episodeNumber

Episodenumber refers to the numeric identifier assigned to a single installment within a serialized work, such as a television series, radio program, podcast, or web series. It is used to order, reference, and catalog episodes, and it typically appears alongside the episode title and air date. Episodenumber is distinct from season numbers; in many systems they are paired as Season 2, Episode 7 (S02E07), but numbering schemes vary by region and platform. Some series reset numbering at the start of each season, producing S01E01, S01E02, and so on, while others maintain a continuous count across seasons or use nonstandard conventions for special episodes.

Formats and presentation: In production notes and databases, episodenumber is stored as a numeric field and may be accompanied by seasonNumber or an overall episode count. Public-facing listings on streaming services often display both the title and the number, or simply the number if the title is descriptive. In metadata schemas and APIs, the field episodenumber is defined to hold the numeric position of an episode; it is frequently stored as an integer and used in combination with seasonNumber, or as an overall count in continuous numbering systems.

Edge cases and conventions: Pilots or specials may have distinct numbering, such as Episode 0 or a label like Special, and miniseries may have a single season with a continuous sequence. In multilingual contexts, localization can affect how numbers are displayed and referenced.

Usage and importance: Episodenumber facilitates navigation, archiving, and citation in critical writing and fan discourse. It is often used in catalogs, guides, and metadata standards for media libraries.

See also: season, episode title, air date, episode list, metadata for media.