Epguides
Encyclopedia
epguides is a website dedicated to English language
radio and television shows. George Fergus, the owner of epguides, began it in 1995 as a personal site at www.xnet.com/~fergus http://web.archive.org/web/19970703135432/http://www.xnet.com/~fergus/titles.shtml with fan-compiled episode guides and lists for several hundred shows. But after it was recommended by Tim Brooks
and Earle Marsh in the seventh edition of their book The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows
, he established it as a separate domain name
on July 11, 1999 as epguides.com, and it is under this name that it was again recommended in the eighth edition published in 2003. Since 1999 it has also been the principal episode guide website referenced in the FAQ
of the Usenet
newsgroup
rec.arts.tv. http://homepage.mac.com/ijball/ratv/WWW/guides-reviews.html
The creators are George Fergus, Dennis Kytasaari and John Lavalie, who also established an information exchange with another upcoming website TV Tome
and became meta-editors at that site and Movie Tome
appointed by John Nestoriak III, the TV Tome and Movie Tome Webmaster.
After the selling of the Tome franchise to CNET
, epguides set up a similar relationship with the new site TV.com
. The rec.arts.tv FAQ now describes it with the words: "most useful as a superior 'front-end' to TV.com" guides http://homepage.mac.com/ijball/ratv/WWW/guides-reviews.html.
The main page displays basic information about the show, such as number of episodes and episode length. There is also an information bar at the top and bottom, in between is a list of episodes in order with air dates. The information bars consist of eight links for further information on the show.
The eight links on the information bars are:
The episode page displays a picture of the show's cast and all the show's episodes with guest stars, a synopsis and crew. There are links to IMDb for those who acted as the main characters and guest stars.
and whenever information was updated on one site, it would automatically be updated on the other site. The Webmaster of TV Tome, John Nestoriak III, made the three founders of epguides meta-editors at TV Tome.
After the sale of TV Tome, epguides began a new relationship with the replacement site TV.com
, though it eventually began using the database of TVTome spin-off site TVRage.com
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
radio and television shows. George Fergus, the owner of epguides, began it in 1995 as a personal site at www.xnet.com/~fergus http://web.archive.org/web/19970703135432/http://www.xnet.com/~fergus/titles.shtml with fan-compiled episode guides and lists for several hundred shows. But after it was recommended by Tim Brooks
Tim Brooks (television historian)
Tim Brooks is an American television and radio historian, author and retired television executive. He is credited with having helped launch the Sci Fi Channel in 1992 as well as other USA Network projects and channels....
and Earle Marsh in the seventh edition of their book The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows
The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows
The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present is a trade paperback reference work by the American television researchers Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, first published by Ballantine Books in 1979. The ninth edition came out in 2007...
, he established it as a separate domain name
Domain name
A domain name is an identification string that defines a realm of administrative autonomy, authority, or control in the Internet. Domain names are formed by the rules and procedures of the Domain Name System ....
on July 11, 1999 as epguides.com, and it is under this name that it was again recommended in the eighth edition published in 2003. Since 1999 it has also been the principal episode guide website referenced in the FAQ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be commonly asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. "FAQ" is usually pronounced as an initialism rather than an acronym, but an acronym form does exist. Since the acronym FAQ originated in textual...
of the Usenet
Usenet
Usenet is a worldwide distributed Internet discussion system. It developed from the general purpose UUCP architecture of the same name.Duke University graduate students Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis conceived the idea in 1979 and it was established in 1980...
newsgroup
Newsgroup
A usenet newsgroup is a repository usually within the Usenet system, for messages posted from many users in different locations. The term may be confusing to some, because it is usually a discussion group. Newsgroups are technically distinct from, but functionally similar to, discussion forums on...
rec.arts.tv. http://homepage.mac.com/ijball/ratv/WWW/guides-reviews.html
The creators are George Fergus, Dennis Kytasaari and John Lavalie, who also established an information exchange with another upcoming website TV Tome
TV Tome
TV Tome was a U.S. based website devoted to informational guides for English-language television shows and the people involved in their production. It was run mainly by volunteer editors, with the assistance of user contributions...
and became meta-editors at that site and Movie Tome
Movie Tome
Movie Tome was the sister site for TV Tome, now the CNET website TV.com. Whereas TV Tome had TV shows and people pages, Movie Tome had movie guides. The website was created no later than August 2003 by John Nestoriak III, and was owned by Collaborative Content, LLC which was acquired by CNET in...
appointed by John Nestoriak III, the TV Tome and Movie Tome Webmaster.
After the selling of the Tome franchise to CNET
CNET
CNET is a tech media website that publishes news articles, blogs, and podcasts on technology and consumer electronics. Originally founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition...
, epguides set up a similar relationship with the new site TV.com
TV.com
TV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
. The rec.arts.tv FAQ now describes it with the words: "most useful as a superior 'front-end' to TV.com" guides http://homepage.mac.com/ijball/ratv/WWW/guides-reviews.html.
Main page
Example: 1The main page displays basic information about the show, such as number of episodes and episode length. There is also an information bar at the top and bottom, in between is a list of episodes in order with air dates. The information bars consist of eight links for further information on the show.
The eight links on the information bars are:
- TO Episode Guide - Takes you to the episodes guide for the show.
- Theme Tune - Takes you to a website where the theme tune can be played, usually SoundAmerica.
- Related links via GoogleGoogleGoogle Inc. is an American multinational public corporation invested in Internet search, cloud computing, and advertising technologies. Google hosts and develops a number of Internet-based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program...
- Brings up a Google search for the specific show.2 - SEARCH epguides.com - Brings up a search browser in epguides.
- Frequently Asked Questions - A page displayed frequently asked questions with answers.
- Full Menu of All Series - Brings up a list of all shows in alphabetical order for all shows from A to Z.
- Series Menu by Genre - Takes you to a page displaying recently added shows ordered by genre.
- Current U.S. Schedule Grid - Takes you to the television schedule for the U.S.A.
Episode page
Example: 3The episode page displays a picture of the show's cast and all the show's episodes with guest stars, a synopsis and crew. There are links to IMDb for those who acted as the main characters and guest stars.
Relationship with TV Tome
Epguides' relationship with TV Tome was established in June 2000. The creators of both sites decided to collaborate and started a relationship between the sites where all the information on epguides was transferred over to TV TomeTV Tome
TV Tome was a U.S. based website devoted to informational guides for English-language television shows and the people involved in their production. It was run mainly by volunteer editors, with the assistance of user contributions...
and whenever information was updated on one site, it would automatically be updated on the other site. The Webmaster of TV Tome, John Nestoriak III, made the three founders of epguides meta-editors at TV Tome.
After the sale of TV Tome, epguides began a new relationship with the replacement site TV.com
TV.com
TV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...
, though it eventually began using the database of TVTome spin-off site TVRage.com