Best comedy TV factual errors of all time
Please vote as you browse around to help the best rise to the top.
Factual error: Kryten tells everyone that the matter paddle transmits matter in digital form from one place to another at the speed of light - he is very clear on this point. He then locates Waxworld, which is 200,000 light years away. Okay - so when they use the matter paddle to transmit themselves to Waxworld, why doesn't it take them 200,000 years to get there?
The Treaty - S4-E7
Factual error: At the UN conference, 'England' is shown as a member of the Security Council. England sits on both the UN and the Security Council as part of the 'United Kingdom' - not as a stand-alone country. UN nerds Leslie and Ben would have known this.
Throwing It All Away - S10-E15
Factual error: In the opening scenes, Arizona mistakenly says a child suffering from eminent liver failure is at risk for psoriasis, when the script called for the word cirrhosis. Psoriasis is a skin disease. Cirrhosis is the medical term for end stage liver disease.
Factual error: Throughout the whole show Godber, 'Bunny' Warren, McLaren, the Prison Governor and many of the guards refer to Fletcher as a Cockney. He even identifies himself as a Cockney on a number of occasions. However, in several episodes he refers to his upbringing in Muswell Hill and in this episode he refers to his having been born there - and we see his old stamping ground in that episode when he gets a weekend's compassionate leave. Nobody from Muswell Hill would ever refer to himself as a Cockney - Muswell Hill isn't even in East London!
The People vs. the Fonz - S11-E11
Factual error: When the Cunninghams are talking about Fonz's trial, Mr. Cunningham can be seen wearing a digital watch. Digital watches didn't exist in the 50's.
Factual error: Raj and Sheldon are watching TV in Raj's apartment and we hear music playing. Sheldon asks if the woman on TV was Aishwarya Rai to which Raj says yes and then they argue about her and Madhuri Dixit. The song playing was from the Bollywood movie Kaho Na Pyar Hai, but neither of them are in the movie - the lead actress was Ameesha Patel. (00:14:50)
Aditi Gupta
Factual error: A character in the episode has invented denim, but denim was invented in 1873 and was being used widely up to the time period of the series, which is set in 1893.
Scott215Suggested correction: The entire series was set in an alternate history of sorts, so most, if not all, historical "inaccuracies" cannot be regarded as mistakes.
zendaddy621
Factual error: When Klinger's walking with Captain Allen and the Stars and Stripes photographer, just before their introductions to "Ben" they pass an empty corrugated box with its flap open, and the recycling symbol can be seen on the flap. Recycling symbols were not in use until about 20 years later.
Super Grover
Factual error: The family stays briefly in a British apartment, however the plug sockets displayed are US standard, not UK.
mrSimon
The One Where Ross Is Fine - S10-E2
Factual error: If Ross really was holding the sizzling fajitas like that for as long as he was without any gloves, he would be in the emergency room.
moviemaster101
Factual error: Boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts are seen in several episodes; there were no Krispy Kreme locations in Wisconsin until after 2000.
zendaddy621
Factual error: The model UN uses the new South African flag, but this flag only came into use in 1994.
It's Not Easy Being Green - S5-E16
Factual error: Boomhauer's car, Ms. Sally, has a Texas flag license plate on it. These plates were not issued until 1992, but Ms. Sally was driven into the quarry in the late 70's or early 80's.
Jason Sieberg
The Ninja Poke-Showdown - S1-E32
Factual error: When Venonat uses Stun Spore, Ash tells Bulbasaur to use Whirlwind. Bulbasaur just blows the powder away with his mouth, but he doesn't use the Whirlwind attack. He can't learn Whirlwind in any of the games, and what Whirlwind is supposed to do is to blow the opposing Pokemon away. Ash could have just as easily told Bulbasaur to blow it away, but he instead chose to tell him to use a move that he can't possibly learn. The only Pokemon that can learn Whirlwind are either Flying types or Bug types; i.e., Pokemon with wings (with the exception of Makuhita and Hariyama, which weren't introduced until generation III, and did not exist at the time this episode aired). In The School of Hard Knocks (Season 1, Episode 9), a character mentions information regarding a Pokemon's levels, attacks, and information which is taken straight out of the game, so it's very clear that Bulbasaur should not be able to use Whirlwind.
Knever
Factual error: Kyle says he has to log on before school. The next shot shows "Monday 8 days later." 8 days before is a Sunday. (00:04:45)
Ssiscool
How I Met Everyone Else - S3-E5
Factual error: When Ted is talking about what Marshall told him after he met Lilly, the two boys are playing with Playstation 2 controllers. The scene takes place in 1996, and Playstation 2 didn't come out until 2000.
The Man Who Broke the Bank at Red Gap - S2-E17
Factual error: An egotistical, prissy and dishonest lawyer like Mr. Fletcher wouldn't make the mistake of allowing his name to be misspelled on his office door. It reads "Winfred Fletcher." His first name, as it's pronounced throughout the episode, is "Winford." (00:26:50)
Jean G
Factual error: In an earlier episode where Edie and Susan are driving Martha Huber's ashes to the lake to be spread, Edie gets a flat tire and Susan changes it. In Season 5 Episode 19, All the girls are driving with Edie's ashes and they get a flat tire. Susan asks "Does anyone know how to change a flat tire?" Did she forget how to change a tire?
satangelical
Factual error: During the theme, the Simpsons' mailbox flag is on the wrong side of the mailbox. (Flags are always on a mailbox's right side, when viewed from the front. The one at the Simpson home is on the left side of their mailbox). (00:01:45)
Factual error: When Jake is given a burner phone by Doug Judy, he receives a text message from the 'Pontiac Bandit'. The phone is an old cellphone from the late 90s, but the text message makes an iPhone sound/tone from the late 2000s. He receives another text message again later with the same tone. (00:09:55 - 00:12:50)
Hani HariprabowoJoin the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.