diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvDbClientManager.cs b/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvDbClientManager.cs
index 1bf4f6e03d..6d17d4b133 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvDbClientManager.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvDbClientManager.cs
@@ -165,21 +165,27 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Providers.TV
         {
             searchInfo.SeriesProviderIds.TryGetValue(MetadataProviders.Tvdb.ToString(),
                 out var seriesTvdbId);
-            var episodeNumber = searchInfo.IndexNumber.Value;
-            var seasonNumber = searchInfo.ParentIndexNumber.Value;
 
-            return GetEpisodeTvdbId(Convert.ToInt32(seriesTvdbId), episodeNumber, seasonNumber, cancellationToken);
+            var episodeQuery = new EpisodeQuery();
+
+            // Prefer SxE over premiere date as it is more robust
+            if (searchInfo.IndexNumber.HasValue && searchInfo.ParentIndexNumber.HasValue)
+            {
+                episodeQuery.AiredEpisode = searchInfo.IndexNumber.Value;
+                episodeQuery.AiredSeason = searchInfo.ParentIndexNumber.Value;
+            }
+            else if (searchInfo.PremiereDate.HasValue)
+            {
+                // tvdb expects yyyy-mm-dd format
+                episodeQuery.FirstAired = searchInfo.PremiereDate.Value.ToString("yyyy-MM-dd");
+            }
+
+            return GetEpisodeTvdbId(Convert.ToInt32(seriesTvdbId), episodeQuery, cancellationToken);
         }
 
-        public async Task<string> GetEpisodeTvdbId(int seriesTvdbId, int episodeNumber, int seasonNumber, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
+        public async Task<string> GetEpisodeTvdbId(int seriesTvdbId, EpisodeQuery episodeQuery, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
         {
-            var episodeQuery = new EpisodeQuery
-            {
-                AiredSeason = seasonNumber,
-                AiredEpisode = episodeNumber
-            };
-            var episodePage = await GetEpisodesPageAsync(Convert.ToInt32(seriesTvdbId),
-                episodeQuery, cancellationToken);
+            var episodePage = await GetEpisodesPageAsync(Convert.ToInt32(seriesTvdbId), episodeQuery, cancellationToken);
             return episodePage.Data.FirstOrDefault()?.Id.ToString();
         }
 
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbEpisodeImageProvider.cs b/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbEpisodeImageProvider.cs
index 3a559727d7..49468531d5 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbEpisodeImageProvider.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbEpisodeImageProvider.cs
@@ -60,15 +60,17 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Providers.TV.TheTVDB
                 {
                     if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(episodeTvdbId))
                     {
-                        var episodeNumber = episode.IndexNumber.Value;
-                        var seasonNumber = episode.ParentIndexNumber.Value;
-                        episodeTvdbId = await _tvDbClientManager.GetEpisodeTvdbId(
-                            Convert.ToInt32(series.GetProviderId(MetadataProviders.Tvdb)), episodeNumber, seasonNumber,
-                            cancellationToken);
+                        var episodeInfo = new EpisodeInfo
+                        {
+                            IndexNumber = episode.IndexNumber.Value,
+                            ParentIndexNumber = episode.ParentIndexNumber.Value,
+                            SeriesProviderIds = series.ProviderIds
+                        };
+                        episodeTvdbId = await _tvDbClientManager.GetEpisodeTvdbId(episodeInfo, cancellationToken);
                         if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(episodeTvdbId))
                         {
                             _logger.LogError("Episode {SeasonNumber}x{EpisodeNumber} not found for series {SeriesTvdbId}",
-                                seasonNumber, episodeNumber);
+                                episodeInfo.ParentIndexNumber, episodeInfo.IndexNumber);
                             return imageResult;
                         }
                     }
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbEpisodeProvider.cs b/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbEpisodeProvider.cs
index f4dc22a809..2a52b76ebd 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbEpisodeProvider.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbEpisodeProvider.cs
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Providers.TV.TheTVDB
             var list = new List<RemoteSearchResult>();
 
             // The search query must either provide an episode number or date
-            // TODO premieredate functionality is dead, could grab all episodes and search for it
             if (!searchInfo.IndexNumber.HasValue || !searchInfo.PremiereDate.HasValue)
             {
                 return list;
@@ -172,8 +171,7 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Providers.TV.TheTVDB
 
             if (DateTime.TryParse(episode.FirstAired, out var date))
             {
-                date = date.ToUniversalTime();
-
+                // dates from tvdb are UTC but without offset or Z
                 item.PremiereDate = date;
                 item.ProductionYear = date.Year;
             }
diff --git a/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbSeriesProvider.cs b/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbSeriesProvider.cs
index 342591da0f..8e5616d15e 100644
--- a/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbSeriesProvider.cs
+++ b/MediaBrowser.Providers/TV/TheTVDB/TvdbSeriesProvider.cs
@@ -349,8 +349,7 @@ namespace MediaBrowser.Providers.TV.TheTVDB
 
             if (DateTime.TryParse(tvdbSeries.FirstAired, out var date))
             {
-                date = date.ToUniversalTime();
-
+                // dates from tvdb are UTC but without offset or Z
                 series.PremiereDate = date;
                 series.ProductionYear = date.Year;
             }