Production code number


A production code number, also known as the production code or episode code, is an alphanumeric designation used to uniquely identify episodes within a television series. As each studio can freely generate its own PC format, it cannot be used universally to identify the show and episode.
While, in general, television episodes are filmed in the order they are intended to be aired in, there are circumstances in which this is not the case. In these instances, the production codes can be useful in determining the writers' original intentions.
Some "stand-alone" shows, such as The Simpsons, Law & Order or SpongeBob SquarePants, may air episodes in radically different order from how they are produced, because character development and continuity are not major aspects of production. The airing order may in the end be decided by the network, based on ratings, sweeps months, or other networks' competition.
Other, more serialized series, like Desperate Housewives, will air all of their episodes in order.
In some rare cases, shows will film episodes out of order to accommodate guest stars' schedules, or to work around main stars' movie schedules. A good example of this is The X-Files, which filmed episodes out of order in its fifth and sixth seasons to accommodate the shooting schedules of main stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny.

Lists of production codes for television series

20th Television:

ABB – Buffy the Vampire Slayer

ABC – Millennium

ABD – Dharma & Greg

ABE – King of the Hill

ABF – The Simpsons

ABK – That's Life

ABR – Getting Personal

ABZ – Two Guys and a Girl

ACG – Strange World

ACH – Holding the Baby

ACV – Futurama

ACW – Living in Captivity

ACX – Family Guy

ADA – Roswell

ADC – Harsh Realm

AEB – The Lone Gunmen

AEJ – Yes, Dear

AES – Reba

AFF – 24

AFP – Inside Schwartz

AGE – Firefly

AGK – Still Standing

AHM – Wonderfalls

AHQ – The Brotherhood of Poland, New Hampshire

APS – The Cleveland Show

ASA – Bob's Burgers

AXH – Bordertown

AYA – Son of Zorn

AYE – Minority Report

AZF – Wayward Pines

AZT – The Mick

LAZ – Duncanville

LBW – The Great North
Warner Bros. and Cartoon Network:

640 – Ben 10

669 – Ben 10

680 – Ben 10: Alien Force

689 – Ben 10: Alien Force

692 – Adventure Time

696 – Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

697 – Regular Show

1002 – Adventure Time

1003 – Ben 10: Ultimate Alien

1004 – Regular Show

1008 – Adventure Time

1009 – Regular Show

1012 – Regular Show

1014 – Adventure Time

1017 – Regular Show

1018 – Clarence

1019 – Uncle Grandpa

1020 – Steven Universe

1025 – Adventure Time

1026 – Steven Universe

1029 – Regular Show

1033 – We Bare Bears

1031 – Steven Universe

1034 – Adventure Time

1035 – Regular Show

1039 – We Bare Bears

1040 – Steven Universe

1042 – Adventure Time

1043 – Regular Show

1044 – OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes

1049 – We Bare Bears

1053 – Steven Universe

1054 – Adventure Time

1059 – Craig of the Creek

1064 – OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes

1071 – Craig of the Creek

1072 – OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes

1084 – Victor and Valentino

1091 – Craig of the Creek

1100 – Victor and Valentino

1105 – Craig of the Creek

1119 – Craig of the Creek
SpongeBob SquarePants Episodes:

2515 – Season 1

5571 – Season 2

5572 – Season 3

5574 – Season 4

151 – Season 5

193 – Season 6

223 – Season 7

268 – Season 8

325 – Season 9–12

340 – Season 13

351 – Season 14

361 – Season 15

369 – Season 16
Disney Television Animation:

206F – Fish Hooks

211P – Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

224J – Jungle Junction

231S – Sofia the First

345W – Wander Over Yonder

474S – Star vs. the Forces of Evil

482M – Mickey Mouse

502R – Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja

513A – Elena of Avalor

522T – The 7D

618G – Gravity Falls

621D – DuckTales

624J – Kick Buttowski: The Daredevil Suburbian

631D – Phineas and Ferb

647B – Big City Greens

668A – Amphibia

714O – The Owl House

717K – Kiff

755P – Penn Zero: Part Time Hero

876T – Tron Uprising
The Big Valley:

63xx – Season 1

70xx – Season 2

71xx – Season 3

72xx – Season 4

Format examples

  • General format for network and cable shows produced by both CBS Studios and Universal Television is SYEE, where S is the variable-letter show identifier, Y is the season number and E is a two-digit episode number during that season. The production code is only used on both CBS and NBC.
  • 20th Television format for free-to-air network produced shows is YSSSEE, where Y is the season identifier from 1 to Z, S is the three-letter show identifier and E is a two-digit episode number during that season. Off-network produced shows after May 2011 is SSSYEE, previous codes were only numerical values in the form of S-Y-E. These are burned in on the end copyright slate; the letters I, O, Q, and U are not allowed to be used in the production code; however, The Simpsons defeated this rule in late 2020 as its 32nd season predominantly uses the letter Q, because it has already cycled through every other digit.
  • Warner Bros. format for picked up weekly produced shows is SSSSEE, where S is the combined four-character alphanumeric show and season identifier and E is a two-digit episode number. Daily produced shows use YYYEEE, where Y is a three-digit yearly count and E is a three-digit episode count during that year. Pilots use a six-digit episode number. These are burned in on the end copyright slate. During 2016, the weekly produced and pilot formats were retired from the end slate for just the tape/reel location format of SS.SSSEE, where S is numeric only.
  • Paramount Pictures format for weekly produced shows is SSSSS-EEE, where S is a five-digit show number and E is a three-digit episode number. Daily produced shows use SE, where S is the variable-letter show identifier and E is a variable sequential-digit episode count. Only the episode portion is used on internal marketing material and feed slates.
  • The Price Is Right, which is from RTL Group's Fremantle brand, has used in daytime episodes a code WWWEx, where W is the week, E is the episode number for that week, and "D" for daytime episodes from September 4, 1972, to May 24, 1996, "K" for daytime episodes from May 27, 1996, to November 23, 2022, and "L" for daytime episodes after the 2,000th week of production
  • A number of Canadian, Australian, French, Korean, Italian, Irish, Singaporean, Indonesian, Malay and Middle East produced shows use the ISAN format, which is burned in on the end copyright slate.
  • A variables and numbers of German, Spanish, Swiss, Thai, Indian, Chinese and Taiwanese produced shows use the ITU and ISAN format, which is burned in on the end copyright slate.
  • ABS-CBN Studios and GMA Network the production reference code number for drama series uses a code of SSSS-L, with the S for four-digit numbers and L for one-digit variables for ABS-CBN Studios and the production reference code number for drama series uses a code of NNNN-NN-L, with the N for six-digit numbers and L for one-digit variable for GMA Network.
  • TV5 the production reference code number for all of series uses a code of SSSSS-L, with the S for five-digit numbers and L for one-digit variable except I, O, Q, U, X and Z.
  • TV Asahi the production reference code number for anime series of episodes uses a code of SSSSS-SEL, with the S for six-digit numbers, E for one-digit dates or months for calendar and L for one-digit variable.
  • Fuji TV the production reference code number for anime series of episodes uses a code of SSSSSSS with the S for seven-digit numbers
  • Pokémon uses for Japanese anime series codes for LLSSS for L for two-digit variables and S for three-digit variables within a direction and creation for OLM in the origin of Pokémon has being for copyright and production references.
  • Doctor Who uses a code for L for one-digit variable in 1963–1966, LL for two-digit variables in 1966–1969, LL for three-digit variables in 1970–1974, SL for S for one-digit number and L for one-digit variable in 1974–1989 and revival in 2005 using code S.S for S for two-digit variables and the specialists for X for one-digit special numbers only broadcasting from BBC.