Best TV continuity mistakes of all time

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Parks and Recreation picture

Jerry's Retirement - S5-E20

Continuity mistake: Jerry is saying goodbye to all in the office and is carrying a box with his things to take with him. In the box is a tall flag that keeps disappearing and reappearing between shots. (00:01:10)

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Saved by the Bell picture

House Party - S2-E5

Continuity mistake: Kelly said her youngest brother can burp his whole name Kenneth Leonard Kapowski in one burp. However in the previous year, Kelly had an infant brother named Billy. According to this info, unlikely Kenneth would be younger than Billy.

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Suggested correction: Kelly can have more than one brother because in the episode where Kelly gets her job at the Max she said "I cook every night for my 11 siblings". So he could be younger or just have a nickname.

The mistake is valid because she says her "youngest" brother, not "younger." In the episode "The Babysitters" (which was meant to air in season 1 and produced before "House Party"), her brother Billy is an infant and says his first words. Kelly has 6 siblings and she never said she cooked for 11 siblings when getting a job at The Max. She says she sets the dinner table for 9 people three times a night.

Bishop73

Ironically, the show only reveals 5 siblings each in their own individual episode. (#6 is unknown). Bennett (mentioned), Nicki (seen), Kyle (voice heard only), Kenneth (mentioned), Billy (seen) are the 5 of 6 siblings revealed.

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Suggested correction: This series is not meant to be taken in exact chronological order. Most episodes have no dates or time of the year set. Unless we have reference to a date or time period of the year; we have no way of knowing if the continuity is truly off as this series is meant for the episodes to be taken within a generalized time. Not in any specific chronology except for a few where the time period is specific. Neither this episode or the one before it has reference to a date in time.

Suggested correction: While the other correction is wrong, the real reason this isn't a mistake is because the episodes were aired out of order they were produced, which means it's not a mistake within the context of the show. "Bend It Like Baxter" (production code 315) was filmed before the previous episode, "Double Vision" (production code 318).

Bishop73

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Angel picture

Judgment - S2-E1

Continuity mistake: Right after Cordelia has her vision, Wesley goes to the whiteboard. In the "Case" column he writes "N.D.U.O." Underneath what looks like "CARYNSS" crossed out. But once they find out that it is a Prio Motu demon and Angel writes it on the whiteboard, "N.D.U.O." disappears even though Angel did not rub it off.

THGhost

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Hell on Wheels picture

Bleeding Kansas - S4-E11

Continuity mistake: Ruth is seen in a flashback. The young Ruth has a mole on the left side of her face, as does the adult Ruth. But in one shot, when she is slapped by her father, the mole appears on the right side. (00:20:00)

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Married... with Children picture

He Thought He Could - S3-E1

Continuity mistake: When young Al reaches forward with his left arm to take the book that Miss Degroot wants to give to him, she quickly pulls back but young AL still has his arm raised. In the next shot, his hand his down by his side.

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I Love Lucy picture I Love Lucy mistake picture

The Séance - S1-E7

Continuity mistake: After Lucy tells Mr. Merriweather that he's invited to the seance, when it cuts to Lucy unfolding the card table legs, note the couch behind her with one normal seat cushion on the left, but in the next wideshot there's an additional shorter cushion under the normal cushion. The small towel also repositions itself neatly on the couch. (00:11:55)

Super Grover

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Body of Proof picture

All in the Family - S1-E7

Continuity mistake: When Megan is running late to pick up her daughter and friends from a sleepover, she arrives in the medical examiner car with Peter. The girls walk towards the car. Megan then gets out and introduces herself to the friends. The girls dump their bags on the ground and the two friends go to get in the car. Her daughter stands by the bags and asks 'who are you?!' to Peter. He explains who he is and that he works with her mum. - however in a previous episode her daughter goes to her work place and interviews all the staff, including Peter. (00:17:35)

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Pretty Little Liars picture

A Person of Interest - S1-E19

Continuity mistake: On the video of Ian supposedly killing Alison, we see her arm fall to the ground with her "Alison" bracelet visible. But in a later scene where Emily watches Ian put his bag in the athletics room, we cut back to the video and Alison's arm suddenly has a sleeve covering up her bracelet. When we see the video again later in the series, her bracelet is visible again.

THGhost

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The Simpsons picture The Simpsons mistake picture Video

Show generally

Continuity mistake: This is a mistake for the introduction from seasons 2-20 (1991-2009). When Homer screams, he turns round. You see this in a wide shot. There are no boxes to the right of the door in the garage. However, two just appear out of thin air when he runs through the garage. (00:01:50)

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Family Guy picture

Road to Germany - S7-E3

Continuity mistake: After getting the uranium, Stewie places it in the time pad and then puts the pad in his jacket pocket. After being confronted by Hitler who promises to spare them if they sing a musical number, Mort interrupts them, and it's seen that he is now standing on the time pad.

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Victorious picture

Tori the Zombie - S1-E6

Continuity mistake: While Tori is getting her mask removed, another shot shows her sneaking back on stage, but the next shot shows her still getting her mask removed.

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Fringe picture

Unearthed - S2-E11

Continuity mistake: Charlie, Olivia's former partner and friend in the FBI shows up in this episode during the interview with Mrs. Rusk, but Charlie was killed off by one of the shapeshifters in a previous episode, and the shapeshifter that killed Charlie was himself killed off by Olivia, who in other episodes reflected back on killing him. This episode was supposedly meant to be in season 1 as ep 21 or 22. Unknown why they didn't air it then, and decided to put it in the middle of season 2 (for no apparent reason).

Mark Sweetman

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Star Trek: The Next Generation picture

Conspiracy - S1-E25

Continuity mistake: In the beginning of this episode, Riker orders Geordi (who was navigator at the time) to increase to Warp 6. In response, Geordi replies, "Aye sir, full impulse."

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The West Wing picture

Election Day (Part 1) - S7-E16

Continuity mistake: When Bruno and Bob are poring over exit polls, they mention that Santos seems to be leading in North Dakota, and comment that it is a state that hasn't gone Democratic in forty years. While that is true in the real world, in the fictional West Wing world, it is stated in Season 4 that Bartlet won the Dakotas in his landslide reelection.

marathon69

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Firefly picture

Out of Gas - S1-E5

Continuity mistake: In the flashback where Mal and Zoë meet Jayne for the first time, every close-up of Mal and the one close-up of Zoë shows their hair blowing in the wind. But in the shots of them together, their hair is completely still.

THGhost

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Haven picture

301 - S3-E1

Continuity mistake: Duke is wearing an extra shirt, and his hair is longer then it was, despite continuing the scene from the end of season 2.

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