Miniseries release date

Hi Ozzy

I’ll provide two: Shogun and Three Little Birds

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2788316/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13678006/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk

Regards

Sheldon

Hi @Sheldon,

Thank you for these examples.

We have added end years to the above titles. These updates will appear live on the site shortly. However, these can be changed if second seasons are officially announced for either title.

I hope this helps!

Ok. But isn’t a miniseries, by default, a single season series? If there’s the possibility of a second season shouldn’t these shows be listed as ‘TV Series’ NOT ‘TV Miniseries’ and you wouldn’t need to put an end year unless and until cancellation or closure. Is my logic flawed?

Hi @Sheldon,

Yes, a mini-series or limited series is defined as having only one season. As always, our aim is to be the most complete and reliable source of movie, TV, and entertainment information on the web, and therefore we want to list titles as they were originally marketed, like Shogun. However, news of a second season is being discussed by the show's creators, but until that is officially confirmed we do not want list factually inaccurate information alluding to a potential second season. If a second season is officially announced, the end year and title type can be corrected accordingly.

I hope this helps!

Got it. Thanks for the clarification!

@Ozzy​ If it is true that a second season is discussed, the mini series tag should be removed from Shogun. After all, as you said yourself, mini series can't have second seasons.

Hello Marco,

As Ozzy mentioned, once it is officially announced and confirmed that there will be a second season, the end year and title type can be corrected accordingly. We do not want to list factually inaccurate information as this is still is discussion.

@Marco​ 

We're in the same headspace that demands a consistent classification methodology. I'm reading between the lines of the responses however and I'm going to infer what I think might be at play here.

I don't think IMDb has the final say (or any say for that matter) in how a TV show is classified. That's the job of the production studio. The start and end years though...that's all IMDb. Ordinarily this works well enough; TV Series? IMDb puts an open ended start date( 2022 -   ) until such time the series is cancelled, when they're free to add the end date, e.g. (2022 - 2024). TV Miniseries? IMDb just puts the year of release (2024) just a single year deal...no start and end dates are necessary. What I feel has happened here is that although these outliers had been officially classified as Miniseries (ie they were originally supposed to be one season deals), some time after release, the stars realigned, there were talks and magically there's now the possibility of a season 2. IMDb's in a bit of a crunch as such an eventuality does not neatly fit into any administrative box. Speaking specifically about Shogun now, it seems to me that the correct thing to do would be to reclassify the show as a series, put 2024 (2024 - ) as the start year and add an end year in due course e.g. (2024 - 2024) OR (2024 - 2027) accordingly. It appears they're not at liberty to reclassify however, so the current fix is a hybrid way to solve an unforeseen (even unforeseeable) issue.

As we have tried to highlight, officially there is not a confirmed second season coming for the "Shogun", therefore we will keep the title listed as it should as Mini Series. The consistency in the classification will depend on how official it is that the production is working on a new season. We do not apply changes based on discussions and talks as in the example of "Shogun". 

If there are corrections to be made for end years, you are free to contribute and provide with the correct data, more help and instructions for this in our Help Articles.

@Sheldon​ It's IMDb's website, so I would think they have (and should have) final say when it comes to deciding how a tv show is listed.

I think the problem is two-fold: First of all, for as far as I know, IMDb hasn't defined what they feel is a mini series. It is listed in the keywords guide as a special keyword though, but without a definition: https://help.imdb.com/article/contribution/titles/keywords/GXQ22G5Y72TH8MJ5?ref_=helpsrall#special

(side-note: while genres DO have definitions, only very few keywords have definitions. Ideally, all keywords would have definitions, but given the sheer number of keywords, I wouldn't hold my breath for it)

The other issue is that IMDb seems to feel that a tv show that MIGHT have a second season can still be mini series if the second season never happens. That's where I happen to disagree with IMDb. I feel that a mini series is a series where it is, literally by definition, impossible to have a second season. That means that even talking about it, makes that it's no longer a mini series, even though it might have started out that way.

(This is the best analogy I could think of, but if someone is bisexual but coincidentally only happens to have been dating women, this person is still bisexual. This person doesn't have to date a man in order to "become" or be able to be listed as bisexual).

@Fran​ As I've replied to Sheldon, the fact that the second season might not happen, is in my opinion irrelevant. The fact that a second season is possible, to me means it's no longer a mini series. But without an IMDb definition, opinions in corner cases like this can go both ways.

Hi @Marco,

At present, the title in question is a mini or limited series by our definition and according to how it has been officially marketed and released. As mentioned, if a second season is officially announced, only then would we amend the listing. Until that happens, we will not correct what we believe to be factual information based on speculative, unconfirmed or rumor-based news articles on unofficial title developments.

Cheers!

@Ozzy​ Thanks for the swift reply! You say the title is a mini series by IMDb's definition. Just out of curiosity, can you tell me where in the guides this definition can be found? This will probably be useful in the future for me as well as other people on this board.

Hi @Marco,

No problem. Please see our help article with a comparison table for differing title types.

I hope this helps!

@Ozzy​ Thanks for the link. I knew about that, but didn't think about it. However, for me, the link you provided proves my point (that it is not possible to have more than one season for a mini series, so IF the creators/studio are talking about a second season, the single act of talking about it and therefore making it a possibility to have a second season makes it a "regular" series) and for IMDb, the link provides your point, because apparently for IMDb, a mini series can have potential plans for a second season (as long as those plans don't end up becoming an actual second season).

Given the fact that, to the best of my knowledge, cases like this don't appear very often, I think it's best to agree to disagree :)

Hi @Marco,

To clarify further, we do not classify discussions as official announcements on this matter as it would be misleading for IMDb to list this title and others like it as anything other than a mini-series with one singular season. For example, if we listed a second season because of the possibility of a second season, we would be recording false and unconfirmed information, which could be spread as inaccurate news.

Therefore, any series released and marketed as a mini or limited series will be listed as such until officially confirmed otherwise.

I hope this helps!

@Ozzy​ Thanks for taking the time to clarify further.