TMDB MCP Server
# TMDB MCP Server
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/tmdb-mcp-server)
[](https://www.npmjs.com/package/tmdb-mcp-server)
[](https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT)
A [Model Context Protocol (MCP)](https://modelcontextprotocol.io) server that provides access to [The Movie Database (TMDB)](https://www.themoviedb.org/) API. This server enables Claude and other MCP clients to search for movies, TV shows, and people, as well as get detailed information and recommendations.
š **Now available on the [Official MCP Registry](https://registry.modelcontextprotocol.io)**
## Quick Start
Get started in seconds with npm:
```bash
# Install globally
npm install -g tmdb-mcp-server
# Or use with npx (no installation needed)
npx tmdb-mcp-server
```
**Get your free TMDB API token**: https://www.themoviedb.org/settings/api
## Features
### š¬ Movie Tools
- **search_movies** - Search for movies by title
- **get_movie_details** - Get detailed information about a specific movie (budget, revenue, runtime, genres, etc.)
- **discover_movies** - Discover movies with advanced filters (genre, language, year range, rating, sorting)
- **get_recommendations** - Get movie recommendations based on a specific movie
- **get_movie_credits** - Get cast and crew information for a movie
### šŗ TV Show Tools
- **search_tv_shows** - Search for TV shows by name
- **get_tv_details** - Get detailed information about a specific TV show (seasons, episodes, networks, etc.)
- **discover_tv_shows** - Discover TV shows with advanced filters (genre, language, year, rating, sorting)
- **get_tv_recommendations** - Get TV show recommendations based on a specific show
- **get_tv_credits** - Get cast and crew information for a TV show
### š„ People Tools
- **search_people** - Search for actors, directors, and other entertainment industry professionals
- **get_person_details** - Get detailed biographical information about a person
### š„ Trending
- **get_trending** - Get daily or weekly trending movies, TV shows, or people
## Installation
### Option 1: npm (Recommended)
Install from npm registry:
```bash
npm install -g tmdb-mcp-server
```
That's it! No build step required.
### Option 2: From Source (For Development)
**Prerequisites:**
- Node.js (v18 or higher)
- A TMDB API access token (get one free at [TMDB](https://www.themoviedb.org/settings/api))
**Steps:**
1. Clone the repository:
```bash
git clone https://github.com/tcehjaava/tmdb-mcp-server.git
cd tmdb-mcp-server
```
2. Install dependencies:
```bash
npm install
```
3. Create a `.env` file with your TMDB access token:
```bash
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env and add your TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN
```
4. Build the server:
```bash
npm run build
```
## Usage
### With Claude Desktop
Add the server to your Claude Desktop configuration:
**MacOS**: `~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
**Windows**: `%APPDATA%/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json`
#### If installed via npm:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"tmdb": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "tmdb-mcp-server"],
"env": {
"TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_tmdb_access_token_here"
}
}
}
}
```
#### If installed from source:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"tmdb": {
"command": "node",
"args": ["/absolute/path/to/tmdb-mcp-server/build/index.js"],
"env": {
"TMDB_ACCESS_TOKEN": "your_tmdb_access_token_here"
}
}
}
}
```
### With Other MCP Clients
The server runs on stdio by default, making it compatible with any MCP client that supports stdio transport.
### Remote Deployment (HTTP Mode)
The server also supports Streamable HTTP transport for remote deployment:
```bash
MCP_TRANSPORT=http PORT=3000 node build/index.js
```
See [TRANSPORT.md](TRANSPORT.md) for detailed deployment instructions for platforms like Railway.
## Development
### Local Development
Run the server in watch mode for development:
```bash
npm run watch
```
### Debugging
Use the MCP Inspector for debugging:
```bash
npm run inspector
```
The Inspector provides a web interface for testing and debugging MCP tools.
### Code Formatting
Format code with Prettier:
```bash
npm run format
```
## Example Queries
Here are some example queries you can try with Claude:
- "Find Japanese sci-fi movies from 2020 onwards with a rating above 7"
- "What are the top trending movies this week?"
- "Get me recommendations based on The Matrix"
- "Search for Christopher Nolan movies"
- "Show me details about the TV show Breaking Bad"
- "Find Korean dramas with high ratings"
## API Rate Limits
TMDB API has rate limits on their free tier:
- 50 requests per second
- Consider implementing caching for production use
## Contributing
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.
See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md) for guidelines.
## License
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the [LICENSE](LICENSE) file for details.
## Acknowledgments
- Built with the [Model Context Protocol SDK](https://github.com/modelcontextprotocol)
- Data provided by [The Movie Database (TMDB)](https://www.themoviedb.org/)
- This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB
## Links
- [MCP Documentation](https://modelcontextprotocol.io)
- [TMDB API Documentation](https://developers.themoviedb.org/3)
- [Claude Desktop](https://claude.ai/download)
TDQS
Scored across 13 tools
Most tools have distinct purposes targeting specific resources (movies, TV shows, people) with clear action differentiation. However, discover_movies and search_movies have potential overlap in movie-finding functionality, though their descriptions clarify discover uses advanced filters while search uses title matching.
All tools follow a consistent verb_noun pattern with clear action prefixes (discover_, get_, search_) and specific resource suffixes (_movies, _tv_shows, _person, _people). The naming is perfectly predictable and systematic throughout the set.
13 tools is well-scoped for a movie/TV database server, providing comprehensive coverage without bloat. The count aligns with the domain's natural divisions between movies, TV shows, and people, with appropriate operations for each.
The toolset provides complete coverage for a TMDB-like domain with discovery, search, detailed retrieval, credits, recommendations, and trending operations for both movies and TV shows, plus person/people functionality. No obvious gaps exist for typical agent workflows.