Separate show identity from episode mapping
Record the series, year or edition, metadata provider and the ordering of the actual release. A matching series poster does not establish that episode 3 in one release corresponds to episode 3 in another. Keep show identification and episode numbering as two checks.
The TMDb scraper guide allows show searches using provider IDs, but explicitly says that search method identifies the television show rather than individual episodes. A correct show ID therefore does not settle a mismatch between aired and alternate episode orders.
Inspect the supported provider’s order
Kodi’s TMDb TV Shows guide, marked for version21, says TheMovieDB represents additional orders through Episode Groups. Its procedure selects a group and uses its address in a parsing NFO file to point the scraper at that listing.
The important requirement is explicit: SxxEyy numbering must match the chosen order. Confirm several identifiable episodes against that group before changing a library. Do not assume that an alternate order exists for every show or that a legacy scraper’s DVD-order checkbox appears in this different provider.
Make a small, reversible mapping check
Preserve original filenames and any local NFO records before an edit. Choose a short subset where episode titles or content identity can be verified without guessing. Record how each real file maps to the intended group’s season and episode number.
Only then use the current scraper’s documented refresh or rescan procedure for the appropriate scope. Renaming every file first can obscure the evidence needed to undo a mistaken order. Changing a metadata label also does not reorder scenes inside a combined or differently edited file.
Distinguish metadata retrieval from programme access
Kodi’s provider retrieves metadata and artwork; it is not a grant of viewing rights or a delivery source for missing episodes. If a file is absent, a successful scrape does not supply it. If the wrong description is attached, keep the original file and mapping evidence while correcting the catalogue.
No series library was scraped here. The procedure follows the named official scraper documentation and does not recommend the older The TVDB add-on whose current wiki marks it unmaintained. Use the actual installed provider and version when collecting a support record.
Sources and scope
Scope notes distinguish published documentation, supplied information and editorial methods. They do not report a hands-on service test.
- Kodi: TMDb TV Shows episode groups — Primary v21-marked guide: show-ID search scope, Episode Groups parsing NFO and matching SxxEyy numbering.
- Kodi: episode filenames — Official indexed naming and alternate-order matching; no full-series rename performed.
- Kodi: legacy scraper status — Official indexed page marks old add-on unmaintained; not recommended as current default.
