Faith Based Initiative - S6-E10
Other mistake: In the flashback episode where the early days of the first Bartlet campaign are shown, Toby is "teaching" C.J. the proper technique for passing a basketball, something she is not very good at. Yet in this episode, when C.J.'s sexuality is questioned in the news, her history as a star basketball player in high school and college is revealed.
The Lame Duck Congress - S2-E6
Visible crew/equipment: At the end of the episode there is a camera visible in the oval office. After President Bartlet and Toby leave the office an attendant enters to turn off the lamps in the oval office. The scene widens as the lamps are turned off such that the audience can see the entire darkened room. The production equipment, a camera on tripod, and even a crewmember's leg are visible between the penultimate and final lamps being turned off. (00:41:50)
Factual error: At the end of the episode, the pilot says their runway has been changed to "runway 39." Runway headings are multiples of 10° from 01 up to 36. There cannot be a "runway 39."
Continuity mistake: During the entire first half of the episode President Bartlet is using a cane and is walking with a very pronounced limp due the effects of his MS. However after changing from street clothes into a suit to meet the President Elect he is walking fine with no symptoms whatsoever.
Factual error: When Sam is telling Leo about the couple who crashed their car after the fundraiser where the President talked about seat belts, he states, "Now she's suing him for contributory negligence!" Contributory Negligence is not something you can sue for, it is a defense to a lawsuit and is based on the plaintiff's own negligent conduct - the woman would be suing the president for just "negligence." Sam repeats the phrase at 7:45, when he claims "Contributory negligence in wrongful death is the tort equivalent of murder." This makes no sense from a legal perspective. As an attorney, Sam would know the difference - this a writing mistake. (00:01:52)
The Indians in the Lobby - S3-E8
Factual error: When President Bartlet is on the phone with the butterball hotline, he claims to be from Fargo, ND. Charlie tells him the zipcode of Fargo is 50504. Fargo has 13 zip codes assigned to it. None of them are 50504. They are all beteeen 58102 and 58126. (00:28:05)
Continuity mistake: When Josh, Joe, and Donna are in Josh's office talking about the NASA report, Josh's pen is in his left side of the shirt pocket. When the camera cuts to them walking out of his office the pen is on the right side.
A Proportional Response - S1-E3
Continuity mistake: When Leo asks Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Fitzwallace about the optics of hiring Charlie, a black man, to carry the president's bags, Fitzwallace's ribbons on his Navy uniform are upside-down. This mistake is very visible because he has two ribbons on the bottom when there should always be three. On his way out the door, there is one shot where Fitzwallace's ribbons have been fixed, but then as he walks out the door his ribbons are upside-down again. (00:25:50 - 00:27:10)
Factual error: In the show's final scene Ronna comes into the oval office to remind President Santos that it's nearly 6 PM and he needs to get ready for the various inaugural balls. The Oval Office is filled with sunshine, however in Washington D.C. in January the sun would have set nearly an hour before and it would be dark outside.
Factual error: When describing the location of the "oil refinery" / missile silo, it is said to be in the Oblast Region of Russia. Clearly, some intern was asked to Google Russian Regions and accidentally came back with the Russian word FOR region. It's like saying something was in State State or County County. Also, in the same episode, Bartlett berates the Russian ambassador about people being crazy in Minsk...which is in Belarus.
Visible crew/equipment: When Donna opens Josh's Christmas gift, actor Bradley Whitford's mic pack is visible on screen tucked behind his belt. (00:37:55)
Continuity mistake: The fictional nation of Qumar, which maps have shown to be part of real-life Pakistan, has been the subject of many earlier episodes. When the generals are looking at a map of central Asia in preparation for the Kazakhstan deployment, Qumar is not on the map.
A Proportional Response - S1-E3
Continuity mistake: The president is snapping at everyone while looking for his glasses. Newcomer Charlie addresses Bartlet, who turns and takes off CJ's glasses he'd been trying on. Everybody freezes in surprise at Charlie's interruption, including Bartlet who can be seen holding the glasses away from his body. In the immediate next shot, Bartlet can be seen on the monitor still wearing CJ's glasses, and then interrupts Charlie while removing the glasses once more. (00:33:20)
Continuity mistake: When Josh and Leo are discussing Leo's alcoholism Josh refers to Leo as being "Boston Irish-Catholic" but in several other episodes it's mentioned that Leo is from and grew up in Chicago.
H. Con-172 - S3-E11
Factual error: When Leo is talking with Jordan about why he doesn't want the President to be censured, he states that this would be the first time a President was censured. This is untrue. Both Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan were censured by Congress (although Jackson's censure was later expunged). (00:11:25)
Let Bartlet Be Bartlet - S1-E19
Continuity mistake: When CJ leaves Toby's office and Josh sits town on the couch next to Toby she closes the door as she walks out and we can hear it close. But the camera switches to a different angle as Josh sits down and the door frame is still in picture and is open as we hear the sound of it closing the door frame is still open. (00:20:40)
Evidence of Things Not Seen - S4-E20
Continuity mistake: Will Bailey is wearing a military uniform for the only time in the show (as it is revealed he is a reservist Lieutenant in the USAF). On his uniform shirt there are three medal ribbons-bars. Those ribbon-bars (worn in the correct order from left to right) are as follows: 1. The Air Force Organisational Excellence Award Ribbon 2. The National Defence Service Medal Ribbon 3. The Air Force Training Ribbon. After the shooting incident outside the Press Briefing Room (where gunshots hit one of the windows), Lt. Will Bailey can be seen wearing his three ribbon-bars (incorrect) in the reverse order. Then following on in the two subsequent scenes Will's medal ribbons-bars are back in the correct order. (00:08:05 - 00:16:15)
Continuity mistake: When Josh tells Lou that women should support Republicans, we're on day two, and the scene that comes up right after that is at the White House when Will is about to give another press conference, but if you look at it, Will, C.J., Margaret and the press are all wearing different clothes, even though it's the same day as the two previous press conferences Will gave.
The Ticket - S7-E1
Continuity mistake: This episode (after the library scene that takes place three years later), according to Josh, takes place four days after the National Democratic Convention shown in 6x22. Somehow in that 4 day period Josh's hair has grown considerably and Jed's hair has become much grayer.
In the Room - S6-E8
Continuity mistake: When the senator talks to Josh, he says he's going to investigate again why Margudian went to play golf with a navy helicopter, and Josh says that was a year ago, but Margudian was in the first/second season. That's a lot more than a year.
Answer: It's in reference to the many televangelists and revival ministers usually associated with the right-wing that have been convicted of tax fraud (Jim Bakker and Tamy Faye being a more famous set). Occasionally, the more unscrupulous ministers have bilked millions from believers all in the name of God.
Nikki