Best crime TV mistakes 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

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Young Wallander picture

Episode 4 - S1-E4

Continuity mistake: Kurt is still recovering from the beating he took in the previous episode with bad cuts on his forehead, checks and temple area. They are red and impossible to miss while he is in the police station. The cuts have miraculously disappeared in the next scene when he goes to visit Mona.

bnemirow

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Murder Most Horrid picture

He Died a Death - S1-E3

Continuity mistake: Tony Sparkle is seen defacing a picture of Judy Talent. He starts writing something beginning with T. The action cuts away for a moment, and then back again. The words on the picture are "SAD OLD BAT". (00:07:05)

paolog

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Starsky and Hutch picture Starsky and Hutch mistake picture

Bloodbath - S2-E14

Visible crew/equipment: After Hutch finds the ticking box with the clown and Starsky's badge inside, when it cuts to Hutch and Dobey walking toward the squad room, the cameraman and camera are reflected on the door's glass window. (00:17:20)

Super Grover

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City on a Hill picture

What They Saw in Southie High - S1-E2

Other mistake: Agent Rohr asks who the cold case is related to. A dossier is given to him and the front cover contains a photograph and the name "Kanicki, K". Agent Rohr says "Kelly Kanicki" but there was no indication of the full name, just the initial. (00:08:30 - 00:09:00)

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Broadchurch picture

Episode #1.4 - S1-E4

Revealing mistake: The tabloid story with the plight of the Latimers just came out, and various characters are looking at it. In the bit when David Tennant tosses on the desk his copy of the Herald, the second paragraph of the second column goes "Sitting in the family home, surrounded by pictures and mementos of Danny" etc. It is the same text that was at the very beginning of the article when the store owner was looking at it. The newspaper is a prop with the same text in a loop. (00:35:00 - 00:36:30)

Sammo

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APB (2016)

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Iron Fist picture

The Blessing of Many Fractures - S1-E8

Continuity mistake: During the fight with Zhou Cheng, Cheng does a forward flip and kicks Danny, making him stumble backwards. In the shot of Cheng lying on the ground, Danny is holding his stomach. In the shot immediately afterwards, he's holding his chest.

THGhost

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Law & Order: UK picture

Vice - S1-E3

Character mistake: When Brooks and Devlin talk to Teddy, the forensic scientist, Teddy puts his rubber glove on incorrectly, with the thumb hanging off the pinkie side of his hand. (00:09:45)

Cubs Fan

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Bodyguard picture

Show generally

Character mistake: Budd is constantly shown buttoning up his jacket when he exits the limousine prior to Julia exiting. As a PPO, SOP is to unbutton to make reaching his firearm easier, not harder! Also, when he buttons, you cannot see the firearm on his belt at all, even though the jacket is quite tight.

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FBI: Most Wanted picture

Predators - S1-E8

Character mistake: The FBI team responds to a murder crime scene. The victim is lying face down in the bed with blood everywhere. The team leader takes the victim's wrist with his bare ungloved hand. A trained FBI agent would never touch a murder victim without gloves - one to protect himself and two not to contaminate the crime scene. (00:10:00)

Snag.1

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Whitechapel picture

Episode #3.1 - S3-E1

Continuity mistake: DI Chandler calls a suspect "Daniel Wilkie." However when the interview is done he goes and talks to Ed, saying "you've just arrested Ben Wilkie."

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Bosch picture

Show generally

Continuity mistake: In S:1 Ep.10 Maddie says she'll be 15 in a week. Season 2 picks up 6 months later. In S2ep5 Bosch uses Maddie's birthday to access a computer. Password is 01/10/01. This makes the date sometime in July of 2016. Then in S2ep6 George Irving is killed, and the end of watch broadcast lists his date of death as 7/24/2015. This error is reinforced in S2ep10 when they show a plaque being mounted to honor George.

af4dable

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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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