Systems and methods for creating aggregations of episodes of series programming in order

Abstract

A viewer of an episode of a series such as a television series may wish to access episodes of the series that the viewer missed when they were originally broadcast. Interactive applications may receive the viewer's indication of interest to record missed episodes of the incomplete series, which may include instructions regarding recording options for including the missed episodes in a series aggregation. Interactive applications may identify the episodes to be included in the series aggregation, and record the missed episodes, which may then be stored and organized to create a series aggregation, in the order that they were first broadcast with episodes that the viewer may already have available. Interactive applications way present the episodes of the series aggregation in the order that they were originally broadcast, by providing the viewer with options on how to access the episodes.

1 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A method for identifying related media to episodes of a series for a user using an interactive media guidance application, comprising:
 receiving a user's instruction regarding an episode of a series;   receiving a user's instruction requesting additional media related to the episode of the series; and   in response to the user's instruction requesting additional media, presenting additional media for viewing by the user, wherein the additional media is identified to be from a different media source than the episode of the series, and wherein the additional media comprises media related to the episode by a first attribute and a second attribute.   
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42  wherein the first attribute and the second attribute comprise one of the group of: a series of programs, an actor, a director, a producer, and a media genre. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising:
 notifying the user when episodes of the additional media becomes available for viewing in an order in which they were originally made available.   
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the user is notified without further user input. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 42  further comprising providing the user with a plurality of options for collecting the additional media, the plurality of options comprising at least:
 a first option that does not require any additional payment and collects the additional media of the series from free sources; and 
 a second option that does require additional payment and collects at least one media item from at least one of a plurality of different media sources that are not free. 
 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the plurality of different media sources that are not free comprises at least two of:
 a broadcast provider that is not free;   a cable provider that is not free;   a satellite provider that is not free;   a video-on-demand (VOD) server that is not free;   a pay-per-view provider;   a DVD provider;   the Internet;   the user's digital video recorder; and   a telephone.   
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein presenting the additional media for viewing by the user comprising presenting a sequence of episodes of the additional media. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the sequence of episodes of the additional media includes a beginning episode of the additional media. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising collecting episodes of the additional media from the different media source. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein collecting episodes of the additional media from the different media source comprises collecting the episodes of the additional media out of an order in which they were originally made available. 
     
     
         52 . A system for identifying related media to episodes of a series for a user using an interactive media guidance application, comprising:
 control circuitry configured to:
 receive a user's instruction regarding an episode of a series; 
 receive a user's instruction requesting additional media related to the episode of the series; and 
 in response to the user's instruction requesting additional media, present additional media for viewing by the user, wherein the additional media is identified to be from a different media source than the episode of the series, and wherein the additional media comprises media related to the episode by a first attribute and a second attribute. 
   
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 52  wherein the first attribute and the second attribute comprise one of the group of: a series of programs, an actor, a director, a producer, and a media genre. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 52 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to notify the user when episodes of the additional media becomes available for viewing in an order in which they were originally made available. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 54 , wherein the user is notified without further user input. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 52  wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide the user with a plurality of options for collecting the additional media, the plurality of options comprising at least:
 a first option that does not require any additional payment and collects the additional media of the series from free sources; and 
 a second option that does require additional payment and collects at least one media item from at least one of a plurality of different media sources that are not free. 
 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 52 , wherein the plurality of different media sources that are not free comprises at least two of:
 a broadcast provider that is not free;   a cable provider that is not free;   a satellite provider that is not free;   a video-on-demand (VOD) server that is not free;   a pay-per-view provider;   a DVD provider;   the Internet;   the user's digital video recorder; and   a telephone.   
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 52 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to present the additional media for viewing by the user by presenting a sequence of episodes of the additional media. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 58 , wherein the sequence of episodes of the additional media includes a beginning episode of the additional media. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 52 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to collect episodes of the additional media from the different media source. 
     
     
         61 . The system of  claim 60 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to collect episodes of the additional media from the different media source by collecting the episodes of the additional media out of an order in which they were originally made available.