“ Doesn't appear in the episode, and doesn't have a credit anywhere in the episode. ”

@Michelle​ Logically, that shouldn't work. 

If that is the system you use, then I could easily 'prove' that Betty White doesn't appear in any episodes of The Golden Girls by simply providing screen grabs of the other cast members!?! That's a seriously flawed system that makes no sense. Surely you can see that, yourself? 

@Michelle​ Here are screen grabs from the opening credits of Starsky & Hutch. 

The actor Paul Michael Glaser isn't shown in these images. By your logic, I have just 'proven' that he isn't in the show and his credit should therefore be removed from IMDb. 

Surely, you can see this? 

Or someone else reading this can see my point. 

What IMDb considers proof doesn't make any sense. 

@Michelle​ Okay. Are you telling me that you can (and will) remove the Paul Michael Glaser credit from Starsky & Hutch for me? Based on my screengrab? Seriously? 

Hi @RikerDonegal​ -

Not necessarily, the reason I often ask for the related submission information is so I can identify which exact title or episode is related to the request, investigate why it was declined, and in addition to screen grabs you provide I can also research further to verify the if the name was or wasn't credited on-screen.

@ben_hampel​ Ed Gilbert, Janet Julian

Janet Julian is not mentioned in the opening credits with Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson.

There is a full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6aKSKu8EDI

Credits end at Kenny Endoso.

Donna Adrain, Ed Gilbert, and Janet Julian are not credited.

It's clear whoever added the "credit only" attribute actually intended to add "uncredited" attribute.

If you watched the episode and did not see those three actors and they are not listed in the credits then they should be deleted.

@Michelle​ Thanks. But it shouldn't be this difficult to do something this simple. I have a long list of these things. Some dating back months. Months! It's crazy. 

I have another one, from this week, which I'm about to post right now. 

Another old TV episode. This time we have two credited cast members who appear in the episode as normal but IMDb has them as "credit only".

So, what did I do? I did as you and others here have suggested. I uploaded 2 screen grabs from the episode in question. Clearly showing the two cast members. 

And what happened? 

Well, the exact same as everything else I submit. I got: "Your contribution has been declined. We have been unable to verify your contribution. Unfortunately we were unable to accept your submission as we were unable to verify the information provided." 

Honestly, there's no way to win with IMDb. 

You guys are really, really, really determined to hold on to incorrect information.

@RikerDonegal @Michelle I would have to agree that the editors can be strict. If you need any more help let me know.

@ben_hampel​  Strict? Strict?!

If the editors were strict, there wouldn't be so many mistakes! 

I blog about TV, and cover it on local radio. Consequently, I watch a lot of TV. Old and new. Last night I watched a season one episode of the Yellowstone TV series. There's a mistake on IMDb. A recurring cast member is listed but she does not appear in the episode. She is not credited and doesn't appear. Yet, she was added by somebody. And some editor accepted it. How exactly is that strict? 

Same with older shows. Watching the 2000 version of The Fugitive. A cast member who is credited on every episode doesn't appear in every episode. If the editors were strict, then that mistake would not be there. 

They are not strict. 

It's ridiculously easy to add info. Ridiculously easy. 

I added 2 cast members to a Fugitive episode last August. It was easy. No screengrab required. You can add anyone to anything it seems. But, mistakes are another matter. Nobody wants to fix mistakes. 

That's not being "strict". 

I also work as a film maker. I've written/directed short films and wrote/directed 2 episodes of a web series. I work with an actor who has the same name as another actor, a Broadway star who sometimes does films. The credits of both men are mixed up. Since 2014 I have been trying to get this sorted out. Without success. I'm doing a play with the guy I know right. The other night we were laughing, again, at the whole IMDb thing and how it can't be fixed. No matter what. 

There seems to be a policy of retaining previously-entered information, no matter how incorrect it is. 

That's not being "strict". 

I'm agreeing with you. I try to get things added or deleted all the time. I dread getting the declined message. I will get dozens of accepted and then declined for some and I have to then go back and get screen grabs for the declined ones. Why some are approved and some are not is never explained.  Plus using logic doesn't seem to be effective at times. A famous actor having the same name as a one time only amateur actor but they've been dead for a decade before the short film was created. I correct mistakes a lot. I know people say 'but it has to be correct, it's IMDB.'. I've corrected hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of mistakes. That being said if you need help with anything to get resolution I'm happy to help. 

If your friend the actor needs help seperating his credits with the other actor I can try to help. Just need the proper info. I've done this before as well. A father and son stuntmen pair who had hundreds of mistakes since the they were senior and junior. Took time but it can be done. 

@ben_hampel​ Man, I appreciate that. 

I used to be that guy. Years and years ago, I would spend hours late at night correcting mistakes on IMDb. Mostly on TV shows from the 70s, 80s, 90s show. And it tended to very similar mistakes. Usually, it was series regulars who needed a 'credit only' added, or series regulars who left a show and needed to be removed. It used to be much, much easier. I had the 90s Superboy show on VHS long before it came out on DVD, I was able to fix lots of credits on that. 

Do you remember the old IMDb message boards? I spent so much time on those. Just on the TV side of things. And it was a wholly positive experience. Even if the rest of the forum apparently wasn't. It was also a great resource. And back 10+ years ago it really kept me on the site and keen to fix mistakes. Dealing with people like @Michelle kinda sucks the life energy out of me. Her apparently willingness to delete Paul Michael Glaser from Starsky & Hutch based on a screengrab(!!) speaks volumes as to where the site is now. It's just depressing. Apparently knowing even the most basic thing about television and/or pop culture is not a requirement. Hence, all the mistakes I find on the site. The editors are probably lovely people but they aren't suited to working at IMDb. That's the grim fact of the situation. 

@ben_hampel​ That would be great. I was in contact with someone at IMDb a couple of years ago. And we messaged back and forth about it. And... nothing was done. 

First, this profile and this profile are the same man. I can't recall whether I ever tried to this fixed. Possibly not. 

But this credit and this credit don't belong. Presumably, they belong to this guy or this guy. I don't know which. I was told, before, that that's part of the problem. I know the credit is wrong, but I don't know where it belongs so they refused to change it for me. 

OK let me look...

Does your friend have a headshot that I can upload to help differentiate him from the bearded one? Does he prefer Tom or Thomas? How id he credited on Letterkenny People?

@ben_hampel​ I can screengrab him from one of the things he's done. I can add it to the projects, actually. Easy done. But not right now. I don't have them to hand. Also, it's 2:30am here and I'm on-air in the morning doing my reviews. Better go get some sleep. :) 

word.

@ben_hampel​ Forgot they were on YouTube :) 

His credit looks like this. 

Would you like me to use one of these as his primary image?

@ben_hampel​ Sure! 

@ben_hampel​ My point is that it used to be that easy. 

And now the editors have made the site more difficult and less user-friendly. 

If it can be done, it can be undone. 

I have no problem with their being lots of mistakes. I get that. I fully understand that. The point I was making is that it used to be easy to fix mistakes. 

Saying that "it's gonna take time to catch all mistakes" doesn't cover it. Because YOU have already caught the mistake when you bring it to them. YOU have done the work. You @ben_hampel! You've done the work. It hasn't got anything to do with there being "decades of TV listings" it has to do with editors reading YOUR contribution and saying: "nah, we'll keep the mistake." That's my point. Nothing else. 

Does it not bother you that they have so little value on your time and effort? Think about it. And answer honestly. 

I get enough approved to quell any frustration I get from the declines I get. If I have to clarify my point to get it approved then so be it.

@ben_hampel​ You are lucky. Pretty much everything I've submitted in the last year has been declined. Pretty much everything. I did some more yesterday, and it was 50/50. Which is better than average for me. 

I have a long list. 

Do I have to start a thread for each one, in here? 

I'll have 100 different threads pretty quickly. Is that they only way to fix mistakes. 

FYI https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0625013/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_1 Working on transferring 'Personal Details/Other Works' and 'Related News' (right hand of page) to Tom Neils (II). 'Path to Paradise' has been fixed. The credits for 'Lean Dog' and 'Looking Out' are definitely you friend's credits? Once you confirm these two credits and the editors finish the stuff mentioned above then we are all done.  

@ben_hampel​ That's fantastic work. I've been trying for years. (Well, 2 different times in the last 8 years, but you know what I mean.) 

He appeared in Lean Dog. 

He did not appear in Looking Out. I have no idea what that is. I would assume, from the IMDb page, that it is an American production. We are based in Ireland, not the US.

OK I will ask the other Tom Neils about Looking Out.

He claimed the credit.   Let me know if you need help with anything.

@ben_hampel​ Fantastic! I can't believe this is nearly done, after all these years. 

IMDb editors have been really unhelpful, over the last 8 years, and you have it almost fully sorted after a few days. 

ok. Now officially done with your friend's page. 2 things to add to the other Tom's page. He appreciated the updates.

@ben_hampel​ I bet he does. 

And my friend will, as well, I'm sure. He's out of the country at the moment. In Poland until the end of the week, but I will let him know of your hard work on his behalf.