You’re getting ready to turn in your essay about the greatest TV shows of all time when it suddenly occurs to you that TV show titles may need to be formatted a certain way.
Your professor is definitely going to remove marks for such a simple error, but you can’t remember if they should be italicized or put in quotation marks.
Should you go back and format the episode titles and TV station names as well?
Relax. It’s an easy fix.
Keep reading to learn how to format all TV and radio-related titles and names!
Let’s get started!
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Are We Supposed To Use Italics or Quotation Marks for Film/TV Show Titles?
You should italicize film and TV show titles.
Get those quotation marks out of here! All film and TV show titles should be italicized.
This will allow readers to know which names are film or TV show titles, especially if they’re unfamiliar with the content being discussed.
Examples:
- I’m too scared to watch It by myself!
- Did you catch that episode of Stranger Things last night?
How Should You Format TV Show Episode Titles?
You should put episode titles in quotation marks.
While TV show titles must be italicized, episode titles must be put in quotation marks.
This will help your reader differentiate between the TV show’s name and the titles of specific episodes.
Examples:
- Have you seen the final episode of Ozark, “Pick a God and Pray”?
- I heard that “The Monster You Created” is the best Arcane episode to date!
How Should You Format TV Station Names?
You should capitalize TV station names.
TV station names are proper nouns and must be capitalized.
It’s also important to check if the channel begins with “the” and only capitalize it if it’s included in the official channel name.
Example:
- I haven’t watched the Disney Channel in years!
- I must admit that I learn very little from The Learning Channel.
How Should You Format Radio Show/Podcast Titles?
Radio show and podcast titles should be italicized.
Like film/TV show titles, radio show/podcast titles must also be italicized.
You do not need to change the title formatting depending on if it’s aired online or on the radio.
Example:
- Have you listened to The Indicator from Planet Money by NPR?
- I completely regret listening to Morbid: A True Crime Podcast before bed!
How Should You Format Radio Show/Podcast Episode Titles?
You should put radio show and podcast episode titles in quotation marks.
Like TV show episode titles, radio show and podcast episode titles should also be put in quotation marks.
This will make it easier to organize your information, especially if you’re listing many podcast and episode titles.
Example:
- The “Why Does Music Provoke Emotions?” episode on Stuff You Should Know blew my mind!
- My favorite episode of Maintenance Phase is “Bonus: Fad Diets”.
Wrapping Things Up
Formatting titles can seem complicated, but it’s important to help your readers discern between proper nouns, film or show titles, and episode titles.
Feel free to come back to this article anytime you forget if something should be italicized or put in quotation marks.
Your colleagues, professors, and editors will thank you for it.
What’s your experience with formatting titles? Do you think formatting titles is helpful?
Let us know in the comments below!
Yesenia Achlim is a technical copywriter and editor with a focus on AV equipment. She aims to break down complicated topics and make technology accessible, no matter your technical expertise. When she’s not teaching you how to replace a projector lamp, you can find her reading and baking.