Tara C. picks up on a BoingBoing post about LocateTV, a database that allows you to search for tv programming by star, show, etc. Very useful source but so are several others. Here are a few listings databases that might also be of interest. They allow the user to search for tv programming, actors, etc. We’ve written about several of them in the past.

Quik note:
A) A very useful feature of LocateTV is the tab listing shows available (in many cases free) online. However, while we found NBC shows listed, ABC shows were not listed. They were listed and available for free on TV Guide. Example 1 ||| 2 (Most Recent Episodes)

1) IMDb and IMDbTV
Yes, they even have tv listings.
This feature works for both the U.S. and the UK (with links to MyDigiGuide) and has been around for years. When you search for an actor/director/film/tv show look for “TV Listings” link in the left rail. Here’s an example of a listings page for Humphrey Bogart. By the way, you can also find U.S. listings on the front page of an entry, at the bottom of the overview section. Here’s another example, for “The Andy Griffith Show.” Note, that the show number (season/episode) and title are provided. In most cases, approximately two weeks worth of listings are provided
Of course, if the show, movie, etc., is on DVD, it’s listed with a direct link to Amazon, the owner of IMDB. Look for the link in the left rail labeled, “merchandising links.” DVD specifics can be found in the DVD section.

2) UK: MyDigiGuide
Searchable by actor, program title. A lot of personalisation is available. RSS feeds, too!

3) US: Zap2TV
Offers both a simple search box and an advanced interface where you can limit by genre and to programs in HD. Advanced search also allows you to limit by:
+ Episode Title
+ Program Title
+ Sports Team
+ Description
+ Cast and Crew
Here’s a search for Match Game. Zap provides one listing. We were also able to find it using the advanced interface, limiting to cast and crew, and searching for the show’s host, Gene Rayburn.

4) US: TV Guide
Not only does TV Guide provide the just out of beta, searchable database of online video (show clips, complete shows, and more) but also offers a searchable database of program listings via te search box found at the top of most pages. Search for an actor, find their page and in one place information and listings are placed on a single page. Very nice. TV Guide is using tech from Fast Search & Transfer to aggregate multiple content sources.

5) US: MeeVee
We’ve written about this service several times in the past 18 months. Simply enter a title, actor, etc. in the search box and 12 days worth of listings should appear. Mobile, RSS, and email are available. Also included, browse by show and view highlings (when available) online.

Finally, many of these services include one-click access to add the program/series/actor to your TiVo recording list.

See Also: TV Guide Mobile

See Also: Coming Soon, Register for Hulu

This entry was posted on Sunday, November 18th, 2007 at 12:33 am and is filed under Databases, Directories, and Guides, Source File. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.