auto-Post functionality to automatically add new trending TV shows to your site.
The TV Series Grabber provides the foundation for building a comprehensive TV show database with detailed season and episode information.
The TV Series Grabber handles the complexity of TV show data while maintaining the same ease of use as the Movie Grabber, making it simple to build a professional entertainment website with both movies and TV shows.