Life on Mars

Episode 4 - S1-E4

Continuity mistake: When Sam and Gene enter the pub with the T.V., they both stand at the bar with Gene leaning one hand against the bar. In the next shot Gene is leaning on it with both hands. When the shot cuts again he is back in his original position with one hand on the bar.

Episode #2.4 - S2-E4

Continuity mistake: When Sam sits down next to Carol Twilling on the bed, asking, "Do things ever get a bit frisky?" the top button of his shirt is undone. The camera cuts away and back, only to find that there are now miraculously two buttons undone, not just one. Sam has not moved in this time.

Episode #2.2 - S2-E2

Continuity mistake: During the scene between Hunt and Tyler, which takes place directly after Hunt has been "communicating" his outrage to Dickie Fingers, by hitting Dickie's hand repeatedly with a telephone, Hunt puts his hands in his pockets. However, in the next shot, which is the opposite camera angle, Hunt's hands are suddenly back out of his pockets. When the camera angle changes again, they're back in, all with no movement on Gene Hunt's part.

Episode 4 - S1-E4

Continuity mistake: Sam and Gene are discussing how to deal with Stephen Warren and having a drink. Sam holds the bottle of scotch with the label facing away from him. It immediately does a 180 degrees turn as he takes a slug from it.

Show generally

Continuity mistake: In the episode about the Asian drug dealers, when Sam is tied to a bed and an iron is roped to his chest, the ropes change position depending on the camera angle.

Episode #2.2 - S2-E2

Continuity mistake: Look out for the self-cleaning windscreen on the car driven by D.C. Skelton. As it turns into the field, it's dirty one moment and clean the next.

Episode 1 - S1-E1

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Sam has just been clipped by a car in the first episode, Sam is rolling off the car with the car rear in this shot, however when we cut to an overhead shot of the car, Sam is seen to be rolling off the car AGAIN before he hits the floor.

Episode 7 - S1-E7

Continuity mistake: When Gene and Sam are having a discussion in the gents, his tie goes from being lopsided to straight, despite his hands never leaving his pockets.

Episode 5 - S1-E5

Revealing mistake: When the Capri crashes into the goal net & they go to arrest the suspect you can see sky satellite dishes on the houses in front of them. Satellite TV didn't start in the UK until the 80s.

peter mcgougan

More mistakes in Life on Mars

Trivia: Continual references are made to The Wizard of Oz. In Episode 1 of season 1, Tyler leaves the station with the intention of walking back to reality. He says to Cartwright that he is going to 'follow the yellow brick road'. In episode two, after the principal drama has resolved Tyler suggests to Hunt that his 'guv' transfer him back to the division he came from. Hunt obliges by picking up his phone and saying that the Wizard of Oz will sort it out 'because of the wonderful things he does'. Throughout the series Hunt insultingly refers to Tyler as 'Dorothy'. And in the final episode, the song 'Over The Rainbow' can be heard in the soundtrack. Furthermore, the character Frank Morgan has the same name as the actor who portrayed the Wizard of Oz, an acknowledged "humbug", in the 1939 film.

More trivia for Life on Mars

Show generally

Question: When Sam reads someone their rights why does someone else tell him he's saying it wrong? This happens few times in different episodes.

strikeand

Chosen answer: Sam is using the modern wording of the right-to-silence caution prescribed by legislation such as the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. In the 1970s, the wording would have been different, if it was used at all.

Sierra1

More questions & answers from Life on Mars

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