Submission declined (not sure why)

Hello folks,

I have tried a couple times to get Salem's Lot (1979) changed from TV Series to TV Mini-Series however both times it was declined. The first time the reason just said "does not meet contribution guidelines" so I resubmitted with links to pages corroborating that it is considered a mini-series. The second decline doesn't even give a reason other than "it's blocked by staff".Even the remake with Rob Lowe is classified as a mini-series.

Is there some reason why this is being declined and/or is not considered a mini-series even though it's just two episodes?

The submission is #200706-061246-358000.

Thanks.

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sienel

Champion

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189 Messages

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12.8K Points

5 years ago

The guidelines say if it is two episodes but less than 240 minutes excluding commercials then it is a TV movie. TV series are supposed to be at least four episodes. Mini-series at least 240 minutes.

Based on those rules both the original (two episodes, 200 minutes) and the remake (two episodes, 180 minutes) should be listed as TV movies.

Unless this is one of those times where they...

reserve the right to change and adapt our rules as required by circumstances and may decide to make exceptions for certain special cases

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karen_norton

53 Messages

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1.7K Points

5 years ago

Thank you for this but where are you seeing 200 minutes? I'm seeing two episodes at 2 hours each (240 total) which is supposed to be excluding commercials isn't it?). Maybe the running time needs to be changed?

If this is still not considered a TV Mini-Series then is there a TV Movie setting (tv-movie) or is it just left off to appear like a theatre movie? I have never seen a tv movie setting but admittedly I haven't watched a made for tv movie in a long time so wouldn't necessarily have come across it here. No matter which way you look at it this is not a TV Series and needs to be changed to something else and will submit that accordingly. I guess according to the guidelines the remake should be changed (that wasn't my submission). If there is no tv-movie setting I feel there should be to separate them from the movies shown at theatres.

Thanks again!

1

sienel

Champion

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189 Messages

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12.8K Points

Here's an example of a TV movie in the database: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11404430/.

Runtime excluding commercials is displayed at the top of each title's page -

3 hrs 20 minutes for the original Salem's Lot:

Image httpsd2r1vs3d9006apcloudfrontnets3_images1843335RackMultipart20200707-96355-pk2kfc-Screenshot_2020-07-07_at_123927_AM_inlinepng1594096890

3 hrs 1 minute for the remake:

Image httpsd2r1vs3d9006apcloudfrontnets3_images1843336RackMultipart20200707-58379-go138r-Screenshot_2020-07-07_at_123938_AM_inlinepng1594096908

These would have aired in 2-hour blocks on two nights, but that 240-minute runtime would have included commercials.

Converting either of these to a TV movie would be extremely painful. You'd need to save off the information for the individual episodes, delete the episodes, remove the tv-mini-series keyword from the remake, request title changes to each changing them from TV series to TV movie, then update the TV movie pages to include any credits that disappeared when the episodes were removed. I honestly would not recommend attempting this.

I'd say wait for a staffer who might be able to dig into your tv-mini-series keyword rejection. And might clarify why the IMDb views the two titles differently.

(I feel like these titles were the subject of considerable discussion a decade ago for this very reason but the specifics are lost to me.)

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5 years ago

Michelle

Employee

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18.2K Messages

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321.3K Points

5 years ago

Hi Karen -

Unfortunately our current guides are not updated with very clear definitions on the differences between 'TV series' vs 'TV mini-series', vs 'TV special', etc, etc.

I agree with you that a "TV-mini-series" or "limited-series" best categorizes this title. As such I have now added the "TV-mini-series" keyword to this title and the change should be live on the site shortly.

Cheers!

5

karen_norton

Submission declined (not sure why)

sienel

karen_norton

sienel

Michelle

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