The Secret of the Flame Tree - S6-E2
Continuity mistake: Dwayne and JP found a woman living in the cabin, and Dwayne just asked her about the events occurring supposedly at 1:25. When she responds "Sorry, no", she puts her hand on the frame, but it's back to her cheek in the reverse shot. (00:15:05)
The Secret of the Flame Tree - S6-E2
Continuity mistake: Professor Patricia Lawrence pretends not to know about the harassment charges. Florence then pretends to call the University, and the professor begins to talk. Florence goes between shots from holding the phone to her chest, to have it below the belt. It's not just a little jump ahead in the scene, because the continuity is wrong also with the professor's hair; she has a wisp to the right side of her neck, or not, depending on the angle. (00:19:50)
The Secret of the Flame Tree - S6-E2
Continuity mistake: When Catherine yeeeuchs at the name of the new candidate for mayor, pay attention to the bottle in Dwayne's hand; he holds it with his right hand only, turning into both hands, and it changes tilt between shots when he takes a sip from it. (00:22:35)
The Secret of the Flame Tree - S6-E2
Continuity mistake: When Florence hands Goodman the framed picture she got from the bar the night before, her hand position changes between shots. (00:25:30)
The Secret of the Flame Tree - S6-E2
Continuity mistake: JP Identified the woman in the bungalow. Humphrey says "So Sylvie's sister, is living on her estate", with his hand on the spine of the book, and at the cut he's holding it by the bottom side. (00:26:10)
The Secret of the Flame Tree - S6-E2
Continuity mistake: After the interview unveiling the secret of the writer and her assistant, Humphrey is at the police station recapping the case. He says "Either one of them could have done it", leaning into the board, hand on his hips. Dwayne says "Maybe they were in it together?", and Humphrey's position is entirely different. (00:36:50)
Continuity mistake: DI Humprey Goodman and Martha Lloyd get on a boat at the beginning of the episode. Humph is to Martha's right when they begin, but midway through Martha is sitting to Humphrey's right, with her bag also switching place with Humphrey's accordingly. (00:00:35)
Continuity mistake: Martha and Humphrey are toasting. Watch out at the moment of the long scream; both Kris Marshall and Sally Bretton hold wine glasses but those keep changing position between shots. She puts hers down, it is up again a moment, and down at the next cut, while he puts down his, releases his fingers from it, and in the next shot the fingers are still squeezing it only to release the glass again in a repetition of the gesture later. (00:03:45)
Continuity mistake: Humphrey shows the outside of the murder scene to his girlfriend; when he casts the torchlight on the balcony, before the cut you can spot his right arm holding the torch at the left of the frame. He is holding the torch with his left hand before and after. (00:07:25)
Continuity mistake: Linda Taylor brings to the inspector the keys as instructed. Goodman holds the keys and the packet of smokes at the same height, but when she is about to go away throwing a last look at the covered corpse, all of a sudden the key hand is much lower than the other. (00:09:50)
Continuity mistake: Humphrey tries to sneak away without waking Martha up, but being Humphrey he fails. In the shot when he stands back up after the hilarious bawl, the bed is sunlit, contradicting what is shown before and after. (00:10:10)
Continuity mistake: DI Humphrey Goodman debriefed his team who just arrived on the island, and is about to head out to interview the staff. Elliot Taylor passes a glass to his wife, who picks it with her right hand and places it down on the armrest with the same hand, the other one holding a bottle of medicine. Next shot, and the hands swapped contents. (00:12:20)
Continuity mistake: At the end of the first interview with the suspects, Florence caps Humprey's thank you to the helpful staffers with a rather unsubtle eyeroll. She changes position lowering the pen, that is on the other side and higher in the following shot, last of the scene. (00:15:00)
Continuity mistake: Florence hands to her boss the freshly printed picture of Elliot Taylor using opposite hands in the shot and its reverse. (00:15:30)
Continuity mistake: Dwayne passes Humphrey the bagged notepad with a UK phone number scribbled on it. In close-up he is holding it with one hand. In the next shot his lips are still moving and yet he is holding it with two hands. (00:17:10)
Continuity mistake: When Humphrey puts the ancient cigarette packet under Dwayne's nose, his hand is on the top, bottom, top corner. (00:20:55)
Continuity mistake: While Florence is going through the humanitarian career choices of the victim with Humprey, Dwayne is having a phone conversation with the secretary of the solicitor (somehow not being disturbed by the others speaking loudly, and conveniently being heard only when he says bye). Next to him, there's a biro pen at the side of a notepad. Change of angle, and the pen is on top of the pad, and then again to the side of it. (00:24:45)
Continuity mistake: Dwayne answers to Humphrey about his splinter in a close-up. His hands are at a very much different distance than in the previous shot. (00:36:35)
Continuity mistake: Opening; a creepy dude puts his hand on the shoulder of the hero of the cricket game. In close-ups the hand is not on the polo's neck, in the intermediate wide shot it is right on it. (00:02:55)
Continuity mistake: Florence spots the camera inside the cricket club's bar and points at it as she goes to fetch it. Points with her right hand, becoming the left hand at the cut. (00:11:20)
Answer: There's probably no particular reason. Sets and props on long-running TV shows often change as needed and for various reasons throughout a series run.
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