diff --git a/src/nefarious/processors.py b/src/nefarious/processors.py
index 9141e5c2..790fab96 100644
--- a/src/nefarious/processors.py
+++ b/src/nefarious/processors.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
 
 class WatchProcessorBase:
-    watch_media = None
+    watch_media: WatchMovie | WatchTVEpisode | WatchTVSeason = None
     nefarious_settings: NefariousSettings = None
     _reprocess_without_possessive_apostrophes = False
     _possessive_apostrophes_regex = regex.compile(r"(?!\w)'s\b", regex.I)
@@ -36,6 +36,13 @@ def __init__(self, watch_media_id: int):
 
     def fetch(self):
         logger_background.info('Processing request to watch {}'.format(self._sanitize_title(str(self.watch_media))))
+
+        # skip attempt if media hasn't been released yet
+        if self.watch_media.release_date and self.watch_media.release_date > datetime.now().date():
+            logger_background.warning('skipping search for "{}" since it has not been released yet ({})'.format(
+                self.watch_media, self.watch_media.release_date))
+            return
+
         valid_search_results = []
         search = self._get_search_results()
 
@@ -299,7 +306,7 @@ def _get_tmdb_media(self):
 
     def _get_search_results(self):
         # query the show name AND the season/episode name separately
-        # i.e search for "Atlanta" and "Atlanta s01e05" individually for best results
+        # i.e. search for "Atlanta" and "Atlanta s01e05" individually for best results
         watch_episode = self.watch_media  # type: WatchTVEpisode
         show_result = self.tmdb_client.TV(watch_episode.watch_tv_show.tmdb_show_id)
         params = {
diff --git a/src/nefarious/tasks.py b/src/nefarious/tasks.py
index 8bb63d06..6f1c06c4 100644
--- a/src/nefarious/tasks.py
+++ b/src/nefarious/tasks.py
@@ -68,10 +68,17 @@ def log_exception(**kwargs):
 @app.task(base=QueueOnce, once={'graceful': True})
 def watch_tv_show_season_task(watch_tv_season_id: int):
     processor = WatchTVSeasonProcessor(watch_media_id=watch_tv_season_id)
-    success = processor.fetch()
-
     watch_tv_season = get_object_or_404(WatchTVSeason, pk=watch_tv_season_id)
 
+    # skip attempt if media hasn't been released yet
+    if watch_tv_season.release_date and watch_tv_season.release_date > datetime.now().date():
+        logger_background.warning('skipping search for tv season "{}" since it has not been released yet ({})'.format(
+            watch_tv_season, watch_tv_season.release_date))
+        return
+
+    # make attempt
+    success = processor.fetch()
+
     # success so update the season request instance as "collected"
     if success:
         season_request = WatchTVSeasonRequest.objects.filter(
@@ -294,7 +301,7 @@ def wanted_media_task():
 
     for media_type, data in wanted_media_data.items():
         for media in data['query']:
-            # media has been released (or it's missing it's release date so try anyway) so create a task to try and fetch it
+            # media has been released (or it's missing its release date so try anyway) so create a task to try and fetch it
             if not media.release_date or media.release_date <= today:
                 logger_background.info('Wanted {type}: {media}'.format(type=media_type, media=media))
                 # queue task for wanted media