diff --git a/source/net/filebot/similarity/EpisodeMatcher.java b/source/net/filebot/similarity/EpisodeMatcher.java
index 1c606033..06d47f6f 100644
--- a/source/net/filebot/similarity/EpisodeMatcher.java
+++ b/source/net/filebot/similarity/EpisodeMatcher.java
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import java.util.IdentityHashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Map.Entry;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 
@@ -154,7 +155,8 @@ public class EpisodeMatcher extends Matcher<File, Object> {
 
 		// check drill-down integrity
 		return stream(episodes).skip(1).allMatch(e -> {
-			return episodes[0].getSeriesName().equals(e.getSeriesName());
+			// do an equals check but account for null values
+			return Objects.equals(episodes[0].getSeriesName(), e.getSeriesName());
 		});
 	}
 
diff --git a/source/net/filebot/web/TheTVDBClient.java b/source/net/filebot/web/TheTVDBClient.java
index 42280dc5..6df066c0 100644
--- a/source/net/filebot/web/TheTVDBClient.java
+++ b/source/net/filebot/web/TheTVDBClient.java
@@ -192,6 +192,11 @@ public class TheTVDBClient extends AbstractEpisodeListProvider implements Artwor
 			return fetchSeriesData(series, sortOrder, DEFAULT_LOCALE);
 		}
 
+		// if series name isn't even available in English then just use whatever value we've got
+		if (info.getName() == null) {
+			info.setName(series.getName());
+		}
+
 		// fetch episode data
 		List<Episode> episodes = new ArrayList<Episode>();
 		List<Episode> specials = new ArrayList<Episode>();