Best crime TV factual errors of all time

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In the Heat of the Night picture

A Matter of Justice - S8-E1

Factual error: About 45 minutes into the episode, the girls' car stalls because the alternator's wire has been removed to cause this. For a car to stall like this, the battery has to be heavily drained which it would wind up being. When the killer comes up to the car, he tells her to try and start the car. She does and it turns over but doesn't start. The battery would never have enough amperage to turn over the car if it didn't have enough to keep the motor running.

terry s

More In the Heat of the Night factual errors
Inspector George Gently picture

Gently Liberated - S8-E1

Factual error: As Bentley is shown round the control room of the plant there are modern LED light panels and modern health and safety stop buttons which would not have existed in the 1960s.

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NCIS: New Orleans picture

Show generally

Factual error: LaSalle's 2015 pickup truck is shown with a green Louisiana license plate. Those plates were only distributed in 2011 and 2012 in celebration of Louisiana's Statehood bicentennial. Furthermore, pick-up trucks in Louisiana are always provided with basic seven digit plates with only the state name, the digits, and the state motto Sportsman's Paradise. The vehicle owner could request a vanity plate with a specific order of digits, or a sport's design, but again, the state hood could not be one.

Benjamin Lesley

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The Penguin picture

Bliss - S1-E3

Factual error: Episode 1x3 Bliss When Viti gives Sofia the boarding pass, it says it's for Thursday, November 20th, 2022. November 20th was a Sunday in 2022. (00:20:40)

Sammo

More The Penguin factual errors
Gotham picture

Into the Woods - S2-E17

Factual error: The address on Lee's business card shows her zip code for Atlanta, GA as "11453." This is a non-existent US zip code, and the zip code for Atlanta is "303xx."

Bishop73

More Gotham factual errors
Scream picture

Pilot - S1-E1

Factual error: There is no way cops would just walk up and open fire on a suspect unannounced, not knowing if he is armed or not, and with an innocent bystander so close.

brianjr0412

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Weeds picture

Risk - S3-E13

Factual error: Nancy takes her son Silas to an 'underground' doctor used by gang members following an attack by a biker gang. After she tries to negotiate a lower price due to the lack of anesthetics, the doctor says that he can get a second opinion at a hospital and order a $10,000 MRI if she would rather pay for that. However, an X-Ray is the first, less-expensive method used by emergency rooms and trauma centers to confirm a fracture. An MRI is typically only used to evaluate skull/brain-related injuries, but is a rarer utilized, expensive second option to evaluate a fracture that generates an unclear X-ray.

Alexifish

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Midsomer Murders picture

Show generally

Factual error: Whenever the killer (always dressed in black with a balaclava disguising his/her identity) uses a knife, the blow invariably is an overhand strike. However, a knife in a downward thrust quite frequently simply skids off the overlapping ribcage of the victim.

goofyfoot

More Midsomer Murders factual errors
Bodyguard picture

Episode #1.6 - S1-E6

Factual error: When Commander Anne Sampson appears in her body armour she wears the rank insignia only worn by the Commissioner (a crown over a pip over crossed tipstaves in a wreath) instead of that worn by her own rank of Commander (crossed tipstaves in a wreath). She has apparently been promoted four ranks.

Necrothesp

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Endeavour picture

Pylon - S6-E1

Factual error: A plastic bag of items is found under the footboard. Plastic bags weren't invented in 1969. They first appeared in public in 1979.

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Murder on the Orient Express picture

Episode #1.1 - S1-E1

Factual error: The series is set in 1933, as the initial captions show. Yet the locomotive pulling the Orient Express is a JNR Class C58: the C58 series was built starting from 1938 (C58 239 used here is from 1940).

Sammo

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Tokyo Vice picture

Show generally

Factual error: Jake and Miyamoto go to an establishment where there are girls dancing on stage. The girls are first dancing to "Motivation" by Kelly Rowland, released in 2011, and "Aly Walk With Me" by The Raveonettes, released in 2007. But, this scene takes place in 1999.

jshy7979

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NCIS: Los Angeles picture

The Livelong Day - S5-E7

Factual error: When the stolen freight train is braking, the air pipe becomes disconnected. This should trigger the brakes on the train, but the train keeps going with no brakes. When the train is being slowed with no brakes working, why are there sparks coming from all wheels on the train? (00:32:00 - 00:38:00)

M1CGP

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Power picture

Reversal of Fortune - S6-E14

Factual error: Congressman Tate and his brother are on the shooting range. They are wearing high-tech electronic earmuffs that block harmful noise like gunfire while amplifying speech and other low-volume sounds. Although, they are wearing high-tech earmuffs, they both have an ear exposed so they can hear each other talk. (00:13:00)

Snag.1

More Power factual errors
Ironside picture

Force of Arms - S1-E16

Factual error: The chopper's main rotors are at a speed enough to cause rotor wash, but the men's coats or hair don't move at all, when they should have been buffeted around.

Movie Nut

More Ironside factual errors

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