TV Episode Citation in APA, MLA, Chicago and Harvard
Style rules checked October 23, 2026 · Next check by January 21, 2027 · AI-assisted source and citation checks; not human review
The short answer: To cite this TV episode in APA 7, list the episode writer and director with roles, original air date, episode title, episode designation, series, executive producers, production companies and URL when applicable, in that order. Every citation below comes from a real citation engine, in APA Style 7th edition, MLA Handbook 9th edition, Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography) and Cite Them Right 12th edition (author-date/Harvard).
Examples in every style
Real episode with primary production credits
PBS identifies The Planets:Inner Worlds, premiered July 24,2019. Its expanded credits name Martin Johnson as producer and director; the reference uses the verified director, not narrator Zachary Quinto, as creator.
| Style | Form | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| APA | Reference list entry | Johnson, M. (Director). (2019, July 24). Inner worlds [TV series episode]. In A. Cohen, J. Cort, & C. Schmidt (Executive Producers), The Planets. BBC Studios; NOVA; WGBH Boston. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-planets-inner-worlds/ |
| APA | In text | (Johnson, 2019) |
| APA | In text, narrative | Johnson (2019) |
| MLA | Reference list entry | “Inner Worlds.” TV series episode. The Planets, directed by Martin Johnson, BBC Studios; NOVA; WGBH Boston, 24 July 2019, www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-planets-inner-worlds/. |
| MLA | In text | (“Inner Worlds”) |
| MLA | In text, narrative | “Inner Worlds” |
| Chicago | Bibliography entry | Johnson, Martin, dir. “Inner Worlds.” TV series episode. The Planets. BBC Studios; NOVA; WGBH Boston, July 24, 2019. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-planets-inner-worlds/. |
| Chicago | First note | “Inner Worlds,” TV series episode, The Planets, directed by Martin Johnson, BBC Studios; NOVA; WGBH Boston, July 24, 2019, https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-planets-inner-worlds/. |
| Chicago | Short note | “Inner Worlds.” |
| Harvard | Reference list entry | “Inner worlds” (2019) The Planets. BBC Studios; NOVA; WGBH Boston. Available at: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-planets-inner-worlds/. |
| Harvard | In text | (“Inner worlds,” 2019) |
| Harvard | In text, narrative | Inner worlds (2019) |
Synthetic episode with named writer and director
Illustrative metadata demonstrates two different credited roles. Example Television and the series are fictional, not a recommendation or a claim that a real episode was watched. The source details in this example are made up to show the format.
| Style | Form | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| APA | Reference list entry | Patel, N. (Writer), & Rivera, A. (Director). (2025, April 8). A changing coastline [TV series episode]. In Field Notes Television. Example Television. |
| APA | In text | (Patel & Rivera, 2025) |
| APA | In text, narrative | Patel and Rivera (2025) |
| MLA | Reference list entry | “A Changing Coastline.” TV series episode. Field Notes Television, directed by Alex Rivera, Example Television, 8 Apr. 2025. |
| MLA | In text | (“A Changing Coastline”) |
| MLA | In text, narrative | “A Changing Coastline” |
| Chicago | Bibliography entry | Rivera, Alex, dir. “A Changing Coastline.” TV series episode. Field Notes Television, written by Nina Patel. Aired April 8, 2025, on Example Television. |
| Chicago | First note | “A Changing Coastline,” TV series episode, Field Notes Television, written by Nina Patel, directed by Alex Rivera, aired April 8, 2025, on Example Television. |
| Chicago | Short note | “A Changing Coastline.” |
| Harvard | Reference list entry | “A changing coastline” (2025) Field Notes Television. Example Television. |
| Harvard | In text | (“A changing coastline,” 2025) |
| Harvard | In text, narrative | A changing coastline (2025) |
How the styles differ for this source
| Style | Order of elements | What is different | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| APA Style 7th edition | episode writer and director with roles, then original air date, then episode title, then episode designation, then series, then executive producers, then production companies, then URL when applicable | APA's television-episode examples identify writers and directors in the author position and executive producers for the series. Never relabel the narrator as a writer. | Style guide |
| MLA Handbook 9th edition | episode title, then series container, then relevant contributors, then season and episode if supplied, then publisher, then date, then location | MLA's current core-element approach identifies the episode as a source within its series; contributions are described according to their actual roles. | Style guide |
| Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography) | relevant creator, then episode title, then series, then episode designation, then production or broadcast information, then date, then URL | Chicago's free current guide supplies audiovisual examples, not a television-only compulsory template. Keep the source's actual credits and relevant version information. | Style guide |
| Cite Them Right 12th edition (author-date/Harvard) | programme or episode title, then original broadcast year, then series or episode details, then channel or service, then URL, then access date | The pinned Cite Them Right 12th style is not a universal Harvard rule; RGU's current public television template starts with the programme title. | Style guide |
Edge cases
- The narrator is not the director. Read the actual credits. PBS separately names Martin Johnson as producer/director and Zachary Quinto as narrator; do not substitute the more famous person's name. Style guide. Applies to APA Style 7th edition, MLA Handbook 9th edition, Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography), Cite Them Right 12th edition (author-date/Harvard).
- No episode number appears in the checked source. Leave an unverified season or episode number absent rather than deriving it from a playlist position. Style guide. Applies to APA Style 7th edition.
- The streaming copy is no longer available. A citation can identify the episode and its metadata without claiming that the complete video remains playable. The consulted PBS page explicitly says it is no longer available for streaming. Style guide. Applies to APA Style 7th edition, MLA Handbook 9th edition, Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography), Cite Them Right 12th edition (author-date/Harvard).
- You quote a line from the episode. Record a timestamp from the version actually watched. Chicago demonstrates timestamped audiovisual notes; this research did not watch the complete PBS recording. Style guide. Applies to Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography).
Common mistakes
Making the narrator the director
The primary credits assign distinct roles.
Not this: Zachary Quinto credited as episode director
Do this (APA Style 7th edition, reference list entry): Johnson, M. (Director). (2019, July 24). Inner worlds [TV series episode]. In A. Cohen, J. Cort, & C. Schmidt (Executive Producers), The Planets. BBC Studios; NOVA; WGBH Boston. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-planets-inner-worlds/
Using the website's footer year as the air date
The episode page states a specific premiere date.
Not this: 2026 substituted for July 24,2019
Do this (MLA Handbook 9th edition, reference list entry): “Inner Worlds.” TV series episode. The Planets, directed by Martin Johnson, BBC Studios; NOVA; WGBH Boston, 24 July 2019, www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/the-planets-inner-worlds/.
Inventing a season number from a viewing order
A playlist position is not a verified episode identifier.
Not this: Season 1 episode 1 supplied without a source
Do this (Chicago Manual of Style 18th edition (notes and bibliography), reference list entry): Rivera, Alex, dir. “A Changing Coastline.” TV series episode. Field Notes Television, written by Nina Patel. Aired April 8, 2025, on Example Television.
Check before you cite
- Open the actual episode page, not only the series homepage.
- Record the credited writer, director and other relevant contributors separately.
- Distinguish original air date from website update date.
- Verify series title and any season/episode identifiers.
- Record timestamps from the exact version watched.
- Check whether a link opens metadata, a trailer or the full episode.
Is this the right source type?
Start with the episode's own title and credits, then identify the series containing it. A documentary can have a narrator, a director, a producer and several executive producers, and those labels are not interchangeable. In the real example, PBS names Martin Johnson as producer and director of Inner Worlds and identifies Zachary Quinto separately as narrator. This record does not invent a writer or attach an episode number inferred from the order of links on a website. APA's official television examples make contributor roles part of the episode reference, whereas MLA treats the series as a container and describes relevant contributions within its core-element system. Keep the air date separate from the date you opened a streaming page. The checked PBS page gives a July 2019 premiere but also says the full program is no longer available for streaming. Those statements can coexist: the episode still has identifiable publication metadata even when its video cannot currently be played. For a quotation, record a timestamp while watching the exact version used; the citation examples here establish metadata, not a completed viewing or a transcript check.
Frequently asked questions
Not automatically. The actual credits distinguish narration from writing and direction. Choose the contributor roles required by your assigned style and verified source.
Do not invent it. Preserve the episode title, series and checked air date, and leave unverified identifiers absent.
No. The research verified PBS's episode metadata and expanded production credits; its page says the complete video is no longer available for streaming.
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