Two part episode policy

Delenn wrote:
In the specific case of You're the Worst. The 'proof' (that would meet current TvM data policy) is the fact that onscreen credits from the original airing do not refer to anything being part 1 or part 2. There is one credit block, at the beginning, one writer credit, one director credit. By comparison, The Good Place onscreen credits from the original airing specifically refer to 'Chapter X' by written by Writer A and 'Chapter Y' being written by Writer B. The onscreen credits are the 'proof', and therefore it's listed as 2 episodes.

Your Cannon example presumably wouldn't pass TvM quality control, it's not the original airing, it's a repeat years later. That's not 'proof' if it's not the original airing. The original source should be gospel as per your words a few posts up. In all cases the original airings are the gospel, yes?

Also, you were the one who brought up 'proof', why ask how we would prove something only to say 'demanding proof' is unnecessary due to the trust system? I'm genuinely confused.

In the specific case of You're the Worst, what screencap would I make that would show there's only one credit block?

For Cannon, how would TVM quality control determine that it's not the original airing? And no, according to some people, the original airings aren't the gospel. Like the statement "Well that proof isn't good for me."

Why do I ask? Because in some instances such as Monk and Cannon, presumably I'd have to "prove" that they should be listed the way they are per the original suggestion ("stick to the goddamn wiki").. So I'm curious to know what proof would be acceptable. So far, it seems to be a matter of trust, which I'm fine with. ( I can't speak to shows I haven't watched.) But if trust was acceptable... this thread wouldn't exist. :)

tnt wrote:
For Monk, for example, while there's no "on-screen" proof (unless someone still have that VHS tape :D ), the show's pilot was indeed scheduled to broadcast as a single two-hour episode https://web.archive.org/web/20020606133742/http://www.usanetwork.com/cgi-bin/rbox/schedule.cgi?db=US&ds=1&mon=7.02&wd=d&s=12

Also, this schedule directly naming it a two-hour pilot https://web.archive.org/web/20020806223319/http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/schedule.html

The way I see it: any multi-part episode, originally aired in consequent time slots, considered a single episode unless proven otherwise within the scope of TVmaze policy.

And that's "proof", I would think. Although the VHS tape wouldn't do any good either, unless there's a way to send it to TVMaze. :)

But is it good enough for the OP? Or are we still bound by "the goddamn wiki", as he suggests?

Gadfly wrote:
And that's "proof", I would think. Although the VHS tape wouldn't do any good either, unless there's a way to send it to TVMaze. :)

Well, you can always make some photos of your TV screen with your Polaroid camera and send them by regular mail :D

Gadfly wrote:
But splitting it in two would require you to provide credits for the first part or the second that weren't onscreen.

That's a very good point.
Which also begs the question, how would one determine, where exactly the first part ends? E.g. right in the middle of two hour episode the character hit by the bus and died. Did he died at the end of the first part, or at the beginning of the second (read: did he appeared in both parts, or only in one of them)?

The question is then, what proof would be good for you? And how many sources have to list one or the other for whichever one to be accepted as "real"?

Man I don't think we should merge the episodes, it's hard for me to imagine the reason why there should be exceptions. :)

Two part episode is just the 2xregular - with double lenght and same story. It's just too long. But again, It takes two times the lenght of the regular episode. All these Part 1 and Part 2 didn't come out of nowhere. Everything else like credits, and dates of air is overthinking and only cause confusion for people (most look at the number, not the name of the ep). Sometimes channel show it into one day, sometimes with credits (like Friends) sometimes without (Monk). But they not count as single! It's two regulars

eterfgf wrote:
Man I don't think we should merge the episodes, it's hard for me to imagine the reason why there should be exceptions. :)

Two part episode is just the 2xregular - with double lenght and same story. It's just too long. But again, It takes two times the lenght of the regular episode. All these Part 1 and Part 2 didn't come out of nowhere. Everything else like credits, and dates of air is overthinking and only cause confusion for people (most look at the number, not the name of the ep). Sometimes channel show it into one day, sometimes with credits (like Friends) sometimes without (Monk). But they not count as single! It's two regulars

Actually all these Part 1 and Part 2 are overthinking :) It's just a single long episode, as simple as that. There's no "parts", it's just run twice as long. Opening credits – episode – closing credits.

So, as opposed to your opinion, I don't see a reason to split something uninterrupted into imaginary parts :)

imaginary parts

Except that they're not and it's like this in every other place. Call it accounting or whatever you want. :)

The rules is also will be much clearer: see double episodes - split it. And we shouldn't think whether there closing credits in each or not, or "oh wait, this actor didn't appear in Part 2 - well then we should split it!". Monk have 3 double episodes - 2 of them are split, 1 merged. Messy.

I wonder, what part in "two-hour pilot" suggests that it's two episodes? Especially considering that it's a pilot.

Its runtime and common sense :)

eterfgf wrote:
Its runtime and common sense :)

Common sense telling me that pilot is rather a TV movie (with corresponding runtime) than a regular episode, shot as a proof of concept. Long pilots is a rare thing lately, but was pretty common 5-10-20 years ago.

I suppose we have to agree to disagree on that one :)

a TV movie (with corresponding runtime)

TV Movies go to specials section! :) Everyone can tell the difference between two-part episode and tv movie.

Anyway, I'm hoping to get some response from admins regarding this. As I said the rules will be much clearer and understandable this way. I checked every source that you can consider valid - IMDB, TVguide, Tvcom - they don't merge this kind of episodes.

eterfgf wrote:
IMDB

LOL

There's hardly a worse source out there for everything related to TV series :D

It's like this on whatever source you find acceptable.