diff --git a/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/build.ts b/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/build.ts
index 33f89d0..bc6d55e 100644
--- a/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/build.ts
+++ b/packages/obsidian/src/watchlist/build.ts
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ function pickTrailer(videos: TmdbDetail): string {
 	return '';
 }
 
+function isBareIsoCode(s: string): boolean {
+	return /^[A-Z]{2}$/.test(s);
+}
+
 export function buildRecord(details: TmdbDetail, isMovie: boolean, prev: Record<string, string>): WatchlistRecord {
 	const genres: string[] = (details.genres ?? []).map((g: any) => g.name);
 	const language = langName(details);
@@ -119,7 +123,16 @@ export function buildRecord(details: TmdbDetail, isMovie: boolean, prev: Record<
 		contentRating = usCertFromContentRatings(details.content_ratings ?? {});
 		const prodCountries: any[] = details.production_countries ?? [];
 		const originCountries: string[] = details.origin_country ?? [];
-		country = prodCountries[0]?.name ?? originCountries[0] ?? '';
+		if (prodCountries[0]?.name) {
+			country = prodCountries[0].name;
+		} else {
+			const prevCountry = stripQuotes(prev['country']);
+			if (prevCountry && !isBareIsoCode(prevCountry)) {
+				country = prevCountry;
+			} else {
+				country = originCountries[0] ?? '';
+			}
+		}
 		seasons = details.number_of_seasons ?? null;
 		episodes = details.number_of_episodes ?? null;
 		vod = (details.networks ?? []).map((n: any) => n.name);
diff --git a/tests/watchlist-build.test.ts b/tests/watchlist-build.test.ts
index 53827f8..8cbe6be 100644
--- a/tests/watchlist-build.test.ts
+++ b/tests/watchlist-build.test.ts
@@ -146,6 +146,23 @@ describe('TV country derivation', () => {
 		const r = buildRecord(noProdCountries, false, EMPTY_PREV);
 		expect(r.country).toBe('US');
 	});
+	test('TV no production_countries, prev full country name → preserves prev', () => {
+		const { production_countries, ...noProdCountries } = tvDetail as any;
+		const prev = { country: 'United States of America' };
+		const r = buildRecord(noProdCountries, false, prev);
+		expect(r.country).toBe('United States of America');
+	});
+	test('TV no production_countries, prev bare ISO code → uses origin_country fallback', () => {
+		const { production_countries, ...noProdCountries } = tvDetail as any;
+		const prev = { country: 'US' };
+		const r = buildRecord(noProdCountries, false, prev);
+		expect(r.country).toBe('US');
+	});
+	test('TV production_countries present, prev differs → uses production_countries name', () => {
+		const prev = { country: 'Canada' };
+		const r = buildRecord(tvDetail, false, prev);
+		expect(r.country).toBe('United States of America');
+	});
 });
 
 describe('tmdb_rating rounding', () => {