Best crime TV factual errors of all time

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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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The Professionals picture

Killer With a Long Arm - S1-E4

Factual error: The assassination attempt takes place on Wimbledon Finals Day, yet there seem to be other matches going on at the same time, which doesn't happen when the final's occurring.

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FBI: Most Wanted picture

Varsity Blues - S6-E2

Factual error: The FBI agents are searching a house with their weapons drawn. Each agent is going through the house with their fingers on the trigger. At one point, one agent has her finger on the trigger while her partner is in front of her as they go down some stairs. The correct officer safety practice is to have your trigger finger off the trigger and along the slide of the weapon until you are engaging a suspect and need to fire your weapon. (00:30:39 - 00:31:09)

Snag.1

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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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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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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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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

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The Frankenstein Chronicles picture

Season 1 generally

Factual error: Many elements of Marlott's trial and execution are incorrect. The judge sits with two assessors (a European practice, not a British one). He is addressed as 'Your Honour' instead of the correct 'My Lord'. He instructs the jury to find Marlott guilty and then goes straight to sentencing, which would never happen; a judge can instruct a jury to acquit, but not convict. He puts the black cap on himself, instead of an attendant doing it. The form of words for the death sentence is incorrect. The chaplain (who appears to be Catholic, not Anglican) gives a speech at the scaffold.

Necrothesp

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Kleo picture

Show generally

Factual error: The German series is set in 1987 in Berlin before the wall came down. It shows a suitcase going through airport security that wasn't set up until after 2001.

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Bull picture

Free Fall - S1-E16

Factual error: Almost all the people being shown skydiving have no experience doing it, but the instructor allows them to jump out of the plane unassisted after only giving a theoretic introduction into the subject. First time skydivers are always assisted in some fashion, usually through a tandem-jump or a parachute opened by a line attached to the plane.

Tanngrisnir

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Queen of the South picture

Cuarenta Minutos - S1-E2

Factual error: When they're traveling to the farm to rescue her friend, (when a drone is filming from above following the truck down the road) there is light snow on the ground. Throughout the series in different parts, when they speak they're blowing mist/fog from it being cold. It isn't cold, snowing or any fall leaves in Mexico. Nor do those things hardly ever occur in southern Texas either.

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