diff --git a/migrations/20240116054243_watches_and_quests.up.sql b/migrations/20240116054243_watches_and_quests.up.sql
index bf95097..76fa7b0 100644
--- a/migrations/20240116054243_watches_and_quests.up.sql
+++ b/migrations/20240116054243_watches_and_quests.up.sql
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ create table if not exists watches (
   title text not null,
   metadata_url text, -- possible url for imdb or other metadata-esque site to show the user
   length int,
-  release_date datetime,
+  release_date date,
   added_by blob not null, -- ID of the user that added it
   last_updated datetime not null default CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   foreign key (added_by) references users (id)
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ create table if not exists watch_quests (
   priority int, -- 1-5 how much do you want to watch it
   public boolean not null default true,
   watched boolean not null default false,
-  when_watched int,
+  when_watched datetime,
   created_at datetime not null default CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   last_updated datetime not null default CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
   foreign key (user) references users (id) on delete cascade on update no action,
diff --git a/migrations/20240116054253_stars_and_credits.up.sql b/migrations/20240116054253_stars_and_credits.up.sql
index d685661..7590513 100644
--- a/migrations/20240116054253_stars_and_credits.up.sql
+++ b/migrations/20240116054253_stars_and_credits.up.sql
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ create table if not exists stars (
   id blob not null primary key default (julid_new()),
   name text not null,
   metadata_url text,
-  born int,
-  died int
+  born date,
+  died date
 );
 create index if not exists stars_name_dex on stars (lower(name));
 
diff --git a/src/imdb_utils.rs b/src/imdb_utils.rs
index 8590146..99f4d87 100644
--- a/src/imdb_utils.rs
+++ b/src/imdb_utils.rs
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ use sqlx::{Connection, Sqlite, SqlitePool};
 
 use crate::{
     import_utils::{insert_credit, insert_star, insert_watch},
-    misc_util::year_to_epoch,
     Credit, ShowKind, Star, Watch,
 };
 
@@ -25,7 +24,7 @@ impl From<ImportImdbMovie> for Watch {
         Watch {
             id: OMEGA_ID, // this is ignored by the inserter
             title: value.title,
-            release_date: year_to_epoch(value.year.as_deref()),
+            release_date: value.year,
             length: value.length.and_then(|v| v.parse::<i64>().ok()),
             kind: ShowKind::Movie,
             metadata_url: Some(format!("https://imdb.com/title/{}/", &value.id)),
@@ -39,7 +38,7 @@ impl From<&ImportImdbMovie> for Watch {
         Watch {
             id: OMEGA_ID,
             title: value.title.to_string(),
-            release_date: year_to_epoch(value.year.as_deref()),
+            release_date: value.year.clone(),
             length: value.length.as_ref().and_then(|v| v.parse::<i64>().ok()),
             kind: ShowKind::Movie,
             metadata_url: Some(format!("https://imdb.com/title/{}/", value.id)),
@@ -66,8 +65,8 @@ impl From<&ImdbStar> for Star {
         Self {
             name: value.name.clone(),
             metadata_url,
-            born: year_to_epoch(value.born.as_deref()),
-            died: year_to_epoch(value.died.as_deref()),
+            born: value.born.clone(),
+            died: value.died.clone(),
             ..Default::default()
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/import_utils.rs b/src/import_utils.rs
index 920fc7d..808b711 100644
--- a/src/import_utils.rs
+++ b/src/import_utils.rs
@@ -31,8 +31,8 @@ pub async fn insert_star(star: &Star, db: &mut SqliteConnection) -> Julid {
     sqlx::query_scalar(q)
         .bind(&star.name)
         .bind(&star.metadata_url)
-        .bind(star.born)
-        .bind(star.died)
+        .bind(&star.born)
+        .bind(&star.died)
         .fetch_one(db)
         .await
         .unwrap()
diff --git a/src/misc_util.rs b/src/misc_util.rs
index 21dd34e..99e9f2c 100644
--- a/src/misc_util.rs
+++ b/src/misc_util.rs
@@ -35,17 +35,3 @@ where
             .map(Some),
     }
 }
-
-/// Convert a stringy number like "1999" to a 64-bit signed unix epoch-based
-/// timestamp
-pub fn year_to_epoch(year: Option<&str>) -> Option<i64> {
-    year?
-        .trim()
-        .parse::<i32>()
-        .map(|year| {
-            let years = (year - 1970) as f32;
-            let days = (years * 365.2425) as i64;
-            days * 24 * 60 * 60
-        })
-        .ok()
-}
diff --git a/src/search.rs b/src/search.rs
index d8d4555..d17e2f4 100644
--- a/src/search.rs
+++ b/src/search.rs
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ pub struct SearchQuery {
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "empty_string_as_none")]
     pub kind: Option<String>,
     #[serde(default, deserialize_with = "empty_string_as_none")]
-    pub year: Option<i64>,
+    pub year: Option<String>,
 }
 
 pub async fn get_search_watch(
diff --git a/src/stars.rs b/src/stars.rs
index 1593b08..89bd338 100644
--- a/src/stars.rs
+++ b/src/stars.rs
@@ -7,8 +7,8 @@ pub struct Star {
     pub id: Julid,
     pub name: String,
     pub metadata_url: Option<String>,
-    pub born: Option<i64>,
-    pub died: Option<i64>,
+    pub born: Option<String>,
+    pub died: Option<String>,
 }
 
 #[derive(Debug, Default, Clone, PartialEq, Eq, Serialize, Deserialize, FromRow)]
diff --git a/src/watches/handlers.rs b/src/watches/handlers.rs
index 6bcf0c7..3519c78 100644
--- a/src/watches/handlers.rs
+++ b/src/watches/handlers.rs
@@ -10,8 +10,7 @@ use sqlx::{query, query_as, query_scalar, SqlitePool};
 
 use super::templates::{AddNewWatchPage, AddWatchButton, GetWatchPage};
 use crate::{
-    misc_util::{empty_string_as_none, year_to_epoch},
-    AuthSession, MyWatchesPage, ShowKind, Watch, WatchQuest,
+    misc_util::empty_string_as_none, AuthSession, MyWatchesPage, ShowKind, Watch, WatchQuest,
 };
 
 //-************************************************************************
@@ -99,12 +98,11 @@ pub async fn post_add_new_watch(
 ) -> Result<impl IntoResponse, AddError> {
     if let Some(user) = auth.user {
         {
-            let release_date = year_to_epoch(form.year.as_deref());
             let watch = Watch {
                 title: form.title,
                 kind: form.kind,
                 metadata_url: form.metadata_url,
-                release_date,
+                release_date: form.year,
                 added_by: user.id,
                 ..Default::default()
             };
@@ -132,7 +130,7 @@ async fn add_new_watch_impl(db_pool: &SqlitePool, watch: &Watch) -> Result<Julid
     let watch_id: Julid = query_scalar(ADD_WATCH_QUERY)
         .bind(&watch.title)
         .bind(watch.kind)
-        .bind(watch.release_date)
+        .bind(&watch.release_date)
         .bind(&watch.metadata_url)
         .bind(watch.added_by)
         .bind(watch.length)
diff --git a/src/watches/mod.rs b/src/watches/mod.rs
index ffad2af..4824300 100644
--- a/src/watches/mod.rs
+++ b/src/watches/mod.rs
@@ -73,22 +73,10 @@ pub struct Watch {
     pub kind: ShowKind,
     pub metadata_url: Option<String>,
     pub length: Option<i64>,
-    pub release_date: Option<i64>,
+    pub release_date: Option<String>,
     pub added_by: Julid, // this shouldn't be exposed to randos in the application
 }
 
-impl Watch {
-    pub fn year(&self) -> Option<String> {
-        if let Some(year) = self.release_date {
-            let date = chrono::NaiveDateTime::from_timestamp_opt(year, 0)?;
-            let year = format!("{}", date.format("%Y"));
-            Some(year)
-        } else {
-            None
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 //-************************************************************************
 /// Something a user wants to watch
 //-************************************************************************
diff --git a/templates/get_watch_page.html b/templates/get_watch_page.html
index bf7d60e..b608abf 100644
--- a/templates/get_watch_page.html
+++ b/templates/get_watch_page.html
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 {% when Some with (watch) %}
 
 <div class="watch">
-    <span class="watchtitle">{{watch.title}}</span> -- {% call m::get_or_default(watch.year(), "when??") %}
+    <span class="watchtitle">{{watch.title}}</span> -- {% call m::get_or_default(watch.release_date, "when??") %}
 </div>
 
 {% else %}
diff --git a/templates/my_watches_page.html b/templates/my_watches_page.html
index aa42ec6..96ad30d 100644
--- a/templates/my_watches_page.html
+++ b/templates/my_watches_page.html
@@ -28,7 +28,8 @@
 <div class="watchlist">
     <ul>
         {% for watch in watches %}
-        <li><span class="watchtitle">{{watch.title}}</span> -- {% call m::get_or_default(watch.year(), "when??") %}
+        <li><span class="watchtitle">{{watch.title}}</span> -- {% call m::get_or_default(watch.release_date, "when??")
+            %}
         </li>
         {% endfor %}
     </ul>
diff --git a/templates/watch-search-result.html b/templates/watch-search-result.html
index cdf8369..e94e884 100644
--- a/templates/watch-search-result.html
+++ b/templates/watch-search-result.html
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
         </span>
     </td>
     <td>{{res.kind}}</td>
-    <td> {% call m::get_or_default(res.year(), "when??") -%}</td>
+    <td> {% call m::get_or_default(res.release_date, "when??") -%}</td>
     <td>
         <span id="add-watch-{{res.id}}">
             <span hx-get="/watch/status/{{res.id}}" hx-target="this" hx-trigger="load, reveal"