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How to track episodes left in a season for TV planners

Count the episodes left in each season with a weekly list you update, plus a few tools that can help and the mistakes to skip.

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

TV season planners can track episodes left in a season by listing each episode of the season, marking the ones already watched, and counting what remains on a set day each week.

OptionHow it helps track episodesCost details
WatcharrGives Sonarr a link with the shows from one public IMDb list. [1]Hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1]
Your own spreadsheetYou list each episode and mark the ones watched by hand.not published

What you need before you start

Start with a list of the TV shows you follow and the season each one is in. For each season, know how many episodes it has and which ones you have already watched, because that is what tells you how many are left.

Choose where the list will live, such as a notes app or a spreadsheet. Pick one set day each week to update the counts, so the list stays current without daily effort.

If you plan to send shows to Sonarr, have it ready first.

Step by step

  1. Write down each show you are following and the season it is in.
  2. For each season, list every episode and mark the ones you have watched.
  3. Count the episodes that are still unwatched and write that number beside the season.
  4. Choose one day each week to update the counts for every show.
  5. When a season reaches zero unwatched episodes and no episodes remain unaired, move that season off your active list.
  6. If your shows come from a public IMDb list, check after each update that the list still has the titles you expect.
  7. After a month, look at which seasons you keep falling behind on and adjust your update day or your list.

You can start with a notes app and change tools later.

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] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you. [1]

It accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list, from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [1] Watcharr leaves out shows it cannot match and tells you which ones it skipped. [1]

The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. [1] Signed-in 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]

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app, and the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. [1]

Check whether your tool can show the unwatched episode count for each season, or whether you will count them yourself.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid tracking a season without writing down its total number of episodes. A count of what you have watched alone does not tell you what is left.

Avoid assuming every show from a list will reach Sonarr. Watcharr leaves out shows it cannot match and tells you which ones it skipped, so check which shows were skipped. [1]

Avoid ignoring a failed update. If you are signed in and a list fails three reads in a row, you are warned. [1] When a read fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1]

Avoid using the code for commercial work. Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [1]

Avoid skipping the weekly review. A list that nobody updates drifts away from what you are actually watching.

Frequently asked questions

How do TV season planners track episodes left in a season?

Make a list of the season's episodes, mark the ones already watched, and count what remains. Update the count on a set day each week so it stays accurate. The same method works in a notes app or a spreadsheet. Choose the method you will keep up with.

Can Watcharr send TV shows to Sonarr?

Watcharr gives you one link for Sonarr with the shows from your public IMDb list. [1] Sonarr checks that link about every 5 minutes, and a bookmark you click inside Sonarr adds the list for you. [1] [1] Shows that cannot be matched are skipped, and Watcharr tells you which ones were skipped. [1]

Does Watcharr update the list automatically?

If you sign in, Watcharr re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [1] When a read fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1]

Does Watcharr need an account or an install?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] Signing in is optional. When you are signed in, Watcharr re-reads your list. [1] You paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app. [1]

Can Watcharr combine lists for a whole household?

Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. [1] A title that is on two lists is added only once. [1] Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list. [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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