# Plex agents not picking up TV Program Metadata

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288>\
**Category:** Metadata & Adding Files\
**Tags:** server-linux\
**Created:** [September 23, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288 "2024-09-23T16:39:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 10\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![david\_lofthouse\_yahoo\_com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@david\_lofthouse\_yahoo\_com](https://forums.plex.tv/u/david_lofthouse_yahoo_com)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288/1 "2024-09-23T16:39:01Z")

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Server Version#: 4.136.1  
Player Version#:5.881

Having problems trying to get my Plex Server to pick up metadata from the TV Series Storyville. I can see that this is listed on tvdb all ok i.e. …  
[https://www.thetvdb.com/series/storyville](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/storyville)

I can also see the episode that I want to grab the metadata for i.e.

[https://www.thetvdb.com/series/storyville/episodes/6409376](https://www.thetvdb.com/series/storyville/episodes/6409376)

Which is listed in tvdb as Storyville Season 2017 episode 25

So I’ve setup Directory un TV Programs as follows :

TV Programs\Storyville\Storyville.S2017E25. Toffs Queers and Traitors The Extraordinary Life of Guy Burgess.mp4

I’ve tried a library rescan and Plex is not picking up this content at all… Why ?

I can confirm that the agent work all ok on other TV Series I’ve uploaded onto the Server.

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**Author:** ![napolij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@napolij](https://forums.plex.tv/u/napolij)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2024, 5:13pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288/2 "2024-09-23T17:13:37Z")

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I see the same show is listed on TMDB, so I think the Plex Agent should see it.

Does it work any better if you rename things to:

TV Programs\Storyville (1997)\Storyville (1997) - S2017E25 - Toffs Queers and Traitors The Extraordinary Life of Guy Burgess.mp4

This is more in line with the Plex recommended guidelines.

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**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2024, 6:13pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288/3 "2024-09-23T18:13:50Z")

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> [@napolij](#):
>
> .mp4

I added that episode to my server using a MKV file and it matched & downloaded metadata immediately.

I used TVDB episode ordering. If I pick TMDB, Plex does not pull metadata.

1. Edit the show (pencil icon) from the main show page (not the TV show library page)
2. Advanced
3. Episode Ordering = The TVDB Aired
4. Save & refresh metadata

  

Additionally, Plex can read embedded metadata from mp4 containers if configured to do so. If the file has bad embedded metadata, then Plex may display incorrect or no information.

Note this is a library, not show, level change and will affect all shows in the library.

1. [Edit the library](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200289266-editing-libraries/) → Advanced
2. Deselect Prefer local metadata.
3. Save, Refresh metadata.

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**Author:** ![napolij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@napolij](https://forums.plex.tv/u/napolij)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2024, 7:33pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288/4 "2024-09-23T19:33:06Z")

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> [@napolij](#):
>
> Storyville (1997) - S2017E25 - Toffs Queers and Traitors The Extraordinary Life of Guy Burgess.mp4

Interesting, you got me thinking, so I did a similar experiment. Created a directory & .mp4 file using the naming convention I suggest in the earlier post and dropped it into my tv shows directory. It was picked up and metadata was pulled. I did not select TVDB aired ordering.

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**Author:** ![napolij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@napolij](https://forums.plex.tv/u/napolij)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288/5 "2024-09-23T19:59:33Z")

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> [@david\_lofthouse\_yahoo\_com](#):
>
> Storyville.S2017E25. Toffs Queers and Traitors The Extraordinary Life of Guy Burgess.mp4

Ok, just did the 2nd part of the experiment. I moved Storyville out of my tv shows dir and waited for Plex to scan it watch it disappear from the show listings. Then I renamed the directory & filename to his original naming schema. Plex sees it and at least gets the show’s poster but no metadata for the show.

Then I moved it out of tv shows and waited for it to disappear. Then I renamed Storyville to Storyville (1997) leaving the mp4 file with his original name. Then I moved renamed Storyville back to tv shows and when scanned, it now finds the show and retrieves the metadata

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**Author:** ![BajaDiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e56c9b/32.png) [@BajaDiver](https://forums.plex.tv/u/BajaDiver)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2024, 10:15pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288/6 "2024-09-23T22:15:23Z")

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I just migrated my data to a larger drive array. Practically all TV shows are scrambled with multiple episodes of several shows “matching” to a single episode of a non-related show. I have my directories and files named per the Plex format.

Example: Y:\Animated\A\Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994) {tmdb-2429}\Season 01\Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994) - S01E01 - The Switching Hour.mp4

Plex Library points to: \A\Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994) {tmdb-2429}\Season 01\Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994) - S01E01 - The Switching Hour.mp4

Each series is in a directory for the starting letter. That’s how my movies are organized as well and they are working correctly in Plex.

Suggestions?

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**Author:** ![napolij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a4c791/32.png) [@napolij](https://forums.plex.tv/u/napolij)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2024, 10:22pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288/7 "2024-09-23T22:22:27Z")

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Does the scrambling do away if you move that show up out of the “A” directory?

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**Author:** ![FordGuy61](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@FordGuy61](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FordGuy61)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2024, 10:28pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288/8 "2024-09-23T22:28:13Z")

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> [@BajaDiver](#):
>
> Example: Y:\Animated\A\Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994) {tmdb-2429}\Season 01\Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (1994) - S01E01 - The Switching Hour.mp4

Which folder is added to the library?

Give the structure of your files, it should be `Y:\Animated\A\`, then repeat for B, C, etc.

The show folder must be directly below the folder added to the library.

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**Author:** ![BajaDiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e56c9b/32.png) [@BajaDiver](https://forums.plex.tv/u/BajaDiver)\
**Post date:** [September 23, 2024, 10:57pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288/9 "2024-09-23T22:57:39Z")

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Thanks to you both! After the first response, I remembered this issue and the fix from my initial setup years ago. This reminded me why my TV shows were not in the A,B,C directories when I started the migration. It works for Movies but not TV shows. 🙂

Thanks all! It’s working as expected.

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**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2024, 10:58pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/plex-agents-not-picking-up-tv-program-metadata/889288/10 "2024-12-22T22:58:36Z")

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