Best mystery TV factual errors of all time

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Elementary picture

One Watson, One Holmes - S3-E19

Factual error: In the scene in the hospital, the guy who drove his motorbike into a van has an IV canula in his right hand, but the IV pole and the IV bag are on the left side of the bed, which means the IV line has to be long enough to go up to the bedhead, then behind the bedhead and then up to the bag, leaving no way to check for air bubbles.

kh1616

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Luther picture

Show generally

Factual error: Throughout the series and credits, the ranks of Detective Superintendent and Detective Chief Superintendent are abbreviated as DSU and DCSU instead of the correct DSI and DCS.

Necrothesp

More Luther factual errors
And Then There Were None picture

Episode #1.1 - S1-E1

Factual error: Unlike Christie's novels, there is no explicit statement of the date - the original novel started on the August 8th, which is compatible with what is shown here; Vera is interviewed and the letters are all posted on August 2nd 1939, which would fit. However, there's a problem when Vera changes seats en route to Soldier's island. A passenger is reading the Daily Express, and the headline is from August 29th of that year. Too much time elapsed and it's the end of the Summer while the chat between Emily and Vera implies otherwise; it's also Tuesday but the doctor comments "It's been a long week" when he apologizes at dinner - the weekend feels a more appropriate time for a party and gathering as shown. (00:06:15)

Sammo

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Murder on the Orient Express picture

Episode #1.1 - S1-E1

Factual error: The series is set in 1933, as the initial captions show. Yet the locomotive pulling the Orient Express is a JNR Class C58: the C58 series was built starting from 1938 (C58 239 used here is from 1940).

Sammo

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The Midwich Cuckoos picture

Not an Ice Cream - S1-E6

Factual error: The British Army soldiers are not wearing British Army uniforms or carrying British Army weapons and some of them have beards, which are not permitted to British Army soldiers.

Necrothesp

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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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Law & Order: Criminal Intent picture

Show generally

Factual error: When the cops need to arrest a medical professional, they are frequently shown barging into his/her office, exam room, or even operating room. This would never happen in real life and is strictly forbidden, as it is a gross violation of the patient's privacy, and in the case of the OR, could contaminate the sterile environment, thereby jeopardizing patient safety as well.

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Magnum, P.I. picture

Flashback - S3-E6

Factual error: Magnum is checking out newspapers from year 1936...but they are copies of The Hawaii Herald, and that is impossible, since it started publications (with that name) only in 1942 as an Americanised version of the original Hawaii Hochi. (00:39:55)

Sammo

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Crossing Jordan picture

There's No Place Like Home - S2-E1

Factual error: This is at the end of the episode, when Jordan takes the key that she found for the 66 Ford and tries it in the ignition it should have been a square key. Round keys were for the doors and trunk. Back then they made two keys - one that opened the car doors and trunk and one that started the ignition. She never even tried the key in the trunk.

Imemine

More Crossing Jordan factual errors
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

More Ratched factual errors
The Adventures of Tintin picture

The Seven Crystal Balls: Part 2 - S3-E4

Factual error: When the intruder fires at Tintin, the shot misses him, but instead hits a tree branch. The tree branch is blown off, but the tree that the branch was hanging from has no visible damage. If the bullet had hit the branch and it flew off, there would still be a stump visible from where the branch had snapped off. If the bullet hit the tree and this caused the branch to fly away, there would be a visible bullet mark on the tree. Regardless, there is no way the tree would not have any visible damage done towards it. (00:30:00)

Casual Person

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Get Smart picture

Closely Watched Planes - S4-E3

Factual error: If there really was a hatch leading into mid-air in the airplane bathroom, instead of being soundless like shown, it would be incredibly loud and Max would have noticed. Also, the sudden pressure change would have sucked him out no matter what he did to stop it.

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The Rockford Files picture

The Countess - S1-E4

Factual error: Two cops (the bowtie guy that cuffs Rockford and the one that watches him being taken away from his trailer) report to HQ saying that the protagonist is a suspect for a 157, to which Rockford reacts saying he did not murder anyone (and it is in fact what he is accused of). But homicide is in CA police code 187, not 157. A 157 is an entirely different felony. (00:21:00)

Sammo

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Carnivàle picture

Los Moscos - S2-E1

Factual error: Outside the church headquarters where Norman has his stroke is a board saying 'United Methodist Church'. The UMC didn't come into existence until 1968. It was the Methodist Episcopal Church in the 1930s.

Necrothesp

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Outer Range picture

The Soil - S1-E5

Factual error: Royal uses a pay phone in the library. The only working pay phone in the state at this time is at a rest stop.

More Outer Range factual errors
Death in Paradise picture

Episode #1.7 - S1-E7

Factual error: The victim has been shot while he was lying in the coffin with his arms crossed. Somehow, he keeps his arms perfectly crossed even when he's dead, despite being carried around in a casket propped in vertical position merely a little more than 15 minutes later. Rigor mortis takes way longer to begin, his lifeless arms would have flailed off position a long time before, not stayed in the dramatic mummy position with no supports to hold them in place. (00:04:30)

Sammo

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