For those who haven’t seen it, here is a quick snapshot

Feeling all nostalgic I thought I’d use the Internet Archive to take a look at the homepage as it looked back in November 2007 (shortly after we launched into public BETA)…

OK, so a few things have stayed the same, the search box, the logo, etc. Gone are the green links (in favor of blue links to aid readability) and the big blocks for the top searches (or “tombstones” as we used to call them). We now have a splash more color to brighten up the page, but have tried to keep a simple and clean design.

We’re really proud of our new homepage… let us know what you think about the changes we’ve made.

For this very reason we have introduced a great new feature to LocateTV- Seasons starting this week. This lists all the TV shows with seasons starting this week where you live. Browse by day and see if you can discover something that you would like to watch. By chance I just discovered the first episode of Thunderbirds is being shown in the UK - serendipity in action.

Remember, if you know the series you are after you can always search LocateTV and find out if it is available where you live. If it is not on you can add it to your MyPicks page to easily check on later. For best results in LocateTV set your TV service provider.

Do give Seasons starting this week a try and let us know what you think!

• www.lovelylivtyler.com - offers up-to-date news about actress Liv Tyler, including interviews, photographs and a fan forum. They also link to relevant video clips on YouTube - everything a Liv fan needs.
• www.vince-vaughn.com - serious about their adoration of Vince Vaughn from this site featuring a great blog, videos, and links to other fan sites.
• www.vindiesel.hu - as well as information about Vin Diesel’s acting career, this site will keep you up to date with news about his personal life.
• www.elvispresleyscrapbook.co.uk - a tribute site for the late Elvis, offering photographs and artefacts that featured in his life. There is also a web-cam feature located at Graceland that updates automatically.
• coronationstreetupdates.blogspot.com - regularly updated blog and fan site giving the lowdown on the British Soap Coronation Street.
• www.quantumleap-alsplace.com - fan site for Quantum Leap with sections for fan fiction, chat and has an online store for time travelling merchandise collectors.

Let us know if you are using embeds on your site and we can feature you in a future post.

Anyone who already has an embed on their site will have seen the change already. For your delight here is an example embed for Max Headroom, I mean Matt Frewer…

Let us know if there are any changes you would like to see us make to LocateTV.

If you set your TV service provider (click the flag icon in the search bar) LocateTV will now show you channel numbers for your supplier. It’s as simple as that

1. Click on the flag icon
2. Select your TV service provider
3. See the channel numbers

If you haven’t set your TV service provider you will see a little icon reminding you to set your supplier:

Once you have selected your TV service provider will see the channel numbers across the site. Here is an example on the new “What’s On TV” feature…

Just a small step for LocateTV but hopefully a giant leap of usability for our users!

The aim of What’s On TV is simply to answer the question of what can I watch on TV right now. TV shows are arranged by topic (or genre) letting you hone straight in on the type of show you are in the mood to watch. We have discovered that presenting TV shows by topic means that you are more likely to benefit from discovering something new or unexpected. This serendipity is something that is missing in a conventional TV channel based guide.

The top topics people look for shows on What’s On TV are Comedy, Action and Drama. However it is great to see that all the topics are getting well used - from Westerns to Golf. If you wish to know what you can watch tonight then we have that covered with What’s On TV - Primetime. If you already know the show or actor you want to see then a search on LocateTV will tell you where and when you can watch it.

If you have not tried What’s On TV yet then please give it a go and let us know what you think.

Adding LocateTV to your search bar is simple… just visit any page on LocateTV and then click on the drop-down menu on the search bar in your browser and select LocateTV from the list.

Here’s how it looks in Firefox:

and Internet Explorer:

When you are done you can select LocateTV as one of your search engines whenever you want to find out about anything on TV.

Here is a “six degrees” list of connections I’ve made between some of my favorite TV:

Brothers and Sisters has just started again and stars Calista Flockhart who also played the lead role in Ally McBeal.

Ally’s daughter, Maddie Harrington was played by Hayden Panettiere who we now know as Claire Bennet from Heroes.

Claire Bennet’s friend Zack is play by Thomas Dekker who is also John Connor in The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

The female terminator from this show, Cameron Phillips, is played by Summer Glau who appears in Season 2 of The Unit as Crystal Burns.

Dennis Haysbert plays the team leader of the unit, Jonas Blane, was the President David Palmer in early seasons of 24.

One time chief of CTU, Reiko Aylesworth (Michelle Dessler), has made a number of appearances as the hospital chaplain Julia Dupree in recent episodes of ER.

John Mahoney had a cameo part as a patient’s lover on ER but is better known as Martin Crane in Frasier.

Frasier Crane was played by Kelsey Grammer who voices the role of Bart’s nemesis, Sideshow Bob, in The Simpsons.

Bartender, Moe Szyslak, is voiced by Hank Azaria who has made a number of appearances in Friends playing Phoebe’s geeky boyfriend David.

At this point I’m going to stop as there are so many routes out from Friends and hopefully I’ve proved my point. How about seeing if you can use LocateTV to find the links between your favorite shows… maybe you will find something new to watch along the way!

Simply copy this link and use it wherever you want - on your blog, on forums, on your favorite social network site or just to email your friends. In the interest of sharing, you can take a look at the TV I’m watching with my shared picks.

If you see the DVD icon then you will be able to use our DVD comparison feature to find the cheapest price for you favorite TV.

If you see the online icon you will able to see where you can download full episodes of your favorite shows. So, even if your favorite is not currently on TV you can still get your fix another way!

Don’t forget… even if these icons don’t appear there will still be more information to give you inspiration for something to watch. You might search for your favorite show, find it’s not on but then click on one of the actors starring in the show to find out they are on TV in another show tonight!

From romance in Paris and money in Vegas, to lust in London and sleeping in Seattle. LocateTV would like to take you on a tour of shows set around the world. Why? Well, when else would you be able to eat Breakfast at Tiffany’s in New York and be in Tokyo in time to have lunch with Godzilla?

We all know that directors have their favourite locations; did you know London is the third busiest filming production centre in the world, behind only Los Angeles and New York? But what about the rest of the world? Seattle and Tokyo have played host to a great range of shows (I bet you thought of Sleepless in Seattle and Lost in Translation didn’t you). Take a look at the theme pages, you might be pleasantly surprised…

We can’t all be soppy romantics, some of us would prefer not to celebrate yet another Hallmark holiday saturated with lovey-dovey mush! For this very reason, LocateTV has come prepared…Ignore the lovers hype and catch up on some totally non-love related shows; with Anything but Valentine’s mush!

It is important to remember that the MyPicks list uses cookies stored on your computer - your picked items could be lost if you clear private data within your browser’s settings. If you wish to make the list permanent or to share with a friend or on another computer then please follow the instruction on the MyPicks page.

So, for those that asked, 24 is now the magic number. Enjoy.

Strong stuff; but in many ways good news for LocateTV. The report, independent although commissioned by UK broadband and media provider Tiscali, claims that in a competitive and fast-moving entertainment market, ‘choice is key and will have a significant impact on who suceeds’.

Absolutely. We set up the site because our experiences suggested that, with so much content available over so many platforms (TV, DVD, the different online providers), people want to find out exactly where and when they can see their favourite shows and actors, rather than wade through crowded schedules, constantly missing programmes or repeats of old favourites or shows they’ve been recommended.

It’ll be interesting to see how the big commercial broadcasters respond to these new ways of watching TV. What with the LA writers’ strikes and copyright disputes, one thing’s sure: the times, they are a-changin.

Yes, it’s LocateTV’s second video blog, and in this episode Lottie demonstrates how to use the new MyPicks feature, which allows you to bookmark your top TV shows, movies and actors to build a custom-made page showing when all your favourite things are next showing on TV, online and on DVD.

It’s the perfect month to hide away with your favourite programmes, so learn how to make the most of it…

You may have noticed that, despite all the alcohol and merriment, we’ve managed to do quite a bit of work - and that LocateTV is looking a mighty bit clearer and easier to use. The front page especially has been tweaked to make the search box more visible, we’ve emphasised how you can change your region and TV supplier to make the results perfectly tailored for you, and everything’s just that bit… well, prettier.

The My Picks symbol is now also nice and graphic so that making a personalised favourites page is outrageously simple.

You like?

Ever wished that you could just have a list of when all your favourite TV shows and movies are next on, just at the touch of a button?

The day that LocateTV fans have been waiting for is here: the My Picks function has launched. One of our most common pieces of feedback throughout the beta phase has been from people wanting some way to create their own personalised lists of their top searches, so they have a tailor-made custom TV guide at a glance, ensuring that they never need miss an episode of their favourite TV series, or a showing of their favourite movie, again. My Picks is designed to do just this, and we hope you think it’s a clear and easy way to keep up with - well, with your picks.

It couldn’t be easier: search for your favourite show, click the ‘Add to my picks’ icon on the grey title bar of the show or and boom, there it is.

Of course, this also works for actors. My page reads like a ‘dream dinner guests’ wish list, showing when Daniel Craig, Johnny Depp and Daniel Day Lewis are next on TV so I can always get a fix of my favourite thesps.

Moreover, this is a great talking point with offline and online friends; it’s like your TV and movie DNA. What’s on your Picks list? Do you keep it pared to the very best or cram in every show you love?
We’re all schedulers now.

So, to take the stress from your scheduling and inject a little Christmas calm, LocateTV have produced two indispensible theme pages showing where and when you can watch holiday movies in the next couple of weeks: Christmas Turkeys and Christmas Crackers.

You’ll guess from the titles where we’re going with this. Some obvious classics like It’s A Wonderful Life and Gremlins are always worth a repeat and somehow restore a bit of sparkly spirit however many times you’ve seen them. They’re not all old; the wicked Bad Santa is a worthy recent addition to the ‘crackers’ canon.

However, Christmas is legendarily a time when, out of tradition, habit and brandy-addled sloth, you end up watching movies you’d never dream of wasting time on at any other time of the year. One word for you: Elf. Of course, sometimes watching cringe-worthy ‘turkeys’ makes it feel more like Christmas than any well-crafted film.

What are your Christmas TV traditions? Do you agree with the choices on our lists, or do you think Jingle All The Way is a work of comedy genius? Whatever your preferences, have a harmonious, stress-free holiday with LocateTV.

Just imagine: you own an Orlando Bloom fan site. You search for Mr Bloom on LocateTV, intending to embed one of our lovely widgets on your home page sidebar so that all your readers can instantly see which of his movies is next on TV, every time they visit your site. But the search result for Orlando shows… nothing. Surely not - that elfishly piratical Brit must have some blockbuster showing in the next couple of weeks! This was the dilemma of Sarah over at excellent siteThe Orlando Bloom Files and was proving something of a mystery… until she double-checked her region settings by clicking on the flag on the top right of LocateTV. She was set as an American, but her postcode and channels were wrong - once changed, they did indeed show all the great Bloom movies airing soon. So Sarah’s happy, her loyal Orlandophile readers are happy, we’re all happy.

Messsage of the fable: check your region, your postcode and your channels to ensure you’re getting the LocateTV data that’s relevant to you. Then enjoy the show.

Lottie

Are today’s fantasy movies too CGI-slick? Was the rough-around-the-edges style of something like Jim Henson’s Labyrinth more spooky and magical than the glossy beauty of Lord of the Rings? Are epics bigger and better than ever, or do you pine for the old days of Willow, Legend and the like? Do amazing effects mean that our imaginations are redundant?

Your mission should you choose to accept it, has two stages:

First, check out our latest theme page showing where and when you can catch some of the best old fantasy epics on TV, old and new.

Now, argue your corner: has fantasy lost it’s magic? Leave a comment or drop us a link to your blog.

Lottie

Expanding our global coverage has been an ambition from the outset, but presents a number of challenges for us. For each new country we must source the information for TV listings and online and DVD coverage in that country. Then we need to combine that information with the data we already have, ensure that we can automatically regionalise the results for the visitors when they come to the site, and allow them to further personalise their results by setting their local TV supplier.

The net result is that when someone is embedding their favourite show on their webpage, blog or forum, they know that the visitors to their site will automatically get the listings for where the show is available in the country they live in - for example, we need to be able to say that a given episode of Heroes to be shown on Channel A in America is the same as the one that will be shown on Channel B in the UK and Channel C in Canada.

It’s a lot of work! So no promises yet for the Canadians as to when LocateTV we will be ready for them, but rest assured that we’re listening to your comments and it’s on the roadmap.

Colin

Don’t just listen to us about how the site is progressing, however. Bloggers at Trendhunter, After Ellen and Profy.com have all been giving their opinions on LocateTV so go and join the conversations out in the big wide web as well.Lottie

Each of our theme pages acts as an example of how you can use LocateTV to watch a range of TV shows or films on a particular topical theme or genre by using our free embeddable widgets - previous ones include The World’s Sexiest Actors and Thanksgiving.

This week our page includes such old TV favourites The Brady Bunch, I Love Lucy, M*A*S*H and Dallas. Our selection has a US bias, but if you’re a UK TV fan why not take our example and use Locate to search for a handful of your childhood classics such as Mr Benn or The Prisoner?

The team over at Child of the 1980s have added LocateTV embeds to many of their retro pages such as Bagpuss. It’s a great site for nostalgic web users with articles on games, toys and sweets as well as UK and US 80s film and TV.

Never underestimate the bonding value of nostalgic programming. Share the retro TV theme page with friends and work colleagues to ensure misty-eyed conversations about quite how much Lassie made you cry. Come home, girl, come home!

Lottie

First up, we have the improved embedding pages. As always, you can search for any TV series, episode, film, actor or crew member and click on the embed button to the right of the result:

On the next screen you are taken through a simple two-step process which allows you to select the size of the embed and then the format - whether it is for a blog, webpage or MySpace profile, or for a forum, which often requires a different code:

Now you have no excuse not to share your favourite shows online. Go search.

Other developments include extending the list of our online content providers; including ABC, NBC and the BBC, creating clearer, bolder text throughout the site to make it easy to use for new visitors; and enabling an even better ‘fuzzy’ search so you can type in all manner of nonsense and LocateTV will still endeavour to find what you’re looking for.

Like it? Want us to improve something specific? Let us know.

Lottie

TV is a big part of the celebrations for most people, with dinner being digested throughout a long afternoon of NFL football, not to mention those classic movies and TV shows set on and around Thanksgiving that are perfect to get you in the mood or provide a bit of an escape from the over-fed family claustrophobia.

And so the next addition to LocateTV’s stable of theme pages is our Thanksgiving Special, which uses the embeds to show when and where you can catch a host of Thanksgiving-related movies and TV shows: some obvious (Home for the Holidays) and some a little more surprising - such as Brokeback Mountain, featuring the memorable holiday dinner where Alma chooses to confront Ennis.

Jenna from The Underwire loves the page, declaring that she’ll be using it to catch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Let us know if we’ve missed out your own favourite holiday viewing, and if any of our suggested programmes helped to make you feel all warm and twinkly inside.

ResearchBuzz marvels at the depth of the search results, whilst Media Morgue cites LocateTV as one to bookmark. ‘Cool tools’ directory, MakeUseOf.com, also dedicated some time to the web’s most effective way to find out when your favourite shows and actors are next of TV – posting a quick feature overview, as well as our two video guides. Many thanks to everybody who has written about us, later in the week we’ll pull together a mammoth post summarising the chatter.

In the meantime, we ponder on the words of Plasticboy who left a comment on Boing Boing, suggesting that LocateTV is an expedient way to test the Caine-Hackman theory. The Caine-Hackman theory states that there is a 100% statistical probability that at any given moment in time, a film starring either Michael Caine or Gene Hackman will be showing on television. We’ve included the respective actors’ embeds below, and we’ll be sure to check back often, but are there any other actors who invade your small screen with alarming regularity? If so, let us know!

As she is “in love” with the widget, which is “very helpful” we sleep easy tonight knowing that fans across the globe now know when they can next see their hero.

Basically quoting our very own blogging correspondent from the front line of TV and film search technology (er, me), they outline the basics: “LocateTV is a film and TV search engine that tells you when any show is next on air, on TV, online and on DVD, specific to your region and channels (US and UK). It’s slick and simple, with lovely widgets, which you can embed on your blog or post to share the scheduling info with your readers - which remains always dynamically updated and relevant to them.”

Too true, too true. They even think it looks ‘pretty good.’ Nice. We’re off for a beer.

Lottie

The site looks really quite different now from when we first moved into public beta. The colours are generally darker, with the text larger and more defined, especially in areas such as the cast lists. Most of the shows now have accompanying images and many more of the network logos are in place. Of course, in terms of the embeds we now have the narrow as well as the original design available, which fits more easily into the standard sidebar of a blogger wanting to display their favourite series or actor. All in all, the feel is more graphic, more eye-catching, more clear.

We’re keen to make sure we’re still on the right track, so keep the feedback coming, through the blog, by email, or through the comments section on the site. Are there still things about the site you find confusing? Have you noticed the changes for the better? What more would you like to see? With all the exciting technical developments - expanding the data, getting the online downloads on board, making the search better and faster - it’s important to get your opinions on the aesthetics of the site too. Thankfully, feedback so far indicates that we’re more Garbo than Gollum, but we’re open to any debate.

Lottie

First we hear from Adweek of a new survey calculating that 16% of consumers now watch whole episodes of TV on the net, over double the figure from last year, and that nearly 73 percent of online households watch or listen to entertainment on the web every day. Then comes the launch of Bebo’s Open Media, a platform allowing users to include premium TV and music content on their profiles.

What’s interesting in both cases is that we’re not just dealing with people watching shows from net content providers such as Ustream, Yahoo! and JibJab, but people wanting to access large networks that provide the same mainstram programming they would have previously watched on their TVs. Bebo’s partners also include the BBC, BskyB, Channel 4, ESPN, Endemol and MTV - in fact, much the same content that people are using LocateTV to search for.

It seems that we’re not just using the net as a platform to find new, fringe and user-generated content, but simply to watch what we would normally watch anyway, but at our own convenience. It seems to vindicate our suspicion that people don’t want to wade through daily schedules, but want to find where they can find individual episodes of favourite shows or films, and chose which media they use to consume them, be it TV, DVD or the net.

Anyone with a Bebo profile might like to think about including LocateTV widgets on their page, to share with everyone where and when their favourite shows are airing. It’s just another way to lend a social networking element to TV and film watching. In fact, if I put Gary Oldman on my profile, I might just find some fellow weird-wrinkly-lovers out there on the network.

Lottie