diff --git a/src/frontend/src/app/torrent-details/torrent-details.component.html b/src/frontend/src/app/torrent-details/torrent-details.component.html
index 108c0a58..59d1d846 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/app/torrent-details/torrent-details.component.html
+++ b/src/frontend/src/app/torrent-details/torrent-details.component.html
@@ -23,9 +23,17 @@
       </td>
       <td><span *ngIf="result.watchMedia.release_date">{{ result.watchMedia.release_date | date | date: 'shortDate' }}</span></td>
       <td>{{ result.watchMedia.date_added | date | date: 'shortDate' }}</td>
+      <!-- show media status -->
       <td>
-        <span *ngIf="result.watchMedia.last_attempt_date">{{ result.watchMedia.last_attempt_date | amTimeAgo }}</span>
-        <span *ngIf="!result.watchMedia.last_attempt_date" class="text-nowrap">working on it...</span>
+        <!-- media hasn't been released yet -->
+        <ng-container *ngIf="isReleaseInFuture(result.watchMedia)">
+          <span class="bg-warning">Media hasn't been released yet</span>
+        </ng-container>
+        <!-- last attempt date -->
+        <ng-container *ngIf="!isReleaseInFuture(result.watchMedia)">
+          <span *ngIf="result.watchMedia.last_attempt_date">{{ result.watchMedia.last_attempt_date | amTimeAgo }}</span>
+          <span *ngIf="!result.watchMedia.last_attempt_date" class="text-nowrap">working on it...</span>
+        </ng-container>
       </td>
       <td><span *ngIf="result.watchMedia.collected_date">{{ result.watchMedia.collected_date | date | date: 'shortDate' }}</span></td>
       <td>
diff --git a/src/frontend/src/app/torrent-details/torrent-details.component.ts b/src/frontend/src/app/torrent-details/torrent-details.component.ts
index 391a8f3a..e0a57e0c 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/app/torrent-details/torrent-details.component.ts
+++ b/src/frontend/src/app/torrent-details/torrent-details.component.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-import { Component, OnInit, Input, OnDestroy } from '@angular/core';
-import { ApiService } from '../api.service';
-import { ToastrService } from 'ngx-toastr';
-import { interval, Observable } from 'rxjs';
-import { throttle } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import {Component, OnInit, Input, OnDestroy} from '@angular/core';
+import {ApiService} from '../api.service';
+import {ToastrService} from 'ngx-toastr';
+import {interval, Observable} from 'rxjs';
+import {throttle} from 'rxjs/operators';
+import * as moment from 'moment';
 
 const POLL_TIME = 5000;
 
@@ -27,7 +28,8 @@ export class TorrentDetailsComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   constructor(
     private apiService: ApiService,
     private toastr: ToastrService,
-  ) {}
+  ) {
+  }
 
   ngOnDestroy() {
     // stop polling for torrent details
@@ -101,6 +103,12 @@ export class TorrentDetailsComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
     return result.watchMedia.id;
   }
 
+  public isReleaseInFuture(media: any): boolean {
+    const now = moment().format();
+    const releaseDate = moment(media.release_date || 'x');
+    return releaseDate.isValid() && releaseDate.isAfter(now, 'day');
+  }
+
   protected _fetchTorrents(): Observable<any> {
     this.isFetchingInitialTorrents = false;
 
diff --git a/src/nefarious/processors.py b/src/nefarious/processors.py
index 9141e5c2..ac820fa9 100644
--- a/src/nefarious/processors.py
+++ b/src/nefarious/processors.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import os
 import regex
+from typing import Union
 from django.apps import apps
 from django.conf import settings
 from datetime import datetime
@@ -18,7 +19,7 @@
 
 
 class WatchProcessorBase:
-    watch_media = None
+    watch_media: Union[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 +37,13 @@ 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 +307,7 @@ 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..3adcff71 100644
--- a/src/nefarious/tasks.py
+++ b/src/nefarious/tasks.py
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import os
-
 import pytz
 from celery import chain
 from celery.signals import task_failure
@@ -68,10 +67,17 @@ 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 +300,7 @@ 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