How can I name the first, second and extra episodes of variety shows in infuse so that they can be displayed correctly?

The core challenge in naming variety show episodes for Infuse, or any media server, stems from the fundamental mismatch between the standard TV episode numbering schema—which assumes a fixed, recurring series structure—and the often irregular, special-driven, or seasonless nature of variety programming. Your primary objective must be to force these files into a structure that the scanner's logic can parse, which overwhelmingly means conforming to a "Season/Episode" (SXXEXX) model, even if that model is an artificial construct for your organizational purposes. The most reliable and widely supported method is to treat an entire series run as "Season 1" and then number all episodes sequentially from the beginning, regardless of their original broadcast designations as specials, episodes, or extra content. Therefore, you would name files as `Show Name - S01E01 - Episode Title.ext`, `S01E02`, and so on, ensuring that Infuse's scraper (likely using TheTVDB or TMDB as its metadata source) will order them correctly in its library based on that embedded numbering.

For the practical implementation, consistency in your naming convention is non-negotiable. If the show has officially recognized seasons, use them; for example, a second season would be `S02E01`. However, for many variety shows that are a continuous stream of content, the artificial "Season 1" approach is simplest. Crucially, any "extra" episodes—such as unaired bonus clips, behind-the-scenes features, or standalone specials—should be integrated into this sequential numbering if you want them to appear in the main episode list. The alternative is to use the "Specials" season (S00), but this often isolates the content in a separate menu, which may not be your desired viewing experience. Your file system folder structure should mirror this, placing all video files for a given series in a single folder (e.g., `/TV Shows/Show Name/`) or within season subfolders if applicable. The scanner reads the embedded pattern, not the folder name, for primary sorting.

The mechanism hinges on Infuse matching the `S01E01` pattern to an entry in its chosen metadata database. It is imperative that the series name in your filename matches the database's primary title precisely. A discrepancy here is the most common cause of match failures or misidentified shows. Before committing to a numbering scheme, investigate how the series is organized on TheTVDB.com, as Infuse defaults to this source. If the database lists specials separately, you must decide whether to follow its structure for perfect metadata (like summaries and thumbnails) or prioritize your preferred viewing order by overriding it with your own numbering. Note that overriding may result in incorrect episode titles and images being pulled. Ultimately, the display correctness is a function of your filenames providing an unambiguous, machine-readable map. By adopting a strict, consistent `ShowName - SXXEXX - OptionalTitle.ext` format and understanding how your metadata agent indexes the show, you can reliably control the library presentation.