Best crime TV factual errors of all time

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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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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

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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

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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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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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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

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Mindhunter picture

Episode #2.8 - S2-E8

Factual error: In the opening seconds of the intro the BTK killer is following a woman home in his work van. Both the woman and BTK have license plates on the front of their vehicles. Kansas does not use front license plates. (Also, BTK's van shows the county abbreviation on the plate as WY - Wyandotte County - where Kansas City, KS is located nearly 200 miles away. The county tag abbreviation should be SG for Sedgwick County).

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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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The Outlaws picture

Episode #3.2 - S3-E2

Factual error: The navigation software "What3Words" is featured. Apparently the words "flop, sponge, knee" point to a storage facility in London. In reality, they actually point to somewhere near the city of McGrath, Alaska. "Hunch, bumpy, strut" are also mentioned, which actually point to somewhere near Paraburdoo, a town in Western Australia, definitely not a forest in London as depicted in the episode.

THGhost

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Ozark picture

Trouble the Water - S4-E12

Factual error: The judge rules in favor of Wendy's father despite not hearing any testimony from his primary witness, who fails to appear. The judge states on the record that he is making this ruling because of the Byrdes' "reputation" rather than any testimony. This is absolutely ludicrous. A judge is not allowed to make a ruling on a child custody case based entirely on his opinion of the litigants, which he doesn't even elaborate upon, rather than any evidence or testimony before him.

BaconIsMyBFF

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Happy Valley picture

Episode #1.5 - S1-E5

Factual error: Catherine is told she's been recommended for the Queen's Police Medal for Gallantry. This has not been awarded since 1977, when it was replaced by the Queen's Gallantry Medal, which is still awarded.

Necrothesp

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Little Boy Blue picture

Show generally

Factual error: ACC Pat Gallan wears the ribbon of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. The medal was issued in 2012. Her medals would be correct for 2017 when the series was made, but not 2007 when it is set.

Necrothesp

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Millennium picture

19:19 - S2-E7

Factual error: Broken Bow is in the southeastern corner of Oklahoma. US 60 is shown here, but actually cuts across the northern part of the state. (00:09:30)

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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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