Best drama TV factual errors of all time

Please vote as you browse around to help the best rise to the top.

More American Horror Story factual errors
Summerland picture

Show generally

Factual error: In episode 2-11: "Safe House," Bradin's PSAT score report is shown. He has a 726 verbal and a 746 math, for a total of 1472. However, the PSAT has three sections - verbal, math, and writing skills - and each is scored on a scale of 80 points, not 800. So PSATs run on a scale of 240, not the familiar 1600 that the SAT used until earlier in 2005.

DavidK93

More Summerland factual errors
Point Pleasant picture

Who's Your Daddy? - S1-E3

Factual error: When she's giving the historical tour, Sarah talks about how the Puritans who settled in Point Pleasant faced hardships during their first winter there. But the first village at Point Pleasant was built in 1817, a century and a half after Puritans ceased to exist as a distinct group.

DavidK93

More Point Pleasant factual errors
The Prisoner picture

Many Happy Returns - S1-E7

Factual error: Number 6 wakes up to find the Village deserted, but the central plaza fountain is still running - until he looks at it from the bell tower, when it's suddenly off. The Village fountains never appeared to be on timers (they were always on, day and night), and no one is there to turn the water off, yet it's somehow still off when Number 6 returns at the end.

Jean G

More The Prisoner factual errors
More Veronica Mars factual errors
Medical Investigation picture

Coming Home - S1-E3

Factual error: At the convalescent home, Dr. Conner asks if a lector has been to the home to give communion. Later, he describes a lector as a person who gives communion at church or to the homebound. A Eucharistic Minister or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion gives communion in the Catholic Church.

More Medical Investigation factual errors
Helen of Troy picture

Show generally

Factual error: When they first assault the city, the Greeks construct catapults. Only problem: catapults were invented at 400 - 300 BC, i.e. about 800 years later; and the first models looked similar to giant crossbows. The one-armed onager and similar types (as seen here) were a later Roman invention.

More Helen of Troy factual errors
Penny Dreadful picture

Verbis Diablo - S2-E2

Factual error: Sir Malcolm tells Vanessa to wear a facemask when they go to minister to the poor as cholera is rife in the area. However, the series is set in the 1890s and it had been well-known since the 1850s that cholera was caused by contaminated food and water and not by airborne germs. As an educated man, Sir Malcolm is bound to know this.

Necrothesp

More Penny Dreadful factual errors
MacGyver picture

Seeds + Permafrost + Feather - S3-E17

Factual error: Bozer and for that matter I would assume all of the team went to a spycraft academy. A basic subject in any of such academies is surveillance, including proper techniques to follow and stake out someone. Bozer being so inept at tracking MacGyver's father is inconceivable given their training.

toroscan

More MacGyver factual errors
FlashForward picture

137 Sekunden - S1-E3

Factual error: When browsing for information about the crow deaths in the Ganwar Region of Somalia, the computer indicates that the CDC requested additional funding from DHS. The only problem with that is, DHS was formed in 2002, 11 years after the incident in Ganwar. (00:40:05)

klaser

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: Although the Department of Homeland Security - commonly abbreviated as DHS - was not formed until 2002, in the later episode "Revelation Zero" it is indicated that DHS stands for an agency called Demographic and Health Services.

More FlashForward factual errors
The Looming Tower picture

Tuesday - S1-E9

Factual error: At O'Neil's retirement party, '2-Way' by Lil Romeo is playing while one of the characters is dancing. This scene is set in the summer of 2001, the song was released in April 2002, nearly a year after the retirement party took place.

More The Looming Tower factual errors
Mr. Sunshine picture

Episode #1.1 - S1-E1

Factual error: The American flag shown waving outside the White House is the current present-day flag with 50 stars. From 1896 to 1908, (the time period that this show is set in) the US flag only had 45 stars as Oklahoma, New Mexico, Nebraska, Alaska and Hawaii were not recognised as states in that time period. The flag did not have 50 stars until 1960. (00:04:30)

Casual Person

More Mr. Sunshine factual errors
Fallout picture

The End - S1-E1

Factual error: Looking at a nuclear explosion that close will burn your retinas irreparably. One can be blind 30 miles away, just by seeing the flash. The little girl at the start is looking directly at the explosion when it hits, and continues to watch.

More Fallout factual errors
Chicago Fire picture

A Volatile Mixture - S7-E5

Factual error: In the scene at O'Hara airport the paramedics meetup with a TSA officer. The TSA officer has a gun as a part of his uniform. TSA officers do not carry firearms. In addition, the CBP officer in the scene does not have on a proper CBP uniform. The CBP officer uniform has rank epaulets and officer has no epaulets, and the CBP uniform doesn't have a bar tie clip and the gun belt buckle is brass not stainless metal. (00:42:00)

Snag.1

More Chicago Fire factual errors
Narcos picture

Season 2 generally

Factual error: The Columbia paramilitary is seen throughout the 2nd season carrying M4's. The M4 configuration of the M16 was not available during the period Norcos took place. In one seen in fact an M4 has an EOTech optic mounted on it...backwards. Not only is the optic backwards, EOTech was not founded until the late 90's or early 2000's.

More Narcos factual errors
Hawaii Five-0 picture

Pua a'e la ka uwahi o ka moe - S9-E7

Factual error: A 1932 haulage receipt is shown on screen. It says Hawaii, HI. There was no such abbreviation used for Hawaii until June 1963. The territory was spelled out in full. In June 1963 it was HAW, and then changed to HI in October 1963 with the advent of ZIP codes. (00:38:50)

toroscan

More Hawaii Five-0 factual errors
Matlock picture

The Madam - S5-E3

Factual error: Radio talk show host David Campbell works at "WRQE 480 AM." There is no such frequency. The AM radio dial begins at 530.

More Matlock factual errors
House of Cards picture

Chapter 35 - S3-E9

Factual error: When Doug Stamper sits down at his laptop and throws the contents of his cup at the screen, the image immediately freezes and distorts. This would not happen so quickly in a real world event. It may eventually happen but not instantaneously. (00:23:10)

Mike Walker

More House of Cards factual errors
More The Kennedys factual errors
More Agatha Christie's Poirot factual errors

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.