Inconsistent API Response for TV episodes in Credits?

The Movie Database Support

posted by caseyliss
STAFFMOD
on December 17, 2024 at 8:58 AM

Hello, I think I'm seeing inconsistent API responses. I'm looking at the actor Thor Wahlestedt, and getting his data as such:

https://api.themoviedb.org/3/person/1388733?api_key={…}&append_to_response=tv_credits,movie_credits

That results in an object at .tv_credits.cast[0]:

{
    "name":"Burn Notice",
    "character":"Tommy",
    "credit_id":"5a97d6ce0e0a26015300f443",
    "episode_count":18
}

You can find this on the website here.

However, when I search for that credit, using this URL:

https://api.themoviedb.org/3/credit/5a97d6ce0e0a26015300f443?api_key={…}

… the seasons object does indicate there's 18 episodes, as you can see in media.seasons[0].episode_count, but the episodes array only has one entry:

{
  "id": 224613,
  "name": "Besieged",
  "overview": "Michael and Sam try to retrieve a boy from an armed compound. Fiona and Jesse babysit a day laborer.",
  "media_type": "tv_episode",
  "vote_average": 8.667,
  "vote_count": 3,
  "air_date": "2011-08-04",
  "episode_number": 7,
  "episode_type": "standard",
  "production_code": "",
  "runtime": 45,
  "season_number": 5,
  "show_id": 2919,
  "still_path": "/eEaVkuPn4URynEGCfP69UsUV9GI.jpg"
}

I'll concede it's been a little while since I have dug into this particular section of the API, but this smells wrong to me. Am I wrong, or are the results incorrect?

Thanks, Casey

2 replies (on page 1 of 1)

Ok, ya, I had to look at the code to tell you what was going on. This issue is primarily because of an editing bug that allows someone to be marked as a regular season credit AND marked as a guest star for the same season. That isn't supposed to be possible but it does happen from time to time and leaves the credit in a weird state.

Normally, under correct circumstances, if someone was marked as a regular season credit (has a season present in seasons) and was a guest star on a different season, they'd have entries in both fields: the full list of episodes of that guest star would be present in episodes, and then the season would be in seasons.

Anything present in seasons always indicates a "whole season credit", or "regular cast member" as it's called on the edit pages here, so you can assume it's meant to represent all of the episodes within it.

With regards to this specific credit, I've manually removed the erroneous episode credit as according to the data here, Thor was a regular season credit for season 5.

Reply by caseyliss

STAFFMOD

on December 17, 2024 at 7:38 PM

Any time the result is "don't worry it's not your fault", I consider it a win.

Jokes aside, I appreciate the quick primer and forensic description. I appreciate insights into how y'all handle things, as it can help frame a larger and more detailed "picture" for me.

Thanks to your massaging the data, my app is now showing things appropriately; thank you!

-c

Users In This Discussion

Categories

The Movie Database Support