How to Cite the Episodes of "Seinfeld" in MLA Format
The television show "Seinfeld" produced classic episodes that resonate years after the show left the air. "Seinfeld" references have even become commonplace in college classrooms and offer a way to add humor and a cultural touchstone in a paper. However, it can be confusing when you want to correctly cite an episode in Modern Language Association (MLA) style. By gathering the right information, and understanding how to create works-cited and in-text references, you can add a touch of "Seinfeld" to your essay, and keep it in the correct format.
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Instructions
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Get the information you need to create accurate citations. Find out the title of the episode to which your paper refers. Know the exact name of the program. Identify the name of the network and the call letters and city of the local station. Determine the date on which the episode was originally broadcast.
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Determine an further information required. If you plan to discuss a specific performer in an episode, you will also need to know that actor's name, in order to include it in your works-cited page citation. For example, if you talk exclusively about the character of Ellen, you need to know that character is played by Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
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Begin with the title of the episode, enclosed in quotation marks and followed by a period. An exception is if your paper primarily discusses the performance of a specific individual. If that is the case, begin with the name of that actor, last name first, followed by a period. Then, continue with the name of the episode.
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Follow with the program name and then a period. You may underline or italicize the program name. Both are allowed in MLA format, so ask your instructor which is preferred.
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List the name of the network, followed by a period. Give the call letters and city of the local station on which the episode aired. Place a comma between the two, and place a period after the city.
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Finish the works-cited entry with the episode's broadcast date. Use the format of day, abbreviated month, and year: 25 Oct. 1994. End the completed citation with a period.
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Tips & Warnings
Create an in-text citation. Most in-text MLA citations are called parenthetical citations. After discussing a work, you enclose in parentheses the author of the work and the page number on which the information can be found. Because a television show has no pagination, it is preferable to include pertinent information in the text itself rather than creating a parenthetical citation. For example, you would state the name of the episode, enclosed in quotation marks, as you discuss it in your essay. Also, if your works-cited entry begins with an actor's name rather than the episode title, be sure to give that person's name in the body of your paper.
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