Glossary
A
Alternate Season/Episode
Season and Episode number as provided by a non-originating source that is currently airing the episode. This information is typically received by Gracenote editors as part of an airing schedule.
C
Celebrities
Detailed personal information for celebrities.
Countrywide
An indicator placed on the episode which indicates that the season/episode number applies to all channels airing the episode within the country specified.
Crossover
Storyline begins in an episode of one TV Series and is carried over to episode(s) of another TV Series ("CSI" crossover to "Without a Trace"; "Law and Order" crossover to "Law and Order: SVU"; "Private Practice" crossover to "Grey's Anatomy").
E
Episode
One part of a parent series show. Episode data can be represented with numbers (10), as well as letters (A).
F
Franchise
A group of programs using the same "brand" but each with different casts and storylines. Also a new series with a similar theme and existing in the same universe as the original series, but may not necessarily have the same characters. Examples of this type are the Star Trek, Stargate, Law and Order, and CSI series. Also a series that has been edited to re-air with a shorter duration (may or may not have a different title). A Franchise link is used for remakes and/or series revivals. Franchise can also relate to a movie TV series, i.e. "MASH" (1970 theatrical movie) to "MASH" (1972 CBS-TV series) or "The X-Files" (1993 TV series) to "The X-Files" (1998 theatrical movie).
L
Lineups
Listings of available channel/stations, by geographic area and provider.
M
Movies
Theatrical-release and made-for-TV movies.
P
Primary Season/Episode
Season and Episode number as provided by the original source at the time the program episode was created in the Gracenote programs database.
Programs
Individual programs (TV shows, movies, sports events).
R
Remake
A remake link is used when a motion picture covering a particular subject matter is produced again with the same narrative and subject matter. A remake may sometimes have a different title.
rootId
The TMS rootId is the universal ID for the program record of a TV show, TV episode, movie (theatrical or made-for-television) and sports event. It is universal for all program records with different title language/description and language work version. This ID domain is unique.
S
Season
A collection of episodes belonging to a parent series show. Season data is always represented with a number, however, the number can also be preceded by the word Season (Season 6) or simply contain a calendar year (2013).
Series
Serialized programs (episodic TV shows, miniseries, talk shows).
Series Special
A stand-alone program (usually a reunion, recap, etc.) that is directly related to an existing or former TV series. Also a show that reunites cast after a series has ended to take a retrospective look at the original series.
seriesId
This numeric ID is equivalent to the rootId of series' parent program record. Only TV series programs (SH header record and EP episode records) will include seriesId.
Source
The entity by which program and schedule information has been provided to Gracenote.
Spin-off
A spinoff link is used when one or more supporting characters in an existing series are given their own show in which they become the main focus. The original series continues without them. There may be crossover of characters between the shows on occasion (such as Angel from Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Flo from Alice, The Ropers from Three's Company, Daria from Beavis and Butt-head). The spinoff link is used when new characters are specially incorporated into an existing series for the sole purpose of being launched into their own show that will feature no regular characters from the original series, except as guest appearances (such as Empty Nest from The Golden Girls; Melrose Place from Beverly Hills, 90210, etc.). Also when regular characters from a series continue in their own series after the original series ends (such as George and Mildred and Robin's Nest from Man About the House; Frasier from Cheers; Joey from Friends). This is usually done with the same actors, though not always (such as Trapper John, M.D.).
Sports
Program information specific to sports genre.
Stations
TV stations and related channels available in a lineup.
Super Series
Network, cable or syndicated programs that are basically the same show with slightly different titles. Ex: Survivor; Survivor Africa.
T
TMSId
Unique ID for a program (show, movie, sports). This ID is a 14-character alphanumeric field; it is the primary key of the program record, and is used to relate the program to TV schedules and Movie Showtimes. It is specific to a program's title, description language, and version. The tmsId is the industry's gold standard for recognizing and synchronizing entertainment assets. The first two letters of the tmsId indicate entity type:
- SH: Show - TV specials, one-time shows, and series (non-episode-specific information)
- EP: Episode - TV show episodes; metadata includes season number, episode number, and episode title; relates back to parent using a seriesId
- MV: Movie - includes both theatrical releases and made-for-television films
Topic
A topic link is used when movies dealing with the same specific subject matter are related.