TMDB MCP Server (grinv) - install, status & alternatives [2026]

01 · Install TMDB MCP Server

before you install - you'll need

Set TMDB_API_TOKEN before connecting. OMDB_API_KEY, TMDB_LANGUAGE, TMDB_REGION are optional or environment-specific per the README.

Claude Code

claude mcp add grinv-tmdb-mcp -- npx -y tmdb-mcp

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "grinv-tmdb-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "tmdb-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions · Claude Desktop extension (.mcpb bundle)

repo age created 2026-06-29 - young repo, little track record yet

license MIT - declared in the repository

npm package tmdb-mcp - unscoped; check the name against the project README before installing

registry namespace io.github.Grinv is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What TMDB MCP Server can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Latest releases

v0.11.0 · 2026-08-15

Changed · Trim redundant text from several tool and prompt descriptions to cut per-request token cost (153d2fd). · Fixed · Drop OMDb enrichment whose release year is unrelated to TMDB's, instead of attaching another…

v0.10.1 · 2026-07-30

Changed · Tighten every date/timestamp field in tool output schemas from a bare string to a proper ISO date/date-time format (ba90249). · Fixed · Reject calendar-invalid dates (e.g. 2024-02-30) in…

v0.10.0 · 2026-07-30

Added · Add search_watch_providers - resolves a streaming/rental service name (e.g. "Netflix") to its TMDB numeric provider id, for discover_movies/discover_tv's with_watch_providers filter, paginated 20-per-page like…

04 · Who maintains TMDB MCP Server

TMDB MCP Server is maintained by grinv. We track 4 MCP servers from grinv - 4 actively maintained, 11 combined GitHub stars, oldest repo from Jun 2026. Full record: all servers from grinv.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/grinv/tmdb-mcp
category: database - ranked #43 of 151 actively-maintained database servers as of 2026-08-25.
release cadence: 10+ releases in the last 90 days (latest 2026-08-15)
registry: io.github.Grinv/tmdb-mcp (active, first published 2026-07-09 · 17 versions)
packages: npm:tmdb-mcp · mcpb:https://github.com/Grinv/tmdb-mcp/releases/download/v0.11.0/tmdb-mcp.mcpb

06 · TMDB MCP Server FAQ

What is TMDB MCP Server?

An MCP server for The Movie Database (TMDB): search and look up movies, TV shows and people, and read IMDb / Rotten Tomatoes / Metacritic ratings (via OMDb) in the same call. It runs locally over stdio via the published package.

Is TMDB MCP Server still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-08-25, its last commit was 2026-08-15 and it shipped 10+ releases in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install TMDB MCP Server?

Run `npx -y tmdb-mcp`. The README documents 4 environment variables (TMDB_API_TOKEN, OMDB_API_KEY, TMDB_LANGUAGE…) to set first. Set TMDB_API_TOKEN before connecting. OMDB_API_KEY, TMDB_LANGUAGE, TMDB_REGION are optional or environment-specific per the README. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does TMDB MCP Server run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to TMDB MCP Server

Alternatives to TMDB MCP Server

Maintained database servers if TMDB MCP Server isn't the fit.

Pairs well with

Servers that cover what TMDB MCP Server doesn't - only shown when the pairing reason fits the companion.

More database MCP servers · Dbmcp · Anythingmcp · 3ilm MCP · Servicebricks · Read Only Local MySQL MCP Server

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