Best comedy TV character mistakes of all time

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Porridge picture

Pardon Me - S3-E4

Character mistake: "Blanco" Webb refuses parole on the grounds that, under Home Office rules, that would mean he had to admit to murdering his wife, a charge he vehemently denies. However, he accepts a pardon from the Home Office issued on the recommendation of the prison governor. Surely someone like Blanco, a man who quotes Home Office regulations by chapter, paragraph and verse, must know that a pardon is a remission of all punishment for a crime committed by the person being pardoned? By accepting a pardon he is admitting his guilt in exactly the same way as he would have been had he accepted parole.

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The Big Bang Theory picture

The Pork Chop Indeterminacy - S1-E15

Character mistake: In his conversation with Missy Sheldon makes it clear that his superior intelligence is a result of a random, mutated gene. Since Missy isn't similarly intelligent she obviously isn't carrying this mutated gene (which would be a billion to one shot anyway) so her offspring wouldn't inherit it. Sheldon would know this - his offspring would carry the mutated gene for superior intelligence, Missy's would not. Anyone knowing enough about genetics to use the term 'randomly mutated gene' understands enough to know that the mutated gene would only be expressed in a direct line from the carrier - Sheldon. Also bear in mind he has a model of the DNA molecule in his living room - it is obviously an interest.

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Suggested correction: Genes can be dormant. Which allows them to skip generations. Therefor Missy's children could actually get the "mutated" gene. This is especially true since Sheldon and Missy are twins. Also, since the episode is about who out of Leonard, Howard or Raj, Sheldon would allow to "mate" with his sister, there is the added "insurance" of getting any smart genes from any of the 3 Lothario's mentioned above.

If you are going to try to argue with a geneticist about genetics, please use the correct terms. Sheldon is not referring to a recessive gene - there is no such thing as a dormant gene - he is speaking of a randomly mutated gene. Those are the words he used. If he had inherited a homozygous recessive karotype - one recessive gene from each of his parents - then somewhere in his family tree there would similarly gifted people, in which case he would use the correct term - a recessive gene. If Missy is a heterozygotic dominant karotype possessing the recessive gene for super-genius and the dominant for ordinary intelligence then mating her with Howard, Raj or Leonard would be a waste of time as their dominant genius gene would prevent the recessive super-genius gene from being expressed in the phenotype of the resulting child. The child would be highly intelligent but not on Sheldon's standards. It doesn't matter if Sheldon does not know any of this as he refers several times to a randomly mutated gene, not a recessive one. Missy does not carry the super-genius gene. The posting is correct.

Sheldon is prone to magical thinking when necessary to preserve his obsessive need to control his environment. He may have simply ignored the flaw in his reasoning, as even the most intelligent humans do when venturing outside their ares of expertise. He may be interested in the science of genetics, but his Ph.D. in physics doesn't qualify him as an expert in that field.

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Alexa & Katie picture

Wigs - S1-E2

Character mistake: Lori said "Lori, let me. It's no big deal." to Jennifer instead of saying "Jennifer, let me. It's not big deal." (00:13:20)

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The Golden Girls picture

Bedtime Story - S2-E17

Character mistake: When all of the ladies are sharing Sophia's bed because there's been a cold snap and she has an electric blanket, Blanche mentions that her bed has never been so cold on a Saturday night. A few minutes later, Dorothy - upset that the other ladies are keeping her awake - states that she has to get up for work "very early in the morning." Dorothy is a substitute teacher, and would not have to be up for work early on a Sunday morning.

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Suggested correction: Teachers often have to work the weekend to prepare for the school week.

Knowing Dorothy, she probably made the statement about having to work - to trick the others into being quiet. But, as the script goes.

Even as a long-term sub, she wouldn't have to be up early in the morning for work just because she might have papers to grade or a lesson to prepare.

Bishop73

Agreed. Not a mistake.

Ssiscool

I never believed this was a mistake. Bedtime Story aired in February 1987 and Dorothy was probably referring to her job at the museum that Blanche worked for. That episode (Joust Between Friends) aired two months earlier in December 1986, so it's possible she was still working there in the flashback (since it was never mentioned when/why she left).

I always thought that Dorothy was teaching drivers education, which was often on a weekend or after normal school hours. She complains a couple times about teaching drivers ed throughout the series.

immortal eskimo

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Monk picture

Mr. Monk Visits a Farm - S5-E14

Character mistake: When Randy Disher is having Chinese food in his apartment with his new girlfriend in 3-12 "Mr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever", he gets a fortune stating that he is going to get money from his uncle, and says that he doesn't have an uncle. In this episode Randy inherits a farm from his uncle who appears to have committed suicide, but was actually murdered.

BrooklynGirl418

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Suggested correction: Randy says when that uncle dies that they were never close, so his leaving him the farm comes as a total surprise. It's still a character mistake, however, Randy is established as the sort of person who could "blank out" a relative that long-lost.

Captain Defenestrator

Randy says he can run the farm because he went there and helped his uncle every summer.

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Full House picture

Just One of the Guys - S1-E18

Character mistake: In the scene where Steve is changing the diaper on the toy, DJ asks if he would like to go ice skating tomorrow. When he says he can't she then says "well we can go tomorrow." (00:11:43)

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The Office picture

Business Ethics - S5-E2

Character mistake: Meredith admits during the ethics seminar that she has been sleeping with Bruce, the HammerMill rep, for discounts on paper/paper supplies for the company, as well as Outback steak coupons, for 6 years. But, Dunder Mifflin did not begin selling Hammer Mill products until 3-2 "The Convention" when Michael got the contract.

Anastasia Nicole Lapidakis

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Suggested correction: Michael didn't establish the contract with Hammer-mill. Rather, he locked them up as an exclusive supplier. It's unknown if they were already selling the products to Dunder Mifflin alongside Staples and Office Max.

Wrong, Josh says they cannot sell Hammer-mill products as they are exclusive to Staples so therefore they wouldn't have been able to sell there products alongside as mentioned before until Michael made them an exclusive to them solely, Dunder Mifflin. Therefore the original mistake stands true.

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White Collar picture

Live Feed - S5-E10

Character mistake: When Neal tells Rebecca about an Indian Idol and describes the idol to her, she tells him it's the Hindu Idol of Seeta, the goddess of wealth. Actually the idol is of Goddess Laxmi.

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine picture

DFW - S5-E17

Character mistake: When Gina tries to set up Rosa on a date, Rosa mentions the last person Gina set her up with (Justin) was a dork who rode a Yamaha motorcycle. She says "he might as well have picked me up in a station wagon." Rosa's bike is a Yamaha R1.

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The Inbetweeners picture

First Day - S1-E1

Character mistake: When Will tries to quote the law to the barman, he states that the group must be "accompanied by an adult" in order to drink alcohol with food. However, since he just served Jay, he believed Jay was an adult; and Jay is accompanying the group. Both Will and tha bartender miss this.

Moose

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American Dad picture

Spring Break-Up - S3-E16

Character mistake: At one point in the show, Roger throws a bucket of water (in disguise as Scotch Bingeington) on Francine claiming "Wet T-Shirt Contest!" Francine looks disgusted when Roger states "Eh, give this one a four" to the guy judging the contest, then says to Francine "Don't feel bad, you've had three kids." Francine replies "I've had two." and Roger gasps and puts a consoling hand on Francine's shoulder. This is wrong because Francine has birthed four children. She previously gave birth to Bailey (Hayley's twin), and Greg and Terry's baby in Season 3 Episode 7 "Surro-Gate." (00:14:15)

Travis Love Benson

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The Dick Van Dyke Show picture

It May Look Like a Walnut! - S2-E20

Character mistake: Rob is having a nightmare, part of which involves the disappearance of his thumbs. When he finds Laura at home, the script calls for him to say, "I want you to help me get my thumbs back," but he actually says, "I want you to help me get my thumb backs." His thumbs are also still there but hidden (you can see a portion of them in one frame of the episode).

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Psych picture

Ghosts - S3-E1

Character mistake: When Gus goes to check the source of the creepy phone call, he finds Shawn who immediately ends the call before saying anything. Later in the episode, Haversham says he heard Shawn say "Gus?" before ending the call.

Bhelkweit

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Three's Company picture

Forget Me Not - S8-E18

Character mistake: Janet is waiting for Larry to deliver her new car and states to Jack that this is her very first car. But 5 episodes earlier in S8-E13 "Itching for Trouble" when Moose asks if they had a football that needed air, Janet says no, but one of the tires on her car are low.

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Suggested correction: It could have been a quick comeback line as a joke. The way Janet was even saying it sounded that way. Also, technically speaking, she did have a car in the past. The trio had bought Roper's Car for a very short time (from an earlier episode) before Roper bought it back from them. Janet never physically drove it but at that time, she was ⅓ owner of it so technically she had a car before.

Yes, I always thought it was a quick comeback.

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