# Issue with Plex Serie Scanner **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126 "2016-10-29T22:09:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![juherr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@juherr](https://forums.plex.tv/u/juherr)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 10:09pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/1 "2016-10-29T22:09:26Z")
`Tom and Jerry - s1950e08 - Cue Ball Cat (1950).avi` is not detected as expected (“Season 1950, ep 8”) by the scanner but it is understanding it as “Season 1, ep 8” instead. If I remove the release year from the filename, then it is working as expected. I suppose something is failing because the release year and the season number are equal. Most of the time, it should not happen but the season number is special for this serie ([http://thetvdb.com/?tab=seasonall&id=72860&lid=7](http://thetvdb.com/?tab=seasonall&id=72860&lid=7)). Plex version: 2.8.1 Platform: ReadyNAS ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2016, 10:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/2 "2016-10-29T22:58:14Z")
> @juherr said: > `Tom and Jerry - s1950e08 - Cue Ball Cat (1950).avi` is not detected as expected (“Season 1950, ep 8”) by the scanner but it is understanding it as “Season 1, ep 8” instead. > If I remove the release year from the filename, then it is working as expected. Then remove the release year from the file name. It is already there (as the season number) anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Elijah\_Baley](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/elijah_baley/32/10336_2.png) [@Elijah\_Baley](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Elijah_Baley)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 12:58am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/3 "2016-10-30T00:58:15Z")
What Otto said. The release year is really only needed in the folder name for the series. It is generally not needed in the file name and often screws things up when there. 90% or more of the identifying that Plex does is based off the main folder name. In fact if the main folder is named correctly then the files themselves only absolutely need sXXeYY as a file name. ---
**Author:** ![juherr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@juherr](https://forums.plex.tv/u/juherr)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 4:55am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/4 "2016-10-30T04:55:27Z")
Thanks for the help. Both of you are proposing working workarounds and I’ve already applied the first one. But IMO, a workaround doesn’t mean the issue doesn’t exist, it just means that the issue is a minor one. And I’m only posting on the forum because it is the only way I found to report an issue in the documentation. [https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201643703-Reporting-issues-with-Plex-Media-Server](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/201643703-Reporting-issues-with-Plex-Media-Server) ---
**Author:** ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 7:43am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/5 "2016-10-30T07:43:21Z")
What issue? What work around? Plex Naming Guide: [https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows) Nowhere I can find does the above documentation say it’s OK to inject into a file name a (YEAR) field where TVDB doesn’t require one. As clearly shown in your own link: [http://thetvdb.com/?tab=seasonall&id=72860&lid=7](http://thetvdb.com/?tab=seasonall&id=72860&lid=7) and after extrapolating from the somewhat ‘misty’ Plex documentation for this particular series the obvious end result would be: A TV Show Library …Tom and Jerry …Season 1950 …Tom and Jerry - S1950E08 - Cue Ball Cat.mp4 and having just placed a test file (named as shown) into the directory structure above I can report an instant, first time, fully populated match with TVDB and Plex. ![](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/uploads/default/original/3X/7/1/71d632290712f948f803b4223b082ad6d1cf25f2.jpg) TV Show Name - SXXXXEXX - Optional Information (YEAR).XXX Ever the investigator and always curious how it is possible for folks to screw up a perfectly good file name I [Plex Dance](https://forums.plex.tv/t/the-plex-dance/197064)d the series I just placed after ‘screwing’ up the name just as @juherr has and found that Plex and TVDB have no problem with it and I got the same satisfying instant fully populated match I got before. I can only assume: 1. @juherr was messing around with names while the item was inside the library and that threw Plex into it’s usual tail-spin. When renaming items that have already been indexed (or attempted anyway) it’s is recommended by most Doctors to remove the show from the library, update the library, clean bundles, empty trash, fix the name, replace the show, update the library and that would be called The [Plex Dance](https://forums.plex.tv/t/the-plex-dance/197064)®. [https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200392106-Library-Actions](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200392106-Library-Actions) \<------- clean bundles, empty trash, update libraries or 1. The Directory Structure @juherr is using is so screwed up Plex is totally lost and can’t do a thing but sit and spin… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![juherr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@juherr](https://forums.plex.tv/u/juherr)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 8:12am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/6 "2016-10-30T08:12:40Z")
In my case, `(YEAR)` is part of `Optional Information`. BTW, I’m just pointing that is strange to have `TV Show Name - SYYYYEXX - Optional Information (YYYY).XXX` failing and `TV Show Name - SYYYYEXX - Optional Information (YYYZ).XXX` working. ---
**Author:** ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 8:19am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/7 "2016-10-30T08:19:28Z")
What, pray tell, and for complete disclosure, is your directory structure? Trying to troubleshoot difficulties is even more difficult when we have to consult The Magic 8 Ball for most of the important information. ---
**Author:** ![juherr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@juherr](https://forums.plex.tv/u/juherr)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 8:44am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/8 "2016-10-30T08:44:15Z")
I’m not using the recommended directory structure: `Series Enfants/Tom and Jerry (1940)/Tom and Jerry - s1950e08 - Cue Ball Cat.mpg` `Series Enfants/Tom and Jerry (1940)/Tom and Jerry - s1950e08 - Cue Ball Cat (1950).mpg` Let me know if you need more details. ---
**Author:** ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 8:54am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/9 "2016-10-30T08:54:43Z")
Well… there you go. My Dad always said: If at first you don’t succeed - follow the instructions. The Instructions: [https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows) ---
**Author:** ![juherr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@juherr](https://forums.plex.tv/u/juherr)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 8:58am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/10 "2016-10-30T08:58:55Z")
Your dad is right. But it still doesn’t explain why `Series Enfants/Tom and Jerry (1940)/Tom and Jerry - s1950e08 - Cue Ball Cat (1950).mpg` is failing and `Series Enfants/Tom and Jerry (1940)/Tom and Jerry - s1950e08 - Cue Ball Cat (1951).mpg` is working ---
**Author:** ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 9:01am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/11 "2016-10-30T09:01:39Z")
Personally I don’t need an explanation of why NOT using the well documented and supported method of naming and structuring fails to produce reliable results. When you insist on using your own methods - that are clearly WRONG - unexpected results can and often do occur. That’s pretty much the end of the story. ---
**Author:** ![juherr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c4cdca/32.png) [@juherr](https://forums.plex.tv/u/juherr)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 9:13am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/12 "2016-10-30T09:13:06Z")
Don’t be so closed mind. From a functional user point of view, you’re right. From a technical point of view, the issue is really strange and may hide some (important?) others. Only a core dev will be able to understand what is happening. ---
**Author:** ![JuiceWSA](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/juicewsa/32/12253_2.png) [@JuiceWSA](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JuiceWSA)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2016, 9:33am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/13 "2016-10-30T09:33:12Z")
In the unlikely event a Developer shows up in this thread (about the same chance that I’ll see The Virgin Mary on my toast this morning) to try and troubleshoot your ‘issue’, they’ll probably just paste this link: [https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows](https://support.plex.tv/hc/en-us/articles/200220687-Naming-Series-Season-Based-TV-Shows) on their way to the candy machine. Of all the available Plex libraries the TV Show library is the place where exact naming and structuring is very important - if you don’t want to battle with Plex every day of your life. It could be the way Plex is required to access the TVDB or other reasons I’m not privy to, but if you want a TV Show to behave properly you have to follow the instructions. ---
**Author:** ![PLEX6FC](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/plex6fc/32/13413_2.png) [@PLEX6FC](https://forums.plex.tv/u/PLEX6FC)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 10:09pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/14 "2017-02-06T22:09:41Z")
Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I’m also struggling with Tom and Jerry. I currently have my folder structure and file names EXACTLY as JuiceWSA said to do above, but no joy: **TV - Kids/Tom and Jerry/Season 1940 …Tom and Jerry - S1940E01 - Puss Gets the Boot.mp4** I have also tried these file names too: **…Tom and Jerry - s1940e01 - Puss Gets the Boot.mp4 …Tom and Jerry - s01e01 - Puss Gets the Boot.mp4** And tried changing the directory name too: **TV - Kids/Tom and Jerry/Season 01** What am I doing wrong?? No matter what I do, Tom and Jerry does not appear, and has never appeared in my Plex library. (Not that it should make any difference, Plex is running on a headless Ubuntu server) Cheers, Scott. ---
**Author:** ![OttoKerner](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/ottokerner/32/10079_2.png) [@OttoKerner](https://forums.plex.tv/u/OttoKerner)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2017, 10:15pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/15 "2017-02-06T22:15:48Z")
> @PLEX6FC said: > …Tom and Jerry - S1940E01 - Puss Gets the Boot.mp4\*\* I bet these mp4 files have embedded ‘Title’ tags. You need to tell Plex to disregard their content. Go to Settings - Server - Agents - Shows - TheTVDB In there, grab the line ‘Local Media Assets’ with your mouse and drag it downwards, so it ends up being at the bottom of the stack of active agents. Or fix the embedded ‘Title’ tag in your files, so it contains sensible data. Afterwards, perform the [Plex Dance](https://forums.plex.tv/discussion/comment/908454/#Comment_908454 "Plex Dance") with the mismatched episodes. ---
**Author:** ![PLEX6FC](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/plex6fc/32/13413_2.png) [@PLEX6FC](https://forums.plex.tv/u/PLEX6FC)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2017, 9:43am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/16 "2017-02-10T09:43:28Z")
Thanks for that, I’ll try the “plex dance” as you recommended to see what happens. Cheers, Scott. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 10:08pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/issue-with-plex-serie-scanner/165126/17 "2020-01-07T22:08:57Z")