Best sci-fi TV mistakes of all time

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

Red Dwarf picture

Back To Reality - S5-E6

Factual error: While it is true that lithium carbonate can be used to treat depression and other psychiatric disorders, it cannot be administered in gaseous form. It is a very stable salt and only starts to form vapour at 1,310 degress Celcius. Spraying it about as a 'mood stabliser' at that temperature, as Kryten does, is going to kill everyone on the spot.

More Red Dwarf mistakes
More Crossing Lines mistakes
Z Nation picture

Rozwell - S2-E9

Revealing mistake: As the gang drives up to the space-ship diner, cars are whizzing by in the background. When they are driving to the base there's also a clip of a fire truck going down the highway in the distance.

More Z Nation mistakes
More Doctor Who mistakes
The Twilight Zone picture

A Kind of a Stopwatch - S5-E4

Other mistake: When McNulty uses the stopwatch to rob a bank, he goes through a small wooden door and past the employees. With time frozen, the small door should have stayed open but immediately swings shut.

More The Twilight Zone mistakes
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine picture Star Trek: Deep Space Nine mistake picture

Broken Link - S4-E26

Revealing mistake: During the fight between Garak and Worf near the end of the episode, a Jefferies tube door is knocked out of its frame to reveal the end of the set - a dark room with a wooden scaffold and various other pieces of equipment (slow-mo helpful but not required). (00:36:00)

More Star Trek: Deep Space Nine mistakes
The X-Files picture

Paper Clip (3) - S3-E2

Visible crew/equipment: When Mulder and Scully enter the abandoned mine through a doorway, the viewer can see at right in the distance a number of people sitting on a wall, and one crouching in front of the wall with what looks like a dog. They are sitting still, but there is still movement there. (00:16:00)

More The X-Files mistakes
Thunderbirds picture

Path of Destruction - S2-E2

Plot hole: In order to build up suspense, Virgil and Brains stand on the Crab Logger as its dangerous fuel is pumped out, despite the fact that it is hanging on the edge of a precipice. In fact they could have left as soon as they had plumbed in the pipes to empty the fuel tanks - the whole procedure is controlled by Scott in Thunderbird 1 and they make absolutely no contribution to the operation at all. They do not need to disconnect the pipes; they are left behind and dropped from Thunderbird 1 as planned. They just stand there chatting about how much danger they are in until jumping clear at the very last second. Silly buggers.

More Thunderbirds mistakes
Farscape picture Farscape mistake picture

Family Ties - S1-E22

Visible crew/equipment: After Rygel's transport pod returns to Moya, as the docking bay door slides open, in the shot facing everyone while they have their weapons drawn we can see the bare floor. However, when Aeryn checks Crais for hidden weapons and then as D'Argo approaches him, there's a blue crash mat on the floor. Then it vanishes again.

Super Grover

More Farscape mistakes
Lost in Space picture Lost in Space mistake picture

Impact - S1-E1

Other mistake: Right at the start, as they're crashing, the computer narrates their rapidly-dropping altitude in feet. But the "altitude" dial we're shown is in metres. Most noticeable as they cross the 3,000 mark, when the computer voice and the height say/show the same number at the same time, despite the different units. 3,000m would be more like 9,000 feet, or 3,000 feet would be more like 1,000m. (00:03:20)

Jon Sandys

More Lost in Space mistakes
Arrow picture

The Magician - S3-E4

Revealing mistake: When Oliver meets Thea at the Grind and Jot Cafe (Which looks unsurprisingly like CC Jitters) you can see the cups on the table are from CC Jitters. (00:20:50)

More Arrow mistakes
More The Wild Wild West mistakes
More Star Trek: The Next Generation mistakes
More The 100 mistakes
Battlestar Galactica picture Battlestar Galactica mistake picture

Kobol's Last Gleaming (2) - S1-E15

Visible crew/equipment: In the scene where Starbuck attempts to retrieve Apollo's arrow, a crewman in a red tee shirt and dark vest can be seen standing just behind and to the right of the display case as she is shooting out the glass.

More Battlestar Galactica mistakes
More The Prisoner mistakes
Star Trek: Voyager picture

Drone - S5-E2

Deliberate mistake: When the Doctor begins to "fade" in the transporter room his mobile emitter fades with him. Since it's made of solid matter and is not a hologram, this shouldn't be possible.

More Star Trek: Voyager mistakes
Justice League picture

Fury (1) - S1-E14

Plot hole: Hippolyta tells Hawkgirl of Aresia's background of being born in the outside world, the war in her country and right up to her drifting to the shores of Themyscira. It would be impossible for her to know anything of Aresia's background as in part two, it's explained that the captain of the ship who saved Aresia died shortly after reaching Themyscira and therefore would not have been able to tell Hippolyta anything.

More Justice League mistakes
Limitless picture

Pilot - S1-E1

Plot hole: Brian calls Rebecca after he has been shot. She asks him "Where is the bullet? Is it in your leg still?" Brian never mentioned he was shot in the leg. (00:30:20)

More Limitless mistakes
The Last Ship picture

Valkyrie - S2-E11

Factual error: In scenes from the oil rig there are shots that show the shore line. This oil rig is supposed to be offshore of Louisiana. However, mountains can be seen in the shots of the shoreline. There are no mountains in Louisiana.

More The Last Ship mistakes

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.