Hoss and the Leprechauns - S5-E12
Continuity mistake: Hoss fires a total of 6 shots from his pistol to scare away a bear who is menacing one of the "little green men." He returns his pistol to his gun belt. A few moments later he uses the gun again to destroy the lock on the strongbox. He is never seen re-loading his gun but has fired 7 shots.
Factual error: Samuel Clemens, who has written several humorous tales for the Territorial Enterprise, tells the publisher he would like to start writing serious news stories. The publisher replies, "This is a newspaper, not a comic strip. You write it and I'll print it." The first comic strip, "The Little Bears," debuted in 1893 and the term "comic strip" did not enter the vocabulary until 1920. "Bonanza" is set in the 1860s.
The Actress - S4-E22
Continuity mistake: Little Joe falls in love with Julia Grant, an aspiring actress who, with her son, is staying at the Ponderosa for several days. After she learns she has landed an acting job in San Francisco, she and her son leave the Ponderosa. As they ride off in their horse-drawn wagon, Joe is standing next to Ben and Hoss and he is waving goodbye with his right hand. In the following long shot, Joe has both hands on his hips and is staring at the ground.
Thanks for Everything, Friend - S6-E4
Factual error: Adam has fallen into the river. As he is spotted by Tom Wilson from his campsite, a car is visible passing far across the valley.
Factual error: As the boy dies, his hand opens and coins roll out. Included are Washington Quarters (first made 1932), Jefferson Nickels (1938), and Roosevelt Dimes (1946). (00:15:45)
Audio problem: Apparently there was a problem with the sound recording during a scene of Ben Cartwright speaking to his son Adam while standing by the chuck wagon. One of Ben's lines was dubbed in by someone else whose voice was higher-pitched and less gruff than that of actor Lorne Greene.
Other mistake: At night, Adam goes to visit a man whose brother has been shot and killed. After the man lights a lantern on the table to Adam's right, Adam's shadow is to his right and not to his left as it should be.
Continuity mistake: In the Ponderosa home, Arturo Diaz, a Mexican freedom fighter, is shot by a renegade pistolero. Diaz falls on his back and Ben Cartwright rushes to his side. Diaz says "Adios" and then dies, with his head turned to the left. After a brief close-up of Ben, Diaz's head is now turned to the right.
Factual error: Walter Prescott accuses Hoss of "two-timing" him with a mail-order bride. This episode is set in the mid-1860s and, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the expression "two-timing" dates from 1924.
Continuity mistake: Adam is in the hotel lobby awaiting the arrival of a rider. The clock behind him says 3:30. He opens the door and looks out for a few seconds, then closes the door. The clock has jumped to 3:35.
Revealing mistake: When Gunnar lifts Vaca over his head during the fight, in the closeup he's holding up a barrel over his head instead of Vaca and throws the barrel. (00:35:05)
Continuity mistake: Little Joe is bitten on the right hand by a gypsy in a bedroom. He exits the room rubbing his left hand which is examined by Ben and Hoss. (00:07:00)
Visible crew/equipment: When Adam and Little Joe walks in front of the saloon while asking a man where they can get a bath, a microphone is visible at the top of the screen.
Found Child - S7-E7
Factual error: The episode opens with Hoss discovering a wrecked wagon with three dead adults. He spots a Raggety Ann doll and realises that a child may be nearby. Raggety Ann dolls weren't invented until 1915, at least 48 years after the shows time frame.
Audio problem: At a party at the Ponderosa, several couples are dancing to the music of a three-piece band. When the music stops, the sound of applause is heard but nobody is clapping.
Suggested correction: You can't sere everybody in the room. Some people out of view are clapping.
Continuity mistake: When Ben comes in the house he's carrying his coat. When he passes Adam he doesn't have it. When he goes into Hoss' room he's got it in his hand again.
The Rescue - S2-E23
Continuity mistake: When Ben is shot at he falls on his right side. When the shooter goes to check it out he's on his left.
Continuity mistake: When Ben heard the gunshots and mounts his horse and rides towards the gunshots he is not carrying a rifle nor is there one on his horse, but when he returns to The Way Station being chased by the Indians he is carrying a rifle.
Five Sundowns to Sunup - S7-E12
Other mistake: The Lassiter brothers have kidnapped a judge and a posse is searching for them. One of the men says they should quit for the day because "it's almost sundown." Judging by the shadows of the men, their horses and nearby trees, the time appears to be around 1 PM.
Visible crew/equipment: Boom mic is visible at the top of the screen as Hoss is about to give water to the gold thief they found nearly dead in the desert. (00:42:50 - 00:43:30)