On this page
Updated . Example details checked against Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 4, episode 10, first aired December 14, 1999, on The WB; written and directed by Joss Whedon.
The MLA format
Pattern
“Episode Title.” Series Title, season #, episode #, Network, Day Month Year.
- Episode in quotation marks, series in italics.
- Season and episode in lowercase, with numbers.
- Network that first aired it, and the air date.
- Writers and directors can follow the series: “written and directed by Joss Whedon.”
A real example
Works Cited entry
“Hush.” Buffy the Vampire Slayer, season 4, episode 10, WB Television Network, 14 Dec. 1999.
In-text citation
(“Hush” 00:21:15)
When details are missing
- Streamed: add the service in italics and the link as a second container: ... 14 Dec. 1999. Hulu, www.hulu.com/....
- A streaming original has no network: name the service once, as the publisher.
Common mistakes
- The series in quotation marks. The series is italic; the episode is quoted.
- Only the streaming service. Give the original network and date first when the episode aired on TV.
Or let Format do it.
Choose TV episode and fill in the episode, series, season, episode number, network and air date. Format writes the Works Cited entry and the in-text citation in MLA 9, exactly as shown above, and builds the Works Cited page when you export to Word or PDF. MLA and APA are free.
Questions
How do I cite a whole series?
Start with the series title in italics, then creators, network and years: 1997-2003.
Do I need the episode number?
Yes, with the season, when the series numbers them.
More citation guides
The same source in other styles
Similar sources in MLA
Every source kind is on the MLA page, and every style is on How to cite.