How to order a franchise watch list for franchise marathon planners

Choose a viewing order, set the boundaries of the marathon, and build a franchise watch list that keeps movies, shows and optional extras clear.

By VLClean · 2026-11-09

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

Choose release order or story order, collect the titles that belong in the marathon, and write them in that sequence. Mark optional extras and planned breaks before sharing the list.

Option	Method	Cost details
Paper checklist	Write the selected titles in viewing order and mark completed entries.	not published
Spreadsheet	Record viewing positions, titles, episode details and optional entries in separate columns.	not published
Watcharr	Paste one public IMDb list to get a movie link for Radarr and a show link for Sonarr. ^[1]	not published

What you need before you start

Decide which friends or family members will join the marathon and whether they already know the franchise. Prepare the titles or types of content that are allowed, so people know what kinds of entries fit the plan. Keep the rules simple, such as whether the marathon includes movies, full seasons, individual episodes or optional extras.

Choose release order or story order before arranging titles. Release order follows when entries were released; story order follows the sequence of events within the story. Agree on how to handle entries whose placement needs discussion, and mark decisions that should be checked before watching.

Gather the titles, release dates and episode names needed to identify each entry. If the marathon uses a home media library, check that each selected entry can be played before inviting the group. Decide where viewing breaks belong and what can be left for another session.

Choose where people will read the plan. Use a paper checklist, a spreadsheet or another method that gives everyone a clear place to find the agreed sequence. Keep viewing instructions separate from notes that reveal plot details.

Step by step

Define what belongs in the marathon. Write down the franchise entries under consideration, then mark the main route and optional extras. Decide whether related shows, short features or alternative versions belong in this particular plan. Keep disputed entries visible until the group has agreed what to include, rather than quietly leaving them out.

Choose the ordering rule. For release order, arrange entries by their release dates. For story order, arrange them by the sequence of events the group wants to follow. If avoiding spoilers matters, review uncertain placements before settling the sequence. Write the chosen rule beside the list so another person can understand why the titles appear where they do.

Check the identity of each entry. Confirm the title, version and relevant episode names before assigning a position. Where similarly named entries could cause confusion, add a short identifying note. Mark any placement that still needs checking instead of presenting a guess as settled. Keep research notes separate from the version that viewers will read during the marathon.

Turn the chosen sequence into a viewing checklist. Give each entry a clear position and say whether a show entry means an episode, a run of episodes or a whole season. Mark breaks where the group wants them. Write a short note that explains which entries are optional and where to resume after skipping them.

Check the plan against the available viewing time and the titles ready to play. If the schedule is too long, move optional entries to another session or shorten the scope with the group's agreement. Preserve the chosen ordering rule when making those changes. Check any replacement version before treating it as interchangeable with the entry already listed.

Send the plan to the friends and family joining the marathon. Explain where to find the current version and how to suggest a correction. Resolve unclear episode boundaries or disputed placements before watching. During the marathon, mark completed entries and record any agreed changes directly in the plan, so everyone resumes from the same place.

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 hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] Clicking a bookmark inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you without sending that app's access key anywhere else. ^[1] The page shows the list's covers in a row, with each cover opening The Movie Database (TMDB)'s plot, genres, rating, background image and trailer. ^[1]

For a paper checklist, write the selected titles in the agreed viewing order and leave room beside each entry for completion marks. Put optional material beside the point where the group would watch it. Keep the ordering rule at the top of the page, and rewrite unclear changes before sharing the finished plan. Choose a place to keep the current copy during the marathon.

For a spreadsheet, make separate columns for viewing position, title, episode details, optional status and planning notes. Enter the agreed sequence explicitly instead of relying on the order in which titles were collected. Keep plot details out of the version shared with viewers who want to avoid spoilers. When revising the plan, check that each note still sits beside the intended title.

Before choosing a tool, check how it handles the chosen viewing order, shared edits and changes to the list. Keep the agreed sequence written in the marathon plan.

Things to check before you choose: Does the option preserve the chosen sequence when titles move into the library? Can viewers distinguish optional extras from the main route? What access does it request, and what costs, if any, apply?

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid switching between release order and story order without explaining the change. Write the ordering rule beside the list and review any exception before sharing it. If a placement is still disputed, mark it as unresolved instead of hiding the uncertainty in a confident sequence.

Avoid treating a list of available titles as the finished viewing plan. Check every position against the chosen rule, and keep the written sequence visible during the marathon. Make clear where an episode run ends and where the next movie or show begins.

Avoid putting optional entries into the main route without a label. Tell viewers where to continue if an extra is skipped. Keep explanations brief when a longer note would reveal a plot point that someone has not reached yet. Put spoiler details in separate planning notes.

Avoid forgetting to review the list after setup. Remove abandoned choices, check unclear titles and update the plan when the group changes its scope. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing it with other people.

Frequently asked questions

How does Watcharr split an IMDb franchise list?

You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] The same IMDb list always gives the same two links. ^[1]

Does Watcharr require an account or an installation?

The hosted version of Watcharr needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] Signing in lets Watcharr read the list again about every 15 minutes and warn when a list fails three reads in a row. ^[1] If Watcharr cannot read the list, the links still provide the last list it read successfully. ^[1]

Which IMDb lists does Watcharr accept for a franchise marathon?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] The web app allows pasting, copying and browsing from any screen. ^[1] Check that the list intended for the marathon is public before using it.

How does Watcharr handle shows it cannot match?

Watcharr leaves out shows it cannot match and tells you which ones it skipped. ^[1] Compare those skipped titles with the marathon plan before sharing the final schedule. Keep a note beside any affected show so that a missing title does not get mistaken for an intentional change to the viewing order.

Can Watcharr combine IMDb lists for a household marathon?

Signed-in Watcharr users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household, and a title on two lists is added only once. ^[1] Before combining lists, agree on the marathon's viewing order and mark which entries belong in the main route and which are optional.

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

Try Watcharr

Sources

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