Factual error: The film is set in 1880 and Dan Leno is a major character, already well-established on the London stage. Leno was only 20 in 1880 and did not make his London professional debut as an adult performer until 1885; before then he had performed in Manchester and Sheffield.
Necrothesp
17th Sep 2018
The Limehouse Golem (2016)
17th Sep 2018
The Limehouse Golem (2016)
Factual error: Many details are wrong in Elizabeth's execution. The scaffold is in the prison yard, whereas by this time it was inside. The noose has a knot as opposed to the simple slider which was used by this time. Nobody is present except the hangman and one warder, whereas in fact the usual execution party was the prison governor, the chaplain, at least two warders, the hangman and his assistant. The hangman is masked, which never happened in Britain.
10th Sep 2018
Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018)
Episode #1.2 - S1-E2
Factual error: The Fitzhuberts' soirée in February 1900 is said to be the first of the new century. The beginning of the 20th century (unlike the Millennium) was celebrated correctly in 1901. 1900 was correctly understood to be the last year of the 19th century.
30th Aug 2018
The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015)
Factual error: Percy Bysshe Shelley's father was a baronet, not a peer. He was Sir Timothy Shelley, not Lord Shelley as he is referred to here.
30th Aug 2018
The Frankenstein Chronicles (2015)
Factual error: Many elements of Marlott's trial and execution are incorrect. The judge sits with two assessors (a European practice, not a British one). He is addressed as 'Your Honour' instead of the correct 'My Lord'. He instructs the jury to find Marlott guilty and then goes straight to sentencing, which would never happen; a judge can instruct a jury to acquit, but not convict. He puts the black cap on himself, instead of an attendant doing it. The form of words for the death sentence is incorrect. The chaplain (who appears to be Catholic, not Anglican) gives a speech at the scaffold.
30th Aug 2018
Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018)
Factual error: Sergeant Bumpher never wears any rank insignia. He appears to just be a constable.
20th Aug 2018
Cardinal (2017)
Factual error: The board at the entrance to the abandoned air force base reads "Canadian Aviation Forces" and lower down mentions the "Minister of Defense." There has never been any such organisation as the Canadian Aviation Forces (it was the Air Command from 1975 to 2011 and is now the Royal Canadian Air Force once more) and the minister's title is the Minister of National Defence (without the American spelling).
20th Aug 2018
Cardinal (2017)
Factual error: The provincial police is always described as the Ontario Police Department (OPD) instead of the correct Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
10th Jul 2018
The Crown (2016)
Factual error: Peter Townsend wears the rank insignia of a group captain (and is referred to as Group Captain Townsend) from the beginning of the series in 1947. In fact, Townsend was promoted from wing commander to group captain on 1 January 1953. He was also appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1947, but is never seen wearing the appropriate medal ribbon, which should come first on his collection.
2nd Mar 2018
The Last Post (2017)
Factual error: At least two characters wear the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, which wasn't issued until 2012. The series is set in 1965.
2nd Mar 2018
The Last Post (2017)
Factual error: Major Markham is consistently referred to as the CO (Commanding Officer). As a company commander, he is actually the OC (Officer Commanding). In the British Army, CO is a title reserved for the commanders of battalion-sized units.
2nd Mar 2018
The Last Post (2017)
Factual error: Sergeant Baxter seems to be the senior NCO of the company. There appear to be no company sergeant major or staff sergeants. This is very odd, but particularly odd in the Royal Military Police, which is very NCO-heavy.
2nd Mar 2018
The Last Post (2017)
Factual error: The Royal Military Police's main job is to police the army. The show depicts them as a general security unit. Weirdly, when soldiers are shown guarding the prison and the courthouse, which would be an RMP job, they are not RMP.
2nd Mar 2018
The Last Post (2017)
Factual error: The RMP cap badge is completely wrong. It actually features the Royal Cypher (ERII), not the letters RMP as depicted. It is also considerably smaller.
2nd Mar 2018
The Last Post (2017)
Episode #1.4 - S1-E4
Factual error: The soldier who shoots Yusra's father is listed on the credits as "Royal Scotch Guard." There is no such thing. There are two regiments: the Scots Guards and the Royal Scots. The soldier was actually a member of the latter, as correctly described in the dialogue.
2nd Mar 2018
The Last Post (2017)
Episode #1.2 - S1-E2
Factual error: The catalogue of errors made by the SAS team (e.g. being caught out in the open, not posting a watch, not using cover) would be unlikely to be made by an ordinary trained infantryman, let alone an elite special forces unit.
22nd Jan 2018
Ned Kelly (2003)
Factual error: The film implies that Ned Kelly and his friends only became criminals after being harassed by the police. In fact, they had a long history of criminality, bushranging and animal rustling before being declared outlaws.
22nd Jan 2018
Ned Kelly (2003)
Factual error: In the film, many hostages and policemen are killed and wounded in the final shootout at Glenrowan. In actual fact, two hostages (Martin Cherry and John Jones) were killed and two more wounded, and on the police side only Superintendent Hare, an Aboriginal tracker and a civilian volunteer were wounded. There was no travelling circus present.
22nd Jan 2018
Happy Valley (2014)
Episode #1.5 - S1-E5
Factual error: Catherine is told she's been recommended for the Queen's Police Medal for Gallantry. This has not been awarded since 1977, when it was replaced by the Queen's Gallantry Medal, which is still awarded.
21st Jan 2018
Emmerdale (1972)
Factual error: 12/01/2018: DS Benton tells Moira that a body has been found in a harbour near Prague. Prague is a land-locked city in a land-locked country about 200 miles from the nearest coastline.
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