From the
FAQ:
A daytime show’s production number consists of four digits followed by a letter (either D, K, or L). The way to read them is best explained through an example, so let’s look at the number from the episode on which Shower Game and It’s Optional debuted: #2931D.
The first three digits in the number are a week counter; here, they indicate that this episode is part of the 293rd week of first-run episodes. A “week” can contain as many as five episodes or as few as just one; a one-day-long week is most likely to occur around Christmas or at the end of a season.
The fourth digit is simply a code for a weekday – 1 = Monday, 2 = Tuesday, etc.
“D” means “daytime;” “K” means “thousand;” and "L" is simply the next letter after K (which I admit sounds stupidly obvious but which really does describe its function here). K replaced D in the numbers in week 1,000 so that a fifth digit wouldn’t have to be added to the numbering system, and L will replace K in week 1,999 for the same reason.
Since there is no week #000xK – the numbers go straight from #9995D to #0011K – the week indicated by any production number ending with K is actually one higher than it should be; for instance, “#3322K,” the production number of the Season 33 finale, is essentially shorthand for “#13312D” (although this is not meant to imply that the latter number is in any way official). Similarly, after #9993K (in a week with no Thursday or Friday shows), the next episode is #0011L, and the week indicator becomes two higher than it should be.
Let's take the first ten shows on the calendar currently.
0361L
0362L
0363L
0364L
0365L
0371L
0372L
0373L
0374L
0375L
The "L" means it's between the 2000th-3000th week of episodes to air. The "036" in "
0361L" means it's intended to be broadcast as part of the 2,
036th week of first-run shows to air.*
So 0361L is the Monday episode of week 2036, 0362L is the Tuesday episode of week 2036, etc. up to 0365L being Friday's episode of week 2036.
After Friday, we're on week 2037, so the next episode is 0371L. "
037" and "L" meaning the 2,
037th week of shows to air, and "1" meaning it's Monday's episode.
0366L, 0367L, etc do not exist because the show does not air more than five times a week in daytime. So nothing is being skipped.
*(I realize I'm oversimplifying and some weeks have been skipped, but it's close enough for illustration purposes.)
