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How to keep a queue of shows to follow for TV season planners in 2026

Keep a queue of TV shows to follow with one public IMDb list, and see how Watcharr links that list to Radarr and Sonarr.

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VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Keep the queue as one public IMDb list, then use Watcharr to give Sonarr a link to the shows on it. [1]

OptionWhat it doesInstall and account
WatcharrTurns one public IMDb list into one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1]Hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1]
Other tools for this jobnot publishednot published

What you need before you start

TV season planners need one list that holds every show they plan to follow this season. Gather the titles from the places where those choices already live, such as streaming apps, notes or messages, so the queue starts complete instead of growing one show at a time.

Keep the queue short enough to finish. A short list is easier to keep up with than one that holds every series you have heard of.

Pick one place to keep the list. If you want Watcharr to read it later, use a public IMDb list, because Watcharr accepts public lists from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [1]

If a helper program will add the shows to your library, have that program ready. Radarr and Sonarr are helper programs that add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to a media library, and they need their own setup first.

Step by step

  1. Write down the shows you plan to follow this season, and remove any you have already finished.
  2. Put the list in one place, and make sure anyone who shares the queue can open it.
  3. Sort the shows into the order you will start them, so the next one is always clear.
  4. Check the queue once a week, and move finished or dropped shows out of it.
  5. If you use a helper program, connect the queue to it, and confirm that the first few shows arrive.
  6. At the start of each new season, rebuild the queue from the shows that are still airing.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1]

The links let Radarr check for movies every 15 minutes and Sonarr check for shows every 5 minutes. [1]

A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's access key without sending it anywhere else. [1]

The links are built from the IMDb list's own code, so the same list always gives the same two links. [1]

The page shows the list's covers in a row, and opening one shows its plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer from TMDB. [1]

Watcharr matches shows on your list to the shows Sonarr can recognize, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [1]

If you sign in, it re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [1]

Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title that is on two lists is added only once. [1]

If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1]

You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app, and the one-click button shows on bigger screens. [1]

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1]

Watcharr runs as one app on Cloudflare with a Cloudflare database, plus a job on GitHub that reads IMDb. [1]

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence, and older versions remain under MIT. [1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [1]

No other tool is named here because no source facts about other tools were provided. Before choosing one, check how it reads your list, how often it refreshes it, and what it does with shows it cannot match.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid keeping a queue with no rule for what leaves it. A queue works only when you know which shows are current and which are finished, so move shows out as soon as they end or you drop them.

Avoid skipping the weekly check. Shows that are finished or dropped stay in the queue and make it harder to see what is next.

Avoid assuming every title will match. Some shows may not match, so check the results against your list after each update. [1]

Frequently asked questions

How can TV season planners keep a queue of shows to follow?

Start with one list that holds every show you plan to follow, and keep it public on IMDb, because Watcharr accepts public lists. [1] Move finished shows out each week and remove any you have dropped. Watcharr can give you one link for Sonarr with the shows from that list. [1] Check the queue at the start of each new season and rebuild it from what is still airing.

Can Watcharr send a public IMDb list of shows to Sonarr?

Watcharr gives you one link for Sonarr with the shows from a public IMDb list. [1] Sonarr checks that link every 5 minutes. [1] A bookmark inside Sonarr adds the list for you. [1] Check the result against your list, since some shows may be skipped. [1]

Does Watcharr need to be installed before it can be used?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app. [1] Watcharr runs as one app on Cloudflare with a Cloudflare database, plus a job on GitHub that reads IMDb. [1] Its code can be read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence. [1]

How often does Watcharr re-read a signed-in user's IMDb list?

If you sign in, Watcharr re-reads your list about every 15 minutes. [1] It warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [1] Radarr checks its link every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1]

What should be checked before choosing a tool to keep a TV queue?

Check how the tool reads your list, how often it refreshes the list, and what it does with shows it cannot match. Watcharr leaves out shows it cannot match and tells you which ones it skipped, so review that report after each update. [1] Check whether the tool needs an account, and whether its licence fits the way you plan to use it. Watcharr's commercial use is not licensed. [1]

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [1]

Try Watcharr

Sources

  1. Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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