The Carnival - S1-E3
Factual error: After John-Boy reads the scary bedtime story to Jim-Bob and Elizabeth, when Elizabeth is lying in bed she's holding her Raggedy Ann doll, and in the closeup we can see the doll's Knickerbocker tag. This episode takes place in 1933 (the Chicago World's Fair is mentioned at the end), and the Knickerbocker Toy Company created this doll in the late 1960s. (00:09:30)
The Bicycle - S1-E23
Factual error: While Ann is on the Walton's swing telling Curtis that he deceived and lied to her, when Curtis gets back into his car, a modern vehicle is visible at the right side of the screen, which is inappropriate for the time period. (00:46:10)
The Townie - S1-E24
Factual error: After John-Boy and Sarah's date at the double-feature, during the ride back home when John-Boy tells Sarah that there's nothing to makeup and he's not mad, through the windshield 1970s vehicles are parked directly ahead of John's pickup truck. (00:08:25)
Factual error: After Olivia realises she has polio, when John goes downstairs the radio is on and we hear an excerpt from President Roosevelt's fireside chat about upcoming Labor Day. The problem is this aired on the radio right before Labor Day in 1936, but Olivia contracts polio very early 1934. (00:22:35)
Factual error: When John-Boy and Jason walk into the theater, there's a poster for the movie Breakthrough, released in 1950, which is about the Battle of Normandy that didn't even happen until Summer 1942. This episode was set in early 1934. (00:50:55)
Factual error: When Mary Ellen brings G.W. into the woods to practice dancing together, she opens up a magazine and shows him a movie still of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The problem is the photo is a still from Fred and Ginger's dance in the movie "Swing Time" (at 00:28:00 within that movie) which premiered August 1936 (and was filmed that year), but this episode takes place more than two years prior, in early 1934. (00:59:20)
Factual error: When Olivia gets polio, she is at home. John is allowed to stay with her 24/7. It seems unlikely that the doctor, even if not taken to hospital, would allow John to stay in the room and risk contamination.
