Do Soap Operas require continuous numbering

I would say that the guideline says that series that don't use seasons are typically soap operas, talk shows or newscasts, not that all soap operas, talk shows and newscasts don't use seasons. Certainly, plenty of talk shows do, newscasts like 60 Minutes do, so why not soaps.

Hi @Peter_pbn​ -

Thank you for your comment, you're absolutely right. 

We do allow soap opera titles to be listed with seasons.  So while General Hospital didn't originally categorize episodes by season, if the network is now organizing them this way, we can and should update the episode numbering on our site to reflect that.

@Michelle​ Why would you follow the way the network organizes the episodes? If the network would say General Hospital is a western, would you add that as a genre for this title? (I realize this question might seem rhetorical. It is not). If nothing is changed about how often this show airs, why would you change the way you list this show?

And what if in a few years, the network stops with these season ordering, does IMDb go back to one continious season?

And does this mean this show goes from season 1 to season 60-something on IMDb? This would be rather confusing don't you think? It would strongly suggest there is a lot of missing data. 

I fail to see any form of logic behind this. 

Hi @Marco​ -

Thank you for your follow-up, these are fair questions.

To clarify the distinction: genre is an editorial classification that IMDb determines based on our own content standards. Season/episode structure, however, reflects how content is officially packaged and distributed to viewers.  When a network or streaming platform organizes episodes into seasons, that's how audiences encounter and search for the content. Ideally, we want to ensure that when a viewer watches "Season 62, Episode 14" on their platform, they can find that same episode on IMDb without confusion.

That said, we aim to reflect content as it originally aired.  We would not retroactively alter season or episode numbering for series that were released with an established seasonal structure from the start (for example, we would not renumber episodes of Game of Thrones).  This approach applies specifically to long-standing series that did not initially follow a seasonal format but have since been restructured by their distributors.

Regarding your other questions:

• If the network reverses course: We would reassess and update our listings to reflect the current official distribution structure at that time.
• Season numbering gaps: I understand how this could appear confusing. We would handle this on a case-by-case basis, depending on whether earlier episodes are retroactively numbered by the distributor or remain as-is.

To summarize: IMDb serves as a reference that helps users find and identify content as they encounter it in the real world.  When official distribution structures change, we may update accordingly to stay aligned with how viewers actually access the content.

I hope this helps clarify our reasoning!

@Michelle​ Thanks for taking the time to respond to my questions. 

I guess we have to agree to disagree as I still feel a database should follow it's own guidelines (and even more important, the facts!) and not make itself dependent on tons of companies who all might have different definitions of seasons and/or change their minds.

I am happy though that there is a reasoning behind all this :) 

@Michelle​ 

Realistically I don't think IMDb is going to be updating the past listings if even the person asking for the change is not going to submit such edits. For now it's a question of adding season 64 when there is otherwise only one season. I'm not sure it's a good idea.

Perhaps users who have contributed US soap data would like to have a say, such as those who replied to an earlier post:

@Skip​ 

@mark_faulkner_m324gvbxt5qi​ 

@Michelle​ @Maya Hello! I would like to clarify that General Hospital can use the ABC season numbering it uses as shown on their website? (https://abc.com/show/dfb4bf14-9ed3-4a32-a3d6-128434d2e5e7, specific episode example: https://abc.com/episode/8c2d5b99-d970-4d7e-bbff-36d95e39c987/playlist/PL557226598)? ABC only keeps episodes listed that list the numbering of their episodes for 14 days, but a new season always starts after Labor Day. What would be sufficient evidence for this?

Would it be okay to only do it from season 60 onwards due to the sheer number of volume of episodes that would have to be renumbered?

Furthermore, can I document the continuous numbering in the episode title? I bring this up because ABC does this according to their press website: https://www.detpress.com/abc/shows/generalhospital/episodes/.

When submitting these corrections, do I just link to this conversation as proof that the renumbering of seasons is okay?

Thank you!

Hi @HeartGlow30797​ -

Yes, ABC's official website is an acceptable source for applying seasonal episode numbering to the series.  Since ABC is the network that airs the show, their organizational structure is what we'd follow.  You are also welcome to post the link to this thread to help support the corrections, but you will also need direct evidence mentioned.

Since ABC only retains episodes for 14 days, I'd recommend capturing screenshots or archived links showing the seasonal numbering as it appears on ABC's site.  Beginning from a recent season onwards rather than retroactively renumbering the entire catalog is acceptable.

Lastly, as per our guidelines:

...if the episode has no title you should leave the Episode Title box blank on submission (but remember to include one other piece of information: original air date/episode number).

The title will then automatically be taken from the episode number.  So if you are correcting an episode for Season 60, episode four 9, then "Episode #60.9" would automatically generate as the episode title.

I hope this helps!

@Michelle​ 

Hello! I will probably delay season numbering until the next season starts for continuity sakes.

The episode titles are actually the continuous numbering utilized by GH according to ABC and I was hoping to continue to use the continuous numbering in the episode titles ("Episode 15977"; source: https://www.detpress.com/abc/shows/generalhospital/episodes/06-10-26-2/photos/)

@HeartGlow30797​ I don't mean to be pedantic or anything, I'm honestly just curious. You talk about "for continuity sakes" and I wondered how adding a season 60 to a series that only has a season 1 relates to the goal of continuity. 

@DanDud88​ If a series continuously airs, IMDb considers all episodes to be from season 1 (see https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/titles/episode-guidelines/GDF7HR6CCCBKU3CP?ref_=helpsrall#epnumbers ). Why the Neighbours YouTube channel lists them differently is something you should ask there.