Yes, TV show titles are usually italicized in most major writing styles, especially in academic, professional, and polished general writing. To give you an idea, you would write Breaking Bad, The Crown, Seinfeld, and Wednesday in italics because each title refers to a complete television program. Even so, there are important exceptions depending on the writing style you are following, the format you are using, and whether you are referring to the full show or a specific episode.
Introduction to Italicizing TV Show Titles
Knowing how to format TV show titles may seem like a small detail, but it affects the professionalism and clarity of your writing. Titles of creative works are usually set apart from the rest of the sentence so readers can easily recognize them as distinct works. For television programs, the most common rule is simple: italicize the title of the full TV show.
For example:
- I watched The Last of Us last night.
- She is writing a paper about The Sopranos.
- Wednesday has become one of Netflix’s most recognizable original series.
This rule applies in widely used styles such as MLA, APA, and Chicago style, all of which generally treat a television show as a standalone work. Standalone works—such as books, films, albums, television series, podcasts, and video games—are usually italicized.
When Should You Italicize a TV Show Title?
You should italicize a TV show title when you are naming the complete series. This includes both classic network shows and modern streaming originals.
Examples include:
- Friends
- Game of Thrones
- The Office
- Stranger Things
- Succession
- The Bear
- Parks and Recreation
In a sentence, the title appears in italics just like the title of a movie or a novel:
Many viewers consider The Office one of the most influential workplace comedies of the twenty-first century.
The key idea is that the full show is considered a complete, independent work. Because it stands on its own, it receives italic formatting.
TV Show Titles vs. Episode Titles
One of the most common sources of confusion is the difference between a TV show title and an episode title. A TV show title is italicized, but an episode title is usually placed in quotation marks.
For example:
The pilot episode of Stranger Things is called “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers.”
Here, Stranger Things is the name of the full show, so it is italicized. “Chapter One: The Vanishing of Will Byers” is the title of one episode, so it goes in quotation marks Simple as that..
More examples:
- Breaking Bad begins with the episode “Pilot.”
- The Crown includes an episode titled “King Manuel II.”
- Seinfeld has a famous episode called “The Goodbye.”
A helpful way to remember this rule is that the series is italicized, and the episode is quoted.
Style Guide Differences
Although italics are the most common choice, not every style guide uses the same formatting. If you are writing for school, a journal, a publishing house, or a workplace, you should check which style guide is required.
MLA Style
In MLA style, television show titles are italicized. Episode titles are placed in quotation marks.
Example:
In the The Twilight Zone episode “The Whole Town’s Sleeping,” suspense depends on ordinary details becoming frightening Easy to understand, harder to ignore..
APA Style
In APA style, television show titles are also italicized. If you are writing about a specific episode, the episode title is usually placed in quotation marks, while the name of the series remains italicized.
Example:
The episode “The One Where Everybody Finds Out” from Friends is often remembered for its major reveal Practical, not theoretical..
APA also uses italics for standalone works, which makes TV shows, movies, books, and albums follow similar formatting rules Easy to understand, harder to ignore..
Chicago Style
In Chicago style, television show titles are italicized. Episode titles are enclosed in quotation marks.
Example:
The Mad Men episode “The Gypsy and the Artist” is frequently discussed for its portrayal of workplace politics Most people skip this — try not to..
Chicago style is often used in publishing, history, and the humanities, and it follows the same basic logic: complete works are italicized, shorter works within a larger work are quoted.
AP Style
There is one major exception: AP style uses quotation marks for TV show titles instead of italics. This style is commonly used in journalism The details matter here. Practical, not theoretical..
Example:
The actor returned to “The Walking Dead” after several seasons away.
In AP style, both TV shows and episode titles are usually placed in quotation marks:
The “Breaking Bad” episode “Felina” is widely considered one of the most memorable finales in television history.
So, if you are writing an academic essay, research paper, book review, or professional article, italics are usually the safer choice. If you are writing in a news or journalistic format following AP style, use quotation marks.
What If You Are Writing by Hand?
If you are writing by hand and cannot use italics, the traditional alternative is to underline the title.
For example:
We studied The Crown, but the teacher especially praised the episode “The Model Seat.”
In handwritten work, you might write:
We studied <u>The Crown</u>, but the teacher especially praised the episode “The Model Seat.”
Underlining TV show titles is still widely understood, especially in school assignments. Even so, in typed writing, italics are preferred Simple, but easy to overlook..
What If Italics Are Unavailable?
In plain text, emails, social media captions, text messages, or systems that do not support formatting,
italics are not an option, the standard practice is to use all capital letters or to clearly label the title. To give you an idea, you might write THE CROWN or specify "the TV series The Crown." While less precise than italics, this method helps avoid confusion in unformatted text.
Understanding these guidelines ensures your writing remains clear and professional, regardless of the medium or style guide you are following. Which means the core principle is consistent: distinguish the container (the series) from the contained (the episode). By applying these rules correctly, you maintain credibility and help your readers manage your references with ease.
