Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Movies: Oscar Nominations
Oops, that caused a huge coding problem leading to a very long time to load the page. Sorry about that, all removed now.
Friday, January 27, 2006
TV.com: Unofficial FAQ
Now that the thread has been unpinned, I'll post what I have (though it might be some-what out of date as I noticed some people were editing the FAQ) :
Unofficial FAQ Part 1: Version 25.50
[color=#000000]Home[/color]
To navigate the guide click on one of the blue links to forward you to the section described:
Generic
Generic questions. For example: How do I become an editor?; points
User Specific Information Questions
Questions about your personal preferences, your profile (emblems), how to change certain options (icon picture), and features of your profile page (banner).
Contributions
Contributions: Explains how you can contribute to a guide and what the various guide sections are. Also elaborates on proper format for quotes and what the comment section on the submission form is for. Episodes: add or delete, and adding/deleting shows.
Forum Questions
Questions (or link) to rules and regulations on the Forum, and generic questions about forum usage.
HTML/BBCode
How to use HTML and BBcode.
Forum/Smiley Emoticons
How to make various :) ;) smilies.
Show Guide Questions
Questions about how to see the show guide in the method preferred by the user (i.e. an episode guide without ads; episode list numbered the way you want).
Known Bugs
Known bugs: a collection of known bugs, solutions (if available) and/or reminders of particular bug issues on the website.
TV.com Staff List
A list of TV.com's staff, as maintained by [b]The_Huntsman[/b].
Other Guides
There are many user made guides and threads that can be helpful to those trying to better use and understand this website.
Linked List of Genre
A television show on TV.com can be in several genres (some are in more than one genre). This section contains a list of genres on TV.com, and a link to the TV.com's page for that genre. The TV.com page contains a list of shows that fall into that genre (along with other things).
List of Themes
A television show can have many themes, and this section contains a list of the currently available themes. Unfortunately, you cannot sort shows by theme.
[color=#000000]Generic:[/color]
Q1) What is a “FAQ”?
A - Frequently Asked Questions
Q2) Could someone explain TV.com, present and future, to me?
Past: TV.com started life as TV Tome (a website that contained episode guides for tv shows). Somewhere along the line, Collaborative Content was formed (either before TV Tome was launched or after launch). Then "CNET purchased Collaborative Content which owned both TV Tome and Movie Tome" (quote from TVTome_John). After about three months of work (according to Snide’s blog) the new TV.com website went live on June 1st 2005.
Present: "They chosen for now to focus TV.com on only TV and not list movie credits."
Future: "They do however own Movie Tome and have access to all the info listed there. It's likely that at some point the TV and Movie info will be more highly integrated than it is now but exactly how that will happen hasn't been decided yet."
Thanks ntonks_tvtome & TVTome_John
Q2b) What is C/NET?
See [url=http://www.cnetnetworks.com/?tag=tv.ft.no]here[/url]
Q3) How does the System work?
Question is too broad.
Q4) Who can contribute to a television guide?
Any registered user that is at least Level 2. To register, click [url=http://www.tv.com/signup/basic]here[/url].
Thanks for reminding me summer_heat
Q5) How do I become Level 2, you might ask?
Basically: As summer_heat notes: "All registered users earn points toward their level for browsing the site, writing reviews, posting on the boards and posting in their blog. Levels are calculated nightly."
Q6) Is the contribution immediately added?
No, the contribution must be processed by an editor (or a moderator if there isn’t an editor, or if the editor doesn’t have control of processing contributions yet).
Q7) Is there a cap on the amount of points that I can receive in a day from contributions?
Yes. (there was a thread discussing this situation, but it has disappeared)
Q7b) What happens to the points that are not added, the points over the cap limit?
See Snide's Blog: the points, at the present time, spill over to the next day.
Q8[b][/b]) How do I become an [color=#000000]editor[/color]?
For shows without an editor: Contribute enough information to receive at least 80 points before someone else passes that mark.
For shows with an editor: Contribute enough information to have 80 more points than the current editor.
People Guides: Need at least 40 points to be made the editor of a People Guide.
thanks for the reminder to update the guide 123home123
Q9) I have 105 points more than the current editor has, but I have not been named editor. Why?
It is possible that a bug is keeping you from becoming the new editor. A more likely answer, though, is that the title has not yet shifted because a certain amount of time needs to occur before the title shifts, and that needed amount of time has not yet occurred. How much time? Not yet determined.
Q10) Why is there a point limit to how many more points you can have over a current editor to take the show away from them? Why doesn't it happen when you have more than one point and wouldn't it happen by the time you hit 30 more points?
Why? You need 80 more points than the current show editor and the transfer is not automatically made after one update because TV.com desires to keep the editor title from switching hands every day; also, this requirment is something of a "wake-up call" to the editor to get a move on and start contributing to the guide.
thanks for the tip Yakira; and the reminder 123home123.
Q11) How do I get [color=#000000]points[/color] on a specific show guide/In general?
Specific show: Make Contributions to the show including trivia, notes, allusions, stars (guest or show stars), etc.
General (as in, how do I advance in levels): Contribute to a show, rate episodes, write reviews, post in forums, in your blog (blog = web log, somewhat like a web diary), etc.
As neutronvortex05 notes: Do the following and your level/rank percentage will increase:
“Not exactly in order, but some do give more to the level/rank percentage than others do. No one really knows which ones give the most though.
1. Post in the forums.
2. Blog.
3. Comment in other people's blogs.
4. Submit reviews for shows and episodes.
5. Add shows/persons to your favorites' lists.
6. Get added to other people's friends' lists, add people to your friends list.
7. Surf the site.”
8. Work on your profile (banner/picture/etc.).
Q12) How many points to I get for various contributions?
The information can be determined by trial and error, but is currently and purposely left undefined by TV.com. Some speculation can be found in comments made in Snide’s [url=http://www.tv.com/users/snide/profile.php?fpage=jnl_entry.php&board=120&topic=44947]blog[/url].
Q13) Can I step down from becoming an editor?
Yes. Go to the show/person that you are listed as the editor. Click on the "Contribute" button in the "Community" section or the "All Show Contributors" button in the "Top Contributors" section. When you reach the next screen, you will see a button that says "Retire as Editor". Push that button Warning! "Please note that this decision is permanent and can not be undone."
Q14) What is a trusted contributor/How do I become one/What powers do they have?
A trusted contributor is chosen by the editor. A trusted contributor must have at least 40 points, and only two contributors may be made trusted contributors at one time (and you need to be in the top 5 on the Contributors list). Power: A trusted contributor has their submissions processed immediately (as compared to the editor's powers: "the editor's powers . . . also includ[e] the ability to edit the show summary and show stars, and to use the episode renumbering tool. And if Level 5 or above, be able to take over processing submissions").
Thanks Yakira, neutronvortex05, and GeorgeFergus
Back Home
[color=#000000]User Specific Information Questions:[/color]
Q15) What’s this weird puppet picture by my name/How do I change my [color=#000000]icon[/color] picture?
That is the default icon. To change the default icon go to “preferences” in the upper right corner next to your user name. A pop-up window will appear (at least in Internet Explorer). Select the Profile tab. Scroll down to the “About Me” section. Use the pull-down menu to select a new icon (menu next to current icon picture).
Q16) Is there a free image hosting website that I might use?
Suggestions: [url=www.Photobucket.com]Photobucket[/url], [url=www.2and2.net]2and2.net[/url], and [url=www.imageshack.us]imageshack[/url].
Thanks Yakira
Q17) How do you put shows onto your profile so you can make that little pie chart work (so that the show is added to your favorites)?
Go to a show, I'll randomly pick [url=http://www.tv.com/family-guy/show/348/summary.html]Family Guy[/url] for this example. Look at the right hand column. Look below the advertisement, see that "Add to My Shows" button? Click on it. That show will now appear on your profile.
Q18[b][/b]) How do I see my level/profile, etc.?
Click on your user name at the top right of the screen.
Q19) Why do they allow others to see my personal information?
Important: The personal information (real name, age, etc.) listed under your personal profile section on your user page? Apparently only you can see that information, except for the information entered in the "Communication" section on your Preferences menu (which can be set to public or private).
No need to set your profile to private to hide your personal information.
Q20) What does my rank (level) mean/What are [color=#000000]emblems[/color]?
There are 51 ranks/levels, and an unknown number of emblems. See the Official FAQ for a list of levels and emblems.
Q21) What are the powers associated with acquiring a particular level/rank?
Level 2: Can now contribute to guide
Level 3: Can now use bbcode/html
Level 5: If editor, now have access to your show's mod queue.
Q22) How do I tell if someone is tracking me?
First Note: Social Butterfly Emblem: as noted in the thread linked above, this emblem is for a “[u]ser [that] has over 20 friends.” If a person has this emblem, then this means that they are tracking over 20 people. Is there an emblem for those that have over 20 people tracking them? No.
Second Note: How do I tell if someone is tracking me? It's actually really easy to tell who is tracking you, even if the feature is not available at TV.com. Just go to MP3.com, log in using your TV.com details, go to your profle, select the "my friends" tab, and select the "people tracking me" button!
Thanks Yakira, for reminding me of this issue, and TheOldBill for his answer
Q23) What does that graph in my profile display?
The graph displays your percentage in a particular level. If you are 1% away from the next level, then most of the bar on the graph will be filled, and once you reach the next level, the percentage bar starts over.
Q24) What does that pie chart in the “Personal Statistics” displaying, and how does it work?
This pie chart breaks down all of the shows that you have selected as your favorites, and displays them according to the show’s genre. A show can have more than one genre. If a show is both a comedy and a drama, then that show will count in both the comedy and drama section of the pie chart (which is why it can seem as if you have more shows in your pie chart than you have selected as favorites).
Thanks Yakira
Q25) How do I know how many contribution points I have for a particular show/How do I tell which shows I have contributed for?
Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, there is not a quick method to check your total contribution points or find out which shows you have contributed information. If you scroll down your profile page, you will come to a section titled: “Contributions”. If you are an editor (only one possible per show) or a trusted contributor (only two possible per show), then you can click on the show displayed in this section. Scroll down, find the “Top Contributors” section, click on the “All Show Contributors” button. There is your contribution points for that particular show. For all other shows where you are not a trusted contributor or editor, you will need to search all shows to find your contribution points if you are in the top ten (clicking on the “All show Contributors” button as mentioned above, and found as indicated above).
Another method of finding your contribution points is to use Google. On Google: Go to advanced search, enter “TV.com” in the domain name section (make sure the drop down menu says “only”), insert your user name in the “with all of the words” field at the top of the screen, press the “Google Search” button. The Google's results will also have a "cache" button next to the result. If you are not currently in the top ten for a particular show, then you might find some notion of what your points might be by clicking on the "cache" button. It is possible that you were on the top ten list in the past and the cached website that Google finds for you might reveal this fact.
Note:There is some delay between new information being added to the internet and finding that information on Google (delay can be short or long).
Q26) How often does my rank/level change?/When is my rank/level updated?
As ntonks_tvtome notes: "the update is very erratic, it doesn't seem to be automatic yet" (and sometimes problems attack the automatic updating system requiring manual updates). Keep in mind that the TV.com staff work on the west coast of the USA. See Snide’s Blog: “Yes, it will be automated and run nightly. Not the whenever we decide to run it system we've used the last couple weeks.”
Special mention: Yakira
Q27) How do I add a picture to my profile?
Click on “Preferences” at the top of the screen (next to your user name). Click on the “Profile” tab. Scroll down to the “About Me” section. Insert a URL address into the “URL for Personal Image” field (yes, you need to have the image somewhere on the internet, there are hosting websites; do not violate copyright laws).
Q28[b][/b]) How do I add a [color=#000000]banner[/color] to my profile?
Click on “Preferences” at the top of the screen (next to your user name). Click on the “Profile” tab. Scroll down to the “About Me” section. Insert a URL address into the “URL for Profile Banner Image field (yes, you need to have the image somewhere on the internet, there are hosting websites; do not violate copyright laws).
Back Home
Unofficial FAQ Part 2: Version 7.50
Back Home
[color=#000000]Contributions:[/color]
Q29) I would like to contribute information about a show, how do I do that?
Go to the show that you would like to add information to (found by entering the show name in the search bar). I do not want to get to detailed at this time. If you have something to add for a specific episode, go to that specific episode and add the information in the correct section (have guest star information? Click on the episode tab, then click on the episode title, then click on the cast tab, then click on the add button).
Q30) What do the various [color=#000000]sections:[/color] sections mean?
(Allusions, Notes, Trivia, Episode Quotes, etc)
Using [url=http://www.tv.com/dream-on/show/136/summary.html]Dream On[/url] as an example: Starting on the front page you see:
Left Column:
Top: Station: The channel or station that the show appeared on in its initial run (Dream On was on HBO first, and later in the broadcast run, an edited version of the show appeared simultaneously on FOX, but only the HBO shows up on the page).
Show Status: Ended (original show run is over), Returning Series (show is currently on the air, or between seasons), New Series.
Show Category (a.k.a "Genre"): Show might fall into 1 of 14 categories (Action/Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Drama, Game Shows, Movie/Mini-Series, News/Documentary, Reality, Science-Fiction, Soap, Sports, Talk Shows, Variety Shows).
Right Column:
"Add to My Shows" button - this is the button to press to add a show to your list of Favorite Shows (or shows that you track, this is also the list that is used for updates that are sent out).
"Review this Show" button - this allows you to review the entire show (Episode specific review - go to that episode and click on "review" button; Review section - Important Note: The summary section is for a summary of your review, not a summary of the show).
"Print Episode Guide" - Clean ad free copy of the episode guide (list of episodes with stars/writers/directors/and a summary of each episode).
Allusions: As mgreen789 noted: "Allusion is a reference to something else, as in a historical, literary, or TV reference of something that is mentioned in the episode.” As GeorgeFergus noted: "An allusion is a reference to something outside the show that the viewer might not be familiar with. This includes people, objects or events currently in the news, or from history, or from books, movies, or other TV shows." As my dictionary puts it: "an indirect reference to something." Example: 20th Dream On episode is titled: "Futile Attraction" which might be referring to the "Fatal Attraction" movie, both contain a relatively insane woman.
Notes: Again, as mgreen789 noted (and sorry to others who have provided good answers, hope to track them down eventually): "all the facts about the episode, if it was the first, how many viewers it had, if it was an actor's last appearance on the show, if someone didn't appear, etc." Basically, anything show related that doesn't belong in the episode synopsis/summary. For example, I have noted in the Notes section on the Dream On guide when a particular actor is listed in the credits as a "Special Guest Star."
Episode synopsis/summary: Basically: a short description of an episode, should contain something about the plot, characters in the episode, etc., but without giving away the ending.
Recap: A summary of the episode that details the entire show, beginning to end, and includes all the characters, plot points, etc.
Trivia: At the moment, this is the category to place goofs (which had its own category at one time). A brief example of a goof: In a scene on Dream On: Martin is given a tray with food on it, the camera looks away, then back at Martin, the tray has mysteriously disappeared. Trivia also contains the somewhat less show specific information that does not normally appear in the synopsis or Notes section. For example, for certain episodes of Dream On, I've included information about the actor in the trivia section (like the actor later starred on "Friends").
Episode Quotes: Quotes from the episode.
Q31) What is the Proper Format for Episode Quotes:?
The proper format for quotes is based on the format used in a TV script, where there are no quotation marks:
<>Speaker One< /b > (falling off his bike): @#5*%$!
<>Speaker Two< /b >: Is that a banned word?
Thanks GeorgeFergus; left out the ""'s around your words as I didn't want to complicate the issue
Q32) What is the Comment Section on the Submission Form for?
A: It is there to help the person moderating your submission process it more quickly. It is the first thing the moderator sees, and should describe what you are submitting, and provide any additional info the moderator may need to judge that it is an accurate contribution. If it is something simple like a new quote, very little comment is needed. On the other hand, if you are editing one word in the middle of an episode summary, you'll need to point that out so the moderator knows what to look for. If you are correcting a factual error, you may need to give a reference that allows it to be corroborated.
Another good reason to add a comment is to help you keep track of your own submissions. Suppose there is a delay in the acceptance of submissions, like there is right now, and you forget whether or not you have submitted a particular piece of information. If you go to the history of your submissions at [url=http://www.tv.com/usersubmission/submission_profile.html]http://www.tv.com/usersubmission/submission_profile.html[/url] and check the pending ones, all you will see is the date it was submitted, the name of the show, the type of submission, and your comment. A meaningful comment may be the only thing that allows you to remember exactly what each entry is.
Thanks GeorgeFergus; left out the ""'s around your words as I didn't want to complicate the issue
Q33) How do I add a person’s name (as guest star, producer, etc.)?
See above then continue here. Go to the “Add a new show star” section. Enter the last name of the person in the correct box. Press the search button. Move your mouse to that section. Highlight/select the first name in the results box. Press the key on your keyboard that corresponds to the first name of the person. (Example: looking for James Brown. Enter Brown, press the search button, “highlight” Deborah Brown (or whatever top name you get), press “J” on your keyboard, keep pressing “J” until you find James Brown).
Note: Please double check your work before you decide to “add” a name. If you are having trouble finding the name in the search box, check to see if the name exists by searching on another browser to see if the actor has a Person Guide. Thank-you. Thanks Yakira.
Q34) "How does one designate a special episode when adding it?"/How does one add a special episode like a pilot or TV movie?
Beginning of season/series: As the The_Unknown2 notes: "Well, if the episode is at the beginning of a season before the first episode, then you can type in "special" or another word, and the episode number will disppear.
Middle of season/series: As the The_Unknown2 notes: "If it appears later in the season, you can set it as the same number as another episode by just adding a ".5" after the number."
GeorgeFergus: "No, you shouldn't do that. When it has the same number as another episode, then neither of them can be edited. Every episode MUST have a unique number.
It is a bug in the entry form that it allows you to enter a number with a decimal and doesn't recognize it as a duplicate number."
What do you do if it is a special that occurs during the normal production run (in season special)? At the moment, I do not know.
End of season/series special: As the The_Unknown2 notes: "If it's at the end of a season, you can set the lifetime number as a high number and then set the season number to after the last episode of that season."
Thanks General_Atreyu & The_Unknown2, and GeorgeFergus
Q35) How do tell when your submission is accepted or denied?
Submissions/Contributions: As jekyll notes: "Go to your Profile>>>>My History>>>>Submissions" Click on your user name at the top right hand corner of the website screen. Click on the tab labeled "My History." Click on the tab labeled "Submission Status."
Q36) Why are the line breaks not showing when I preview submissions?
Because that is the way the system is set up. The line breaks should show up normally after submission accepted.
Thanks ianolito
Q37) How do I add an episode?
TVTome_Shadow: "Yes, click the blue "Contribute" button on the right, then click "Add a New Episode" on the following page."
Q38[b][/b]) How do I [color=#000000]delete[/color] an episode?
As VillaFan notes: "Only TV.com staff can delete episodes at the moment." ntonks: "you need to contact . . . [url=http://www.tv.com/users/waltmor/profile.php]waltmor[/url]."
Q39) How do change the name of an episode?
TVTome_Shadow: "Go to the episode, then click "Edit Episode Summary." You'll be able to change the episode title at the top of that form." And - "You just need to type SOMETHING in the episode summary box. A space, or "to be added", for example." Remember - "make sure you add something in the comment box about where you got the title, or it might be rejected."
Thanks GeorgeFergus & TVTome_Shadow
Q40) How do I add a show?
Use the [url=http://www.tv.com/form.php&stype=3]Request to Add a Show[/url] form.
Q41) How do I delete a show?
Use the [url=http://www.tv.com/form.php&stype=4]Request to Delete a Show[/url] form.
Thanks ianolito
Q42) I would like to add information to the news section, can I do that?
Simple answer: No. At the moment the news section is updated by TV.com staff. Eventually (if not now), an editor for a particular show will be able to add news information.
Q43) I would like to add pictures to show guides or people guides, can I do that?
Simple answer: No. Users cannot add pictures to the episode guides (shows) nor can they add pictures to the people guides. Because of copyright concerns, TV.com adds pictures, not users.
Q44) I could add pictures at TV Tome, why not here?
The seemingly simple answer is that TV Tome was a free website and TV.com is a commercial website. At the moment, though, this distinction is not easy to see, as both allowed free access to the guides, but required registration to contribute information. Both, also, had advertisements. Neither had/has a section or sections that requires payment to access (other CNet websites, though, have premium sections).
Q45) Who controls banners for shows?
At the present time, TV.com staff create and place the banners onto the various show guides. This might change in the future.
Back Home
[color=#000000]Forum Questions:[/color]
Q46) Are there rules and regulations to using the Forum?
See [url=http://forums.tv.com/show_messages.php?board=100&topic=54172&page=0]Community Terms of Service[/url].
Q47) Is it possible to report someone who is offensive/abusive and if so how?
VillaFan: "Just select the offending post from that individual and in the bottom right hand corner there's a "Report Abuse to Moderator" function you can use to alert staff of that offending post and member."
Back Home
Q48[b][/b]) How do I make the various types of emotions (like :))?
[color=#000000]Forum/Smiley Emoticons:[/color] credit to The RagingGamer
“These forums use the same smiley system as GameSpot, but in GameSpot we have a little pulldown bar for them that automatically inserts them in the post. Since this site doesnt have that (hint hint), heres a guide to all of them. Feel free to post this in other parts of the forums.
In order to use any of these smileys, simply insert the part left of the '=' anywhere in your post.
[b]
:D = :D
:arrow: = :arrow:
:| = :|
:? = :?
8) = 8)
:cry: = :cry:
:evil: = :evil:
:!: = :!:
:idea: = :idea:
:question: = :question:
:lol: = :lol:
:x = :x
:oops: = :oops:
:P = :P
:o = :o
:roll: = :roll:
:( = :(
:shock: = :shock:
:) = :)
:twisted: = :twisted:
:wink: [/b]or ;) = :wink:
Back Home
[color=#000000]HTML/BBCode:[/color]
Q49) I've made a list/FAQ/other and every time that I get to #8, I get a smiley face, what do I do?
Well, you could put the number down as #8, or - 8 - or the like, but if you want to put the number as 8[b][/b]), instead of 8), then you will need to put [ b ] [ /b ] between the 8 and the ).
Q50) How do you use bbcode/html code?
If you are below Level 3, according to Snide’s blog, you will not be able to use bbcode or html code, unless you are a level 2 and you are contributing something. Also, bbcode/html does not work in PM's.
If you use html/bbcode, don't forget to include both the opening and ending code (i.e. bold: opening: <> closing: < /b >).
Bbcode: see the HTML guide below (substitute [ ] for < >, does not always work). Differences between HTML and bbcode are here:
1: [color=#FF5500]Color[/color]: [ color = #FF5500 ] [ /Color] -> slightly different than HTML.
For colors: [url=http://colormatch.dk/]Collection of Color codes[/url]
Another collection of colors: [url=http://www.htmlgoodies.com/tutorials/colors/article.php/3478961]Colors[/url]
Another Guide, this one specifically for HTML codes by rwing8 with modest additions and editing by me.
Ok I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what you can and can't do with html on this site and I found this information. Feel free to use it, just if someone asks were you learned please give me (rwing8[b][/b]) some credit, thanks.
Here are some of the HTML codes: Spaces have been included to allow the code to be displayed (you can also see the how someone does something particularly neat by clicking on the “Quote” button as this will reveal the code for you) but remember to not include spaces between the codes or they will not work.
Text Modifiers:
<> Bold < /b >
Bold
<> Italic < /i >
Italic
<> Underlined < /u >
Underlined
<> mssage < /em><>
<> message < /strong><>
example: Emphasized text
br another way to hit enter
Strong text
Text with Color: < color = "Color Name"> message here < /font>
example: message here
Text Size: < size = "Any number"> message here < /font> (Any number - I believe that it is 1-25).
example: this is 12 font
Text Font: < face = "Type of font"> message < /font>
example: this is Times
Links:
Creating a link that will not open a new window:
< href=" http://www.tv.com/"> TV.com Home Page (description of link here) < /a>
example: TV.com Home Page
Creating a link that will open a new window:
[ url= http://www.tv.com/csi/show/19/summary.html ]CSI[ /url ]
[url=http://www.tv.com/csi/show/19/summary.html]CSI[/url]
OR
< href="Address" target="blank">TEXT< /a >
TV.com
Thanks [url=http://www.tv.com/users/Stig14/profile.php]Stig14[/url] and Afenla
Color Links:
To make a link be something other than blue (on TV.com), you need to change the color of the text.
< href=" http://www.tv.com/"> < color =" red"> TV.com Home Page (description of link here) < /font > < /a >
example: TV.com Home Page
Images/Pictures:
< src = "http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/MikeBriggs/maui.jpg">
example:
(image wasn’t working, so here is one of the house cats for an example).
Resized Images/Pictures:
This is how you can resize an image:
Original image code:
[img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b86/Yakira620/1624d931.bmp"]
Gives you:
Changing the code to: < src = "web site link" width = "number" height = "number">
To Change the width/height of an image, example: This:
[img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b86/Yakira620/1624d931.bmp" width = "200" height = "125"]
Gives you:
Remember to replace the [ and the ] with <> , repectively.
If you use this you will want to use a ratio so that the image does not end up distorted or stretched out.
Lines:
message <> message
example: Top of line
bottom of line
Preformatted Text:
<>< /pre > (for preformatted)
Q- I don't understand how to use the preformatted option. I don't know what it does or how it works. But it looks like something I would want to use. Could someone please explain it to me?
A- In general, on web pages in html, multiple spaces are ignored. They are reduced to a single space. So, even though you may have arranged something into nice columns in the editing window, the columns disappear when you view the result:
Example:
Starting
Title Season Year Rating Eps
1 Random 1 1952 4.45 83
2 Random2 83 1932 4.44 50
If, on the other hand, you precede and follow the exact same block of text with the tags <> and < /pre >, then you get what you originally intended:
Thanks Yakira and GeorgeFergus; and 123home123
Another HTML guide: [url=http://www.pageresource.com/html/index2.htm]Basic HTML Tutorial Guide[/url]
Back Home
Unofficial FAQ Part 3 Version 4.00
Unofficial FAQ Continued from Part 1 and 2 of FAQ found above.
Back Home
[color=#000000]Show Guide Questions:[/color]
Q51) Is there a way to see just the episodes (with summary) without all the advertisements and searching all the sections/Is there a “clean copy” of the episodes (with summary)?
Go to the show you wish to examine. Click on the "Print Ep Guide" button that is located on the right side of the screen (below the advertisement), and in the "Community" section. Clicking this button with provide you with a "clean" episode guide.
Q52) Formatting: I do/don't like seeing the episodes listed as: 2-1 (season 2, episode 1) or 15 (overall episode number, might be in the 1st, or later season)?
Click on the "Preferences" button at the upper right hand corner of the screen. Click on the "Profile" tab. Scroll down to the second section ("Browsing Preferences"). Change the first selection as desired ("Episode Number Format": Flat Count ("also referred to as the lifetime episode number when you submit a new episode"), Season-Episode number (i.e. 2-6), both).
Thanks Yakira
Q53) What are Production Codes?
GeorgeFergus' answer: "Production codes are numbers (or combinations of letters and numbers) that help to identify an episode. They usually indicate the order in which the various episodes were slated for production by the company that makes the show.
Rule #1: If you are submitting an episode and don't know the production code for it, leave this box blank. Don't just make up a number that you think looks right.
Sometimes the production code is displayed on-screen in the "fine print" at the end of an episode, but this is rare. Sometimes the production codes are given somewhere on the show's official website, such as NBC's site for The West Wing.
The production codes for many recent U.S. broadcast network shows can be found in their press releases, which can be found at places like thefutoncritic.
Production codes for a lot of U.S. shows, particularly reruns, can be found in Yahoo's TV listings at tv.yahoo.com or similar on-screen info provided by TiVo. Note that they usually omit any prefixes.
Production codes for a lot of older U.S. shows can be found in the Library of Congress copyright records at www.copyright.gov/records/cohm.html.
Production codes for upcoming episodes of U.S. and Canadian shows can often be found in the casting calls found at places like SidesExpress.com."
Back Home
[color=#000000]Known Bugs:[/color]
Q54) I can't see images, why not?
Some users will have some initial problem seeing images. As GeorgeFergus notes: "If you can't see any of the images on the site, such as buttons you need to be able to click on, it's probably because images are stored on a separate site called images.com.com, and you'll need to change the security settings in your browser to allow access to that site." Also: "Some of the content on the TV show pages may not be visible unless your browser has Macromedia's Flash plug-in installed. To test if you have Flash, you can go to the Macromedia website." As Digger 3000 noted: "I located the "HOSTS" file in my system directory and removed the line "image.com.com 127.0.0.1" from the file. That's the line that was redirecting image.com.com back to my computer." And as Talvix noted: "You can safely delete the entire line, it really shouldn't be there in the first place. Or you can comment it out by placing a # (hash character) in the beginning of the line:
# 127.0.0.1 image.com.com
It is also possible to change the numerical address to the corresponding IP address for image.com.com. But they might change addresses in the future so it would cause problems then."
Q55) When I click on the Next Button in a forum thread, I get a 404 error message (or something similar), why is that?
This is a known bug. Try refreshing the screen or trying again later.
Anyone have an answer? I normally don't notice this error
studog2961 adds: "I always seem to get this error 404 when trying to add a new eppy to a show. For example, I was trying to add new episodes to American Hot Rod, after I clicked "add", it took me to a place where the new episode will be if approved. They I tried to go to the "summary" page and it gives me that error."
Q56) Review Bug:
If you click on “Edit this Review” (for your own review) you will be taken to a “404 - Page not found” page. TV.com Staff are working on this bug.
Q57) Credits Bug - Cannot add titles of Producer, Executive Producer, Associate Producer and certain other crew
Crew: There are two places to add crew. 1) Show level crew: Click on a show guides website. Now click on "Cast," now click on either "Writers/Directors" or "Crew." Unfortunately, not all crew titles are available to be added for the entire show. 2) Episode level crew: go to a show guide. Click on the tab that says "Episodes." Find the episode that you know some crew information about (do not click on the title of this episode). There will be a large "Community Score" scale below the title of the episode, above this scale is a row of words, starting with "Recap" and ending with "Reviews." Click on "Cast." Click on either "Writers and Directors" or "Crew." Click on "Add." Unfortunately some people are have trouble accessing this form.
Thanks Yakira.
Q58[b][/b]) Why can't I put "February 29th" in for the air date?
This appears to be a bug. As GeorgeFergus notes: "There does not seem to be any way to enter February 29, no matter what the year is. Looks like it's another bug." Update: apparently you can change the date to 29, 30, or 31 if the episode is already listed as being in February, but if the episode is not already in February, then there appears to be no way to change it to Feb. 29th without first switching the show to a day in February, and then in a separate change, changing the date to February 29th. (Thanks: The_Huntsman).
Q59) Why are my posts count going down, doesn't that have an impact on my rating/Is this a bug?
The number of posts credited to you goes down if a post is deleted when: 1) a thread is purged, 2) a message/post is deleted, 3) Some mysterious energy is surrounding you that resets your post count to 332 after 24 hours (I believe #3 only applies to one individual).
Snide: "It is in fact a bug that post counts are dropping and yes, that it effects your level. It's one of our major priorities of the moment and hopefully we'll have it addressed by the end of the week. I really appreciate your guys patience in this and know it's frustrating."
(click here for the thread this appeared in).
Q60) Another Reviews Bug:
As Yakira found: “bug: the number of reviews by the pie graph reads zero even though a review has been written for the episode
http://www.tv.com/episode/802/summary.html
http://www.tv.com/the-west-wing/two-cathedrals/episode/38668/summary.html"
Q61) Yet another Reviews bug: Why do I see my own reviews when I go to someone else's review page and click on "2" below their reviews (or another number)?
A's - "[I]t's a known bug, we've already mentioned it a few times. weird that they haven't fixed it yet."
"In the meantime, as a temporary fix, put the person's username in the URL between the "users" and "history" slash.
Example:
http://www.tv.com/users/username/history.php?pg_user_reviews=2
And the number at the end is the page number, obviously. You can change that to the following page, as well."
thanks Z-Ring, ntonks_tvtome, & TVTome_Shadow
Back Home
Unofficial FAQ Part 4: Version 5.00
To navigate the guide click on one of the blue links to forward you to the section described:
Generic
Generic questions.
User Specific Information Questions
Questions about your personal preferences, your profile, how to change certain options, and features of your profile page.
Contributions
Contributions: Explains how you can contribute to a guide and what the various forms of contributions are. Also elaborates on proper format for quotes and what the comment section on the submission form is for.
Forum Questions
Questions (or link) to rules and regulations on the Forum, and generic questions about forum usage.
HTML/BBCode
How to use HTML and BBcode.
Forum/Smiley Emoticons
How to make various :) ;) smilies.
Show Guide Questions
Questions about how to see the show guide in the method prefered by the user (i.e. an episode guide without ads; episode list numbered the way you want).
Known Bugs
Known bugs: a collection of known bugs, solutions (if available) and/or reminders of particular bug issues on the website.
TV.com Staff List
A list of TV.com's staff, as maintained by [b]The_Huntsman[/b].
Other Guides
There are many user made guides and threads that can be helpful to those trying to better use and understand this website.
Back Home
[color=#000000]TV.com Staff List:[/color]
[u]Q62): Were can I find a staff member to contact, and which staff member should I contact about a specfic problem?[/u]
My list was out of date, so I've removed it.
Back Home
[color=#000000]Other Guides:[/color]
Person Guides: Duplicates & Other Issues By Yakira
A Guide about "Website/Forum/Smilie Tutorial & Forum Rules" By neutronvortex05
Back Home
Thank-you to everyone that helped provide the basis for the questions and answers.
[color=#000000]Linked List of Genre:[/color]
Temporary listing of the TV show Genres on TV.com (and the associated page):
At the moment, the Genre List:
Action/Adventure
Animation
Children
Comedy
Drama
Game Shows
Movies/Mini-Series
News/Documentary
Reality
Science-Fiction
Soap
Sports
Talk Shows
Variety Shows
Back Home
[color=#000000]List of Themes:[/color]
Temporary Listing of Themes:
Aliens
Animals/Pets/Wildlife
Anime
Art
Auction
Award
Biography
Boston
Cartoon, Adult
Cartoon, Children's
Celebrity Life
Championship
Chicago
City Living
Classic
College
Contest
Countdown
Court Room
Crafts (should be Arts/Crafts or Arts & Crafts)
Cult
Culture
Current Events
Dating
Educational
Erotic
Ethnic Culture
Family
Fantasy
Fashion
Financing/Investing
Fitness
Food
Foreign
High School
History
Holiday
Home Improvement
Horror
Horticulture
How-To
Interview
Lifestyle
Should have London, or U.K. on this list
Los Angeles
Mafia
Makeover
Married Life
Martial Arts
Medical
Medieval
Miami
Military/War
Music
Mystery
Nature
New York
Nostalgia
Office Life
Outer Space
Parody
Performace
Period Piece
Playoffs
Police
Political
PI
Professional Trade
Psychiatry
Real Estate
Religion
Romance
San Francisco
Satire
Science (Fact)
Seattle
Senior Citizen
Shopping
Single Life
Small Town Living
Solo Sport
Spy
Stand-Up
Stunt
Sword & Sorcery
Talent Show
Team Sport
Technology
Teen
Thirty-Something
Vehicles
Washington DC
Weather
Western
Wrestling
Tried to find links, but there does not appear to be a way to find shows that have the Western Theme (for example; though Western should be a Genre, not a Theme).
Back Home
Unofficial FAQ Part 1: Version 25.50
[color=#000000]Home[/color]
To navigate the guide click on one of the blue links to forward you to the section described:
Generic
Generic questions. For example: How do I become an editor?; points
User Specific Information Questions
Questions about your personal preferences, your profile (emblems), how to change certain options (icon picture), and features of your profile page (banner).
Contributions
Contributions: Explains how you can contribute to a guide and what the various guide sections are. Also elaborates on proper format for quotes and what the comment section on the submission form is for. Episodes: add or delete, and adding/deleting shows.
Forum Questions
Questions (or link) to rules and regulations on the Forum, and generic questions about forum usage.
HTML/BBCode
How to use HTML and BBcode.
Forum/Smiley Emoticons
How to make various :) ;) smilies.
Show Guide Questions
Questions about how to see the show guide in the method preferred by the user (i.e. an episode guide without ads; episode list numbered the way you want).
Known Bugs
Known bugs: a collection of known bugs, solutions (if available) and/or reminders of particular bug issues on the website.
TV.com Staff List
A list of TV.com's staff, as maintained by [b]The_Huntsman[/b].
Other Guides
There are many user made guides and threads that can be helpful to those trying to better use and understand this website.
Linked List of Genre
A television show on TV.com can be in several genres (some are in more than one genre). This section contains a list of genres on TV.com, and a link to the TV.com's page for that genre. The TV.com page contains a list of shows that fall into that genre (along with other things).
List of Themes
A television show can have many themes, and this section contains a list of the currently available themes. Unfortunately, you cannot sort shows by theme.
[color=#000000]Generic:[/color]
Q1) What is a “FAQ”?
A - Frequently Asked Questions
Q2) Could someone explain TV.com, present and future, to me?
Past: TV.com started life as TV Tome (a website that contained episode guides for tv shows). Somewhere along the line, Collaborative Content was formed (either before TV Tome was launched or after launch). Then "CNET purchased Collaborative Content which owned both TV Tome and Movie Tome" (quote from TVTome_John). After about three months of work (according to Snide’s blog) the new TV.com website went live on June 1st 2005.
Present: "They chosen for now to focus TV.com on only TV and not list movie credits."
Future: "They do however own Movie Tome and have access to all the info listed there. It's likely that at some point the TV and Movie info will be more highly integrated than it is now but exactly how that will happen hasn't been decided yet."
Thanks ntonks_tvtome & TVTome_John
Q2b) What is C/NET?
See [url=http://www.cnetnetworks.com/?tag=tv.ft.no]here[/url]
Q3) How does the System work?
Question is too broad.
Q4) Who can contribute to a television guide?
Any registered user that is at least Level 2. To register, click [url=http://www.tv.com/signup/basic]here[/url].
Thanks for reminding me summer_heat
Q5) How do I become Level 2, you might ask?
Basically: As summer_heat notes: "All registered users earn points toward their level for browsing the site, writing reviews, posting on the boards and posting in their blog. Levels are calculated nightly."
Q6) Is the contribution immediately added?
No, the contribution must be processed by an editor (or a moderator if there isn’t an editor, or if the editor doesn’t have control of processing contributions yet).
Q7) Is there a cap on the amount of points that I can receive in a day from contributions?
Yes. (there was a thread discussing this situation, but it has disappeared)
Q7b) What happens to the points that are not added, the points over the cap limit?
See Snide's Blog: the points, at the present time, spill over to the next day.
Q8[b][/b]) How do I become an [color=#000000]editor[/color]?
For shows without an editor: Contribute enough information to receive at least 80 points before someone else passes that mark.
For shows with an editor: Contribute enough information to have 80 more points than the current editor.
People Guides: Need at least 40 points to be made the editor of a People Guide.
thanks for the reminder to update the guide 123home123
Q9) I have 105 points more than the current editor has, but I have not been named editor. Why?
It is possible that a bug is keeping you from becoming the new editor. A more likely answer, though, is that the title has not yet shifted because a certain amount of time needs to occur before the title shifts, and that needed amount of time has not yet occurred. How much time? Not yet determined.
Q10) Why is there a point limit to how many more points you can have over a current editor to take the show away from them? Why doesn't it happen when you have more than one point and wouldn't it happen by the time you hit 30 more points?
Why? You need 80 more points than the current show editor and the transfer is not automatically made after one update because TV.com desires to keep the editor title from switching hands every day; also, this requirment is something of a "wake-up call" to the editor to get a move on and start contributing to the guide.
thanks for the tip Yakira; and the reminder 123home123.
Q11) How do I get [color=#000000]points[/color] on a specific show guide/In general?
Specific show: Make Contributions to the show including trivia, notes, allusions, stars (guest or show stars), etc.
General (as in, how do I advance in levels): Contribute to a show, rate episodes, write reviews, post in forums, in your blog (blog = web log, somewhat like a web diary), etc.
As neutronvortex05 notes: Do the following and your level/rank percentage will increase:
“Not exactly in order, but some do give more to the level/rank percentage than others do. No one really knows which ones give the most though.
1. Post in the forums.
2. Blog.
3. Comment in other people's blogs.
4. Submit reviews for shows and episodes.
5. Add shows/persons to your favorites' lists.
6. Get added to other people's friends' lists, add people to your friends list.
7. Surf the site.”
8. Work on your profile (banner/picture/etc.).
Q12) How many points to I get for various contributions?
The information can be determined by trial and error, but is currently and purposely left undefined by TV.com. Some speculation can be found in comments made in Snide’s [url=http://www.tv.com/users/snide/profile.php?fpage=jnl_entry.php&board=120&topic=44947]blog[/url].
Q13) Can I step down from becoming an editor?
Yes. Go to the show/person that you are listed as the editor. Click on the "Contribute" button in the "Community" section or the "All Show Contributors" button in the "Top Contributors" section. When you reach the next screen, you will see a button that says "Retire as Editor". Push that button Warning! "Please note that this decision is permanent and can not be undone."
Q14) What is a trusted contributor/How do I become one/What powers do they have?
A trusted contributor is chosen by the editor. A trusted contributor must have at least 40 points, and only two contributors may be made trusted contributors at one time (and you need to be in the top 5 on the Contributors list). Power: A trusted contributor has their submissions processed immediately (as compared to the editor's powers: "the editor's powers . . . also includ[e] the ability to edit the show summary and show stars, and to use the episode renumbering tool. And if Level 5 or above, be able to take over processing submissions").
Thanks Yakira, neutronvortex05, and GeorgeFergus
Back Home
[color=#000000]User Specific Information Questions:[/color]
Q15) What’s this weird puppet picture by my name/How do I change my [color=#000000]icon[/color] picture?
That is the default icon. To change the default icon go to “preferences” in the upper right corner next to your user name. A pop-up window will appear (at least in Internet Explorer). Select the Profile tab. Scroll down to the “About Me” section. Use the pull-down menu to select a new icon (menu next to current icon picture).
Q16) Is there a free image hosting website that I might use?
Suggestions: [url=www.Photobucket.com]Photobucket[/url], [url=www.2and2.net]2and2.net[/url], and [url=www.imageshack.us]imageshack[/url].
Thanks Yakira
Q17) How do you put shows onto your profile so you can make that little pie chart work (so that the show is added to your favorites)?
Go to a show, I'll randomly pick [url=http://www.tv.com/family-guy/show/348/summary.html]Family Guy[/url] for this example. Look at the right hand column. Look below the advertisement, see that "Add to My Shows" button? Click on it. That show will now appear on your profile.
Q18[b][/b]) How do I see my level/profile, etc.?
Click on your user name at the top right of the screen.
Q19) Why do they allow others to see my personal information?
Important: The personal information (real name, age, etc.) listed under your personal profile section on your user page? Apparently only you can see that information, except for the information entered in the "Communication" section on your Preferences menu (which can be set to public or private).
No need to set your profile to private to hide your personal information.
Q20) What does my rank (level) mean/What are [color=#000000]emblems[/color]?
There are 51 ranks/levels, and an unknown number of emblems. See the Official FAQ for a list of levels and emblems.
Q21) What are the powers associated with acquiring a particular level/rank?
Level 2: Can now contribute to guide
Level 3: Can now use bbcode/html
Level 5: If editor, now have access to your show's mod queue.
Q22) How do I tell if someone is tracking me?
First Note: Social Butterfly Emblem: as noted in the thread linked above, this emblem is for a “[u]ser [that] has over 20 friends.” If a person has this emblem, then this means that they are tracking over 20 people. Is there an emblem for those that have over 20 people tracking them? No.
Second Note: How do I tell if someone is tracking me? It's actually really easy to tell who is tracking you, even if the feature is not available at TV.com. Just go to MP3.com, log in using your TV.com details, go to your profle, select the "my friends" tab, and select the "people tracking me" button!
Thanks Yakira, for reminding me of this issue, and TheOldBill for his answer
Q23) What does that graph in my profile display?
The graph displays your percentage in a particular level. If you are 1% away from the next level, then most of the bar on the graph will be filled, and once you reach the next level, the percentage bar starts over.
Q24) What does that pie chart in the “Personal Statistics” displaying, and how does it work?
This pie chart breaks down all of the shows that you have selected as your favorites, and displays them according to the show’s genre. A show can have more than one genre. If a show is both a comedy and a drama, then that show will count in both the comedy and drama section of the pie chart (which is why it can seem as if you have more shows in your pie chart than you have selected as favorites).
Thanks Yakira
Q25) How do I know how many contribution points I have for a particular show/How do I tell which shows I have contributed for?
Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, there is not a quick method to check your total contribution points or find out which shows you have contributed information. If you scroll down your profile page, you will come to a section titled: “Contributions”. If you are an editor (only one possible per show) or a trusted contributor (only two possible per show), then you can click on the show displayed in this section. Scroll down, find the “Top Contributors” section, click on the “All Show Contributors” button. There is your contribution points for that particular show. For all other shows where you are not a trusted contributor or editor, you will need to search all shows to find your contribution points if you are in the top ten (clicking on the “All show Contributors” button as mentioned above, and found as indicated above).
Another method of finding your contribution points is to use Google. On Google: Go to advanced search, enter “TV.com” in the domain name section (make sure the drop down menu says “only”), insert your user name in the “with all of the words” field at the top of the screen, press the “Google Search” button. The Google's results will also have a "cache" button next to the result. If you are not currently in the top ten for a particular show, then you might find some notion of what your points might be by clicking on the "cache" button. It is possible that you were on the top ten list in the past and the cached website that Google finds for you might reveal this fact.
Note:There is some delay between new information being added to the internet and finding that information on Google (delay can be short or long).
Q26) How often does my rank/level change?/When is my rank/level updated?
As ntonks_tvtome notes: "the update is very erratic, it doesn't seem to be automatic yet" (and sometimes problems attack the automatic updating system requiring manual updates). Keep in mind that the TV.com staff work on the west coast of the USA. See Snide’s Blog: “Yes, it will be automated and run nightly. Not the whenever we decide to run it system we've used the last couple weeks.”
Special mention: Yakira
Q27) How do I add a picture to my profile?
Click on “Preferences” at the top of the screen (next to your user name). Click on the “Profile” tab. Scroll down to the “About Me” section. Insert a URL address into the “URL for Personal Image” field (yes, you need to have the image somewhere on the internet, there are hosting websites; do not violate copyright laws).
Q28[b][/b]) How do I add a [color=#000000]banner[/color] to my profile?
Click on “Preferences” at the top of the screen (next to your user name). Click on the “Profile” tab. Scroll down to the “About Me” section. Insert a URL address into the “URL for Profile Banner Image field (yes, you need to have the image somewhere on the internet, there are hosting websites; do not violate copyright laws).
Back Home
Unofficial FAQ Part 2: Version 7.50
Back Home
[color=#000000]Contributions:[/color]
Q29) I would like to contribute information about a show, how do I do that?
Go to the show that you would like to add information to (found by entering the show name in the search bar). I do not want to get to detailed at this time. If you have something to add for a specific episode, go to that specific episode and add the information in the correct section (have guest star information? Click on the episode tab, then click on the episode title, then click on the cast tab, then click on the add button).
Q30) What do the various [color=#000000]sections:[/color] sections mean?
(Allusions, Notes, Trivia, Episode Quotes, etc)
Using [url=http://www.tv.com/dream-on/show/136/summary.html]Dream On[/url] as an example: Starting on the front page you see:
Left Column:
Top: Station: The channel or station that the show appeared on in its initial run (Dream On was on HBO first, and later in the broadcast run, an edited version of the show appeared simultaneously on FOX, but only the HBO shows up on the page).
Show Status: Ended (original show run is over), Returning Series (show is currently on the air, or between seasons), New Series.
Show Category (a.k.a "Genre"): Show might fall into 1 of 14 categories (Action/Adventure, Animation, Children, Comedy, Drama, Game Shows, Movie/Mini-Series, News/Documentary, Reality, Science-Fiction, Soap, Sports, Talk Shows, Variety Shows).
Right Column:
"Add to My Shows" button - this is the button to press to add a show to your list of Favorite Shows (or shows that you track, this is also the list that is used for updates that are sent out).
"Review this Show" button - this allows you to review the entire show (Episode specific review - go to that episode and click on "review" button; Review section - Important Note: The summary section is for a summary of your review, not a summary of the show).
"Print Episode Guide" - Clean ad free copy of the episode guide (list of episodes with stars/writers/directors/and a summary of each episode).
Allusions: As mgreen789 noted: "Allusion is a reference to something else, as in a historical, literary, or TV reference of something that is mentioned in the episode.” As GeorgeFergus noted: "An allusion is a reference to something outside the show that the viewer might not be familiar with. This includes people, objects or events currently in the news, or from history, or from books, movies, or other TV shows." As my dictionary puts it: "an indirect reference to something." Example: 20th Dream On episode is titled: "Futile Attraction" which might be referring to the "Fatal Attraction" movie, both contain a relatively insane woman.
Notes: Again, as mgreen789 noted (and sorry to others who have provided good answers, hope to track them down eventually): "all the facts about the episode, if it was the first, how many viewers it had, if it was an actor's last appearance on the show, if someone didn't appear, etc." Basically, anything show related that doesn't belong in the episode synopsis/summary. For example, I have noted in the Notes section on the Dream On guide when a particular actor is listed in the credits as a "Special Guest Star."
Episode synopsis/summary: Basically: a short description of an episode, should contain something about the plot, characters in the episode, etc., but without giving away the ending.
Recap: A summary of the episode that details the entire show, beginning to end, and includes all the characters, plot points, etc.
Trivia: At the moment, this is the category to place goofs (which had its own category at one time). A brief example of a goof: In a scene on Dream On: Martin is given a tray with food on it, the camera looks away, then back at Martin, the tray has mysteriously disappeared. Trivia also contains the somewhat less show specific information that does not normally appear in the synopsis or Notes section. For example, for certain episodes of Dream On, I've included information about the actor in the trivia section (like the actor later starred on "Friends").
Episode Quotes: Quotes from the episode.
Q31) What is the Proper Format for Episode Quotes:?
The proper format for quotes is based on the format used in a TV script, where there are no quotation marks:
<>Speaker One< /b > (falling off his bike): @#5*%$!
<>Speaker Two< /b >: Is that a banned word?
Thanks GeorgeFergus; left out the ""'s around your words as I didn't want to complicate the issue
Q32) What is the Comment Section on the Submission Form for?
A: It is there to help the person moderating your submission process it more quickly. It is the first thing the moderator sees, and should describe what you are submitting, and provide any additional info the moderator may need to judge that it is an accurate contribution. If it is something simple like a new quote, very little comment is needed. On the other hand, if you are editing one word in the middle of an episode summary, you'll need to point that out so the moderator knows what to look for. If you are correcting a factual error, you may need to give a reference that allows it to be corroborated.
Another good reason to add a comment is to help you keep track of your own submissions. Suppose there is a delay in the acceptance of submissions, like there is right now, and you forget whether or not you have submitted a particular piece of information. If you go to the history of your submissions at [url=http://www.tv.com/usersubmission/submission_profile.html]http://www.tv.com/usersubmission/submission_profile.html[/url] and check the pending ones, all you will see is the date it was submitted, the name of the show, the type of submission, and your comment. A meaningful comment may be the only thing that allows you to remember exactly what each entry is.
Thanks GeorgeFergus; left out the ""'s around your words as I didn't want to complicate the issue
Q33) How do I add a person’s name (as guest star, producer, etc.)?
See above then continue here. Go to the “Add a new show star” section. Enter the last name of the person in the correct box. Press the search button. Move your mouse to that section. Highlight/select the first name in the results box. Press the key on your keyboard that corresponds to the first name of the person. (Example: looking for James Brown. Enter Brown, press the search button, “highlight” Deborah Brown (or whatever top name you get), press “J” on your keyboard, keep pressing “J” until you find James Brown).
Note: Please double check your work before you decide to “add” a name. If you are having trouble finding the name in the search box, check to see if the name exists by searching on another browser to see if the actor has a Person Guide. Thank-you. Thanks Yakira.
Q34) "How does one designate a special episode when adding it?"/How does one add a special episode like a pilot or TV movie?
Beginning of season/series: As the The_Unknown2 notes: "Well, if the episode is at the beginning of a season before the first episode, then you can type in "special" or another word, and the episode number will disppear.
Middle of season/series: As the The_Unknown2 notes: "If it appears later in the season, you can set it as the same number as another episode by just adding a ".5" after the number."
GeorgeFergus: "No, you shouldn't do that. When it has the same number as another episode, then neither of them can be edited. Every episode MUST have a unique number.
It is a bug in the entry form that it allows you to enter a number with a decimal and doesn't recognize it as a duplicate number."
What do you do if it is a special that occurs during the normal production run (in season special)? At the moment, I do not know.
End of season/series special: As the The_Unknown2 notes: "If it's at the end of a season, you can set the lifetime number as a high number and then set the season number to after the last episode of that season."
Thanks General_Atreyu & The_Unknown2, and GeorgeFergus
Q35) How do tell when your submission is accepted or denied?
Submissions/Contributions: As jekyll notes: "Go to your Profile>>>>My History>>>>Submissions" Click on your user name at the top right hand corner of the website screen. Click on the tab labeled "My History." Click on the tab labeled "Submission Status."
Q36) Why are the line breaks not showing when I preview submissions?
Because that is the way the system is set up. The line breaks should show up normally after submission accepted.
Thanks ianolito
Q37) How do I add an episode?
TVTome_Shadow: "Yes, click the blue "Contribute" button on the right, then click "Add a New Episode" on the following page."
Q38[b][/b]) How do I [color=#000000]delete[/color] an episode?
As VillaFan notes: "Only TV.com staff can delete episodes at the moment." ntonks: "you need to contact . . . [url=http://www.tv.com/users/waltmor/profile.php]waltmor[/url]."
Q39) How do change the name of an episode?
TVTome_Shadow: "Go to the episode, then click "Edit Episode Summary." You'll be able to change the episode title at the top of that form." And - "You just need to type SOMETHING in the episode summary box. A space, or "to be added", for example." Remember - "make sure you add something in the comment box about where you got the title, or it might be rejected."
Thanks GeorgeFergus & TVTome_Shadow
Q40) How do I add a show?
Use the [url=http://www.tv.com/form.php&stype=3]Request to Add a Show[/url] form.
Q41) How do I delete a show?
Use the [url=http://www.tv.com/form.php&stype=4]Request to Delete a Show[/url] form.
Thanks ianolito
Q42) I would like to add information to the news section, can I do that?
Simple answer: No. At the moment the news section is updated by TV.com staff. Eventually (if not now), an editor for a particular show will be able to add news information.
Q43) I would like to add pictures to show guides or people guides, can I do that?
Simple answer: No. Users cannot add pictures to the episode guides (shows) nor can they add pictures to the people guides. Because of copyright concerns, TV.com adds pictures, not users.
Q44) I could add pictures at TV Tome, why not here?
The seemingly simple answer is that TV Tome was a free website and TV.com is a commercial website. At the moment, though, this distinction is not easy to see, as both allowed free access to the guides, but required registration to contribute information. Both, also, had advertisements. Neither had/has a section or sections that requires payment to access (other CNet websites, though, have premium sections).
Q45) Who controls banners for shows?
At the present time, TV.com staff create and place the banners onto the various show guides. This might change in the future.
Back Home
[color=#000000]Forum Questions:[/color]
Q46) Are there rules and regulations to using the Forum?
See [url=http://forums.tv.com/show_messages.php?board=100&topic=54172&page=0]Community Terms of Service[/url].
Q47) Is it possible to report someone who is offensive/abusive and if so how?
VillaFan: "Just select the offending post from that individual and in the bottom right hand corner there's a "Report Abuse to Moderator" function you can use to alert staff of that offending post and member."
Back Home
Q48[b][/b]) How do I make the various types of emotions (like :))?
[color=#000000]Forum/Smiley Emoticons:[/color] credit to The RagingGamer
“These forums use the same smiley system as GameSpot, but in GameSpot we have a little pulldown bar for them that automatically inserts them in the post. Since this site doesnt have that (hint hint), heres a guide to all of them. Feel free to post this in other parts of the forums.
In order to use any of these smileys, simply insert the part left of the '=' anywhere in your post.
[b]
:D = :D
:arrow: = :arrow:
:| = :|
:? = :?
8) = 8)
:cry: = :cry:
:evil: = :evil:
:!: = :!:
:idea: = :idea:
:question: = :question:
:lol: = :lol:
:x = :x
:oops: = :oops:
:P = :P
:o = :o
:roll: = :roll:
:( = :(
:shock: = :shock:
:) = :)
:twisted: = :twisted:
:wink: [/b]or ;) = :wink:
Back Home
[color=#000000]HTML/BBCode:[/color]
Q49) I've made a list/FAQ/other and every time that I get to #8, I get a smiley face, what do I do?
Well, you could put the number down as #8, or - 8 - or the like, but if you want to put the number as 8[b][/b]), instead of 8), then you will need to put [ b ] [ /b ] between the 8 and the ).
Q50) How do you use bbcode/html code?
If you are below Level 3, according to Snide’s blog, you will not be able to use bbcode or html code, unless you are a level 2 and you are contributing something. Also, bbcode/html does not work in PM's.
If you use html/bbcode, don't forget to include both the opening and ending code (i.e. bold: opening: <> closing: < /b >).
Bbcode: see the HTML guide below (substitute [ ] for < >, does not always work). Differences between HTML and bbcode are here:
1: [color=#FF5500]Color[/color]: [ color = #FF5500 ] [ /Color] -> slightly different than HTML.
For colors: [url=http://colormatch.dk/]Collection of Color codes[/url]
Another collection of colors: [url=http://www.htmlgoodies.com/tutorials/colors/article.php/3478961]Colors[/url]
Another Guide, this one specifically for HTML codes by rwing8 with modest additions and editing by me.
Ok I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out what you can and can't do with html on this site and I found this information. Feel free to use it, just if someone asks were you learned please give me (rwing8[b][/b]) some credit, thanks.
Here are some of the HTML codes: Spaces have been included to allow the code to be displayed (you can also see the how someone does something particularly neat by clicking on the “Quote” button as this will reveal the code for you) but remember to not include spaces between the codes or they will not work.
Text Modifiers:
<> Bold < /b >
Bold
<> Italic < /i >
Italic
<> Underlined < /u >
Underlined
<> mssage < /em><>
<> message < /strong><>
example: Emphasized text
br another way to hit enter
Strong text
Text with Color: < color = "Color Name"> message here < /font>
example: message here
Text Size: < size = "Any number"> message here < /font> (Any number - I believe that it is 1-25).
example: this is 12 font
Text Font: < face = "Type of font"> message < /font>
example: this is Times
Links:
Creating a link that will not open a new window:
< href=" http://www.tv.com/"> TV.com Home Page (description of link here) < /a>
example: TV.com Home Page
Creating a link that will open a new window:
[ url= http://www.tv.com/csi/show/19/summary.html ]CSI[ /url ]
[url=http://www.tv.com/csi/show/19/summary.html]CSI[/url]
OR
< href="Address" target="blank">TEXT< /a >
TV.com
Thanks [url=http://www.tv.com/users/Stig14/profile.php]Stig14[/url] and Afenla
Color Links:
To make a link be something other than blue (on TV.com), you need to change the color of the text.
< href=" http://www.tv.com/"> < color =" red"> TV.com Home Page (description of link here) < /font > < /a >
example: TV.com Home Page
Images/Pictures:
< src = "http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b308/MikeBriggs/maui.jpg">
example:
(image wasn’t working, so here is one of the house cats for an example).Resized Images/Pictures:
This is how you can resize an image:
Original image code:
[img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b86/Yakira620/1624d931.bmp"]
Gives you:
Changing the code to: < src = "web site link" width = "number" height = "number">
To Change the width/height of an image, example: This:
[img src="http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b86/Yakira620/1624d931.bmp" width = "200" height = "125"]
Gives you:
Remember to replace the [ and the ] with <> , repectively.
If you use this you will want to use a ratio so that the image does not end up distorted or stretched out.
Lines:
message <> message
example: Top of line
bottom of line
Preformatted Text:
<>< /pre > (for preformatted)
Q- I don't understand how to use the preformatted option. I don't know what it does or how it works. But it looks like something I would want to use. Could someone please explain it to me?
A- In general, on web pages in html, multiple spaces are ignored. They are reduced to a single space. So, even though you may have arranged something into nice columns in the editing window, the columns disappear when you view the result:
Example:
Starting
Title Season Year Rating Eps
1 Random 1 1952 4.45 83
2 Random2 83 1932 4.44 50
If, on the other hand, you precede and follow the exact same block of text with the tags <> and < /pre >, then you get what you originally intended:
My Favorite Shows:
Starting
Title Season Year Rating Eps
1 Random 1 1952 4.45 83
2 Random2 83 1932 4.44 50
Thanks Yakira and GeorgeFergus; and 123home123
Another HTML guide: [url=http://www.pageresource.com/html/index2.htm]Basic HTML Tutorial Guide[/url]
Back Home
Unofficial FAQ Part 3 Version 4.00
Unofficial FAQ Continued from Part 1 and 2 of FAQ found above.
Back Home
[color=#000000]Show Guide Questions:[/color]
Q51) Is there a way to see just the episodes (with summary) without all the advertisements and searching all the sections/Is there a “clean copy” of the episodes (with summary)?
Go to the show you wish to examine. Click on the "Print Ep Guide" button that is located on the right side of the screen (below the advertisement), and in the "Community" section. Clicking this button with provide you with a "clean" episode guide.
Q52) Formatting: I do/don't like seeing the episodes listed as: 2-1 (season 2, episode 1) or 15 (overall episode number, might be in the 1st, or later season)?
Click on the "Preferences" button at the upper right hand corner of the screen. Click on the "Profile" tab. Scroll down to the second section ("Browsing Preferences"). Change the first selection as desired ("Episode Number Format": Flat Count ("also referred to as the lifetime episode number when you submit a new episode"), Season-Episode number (i.e. 2-6), both).
Thanks Yakira
Q53) What are Production Codes?
GeorgeFergus' answer: "Production codes are numbers (or combinations of letters and numbers) that help to identify an episode. They usually indicate the order in which the various episodes were slated for production by the company that makes the show.
Rule #1: If you are submitting an episode and don't know the production code for it, leave this box blank. Don't just make up a number that you think looks right.
Sometimes the production code is displayed on-screen in the "fine print" at the end of an episode, but this is rare. Sometimes the production codes are given somewhere on the show's official website, such as NBC's site for The West Wing.
The production codes for many recent U.S. broadcast network shows can be found in their press releases, which can be found at places like thefutoncritic.
Production codes for a lot of U.S. shows, particularly reruns, can be found in Yahoo's TV listings at tv.yahoo.com or similar on-screen info provided by TiVo. Note that they usually omit any prefixes.
Production codes for a lot of older U.S. shows can be found in the Library of Congress copyright records at www.copyright.gov/records/cohm.html.
Production codes for upcoming episodes of U.S. and Canadian shows can often be found in the casting calls found at places like SidesExpress.com."
Back Home
[color=#000000]Known Bugs:[/color]
Q54) I can't see images, why not?
Some users will have some initial problem seeing images. As GeorgeFergus notes: "If you can't see any of the images on the site, such as buttons you need to be able to click on, it's probably because images are stored on a separate site called images.com.com, and you'll need to change the security settings in your browser to allow access to that site." Also: "Some of the content on the TV show pages may not be visible unless your browser has Macromedia's Flash plug-in installed. To test if you have Flash, you can go to the Macromedia website." As Digger 3000 noted: "I located the "HOSTS" file in my system directory and removed the line "image.com.com 127.0.0.1" from the file. That's the line that was redirecting image.com.com back to my computer." And as Talvix noted: "You can safely delete the entire line, it really shouldn't be there in the first place. Or you can comment it out by placing a # (hash character) in the beginning of the line:
# 127.0.0.1 image.com.com
It is also possible to change the numerical address to the corresponding IP address for image.com.com. But they might change addresses in the future so it would cause problems then."
Q55) When I click on the Next Button in a forum thread, I get a 404 error message (or something similar), why is that?
This is a known bug. Try refreshing the screen or trying again later.
Anyone have an answer? I normally don't notice this error
studog2961 adds: "I always seem to get this error 404 when trying to add a new eppy to a show. For example, I was trying to add new episodes to American Hot Rod, after I clicked "add", it took me to a place where the new episode will be if approved. They I tried to go to the "summary" page and it gives me that error."
Q56) Review Bug:
If you click on “Edit this Review” (for your own review) you will be taken to a “404 - Page not found” page. TV.com Staff are working on this bug.
Q57) Credits Bug - Cannot add titles of Producer, Executive Producer, Associate Producer and certain other crew
Crew: There are two places to add crew. 1) Show level crew: Click on a show guides website. Now click on "Cast," now click on either "Writers/Directors" or "Crew." Unfortunately, not all crew titles are available to be added for the entire show. 2) Episode level crew: go to a show guide. Click on the tab that says "Episodes." Find the episode that you know some crew information about (do not click on the title of this episode). There will be a large "Community Score" scale below the title of the episode, above this scale is a row of words, starting with "Recap" and ending with "Reviews." Click on "Cast." Click on either "Writers and Directors" or "Crew." Click on "Add." Unfortunately some people are have trouble accessing this form.
Thanks Yakira.
Q58[b][/b]) Why can't I put "February 29th" in for the air date?
This appears to be a bug. As GeorgeFergus notes: "There does not seem to be any way to enter February 29, no matter what the year is. Looks like it's another bug." Update: apparently you can change the date to 29, 30, or 31 if the episode is already listed as being in February, but if the episode is not already in February, then there appears to be no way to change it to Feb. 29th without first switching the show to a day in February, and then in a separate change, changing the date to February 29th. (Thanks: The_Huntsman).
Q59) Why are my posts count going down, doesn't that have an impact on my rating/Is this a bug?
The number of posts credited to you goes down if a post is deleted when: 1) a thread is purged, 2) a message/post is deleted, 3) Some mysterious energy is surrounding you that resets your post count to 332 after 24 hours (I believe #3 only applies to one individual).
Snide: "It is in fact a bug that post counts are dropping and yes, that it effects your level. It's one of our major priorities of the moment and hopefully we'll have it addressed by the end of the week. I really appreciate your guys patience in this and know it's frustrating."
(click here for the thread this appeared in).
Q60) Another Reviews Bug:
As Yakira found: “bug: the number of reviews by the pie graph reads zero even though a review has been written for the episode
http://www.tv.com/episode/802/summary.html
http://www.tv.com/the-west-wing/two-cathedrals/episode/38668/summary.html"
Q61) Yet another Reviews bug: Why do I see my own reviews when I go to someone else's review page and click on "2" below their reviews (or another number)?
A's - "[I]t's a known bug, we've already mentioned it a few times. weird that they haven't fixed it yet."
"In the meantime, as a temporary fix, put the person's username in the URL between the "users" and "history" slash.
Example:
http://www.tv.com/users/username/history.php?pg_user_reviews=2
And the number at the end is the page number, obviously. You can change that to the following page, as well."
thanks Z-Ring, ntonks_tvtome, & TVTome_Shadow
Back Home
Unofficial FAQ Part 4: Version 5.00
To navigate the guide click on one of the blue links to forward you to the section described:
Generic
Generic questions.
User Specific Information Questions
Questions about your personal preferences, your profile, how to change certain options, and features of your profile page.
Contributions
Contributions: Explains how you can contribute to a guide and what the various forms of contributions are. Also elaborates on proper format for quotes and what the comment section on the submission form is for.
Forum Questions
Questions (or link) to rules and regulations on the Forum, and generic questions about forum usage.
HTML/BBCode
How to use HTML and BBcode.
Forum/Smiley Emoticons
How to make various :) ;) smilies.
Show Guide Questions
Questions about how to see the show guide in the method prefered by the user (i.e. an episode guide without ads; episode list numbered the way you want).
Known Bugs
Known bugs: a collection of known bugs, solutions (if available) and/or reminders of particular bug issues on the website.
TV.com Staff List
A list of TV.com's staff, as maintained by [b]The_Huntsman[/b].
Other Guides
There are many user made guides and threads that can be helpful to those trying to better use and understand this website.
Back Home
[color=#000000]TV.com Staff List:[/color]
[u]Q62): Were can I find a staff member to contact, and which staff member should I contact about a specfic problem?[/u]
My list was out of date, so I've removed it.
Back Home
[color=#000000]Other Guides:[/color]
Person Guides: Duplicates & Other Issues By Yakira
A Guide about "Website/Forum/Smilie Tutorial & Forum Rules" By neutronvortex05
Back Home
Thank-you to everyone that helped provide the basis for the questions and answers.
[color=#000000]Linked List of Genre:[/color]
Temporary listing of the TV show Genres on TV.com (and the associated page):
At the moment, the Genre List:
Action/Adventure
Animation
Children
Comedy
Drama
Game Shows
Movies/Mini-Series
News/Documentary
Reality
Science-Fiction
Soap
Sports
Talk Shows
Variety Shows
Back Home
[color=#000000]List of Themes:[/color]
Temporary Listing of Themes:
Aliens
Animals/Pets/Wildlife
Anime
Art
Auction
Award
Biography
Boston
Cartoon, Adult
Cartoon, Children's
Celebrity Life
Championship
Chicago
City Living
Classic
College
Contest
Countdown
Court Room
Crafts (should be Arts/Crafts or Arts & Crafts)
Cult
Culture
Current Events
Dating
Educational
Erotic
Ethnic Culture
Family
Fantasy
Fashion
Financing/Investing
Fitness
Food
Foreign
High School
History
Holiday
Home Improvement
Horror
Horticulture
How-To
Interview
Lifestyle
Should have London, or U.K. on this list
Los Angeles
Mafia
Makeover
Married Life
Martial Arts
Medical
Medieval
Miami
Military/War
Music
Mystery
Nature
New York
Nostalgia
Office Life
Outer Space
Parody
Performace
Period Piece
Playoffs
Police
Political
PI
Professional Trade
Psychiatry
Real Estate
Religion
Romance
San Francisco
Satire
Science (Fact)
Seattle
Senior Citizen
Shopping
Single Life
Small Town Living
Solo Sport
Spy
Stand-Up
Stunt
Sword & Sorcery
Talent Show
Team Sport
Technology
Teen
Thirty-Something
Vehicles
Washington DC
Weather
Western
Wrestling
Tried to find links, but there does not appear to be a way to find shows that have the Western Theme (for example; though Western should be a Genre, not a Theme).
Back Home
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Web Services: Marketleap
Found an interesting free service while wandering around the internet. That service is provided by Marketleap and allows users to see how popular their website/blog is compared to other websites.
Here's the report for my various blogs:
The bolded URLs are mine. The first one is my blog on TV.com. As I suspected, no one recognizes or cares about that blog. The second bolded URL is my newest blog over at Wordpress.com that I started to report various interesting things I find around the internet, though mostly use to talk about webcomics. The next one down the list is this blog. I wasn't surprised about the link popularity of the first three, but surprised that my baseball one is almost out of the white Limited Presence (0-1000 references) range. I have one more blog that isn't listed above, both because I didn't have ability to include it and because I don't use that blog anymore, and rarely wrote in it when I did use it.
Yes, as I suspected, it has little in the way of links . . . um, what? I have something like four entries, and it's my most linked blog, and is actually in the next level up (Average Presence) with 2004 links?
Ok, I see, most of the links are from just one website. Strange really.
Well, this was fun, off I go . . .
Here's the report for my various blogs:
URL List | Total | Google/ AOL | HotBot | MSN | Yahoo!/ FAST/ AltaVista |
www.tv.com/users/mikebriggs/profile.php | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| www.Travelleap.com | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| michaelbriggs.wordpress.com | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| entertainmentuniverse.blogspot.com | 92 | 5 | 3 | 21 | 63 |
| www.popcornpalace.com | 585 | 11 | 7 | 305 | 262 |
| www.spinnakersailing.com | 944 | 15 | 15 | 682 | 232 |
| nationalsbaseballfan.blogspot.com | 985 | 36 | 36 | 546 | 367 |
Yes, as I suspected, it has little in the way of links . . . um, what? I have something like four entries, and it's my most linked blog, and is actually in the next level up (Average Presence) with 2004 links?
URL List | Total | Google/ AOL | HotBot | MSN | Yahoo!/ FAST/ AltaVista |
| www.Travelleap.com | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| www.popcornpalace.com | 585 | 11 | 7 | 305 | 262 |
| www.spinnakersailing.com | 944 | 15 | 15 | 682 | 232 |
| usapeople.blogspot.com | 2,004 | 85 | 85 | 4 | 1,830 |
Well, this was fun, off I go . . .
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Movies & TV: UPN & WB Merge & Disney Looks like it will buy Pixar
According to an e-mail I received from Variety.com, UPN & WB have decided to merge into "The CW."
The way the article is worded, it's actually the case of both UPN & WB being shut down, and the parent companies (Tribune & Warner Brothers) agreeing to start a new network together from the remenents of the two channels ("The new fifth network"). New channel, as mentioned, named "The CW" (new channel 50-50 joint venture between Time Warner and CBS).
"the merger of UPN and the WB caught most industry observers by surprise" - speculation was that WB would be shut down, not merged with UPN. Variety.com article.
Oh, and the new network will start airing in September, not sure what that means between announcement of the end of UPN & WB and the start date of "The CW" (what an awful name).
In other news, it appears that Disney might buy Pixar for $7 billion (Article).
The way the article is worded, it's actually the case of both UPN & WB being shut down, and the parent companies (Tribune & Warner Brothers) agreeing to start a new network together from the remenents of the two channels ("The new fifth network"). New channel, as mentioned, named "The CW" (new channel 50-50 joint venture between Time Warner and CBS).
"the merger of UPN and the WB caught most industry observers by surprise" - speculation was that WB would be shut down, not merged with UPN. Variety.com article.
Oh, and the new network will start airing in September, not sure what that means between announcement of the end of UPN & WB and the start date of "The CW" (what an awful name).
In other news, it appears that Disney might buy Pixar for $7 billion (Article).
Movies: Magnum PI film
The movie people have finally gone too far. I didn't particular care if they turned "Charlie's Angels", or "Bewitched", or "The Brady Bunch" into movies, because I didn't particularly care (good or bad) about the tv show in question. Now, though, the movie people are turning one of my favorite tv shows into a movie. I'm rather annoyed and disappointed.
According to Variety.com, Magnum, P.I. will be turned into a film (article here). Rawson Marshall Thurber is mentioned as director and writer (Thurber apparently was behind the "Terry Tate, Office Linebacker" commercial(s?) and was the writer and director for "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" - the Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller movie), Brian Grazer is producing and original show creators Donald Bellisario ("JAG", "Quantum Leap", "NCIS") and Glen Larson ("Battlestar Galactica", "Knight Rider", "Buck Rogers") are executive producing. Apparently the co-writer (Mike McCullers) of the two Austin Powers sequels was given the first shot at writing the screenplay.
No news on actors is yet forthcoming.
CNN also has an article about this issue ("'Magnum P.I.' coming to big screen"). That article mentions that Thurber plans to make a film similar to the original show and not a spoof (which might have happened with McCullers at the writers desk).
According to Variety.com, Magnum, P.I. will be turned into a film (article here). Rawson Marshall Thurber is mentioned as director and writer (Thurber apparently was behind the "Terry Tate, Office Linebacker" commercial(s?) and was the writer and director for "Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story" - the Vince Vaughn, Ben Stiller movie), Brian Grazer is producing and original show creators Donald Bellisario ("JAG", "Quantum Leap", "NCIS") and Glen Larson ("Battlestar Galactica", "Knight Rider", "Buck Rogers") are executive producing. Apparently the co-writer (Mike McCullers) of the two Austin Powers sequels was given the first shot at writing the screenplay.
No news on actors is yet forthcoming.
CNN also has an article about this issue ("'Magnum P.I.' coming to big screen"). That article mentions that Thurber plans to make a film similar to the original show and not a spoof (which might have happened with McCullers at the writers desk).
Monday, January 23, 2006
Movies: Seen This Weekend
Before Sunday there had been just one movie that I walked out of the theater on (some Vietnamese movie whose name escapes me) before the end credits began.
On Friday I saw two movies in the theater, “Hoodwinked” and “Last Holiday”. Hoodwinked was ok, but not up to the critical hype I’ve noticed in passing (I didn’t examine the critics reactions, just my impression of their reaction), while Last Holiday seemed better than expected (based on critical reaction). I gave Hoodwinked a rating of 4.15 out of 5 and gave Last Holiday a rating of 4.39 out of 5 stars. I don’t particularly want to write reviews for either of these movies, but I will just note that I’ve seen better animation in 1980/1990s video games than what was used in Hoodwinked (and that Hoodwinked is a CGI cartoon that is something of a take-off of the Little Red Riding Hood story (great, now I can’t recall the title of that story); and that Last Holiday is a movie about a woman that has been waiting for her life to begin until she learns that she has three weeks to live, and decides to live them to the fullest).
On Saturday I saw “Glory Road.” Glory Road is a movie about a little El Paso Texas college winning the NCAA Division I-A basketball championship in something like 1965 (one of my problems with the movie is that the date wasn’t nailed down until the end of the movie). I gave the movie a rating of 4.88 out of 5.0 stars. Very good film (I’ve mentioned elsewhere another problem I had with the film, but I’ll not mention it here); in comparison, I believe I’d give Hoosiers a rating of 4.98 out of 5 stars, but it has been a long while since I saw that film.
So, Sunday. I walked out on the film I started to see on Sunday, after staring at the screen for 1 and a half hours (the film is 135 minutes long). In that 1 hour and 30 minutes I learned what might have taken another film at most 30 minutes (I’m being generous, probably more like 10 to 15 minutes) to convey. People arrive in a new world. Meet some natives. Supplies short, so leader returns to get more supplies, in meantime a detachment is sent up river to see about trade while most remain behind. One of the crew meets up with a native girl and they fall in love. Food scarce. Tempers high. Ok, maybe this might have taken 30 to 45 minutes to convey, but not 1 hour and 30 minutes of watching the two main characters stumble around mooning over their missing love (missing in that they aren’t together every moment). Basically the movie is two characters staring around sadly and twirling. Oh, and in the background two civilizations meet up, conflict ensues. Music and plant life is deeply examined. Right. I’ve never seen a movie by Terrence Malick, and after attempting to watch “The New World”, I’ll never again attempt to see a Malick film. Just for comparison sake, I checked out some critics websites. Rottentomatoes.com believes the film is Rotten (113 reviews counted, 51 believe the film to be rotten). Metacritic gives the film a rating of 70 out of 100 (based on 36 reviews). RottenTomatoes and Metacritic are websites that boil down multiple critics reviews. Roger Ebert, a movie critic I sometimes check, gave the film 4 out of (I believe) 4 stars (don't recall last time Ebert and I agreed on a film).
On Friday I saw two movies in the theater, “Hoodwinked” and “Last Holiday”. Hoodwinked was ok, but not up to the critical hype I’ve noticed in passing (I didn’t examine the critics reactions, just my impression of their reaction), while Last Holiday seemed better than expected (based on critical reaction). I gave Hoodwinked a rating of 4.15 out of 5 and gave Last Holiday a rating of 4.39 out of 5 stars. I don’t particularly want to write reviews for either of these movies, but I will just note that I’ve seen better animation in 1980/1990s video games than what was used in Hoodwinked (and that Hoodwinked is a CGI cartoon that is something of a take-off of the Little Red Riding Hood story (great, now I can’t recall the title of that story); and that Last Holiday is a movie about a woman that has been waiting for her life to begin until she learns that she has three weeks to live, and decides to live them to the fullest).
On Saturday I saw “Glory Road.” Glory Road is a movie about a little El Paso Texas college winning the NCAA Division I-A basketball championship in something like 1965 (one of my problems with the movie is that the date wasn’t nailed down until the end of the movie). I gave the movie a rating of 4.88 out of 5.0 stars. Very good film (I’ve mentioned elsewhere another problem I had with the film, but I’ll not mention it here); in comparison, I believe I’d give Hoosiers a rating of 4.98 out of 5 stars, but it has been a long while since I saw that film.
So, Sunday. I walked out on the film I started to see on Sunday, after staring at the screen for 1 and a half hours (the film is 135 minutes long). In that 1 hour and 30 minutes I learned what might have taken another film at most 30 minutes (I’m being generous, probably more like 10 to 15 minutes) to convey. People arrive in a new world. Meet some natives. Supplies short, so leader returns to get more supplies, in meantime a detachment is sent up river to see about trade while most remain behind. One of the crew meets up with a native girl and they fall in love. Food scarce. Tempers high. Ok, maybe this might have taken 30 to 45 minutes to convey, but not 1 hour and 30 minutes of watching the two main characters stumble around mooning over their missing love (missing in that they aren’t together every moment). Basically the movie is two characters staring around sadly and twirling. Oh, and in the background two civilizations meet up, conflict ensues. Music and plant life is deeply examined. Right. I’ve never seen a movie by Terrence Malick, and after attempting to watch “The New World”, I’ll never again attempt to see a Malick film. Just for comparison sake, I checked out some critics websites. Rottentomatoes.com believes the film is Rotten (113 reviews counted, 51 believe the film to be rotten). Metacritic gives the film a rating of 70 out of 100 (based on 36 reviews). RottenTomatoes and Metacritic are websites that boil down multiple critics reviews. Roger Ebert, a movie critic I sometimes check, gave the film 4 out of (I believe) 4 stars (don't recall last time Ebert and I agreed on a film).
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Webcomics: Sluggy Freelance
Sluggy Freelance is one of the first webcomics that I found and read. Pete Abrams started Sluggy Freelance on August 25th, 1997 (or at least, that is the first comic strip available for viewing). The series started strong and except for several lapses in judgment, has stayed a fun an enjoyable comic strip to read for its entire run (so far: running for 8 years and roughly 4 months).
I first found Sluggy Freelance while reading John Ringo’s Legacy of Aldenata series (the books include several Abrams Sluggy Freelance strips that use the Sluggy Freelance characters but put them in Ringo’s universe). I liked the book, and I liked the strips, but I didn’t realize that Sluggy Freelance was a real comic strip until I was wandering around Ringo’s website (he still includes a link to Sluggy Freelance, but I don't see the area where he had the Legacy of Aldenata Sluggy Freelance strips). Once I noticed though, well, let’s just say that my productivity took a huge hit as I hurriedly ate up as much of the comic strip as I could. And luckily for me, Abrams includes all his Sluggy Freelance strips for public absorbtion on his website (except for specials reserved for people that buy his books, I think that’s how the system is set up).
So, what is Sluggy Freelance? Sluggy Freelance is a somewhat strange little world that follows an angry murderous bunny, an hyperactive ferret, several women (who become main characters for brief periods and then, mostly, disappear, though some stick around), and most importantly: a character named Torg and a character named Riff, two friends that share the same dwelling.
The webcomic follows a strong plot-line (well, many plot-lines), takes the time to create story development and characterization, while also remaining funny. Abrams’ stories include a lot of science fiction (Riff is an inventor and is often coming up with odd little strange creations), various parodies (for example: stories that parody Harry Potter, Star Trek), and various seasonally connected stories.
I strongly recommend any and all to sample this series. Oh, and there’s a helpful new users section for those that are new. When I first started, I just leapt in and started reading from the beginning.
Note: I'll include this post here and on my new blog, as I've found that it a little difficult to work with the code on Wordpress. Blogger seems to have better access to the template, while Wordpress has categories but no real access to the template (other than changing "themes"; also, Wordpress seemed to put the posts backwards, and I couldn't figure out how to change that; not sure what I'm going to do).
Blogs: I've started a new blog . . .
I like the idea of being able to link common weblog entries and have been unable to figure out how to do that on this blog. I eventually decided to test the waters by starting a new blog that allows the capability to have categories. So far I just have a recommendation/review for Sluggy Freelance on that blog. If I can figure out how to use categories on Blogger, I'll probably revert to using only Blogger.
"Fun Things in the Neighborhood" joins this blog (Entertainment Universe), my TV.com blog, my baseball blog, and my politics/history blog.
I'm not sure, but I think I'll keep the new blog (the "Fun Things" one) limited to noting interesting things I find while navigating the web (and probably starting off with some good/great webcomics I've found). My "Entertainment" one will continue to include my various rambling comments about books, tv shows, movies, music and whatever else that might conceivably be called entertainment. My TV.com blog is somewhat similar to my "Entertainment" blog, but tends to include both "Entertainment" blog posts (modified) and TV.com specific ramblings (or TV specific ramblings) that I don't feel the need to include on "Entertainment Universe" (like I don't feel the need to include non-tv reviews on TV.com; oh, I'd probably just have the one blog if it weren't for the fact that other websites don't recognize a blog on TV.com as a blog, but do consider a Blogger blog a blog). My baseball blog is for my various remarks about the MLB Washington DC baseball team (Nationals). My politics/history blog is/was basically dead on arrival (I started it around the time John Roberts was put up for the Supreme Court, and beyond one entry that I've since deleted from that blog and moved over here, didn't expand beyond that one topic, and didn't continue that one topic beyond the initial posts).
"Fun Things in the Neighborhood" joins this blog (Entertainment Universe), my TV.com blog, my baseball blog, and my politics/history blog.
I'm not sure, but I think I'll keep the new blog (the "Fun Things" one) limited to noting interesting things I find while navigating the web (and probably starting off with some good/great webcomics I've found). My "Entertainment" one will continue to include my various rambling comments about books, tv shows, movies, music and whatever else that might conceivably be called entertainment. My TV.com blog is somewhat similar to my "Entertainment" blog, but tends to include both "Entertainment" blog posts (modified) and TV.com specific ramblings (or TV specific ramblings) that I don't feel the need to include on "Entertainment Universe" (like I don't feel the need to include non-tv reviews on TV.com; oh, I'd probably just have the one blog if it weren't for the fact that other websites don't recognize a blog on TV.com as a blog, but do consider a Blogger blog a blog). My baseball blog is for my various remarks about the MLB Washington DC baseball team (Nationals). My politics/history blog is/was basically dead on arrival (I started it around the time John Roberts was put up for the Supreme Court, and beyond one entry that I've since deleted from that blog and moved over here, didn't expand beyond that one topic, and didn't continue that one topic beyond the initial posts).
TV: Futurama Return from the Grave?
According to an article in Variety.com, the people behind the TV show "Futurama" might start making new episodes.
Despite being off the air (original new programing, not reruns, see Comedy Central and Cartoon Network) since August 2003, "[t]he studio [20th Century Fox TV]is in early discussions to put "Futurama" back in production and create a limited number of episodes."
Like "Family Guy," "Futurama" might end up being revived due to DVD sales.
Please note the early discussions part of the quote.
Despite being off the air (original new programing, not reruns, see Comedy Central and Cartoon Network) since August 2003, "[t]he studio [20th Century Fox TV]is in early discussions to put "Futurama" back in production and create a limited number of episodes."
Like "Family Guy," "Futurama" might end up being revived due to DVD sales.
Please note the early discussions part of the quote.
