# TVmaze TV Show & Episode Scraper (Free) (`fit_melon/tvmaze-show-episode-scraper`) Actor Search TV shows and get episodes, cast, ratings, genres, network and IMDb IDs from the free TVmaze database. No API key. Clean JSON output for media datasets and apps. - **URL**: https://apify.com/fit\_melon/tvmaze-show-episode-scraper.md - **Developed by:** [D N](https://apify.com/fit_melon) (community) - **Categories:** Social media, Other - **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks - **User rating**: No ratings yet ## Pricing Pay per usage This Actor is paid per platform usage. The Actor is free to use, and you only pay for the Apify platform usage, which gets cheaper the higher subscription plan you have. Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/platform/actors/running/actors-in-store#pay-per-usage ## What's an Apify Actor? Actors are a software tools running on the Apify platform, for all kinds of web data extraction and automation use cases. In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours, and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store. In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server. Actors are written with capital "A". ## How to integrate an Actor? If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects. You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready. The best way to integrate Actors is as follows. In JavaScript/TypeScript projects, use official [JavaScript/TypeScript client](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js.md): ```bash npm install apify-client ``` In Python projects, use official [Python client library](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python.md): ```bash pip install apify-client ``` In shell scripts, use [Apify CLI](https://docs.apify.com/cli/docs.md): ````bash # MacOS / Linux curl -fsSL https://apify.com/install-cli.sh | bash # Windows irm https://apify.com/install-cli.ps1 | iex ```bash In AI frameworks, you might use the [Apify MCP server](https://docs.apify.com/platform/integrations/mcp.md). If your project is in a different language, use the [REST API](https://docs.apify.com/api/v2.md). For usage examples, see the [API](#api) section below. For more details, see Apify documentation as [Markdown index](https://docs.apify.com/llms.txt) and [Markdown full-text](https://docs.apify.com/llms-full.txt). # README ## TVmaze TV Show & Episode Scraper (Free) **What it does.** This free actor searches the open **TVmaze** database and returns clean, structured JSON for TV shows — including ratings, genres, network, premiere/end dates, IMDb/TheTVDB IDs, images and summaries. Optionally attach the full **episode list** and **cast** for each show. Great for building TV datasets, enriching a watchlist, powering a recommendation app, or media research (séries TV, épisodes, casting). No API key required — you only pay your Apify platform usage. ### Input | Field | Type | Description | |---|---|---| | `queries` | array of strings | One search term per line (usually a show name). | | `maxShowsPerQuery` | integer | Max matching shows returned per term (default 3). | | `includeEpisodes` | boolean | Attach the full episode list per show (default false). | | `includeCast` | boolean | Attach the main cast per show (default false). | ### Output (example) ```json { "status": "found", "query": "Breaking Bad", "searchScore": 1.19, "showId": 169, "name": "Breaking Bad", "genres": ["Drama", "Crime", "Thriller"], "status_show": "Ended", "premiered": "2008-01-20", "rating": 9.2, "network": "AMC", "imdb": "tt0903747", "url": "https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/169/breaking-bad" } ```` Each result carries a `status` field: `found`, `not_found`, or `error` (with an `error` message). The actor never crashes on a bad term — it records the status and continues. ### Use cases - Build or refresh a TV-show dataset (genres, ratings, networks). - Enrich a watchlist or media catalog with episode-level metadata. - Power a "what to watch" app or Discord/Slack bot. - Academic / market research on TV content and scheduling. ### Limitations & fair use Data comes from [TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/), licensed CC BY-SA. The actor adds polite delays between requests. Coverage and accuracy depend on the TVmaze community database. Please credit TVmaze when redistributing. ### More actors by this developer See other free, no-key data actors on the [developer profile](https://apify.com/fit_melon). # Actor input Schema ## `queries` (type: `array`): One search term per line (e.g. a TV show name). Each term returns the best matching shows. ## `maxShowsPerQuery` (type: `integer`): How many matching shows to return for each search term. ## `includeEpisodes` (type: `boolean`): Attach the full episode list (season, number, name, airdate) to each show. ## `includeCast` (type: `boolean`): Attach the main cast (person + character) to each show. ## Actor input object example ```json { "queries": [ "Breaking Bad", "The Office" ], "maxShowsPerQuery": 3, "includeEpisodes": false, "includeCast": false } ``` # API You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup. ## JavaScript example ```javascript import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client'; // Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token // Replace the '' with your token const client = new ApifyClient({ token: '', }); // Prepare Actor input const input = { "queries": [ "Breaking Bad", "The Office" ] }; // Run the Actor and wait for it to finish const run = await client.actor("fit_melon/tvmaze-show-episode-scraper").call(input); // Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any) console.log('Results from dataset'); console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`); const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems(); items.forEach((item) => { console.dir(item); }); // 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs ``` ## Python example ```python from apify_client import ApifyClient # Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token # Replace '' with your token. client = ApifyClient("") # Prepare the Actor input run_input = { "queries": [ "Breaking Bad", "The Office", ] } # Run the Actor and wait for it to finish run = client.actor("fit_melon/tvmaze-show-episode-scraper").call(run_input=run_input) # Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any) print("💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/" + run["defaultDatasetId"]) for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items(): print(item) # 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start ``` ## CLI example ```bash echo '{ "queries": [ "Breaking Bad", "The Office" ] }' | apify call fit_melon/tvmaze-show-episode-scraper --silent --output-dataset ``` ## MCP server setup ```json { "mcpServers": { "apify": { "command": "npx", "args": [ "mcp-remote", "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fit_melon/tvmaze-show-episode-scraper", "--header", "Authorization: Bearer " ] } } } ``` ## OpenAPI specification ```json { "openapi": "3.0.1", "info": { "title": "TVmaze TV Show & Episode Scraper (Free)", "description": "Search TV shows and get episodes, cast, ratings, genres, network and IMDb IDs from the free TVmaze database. No API key. Clean JSON output for media datasets and apps.", "version": "0.0", "x-build-id": "YVQKxdfJ03KZY39CZ" }, "servers": [ { "url": "https://api.apify.com/v2" } ], "paths": { "/acts/fit_melon~tvmaze-show-episode-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-get-dataset-items-fit_melon-tvmaze-show-episode-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for its completion, and returns Actor's dataset items in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } }, "/acts/fit_melon~tvmaze-show-episode-scraper/runs": { "post": { "operationId": "runs-sync-fit_melon-tvmaze-show-episode-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor and returns information about the initiated run in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK", "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/runsResponseSchema" } } } } } } }, "/acts/fit_melon~tvmaze-show-episode-scraper/run-sync": { "post": { "operationId": "run-sync-fit_melon-tvmaze-show-episode-scraper", "x-openai-isConsequential": false, "summary": "Executes an Actor, waits for completion, and returns the OUTPUT from Key-value store in response.", "tags": [ "Run Actor" ], "requestBody": { "required": true, "content": { "application/json": { "schema": { "$ref": "#/components/schemas/inputSchema" } } } }, "parameters": [ { "name": "token", "in": "query", "required": true, "schema": { "type": "string" }, "description": "Enter your Apify token here" } ], "responses": { "200": { "description": "OK" } } } } }, "components": { "schemas": { "inputSchema": { "type": "object", "required": [ "queries" ], "properties": { "queries": { "title": "Show names / search terms", "type": "array", "description": "One search term per line (e.g. a TV show name). Each term returns the best matching shows.", "items": { "type": "string" } }, "maxShowsPerQuery": { "title": "Max shows per query", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 20, "type": "integer", "description": "How many matching shows to return for each search term.", "default": 3 }, "includeEpisodes": { "title": "Include episodes", "type": "boolean", "description": "Attach the full episode list (season, number, name, airdate) to each show.", "default": false }, "includeCast": { "title": "Include cast", "type": "boolean", "description": "Attach the main cast (person + character) to each show.", "default": false } } }, "runsResponseSchema": { "type": "object", "properties": { "data": { "type": "object", "properties": { "id": { "type": "string" }, "actId": { "type": "string" }, "userId": { "type": "string" }, "startedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "finishedAt": { "type": "string", "format": "date-time", "example": "2025-01-08T00:00:00.000Z" }, "status": { "type": "string", "example": "READY" }, "meta": { "type": "object", "properties": { "origin": { "type": "string", "example": "API" }, "userAgent": { "type": "string" } } }, "stats": { "type": "object", "properties": { "inputBodyLen": { "type": "integer", "example": 2000 }, "rebootCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "restartCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "resurrectCount": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "computeUnits": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "options": { "type": "object", "properties": { "build": { "type": "string", "example": "latest" }, "timeoutSecs": { "type": "integer", "example": 300 }, "memoryMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 1024 }, "diskMbytes": { "type": "integer", "example": 2048 } } }, "buildId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultKeyValueStoreId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultDatasetId": { "type": "string" }, "defaultRequestQueueId": { "type": "string" }, "buildNumber": { "type": "string", "example": "1.0.0" }, "containerUrl": { "type": "string" }, "usage": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 1 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } }, "usageTotalUsd": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "usageUsd": { "type": "object", "properties": { "ACTOR_COMPUTE_UNITS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATASET_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_WRITES": { "type": "number", "example": 0.00005 }, "KEY_VALUE_STORE_LISTS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_READS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "REQUEST_QUEUE_WRITES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_INTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "DATA_TRANSFER_EXTERNAL_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_RESIDENTIAL_TRANSFER_GBYTES": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 }, "PROXY_SERPS": { "type": "integer", "example": 0 } } } } } } } } } } ```