diff --git a/flexget/plugins/metainfo/thetvdb_lookup.py b/flexget/plugins/metainfo/thetvdb_lookup.py
index f3f0c4f977..5a1b8bc254 100644
--- a/flexget/plugins/metainfo/thetvdb_lookup.py
+++ b/flexget/plugins/metainfo/thetvdb_lookup.py
@@ -112,12 +112,12 @@ def series_lookup(self, entry, language, field_map, session=None):
             series = lookup_series(
                 entry.get('series_name', eval_lazy=False),
                 tvdb_id=entry.get('tvdb_id', eval_lazy=False),
-                language=language,
+                language=entry.get('language', language),
                 session=session
             )
             entry.update_using_map(field_map, series)
         except LookupError as e:
-            log.debug('Error looking up tvdb series information for %s: %s' % (entry['title'], e.args[0]))
+            log.debug('Error looking up tvdb series information for %s: %s', entry['title'], e.args[0])
         return entry
 
     def lazy_series_lookup(self, entry, language):
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ def lazy_episode_lookup(self, entry, language):
 
             lookupargs = {'name': entry.get('series_name', eval_lazy=False),
                           'tvdb_id': entry.get('tvdb_id', eval_lazy=False),
-                          'language': language}
+                          'language': entry.get('language', language)}
             if entry['series_id_type'] == 'ep':
                 lookupargs['season_number'] = entry['series_season'] + season_offset
                 lookupargs['episode_number'] = entry['series_episode'] + episode_offset
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@ def lazy_episode_lookup(self, entry, language):
             episode = lookup_episode(**lookupargs)
             entry.update_using_map(self.episode_map, episode)
         except LookupError as e:
-            log.debug('Error looking up tvdb episode information for %s: %s' % (entry['title'], e.args[0]))
+            log.debug('Error looking up tvdb episode information for %s: %s', entry['title'], e.args[0])
 
     # Run after series and metainfo series
     @plugin.priority(110)