The West Wing (1999) - 50 mistakes in entire show
starring Allison Janney, Bradley Whitford, Dulé Hill, Janel Moloney, John Spencer, Joshua Malina, Martin Sheen, Richard Schiff, Rob Lowe, Stockard Channing
Updates:
Series 2
Across whole show
Other: The actress who plays Nancy McNally, Anna Deavere Smith, sometimes has her name spelt Anna Deveare Smith in the credits. It's happened in quite a few episodes. Not sure which is the correct way. Submitted by Daioni
Pilot (series 1)
Factual error: During the face-off about religion/politics, they get into a shouting match about commandments, both groups being equally convinced that "honour your father and mother" is the 1st or 3rd commandment, respectively. In actual fact it's the 4th or 5th, depending on which version (Catholic or Protestant) of the 10 commandments you go by. See http://www.positiveatheism.org/crt/whichcom.htm. Submitted by Jon Sandys
In Excelsis Deo (series 1)
Continuity: The title card tells us it's 12/23 sometime in the morning. Sam mentions he's going to Bermuda in 27 hours (so noonish on 12/24?). Later that day CJ asks if Sam and Josh are doing anything, "tonight?" Sam acts guilty and CJ offers to cook them dinner. Sam says he's leaving for Bermuda that night, which is not in the 27-hour time period previously mentioned. The next day, marked 12/24, Sam is in full black suit hanging around the White House. Granted, the flight could be leaving around noon and it may be only 9am. But no further mention is made of Bermuda. Submitted by oregonbeach
Mandatory Minimums (series 1)
Factual error: When Leo is reminding the Congressional Aides about their bosses' drug scandals, he states that Vicodin is a Schedule II Controlled Substance. It is actually a Schedule III Controlled Substance. Given his experience in this area he'd know better. Submitted by Captain Defenestrator
In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part I (series 2)
Revealing: When the Secret Service drags Hoynes out of the White House lobby, they exit through the main entrance, doors that are shown in episodes before and after as leading directly outside. But instead of seeing a convincing night exterior this time, the flashing cameras reveal nothing but a blue studio backdrop is out there. Submitted by John W Rosa
In the Shadow of Two Gunmen: Part II (series 2)
Other: When Toby tells Sam to "Go back to the office", the subtitles add "Let's", suggesting both are going, but only Sam leaves. Submitted by John W Rosa
And It's Surely to Their Credit (series 2)
Continuity: When Ainsley Hayes and Lionel Tribbey are talking in her office, the bottled water moves from being to the right of the framed picture on her desk in the shots over her shoulder to being behind the picture in the shots of her desk from the front. Submitted by Captain Defenestrator
The Lame Duck Congress (series 2)
Plot hole: In order to allow time for a lengthy scene conversing while walking, actor John Spencer is sent on a ridiculous course through the White House. See the floor plan at http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/west-wing/west-wing-TV.jpg to follow along. He's first spotted leaving Margaret's area (blank space located just up and left of his "Chief of Staff" office on the plan). The handheld camera is in the Roosevelt room at this point. He turns right, traveling between his office and the Roosevelt room, meeting Donna along this hall. They make two slight left turns, then a hard left, entering the Roosevelt room (at the top/right corner's diagonal door). They walk the length of the room, turn left (down) and Leo drops some of the paperwork he carries onto the end of the table. They then exit the room (bottom left door) which is right outside the doorway where Leo started the scene. Leo isn't wandering. He's quite deliberate in his choices, yet if he'd simply walked straight ahead 6 or so steps from where he started, he'd have been where he dropped the papers. Submitted by John W Rosa
The Portland Trip (series 2)
Factual error: In the situation room, Colonel Chase informs Leo that a CH-47 Seahawk helicopter was dispatched from the USS Monterey. Problem is, the CH-47 is called "Chinook" while the SH-60 is the Seahawk (of which the USS Monterey carries two). See: http://picasaweb.google.com/agbeko.Dzamesi/Aircraft/photo5029495094968996146 for photo of an SH-60B Seahawk landing on the USS Monterey. Submitted by John W Rosa
Continuity: As Margaret enters Leo's office, the bottom corner of her ID tag is tucked into the sweater's button area. It remains this way when she stops walking. The camera reverses angle for a moment, yet we can still see she isn't moving. But the angle changes back and suddenly the ID hangs freely, dead center, over the buttons. Moments later, as she turns to leave, it's again tucked in. Submitted by John W Rosa
Shibboleth (series 2)
Audio problem: As Charlie leaves the Oval Office, he pulls the door behind him. When it stops moving, the audio suggests it has been closed fully ("ka-chunk"), yet it's obvious it has not been closed as we can still see the outer office's curtains at the right of the screen, confirmed further when C.J. steps forward and the camera pans right to show the entire door frame area, and the door open quite a bit. Submitted by John W Rosa
Bartlet's Third State of the Union (series 2)
Audio problem: During the blackout, Donna and Josh sit together. The scene begins with the camera looking out the window, panning right to reveal Donna as we hear her finish saying, "You know what I'm surprised about?". But her mouth isn't moving at all until she begins her next sentence, and it's visible when we're hearing "about". Submitted by John W Rosa
Bad Moon Rising (series 2)
Continuity: As Jed and Leo pass through a doorway, the left door is open toward the camera while the right door is opened away. But as the camera angle shifts, the left is opened the same as the right. Submitted by John W Rosa
Revealing: Oliver Babish's office has windows in a location it can not possibly have them. Jed and Leo are in continuous conversation as they leave the 'normal' West Wing set at the end of a hall (See http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/special/wwtv.htm where the words 'Press Briefing Room' are - that's where they turn to their right). They walk a few steps then turn right again and ahead of them is Babish's office, with windows straight ahead. If this had been a single continuous set, Babish's office would be located in the stair area to the left of the press briefing room, and the windows would offer a view of the hallway that runs between the lower corners of Leo and C.J.'s offices (seen at 3:36), not the outside world. Submitted by John W Rosa
Visible crew/equipment: As Bartlet enters the Oval Office, Babish stands waiting inside. The shadow of the panning camera darkens Babish's face considerably as it moves right to left. Submitted by John W Rosa
Deliberate "mistake": This show is famous / infamous for having many long conversations between characters that are walking the corridors of the West Wing of the White House. In this episode, the chat was long enough that more space was needed to complete the walk, so the actors were instantaneously teleported to a different spot to lengthen the walk. Using http://www.whitehousemuseum.org/special/wwtv.htm as a guide, Pres. Bartlet and Leo leave the Oval Office, pass through the Presidential Secretary's office, turn left, passing between the Roosevelt Room and the Chief of Staff's office. At the end of the Roosevelt room, they turn left through dark wooden doors that are open. Instantly, the actors are at the next junction higher on the map (no wood doors), as if they'd just passed between the Roosevelt room and the Communications Bullpen, and they continue (downward on the map) thru the intersection where they original turned (watch for the doors after Leo says "You wouldn't understand"). Submitted by John W Rosa
18th and Potomac (series 2)
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