Best crime TV mistakes of all time

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Absentia picture

Nobody's Innocent - S1-E6

Continuity mistake: Early in the episode as she is on a fire escape looking to hide somewhere, the window she opens from the outside has two half panes of glass, but on the inside it only has one pane of glass.

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Ratched picture

Show generally

Factual error: The show, which is set in California in 1947, mentions the gas chamber, lethal injection and the electric chair as methods of execution in the state. Two murderers are sentenced to death by lethal injection and one is depicted being instead executed in the electric chair, which the governor states has been brought out of retirement for the occasion. In fact, California adopted the gas chamber as its sole method of execution in 1937 (having previously used hanging). Lethal injection was not used in the United States at all until 1982 and not adopted in California until 1993 (becoming the prime method in 1996). California has never used the electric chair.

Necrothesp

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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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McCloud picture

This Must Be the Alamo - S4-E5

Continuity mistake: When McCloud and Broadhurst are driving around in the squad car, the vehicle changes in their closeups. Note the light atop the hood, the stickers with the police and unit number on the hood, the rearview mirror's vanishing act, etc.

Super Grover

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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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Line of Duty picture

Season 1 generally

Factual error: Chief Superintendent Hilton wears the ribbons of the General Service Medal (awarded for military service in a combat zone, most commonly in Northern Ireland) and the Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (awarded for twenty years' service), but not the Golden Jubilee Medal (awarded to all officers with five years' service in 2002), which he would also have. When he reappears in Series 4, he is wearing the Golden Jubilee Medal, Diamond Jubilee Medal (awarded in 2012) and Police Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, which would all be correct, but no longer has the General Service Medal.

Necrothesp

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APB (2016)

APB picture

Personal Matters - S1-E2

Other mistake: When Cobb starts to chase the red Dodge, there's a shot of him passing between two vehicles (and very distinct buildings in the background). When Murphy picks up the chase, this same shot is reused, showing her passing between the same two vehicles.

Bishop73

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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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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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Silent Witness picture

Show generally

Plot hole: When Nicky goes into prison in Mexico to give a criminal a shot of insulin, two errors are seen. 1) The needle and syringe are far too big for an insulin shot, which takes a one ml syringe and a small sub-cutaneous needle. 2) When we first see the syringe, there is a small amount of insulin in it, but it grows the more times we see it, until a large syringe is two-thirds full - insulin is enough in a one ml syringe.

kh1616

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Major Crimes picture

By Any Means: Part 4 - S6-E13

Continuity mistake: When Buzz and Provenza race out of the squad room to follow Rusty in the frantic search for Stroh, Buzz is in shirt sleeves with no tie. However when they arrive at their destination Buzz is wearing a coat and tie.

bnemirow

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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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