TMDB MCP Server

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Search TV shows

search_tv

Read-only

Search TMDB TV shows by name to get compact summaries and the TMDB IDs needed by related TV lookup tools. Use it when you know the result is a TV show.

Instructions

Search TMDB TV shows by name; returns compact summaries with the TMDB id that get_tv and the other TV tools require. Use this over search_multi when you already know the result is a TV show.

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`page`	No	1-based page number for pagination (TMDB returns up to 20 results per page, max 500).
`year`	No	Filter by first-air-date year. Unlike search_movies' soft year filter, this is a hard first-air-year match (verified live). For a first-air-date range, use discover_tv.
`query`	Yes	TV show name to search for.
`language`	No	Override the response language (ISO-639-1, optionally with a region), e.g. 'ru-RU' or 'en-US'. Localizes titles/overviews/genre names. Defaults to the server's TMDB_LANGUAGE. A well-formed code TMDB has no translation for (e.g. 'xx') is not an error: overviews come back null, movies/shows keep their original-language title, and episodes get a generic 'Episode N' name.
`include_adult`	No	Include adult (NSFW) results. Defaults to false.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`page`	Yes
`results`	Yes
`total_pages`	Yes
`total_results`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed12 schema fields changedv0.14.0Oct 24, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / language / description

Previous value: -"Override the response language (ISO-639-1, optionally with a region), e.g. 'ru-RU' or 'en-US'. Localizes titles/overviews/genre names. Defaults to the server's TMDB_LANGUAGE."New value: +"Override the response language (ISO-639-1, optionally with a region), e.g. 'ru-RU' or 'en-US'. Localizes titles/overviews/genre names. Defaults to the server's TMDB_LANGUAGE. A well-formed code TMDB has no translation for (e.g. 'xx') is not an error: overviews come back null, movies/shows keep their original-language title, and episodes get a generic 'Episode N' name."

removedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / overview / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / overview / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / poster_url / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / poster_url / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```
removedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / vote_average / anyOf
```
Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]
```

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / vote_average / description

Added value: +"TMDB's own 0-10 user score. A different audience and scale from the IMDb/RT/Metacritic scores get_movie/get_tv return as `ratings` — don't compare, average or substitute across the two."

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / vote_average / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / vote_count / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / vote_count / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

removedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / year / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / year / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "number",
+  "null"
+]
```

Changed1 schema field changedv0.11.0Aug 21, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / year / description

Previous value: -"Filter by first-air-date year."New value: +"Filter by first-air-date year. Unlike search_movies' soft year filter, this is a hard first-air-year match (verified live). For a first-air-date range, use discover_tv."

Changed2 schema fields changedv0.10.1Jul 30, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / first_air_date / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "format": "date",
+    "pattern": "^(?:(?:\\d\\d[2468][048]|\\d\\d[13579][26]|\\d\\d0[48]|[02468][048]00|[13579][26]00)-02-29|\\d{4}-(?:(?:0[13578]|1[02])-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|3[01])|(?:0[469]|11)-(?:0[1-9]|[12]\\d|30)|(?:02)-(?:0[1-9]|1\\d|2[0-8])))$",
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  {
+    "type": "null"
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / results / items / properties / first_air_date / default
```
Added value: +null
```

Addedv0.8.1Jul 26, 2026
Removedv0.8.0Jul 22, 2026
First observedv0.3.0Jul 9, 2026

TDQS

A4.3/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Beyond the readOnlyHint/openWorldHint annotations, it discloses that results are compact and that the returned TMDB id is the key required by get_tv and sibling TV tools — valuable chaining context. It does not add anything about rate limits, pagination limits, or empty-result behavior, though those are partly covered by the page schema description.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Two sentences, no waste, with the core purpose and the return-value/chaining fact front-loaded before the routing note. Every clause carries information.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

An output schema exists and annotations cover the safety profile, so the description only needs to convey purpose, routing, and the ID-chaining detail — all present. Nothing an agent needs to call it correctly is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters3/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema description coverage is 100%, so query, year, page, language, and include_adult are already fully documented in the schema (including the hard first-air-year note and the discover_tv redirect). The description adds no parameter-level detail beyond the schema, so the baseline 3 applies.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource (search TMDB TV shows by name) and adds a return-shape summary (compact summaries with the TMDB id). It also names the sibling it replaces (search_multi), so an agent can distinguish it without opening a schema.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

"Use this over search_multi when you already know the result is a TV show" gives an explicit alternative-plus-condition rule. It does not explicitly address other adjacent siblings like search_movies or search_people, but the routing intent is clear.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.