Importing Series Specials and TMDB episode matching

So referencing this thread BETA: TMDB metadata for TV episodes - Channels DVR Server - Channels Community

When i originally tested this in this thread selecting the tmdb version of a show would make the extras sort as specials for tmdb - So labeled S00E0x would work

I went through and added some more stuff recently - nothing actually works like this anymore. Is it possible there was a regression on specials support for tmdb?

Did you match the newly added stuff with Gracenote first and then go back and match them with TMDB.
Still have to do that two step dance for show episodes.

If you did already, post an example or two of how the episodes look in your library vs. how they look at TMDB.

Sorry i didn't reply sooner

Top gear - which i did two years ago is all correct as it should be

Here is when calls the heart matched to gracenote

the extras look like this

And then after i match to themoviedb

No change at all in extras - but you can see that the first season is different

I ran this old house through it too - it has only one special and no dice either

Works for me.

TMDB only lists 4 specials When Calls the Heart: Specials (2016) — The Movie Database (TMDB)

These are the filenames I imported as a test.
When Calls the Heart (2014) - S00E01 - When Calls the Heart Christmas [2016-12-25].mp4
When Calls the Heart (2014) - S00E02 - The Christmas Wishing Tree [2017-12-25].mp4
When Calls the Heart (2014) - S00E03 - The Greatest Christmas Blessing [2018-12-25].mp4
When Calls the Heart (2014) - S00E04 - Home for Christmas [2019-12-25].mp4
When Calls the Heart (2014) - S01E01 - Lost and Found [2014-01-11].mp4
When Calls the Heart (2014) - S12E12 - Must Be Gold [2025-03-23].mp4

For the episodes it doesn't list as Specials, check the other Season episodes.
Like S03E01 - New Year's Wish

The Gracenote Episode Guide is a bit of a mess
https://tvlistings.gracenote.com/overview-affiliates.html?programSeriesId=SH01547473&tmsId=SH015474730000&from=TVGrid&aid=cha
New Year's Wish is listed twice as S03E01 and again as S03E02

So strange - i have no idea what i might be doing wrong

it just doesn't do anything to extras

Try renaming one of the Specials files to match the S##E## you see at TMDB (or make a copy & rename). Then purge deleted and scan imports.
Probably not working because your file names don't match TMDB.

Previously i did it and it correctly just looked at SxxExx and ignored the names - i have another show which did match the names and no luck

Most of my library is tvdb based and not looking to change that - hopefully the nfo support is coming as i have everything perfectly built that way

The problem is (if your filename S##E## doesn't match TMDB) you cannot fix incorrect match at the episode level using TMDB. It REQUIRES the filename to have a matching S##E## in it. The developers have said their TMDB API doesn't allow searching episodes by episode titles.

Using Gracenote you can fix incorrect match at the episode level using the episode title.
Screenshot 2025-10-18 at 12-48-30 Channels Manage Recordings