71 Messages
•
2.6K Points
"Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" (1927) isn't a TV series
This entry attempts to collect all the shorts featuring Disney's Oswald character into a television series title.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10603444/
Obviously, with features like Connections and character keywords to link related titles, there's no need for an imaginary TV series entry.
Bethanny
Employee
•
5.6K Messages
•
58.9K Points
2 years ago
Hi @tbrainerd -
Do we have separate listings for this titles? Or do the episodes need to be converted to individual listings?
Thanks!
3
0
gromit82
Champion
•
7.8K Messages
•
280.6K Points
2 years ago
This is ridiculous. I realize that a lot of the data submissions on IMDb get accepted without having to be reviewed by a human editor. But I have mentioned before that submissions of television programs, especially TV series, from before 1940 or so need to be reviewed by a human editor because so many of those submissions are incorrect. (Yes, there was television before 1940 -- but not very much of it.)
See the discussion at https://community-imdb.sprinklr.com/conversations/data-issues-policy-discussions/no-betty-boop-was-not-a-tv-series-in-1930/61417e5e7999fd0798c634a5 where I suggested this multiple times.
I understand that some IMDb contributors are going to misinterpret policy and try to turn series of theatrical film shorts into TV series. What can IMDb do about that? Very simple. When those submissions are incorrect data, don't accept them.
You don't have to be rude about it. Just mark the submission "declined" with a message, "Your contribution could not be verified", because, indeed, it can't be verified that there was an "Oswald the Lucky Rabbit" TV series in 1927.
11
Bethanny
Employee
•
5.6K Messages
•
58.9K Points
2 years ago
Hi @tbrainerd & all!
Thanks for the insights. I have now merged the duplicate listing and converted all the rest to independent titles. Changes will be live on the site shortly.
Cheers!
1
gromit82
Champion
•
7.8K Messages
•
280.6K Points
2 years ago
Following up, here are my comments on some supposed "TV specials" listed in IMDb from the pre-1940 era.
Empty Stocking Fund (1912) (TV): This appears to refer to a charity that was established in 1912. However, that charity could not have produced a TV special in 1912, as television broadcasting had not yet begun at that time. The only distributor is listed as "Rogers Canada (Non-US, 1912) (VHS)", which raises more problems. The VHS format was invented in 1976 and thus a VHS distributor cannot have a distribution year prior to 1976. Furthermore, if this program had first been released to home video, it should be classified as made for video (V) rather than made for television (TV).
Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney (1926) (TV): Again, television broadcasting had not yet begun in 1926, when Gene Tunney defeated Jack Dempsey for the heavyweight boxing championship. The only distributor listed is "ESPN Classic (United States, 2002) (TV)". This suggests that in 2002, ESPN Classic broadcast a film of this boxing fight, but that would not qualify this title to be a 1926 TV special -- a 2002 year date may be correct instead.
James J. Braddock vs. Tommy Farr (1938) (TV): This title's only distributor is listed as "Super-Sports Attractions (United States, 1938) (theatrical)". If indeed there was a film of this boxing match released theatrically in 1938, then this title should be listed as a theatrical film rather than a TV special.
4