Best mystery TV factual errors of all time

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Fortitude picture

Show generally

Factual error: A scene in a photographic darkroom shows Michael Gambon developing a colour print in a dish under safe lights. Not possible. Colour printing must be carried out in pitch dark usually inside a light tight print processor, as colour photographic paper is sensitive to all wavelengths of visible light.

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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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Dark Shadows picture

Show generally

Factual error: 1968: The basement's brick wall crumbles to reveal Trask's skeleton hanging in the alcove. Only it shouldn't be. Bodies do not remain assembled once the flesh and sinew are gone. Trask's remains ought to be a large pile of bones on the floor.

Jean G

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24: Live Another Day picture

4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. - S1-E6

Factual error: Simone is hit by a bus running after her niece. The bus is service number 106, however service 106 is Finsbury Park - Whitechapel and runs nowhere near Horseguards Parade, which is where the scene was filmed. Also the bus is operated by Sullivans Buses, when route 106 is actually operated by Arrivia. The depot code SM (seen on side of bus) is Potters Bar and not AE (Ash Grove) which is the actual depot that operates route 106.

Steve Everett

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Hemlock Grove picture

Tintypes - S2-E9

Factual error: The show is supposed to be set in Pennsylvania. But when Roman is getting treatment in a doctor's office, and his phone vibrates on a table next to him, a close up shot of his phone is shown and the cell service is ROGERS. This cell service is only in Canada. (00:22:00)

Vettey

More Hemlock Grove factual errors
Roswell picture

Max to the Max - S1-E20

Factual error: When Nasedo kidnaps Liz, he stops in a gas station to leave the FBI another clue. As he is pulling into the station, the sign above the gas pumps misspells the word "brakes" as "breaks."

zanijoey

More Roswell factual errors
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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13 Reasons Why picture

Bye - S2-E13

Factual error: In the disturbing assault scene, after having his head smashed into a mirror and banged against the sink multiple times, there is no way Tyler would be conscious for the rest of the scene.

TyPage

More 13 Reasons Why factual errors
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

More Ironside factual errors
Kindaichi Shounen no Jikenbo Returns picture

The Alchemy Murder Case File 3 - S1-E8

Factual error: The Latin text on the supposedly old tome (which is written with a modern font) displays an alchemist diagram. It is a reproduction of a famous drawing meant to portray the Philosopher Stone in the Sylva Philosophorum, but whoever copied it does not know Latin, because certain words are misspelled ("Merceralia" instead of "Mercurialia", "Humides" instead of "Humidus"). (00:10:10)

Sammo

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Surface picture

Episode #1.13 - S1-E13

Factual error: When Rich and Laura are searching for drug information from the 1960s, they visit the US Patent Office website; under the heading "SSRIs", is displayed "Selecttive Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors" - with the double-t spelling error. (00:15:25)

David R Turner

More Surface factual errors
Lovecraft Country picture

Show generally

Factual error: In Massachusetts, Atticus, Leti and George are attacked by the local sheriff and his deputies, who are patrolling the county roads. In Massachusetts, sheriffs run the county jails, but they do not (and did not) handle routine policing, which is the responsibility only of municipal police departments.

Necrothesp

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The Return of Sherlock Holmes picture

The Second Stain - S1-E3

Factual error: Holmes and Watson walks through a colonnade. Clearly visible in the background right over Watson's head is part of a 20th century circular red and white road sign. (00:34:18)

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Magnum, P.I. picture

Mr. White Death - S3-E8

Factual error: The episode opens with a caption "Miami, 1955." However, as Salvatore Marchese sits in the barber's chair, he picks up as his reading of choice a copy of the National Geographic...the April 1982 edition. (00:02:20)

Sammo

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Moonlighting picture

The Murder's in the Mail - S1-E6

Factual error: Dead blonde guy is sitting upright in the chair, as Dave/Maddie close in, and Maddie realises he isn't moving. David goes to him and smacks him across the shoulder, to "wake him up" and blonde dead guy, right on cue, instantly slumps over a table at his right side, when the direction that David hit his shoulder, should have sent the dead guy slumping more forward, then at the front edge of the table. Obviously staged for the actor's comfort.

eaglegrad16

More Moonlighting factual errors
Doom Patrol picture

Puppet Patrol - S1-E3

Factual error: When Jane is putting up the lost poster, the number to call is 1-800-saw-him. However, this is only a 6-digit phone number when it needs to be 7-digits (not including the 1-800 part).

Bishop73

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More The Adventures of Tintin factual errors

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