Currently, if you want to watch a show with a lot of specials in order through Plex, you have to manually look up when the special aired and where it fits into the overall order of the show before you watch an episode. Even then, there is no way of storing this order in Plex.
However, thetvdb has a useful field on specials called Aired Before, which shows, as you might expect, where it fits in the viewing order (a good example of this is Doctor Who). This should be used in Plex to show and play specials in the right order.
Currently, if you want to watch a show with a lot of specials in order through Plex, you have to manually look up when the special aired and where it fits into the overall order of the show before you watch an episode. Even then, there is no way of storing this order in Plex.
Plex uses the Aired on Date for specials when viewing shows from the OnDeck so as long as the field is properly filled out the special will show up in the ondeck where it aired.
Plex uses the Aired on Date for specials when viewing shows from the OnDeck so as long as the field is properly filled out the special will show up in the ondeck where it aired.
Oh cool, I didn't know that! Still, it would be nice to have them shown in order in the series page (or at least have the possibility of doing so).
Oh cool, I didn't know that! Still, it would be nice to have them shown in order in the series page (or at least have the possibility of doing so).
That is a TheTVDB issue. Since Plex uses their DB to indicate the season order, and they do not allow specials to mixed in with a particular season. If TheTVDB allowed things like episode 4.5 to indicate a special that came between 4 and 5, Plex could be adapted to take advantage of that.
That is a TheTVDB issue. Since Plex uses their DB to indicate the season order, and they do not allow specials to mixed in with a particular season. If TheTVDB allowed things like episode 4.5 to indicate a special that came between 4 and 5, Plex could be adapted to take advantage of that.
That is the purpose of Aired Before though, right? For example, if the Aired Before is set as s4e10,then the special is essentially s4e9.5. The data is all there on thetvdb, it just has to be used by Plex.
That is the purpose of Aired Before though, right? For example, if the Aired Before is set as s4e10,then the special is essentially s4e9.5. The data is all there on thetvdb, it just has to be used by Plex.
But TheTVDB does not explicitly use 9.5. Yes, Plex could interpret the aired date and interpolate wen it should air, and it does that for OnDeck as mentioned earlier. But listing in the season is problematic since Plex needs to match the data before it can know where to put it and since TheTVDB does not list the specials in the season list, when Plex matches a season, there are no half episodes to interpolate. The only reasonable I see this being possible is to combine the specials and seasons after the fact. So, Plex would match everything as usual, but when displaying the season info, it would not show specials as a season but instead would add in the special episodes alongside the season episodes. I do not know if this is even possible with the way Plex works right now, but my guess is it would take work on the PMS side to provide the new grouping and a change on each client to show this combined season where the episodes do not necessarily go numerically but by aired date.
Awesome, voted! I did a quick search before I posted this but must have missed that one.
The only reasonable I see this being possible is to combine the specials and seasons after the fact. So, Plex would match everything as usual, but when displaying the season info, it would not show specials as a season but instead would add in the special episodes alongside the season episodes. I do not know if this is even possible with the way Plex works right now, but my guess is it would take work on the PMS side to provide the new grouping and a change on each client to show this combined season where the episodes do not necessarily go numerically but by aired date.
Exactly how I thought it should work. I knew it would require changes to the codebase, but that is why it is a feature request and not a bug report ;)
This is a hugely asked for feature, but there’s a million threads about it. We need to vote on ONE! Please vote on this ONE. Consolidate everyone asking for this in this ONE thread so it’s louder!!!
