{season => 1, ep => 1, title => 'Hellmouth' },
{season => 1, ep => 2, title => 'Harvest'   },
{season => 1, ep => 3, title => 'Witch'     },
{season => 1, ep => 4, title => 'Teacher'   },
{season => 1, ep => 5, title => 'First Date'},
  # [etc]
{season => 2, ep => 13, title => 'Bad'      },
{season => 2, ep => 14, title => 'Assembly' },
{season => 2, ep => 15, title => 'School'   }

##</code><code>##

$appearances = 
[
	{season => 1, eps => 
	  [ 
		{title => 'Hellmouth' },
		{title => 'Harvest'   },  
		{title => 'Witch'     },    
		{title => 'Teacher'   },  
		{title => 'First Date'}
	  ]
	},
	
	{season => 2, eps => 
	  [ 
		{title => 'Bad'       },
		{title => 'Assembly'  },
		{title => 'School'    },
	  ]
	}
]

##</code><code>##

my $temp_hash   = {};
my $last_season = 0; 
my $appearances = [];
while ( my $ref = $sth->fetchrow_hashref() ) {
    if ( $ref->{season} != $last_season ) {
        # if the season has changed, unless
        unless ( $last_season == 0 ) {
            # unless it's the first season we encounter
            push( @{$appearances}, $temp_hash );
				# put the data for that season into 
				# the data structure
            $temp_hash = {};
               # make the hash empty again
        }
    }
    $temp_hash->{'season'} = $ref->{'season'};
     push( @{ $temp_hash->{'eps'} }, { title => $ref->{'title'} } );
    $last_season = $ref->{season};
    # put the season into the marker variable
}
push( @{$appearances}, $temp_hash );
	# need to put what's left over into the data 
	# structure after the while() finishes.