Episode #1.1 - S1-E1
Factual error: This is set in 1933. When the killer comes back to his lodgings in episode 1, Lily on the stairs is humming "Somewhere over the rainbow", which was written for The Wizard of Oz in 1939. She also happens to wear bright red shoes, which feels like yet another Wizard of Oz reference. Interesting enough, the subtitles say that she is humming a different song, "Night and day" which she openly sings throughout the series and was already a hit in 1932. (00:44:10)
Factual error: With two exceptions, all the policemen shown in both 1949 and 1953 are wearing the old-fashioned tunics with high, closed collars. The Metropolitan Police adopted the more modern open-necked tunic with collar and tie in 1948, and this is shown worn by the policeman who visits Christie and by the officer who arrests him.
Factual error: At the end of the episode after Wayne is shot, there is a brief shot of the outside of the hospital where he has been taken. The sign outside the hospital says Dalesboro, Ohio. Why would someone shot in coastal Maine end up in a hospital in Ohio?
Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 11: Tablet of Time - S2-E9
Factual error: When Peter is walking Alissa home, the traffic signal at the intersection they stop at goes from red to yellow to green. Not what US traffic signals do - they go straight from red to green.
Suggested correction: Not entirely true; although they are rare and may no longer exist now, I've seen traffic lights that followed the red, yellow, green pattern as recently as the mid-1990s.
Interesting. What state (s) did you see this in? I'm assuming going from red to yellow was to encourage cars to cautiously enter the intersection in case someone was running a red light?
Traffic lights in the UK do this - it's more to give you a second to get ready, in gear, etc., then as soon as the lights turn green you can go. Otherwise you get no warning of when the lights are about to change.
In Illinois; as I said, such traffic lights are rare, but they did exist at least as recently as the time this episode of the series aired, and they may still possibly exist in larger cities such as New York City.
This traffic light set-up (red to yellow to green) still exists today in the UK. From what I understand, it is to alert the driver that the light will be turning green imminently and to prepare themselves to put their car in gear, as manual cars are still pretty common in Europe. I'd wager this light cycle was phased out of North America due to the abundance of automatic cars today. Could have been different in 1994 though.
It should be noted that traffic lights that go from red to yellow before going green keep the red light illuminated so that both red and yellow are lit up. However, that's not what happens in the scene. I've never seen a traffic light operate the way it's shown. And Massachusetts still has traffic lights that go from red to yellow, however, when red and yellow are lit up together, this allows for pedestrian crossing.
Episode #1.1 - S1-E1
Factual error: When reviewing the phone numbers in the 1970s diary, they start '01' which was a change to UK numbers only brought in 1995.
Pua a'e la ka uwahi o ka moe - S9-E7
Factual error: A 1932 haulage receipt is shown on screen. It says Hawaii, HI. There was no such abbreviation used for Hawaii until June 1963. The territory was spelled out in full. In June 1963 it was HAW, and then changed to HI in October 1963 with the advent of ZIP codes. (00:38:50)
Factual error: The Columbia paramilitary is seen throughout the 2nd season carrying M4's. The M4 configuration of the M16 was not available during the period Norcos took place. In one seen in fact an M4 has an EOTech optic mounted on it...backwards. Not only is the optic backwards, EOTech was not founded until the late 90's or early 2000's.
Factual error: Radio talk show host David Campbell works at "WRQE 480 AM." There is no such frequency. The AM radio dial begins at 530.
Factual error: The camera starts out-of-focus looking down a crowded sidewalk full of background actors in period clothes and hairstyles (1973). As the camera racks into focus, Sam is walking toward the camera with many awnings visible in the background - a large blue one reads "24 Hr ATM". Though versions were invented prior to 1973, they didn't come into wide usage until the mid-to-late-80's and certainly weren't available in East Village bodegas at the time of this episode.
Factual error: Batman is in Japan and tracks down Kyodai Ken by using Caller ID, which returns a seven-digit "555" number. Telephone numbers in Japan have 8 digits.
Factual error: In the penultimate episode of series 2, the date is given as July 1973, but in an earlier episode when the police were raiding the drug dealer's house, Cozy Powell's record "Dance with the Devil" can be heard. This was a Christmas time hit in 1973.
Factual error: Early in the show, 3 Marine officers are being questioned about the death of a 4th. All 3 are wearing the Marine insignia on their jacket lapels reversed. [The anchors should point IN, not out] That mistake is corrected for some characters later in the episode, however at least two of the officers are seen later without their jackets, and their shirts do not have military creases - 2 in the front, 3 in the back - standard for a Marine blouse.
The Clock King Gets Crowned (2) - S2-E12
Factual error: Trapped in the overturned hourglass, Batman and Robin lie flat and begin furiously digging in the sand, making the hourglass roll out the door. But to cause such rapid movement, they'd need to be applying their weight against one of the glass sides (like a hamster in a ball). Just digging in the sand wouldn't get them anywhere, at least not that quickly. (00:04:15)
Factual error: Superintendent Kane wears the insignia and uniform only worn by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, not only six ranks above the rank he is supposed to be, but in an entirely different police force.
Factual error: There is no physical way that Steve Austin could perform most of his superhuman feats of strength in the ABC television series, due to the fact that they simply replaced his arm and legs, but didn't rebuild or reinforce the rest of his skeleton and muscles to handle the physical loads. Interestingly, author Martin Caidin (creator of Steve Austin in his novel, "Cyborg") actually did describe an incredibly complex whole-body rebuild that included vertebral reinforcement and ribcage and pelvis replacement, which was far more scientifically-accurate than the subsequent ABC television interpretation. ABC only accepted the series on the condition that it was less technical for their audience.
Factual error: The home computer tablet controlling the alarm system shows June 11th, 2015 as a Wednesday. 06/11/15 was a Thursday.
He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not, He Loves Me, Oops He's Dead - S1-E11
Factual error: Shawn reports that one of the attendees of the speed dating session drives a 2004 Trans-Am. The Trans-Am was discontinued in 2002.
Factual error: After the two women found out the guy was dead, there is a truck with the writing "K-9 Unit" on the front, but it is not backwards as it should be.
Factual error: Jeweler Albert Harrad calls Laura from his desk phone, but only punches six buttons before getting hold of her office. All U.S. phone numbers have seven digits: six wouldn't have connected him to anything. (00:37:30)
Factual error: "Treasure of the Ages": Haskell finds a jeweled cross that's supposedly from a shipwreck hundreds of years old. Only the relic he pulls from the sand is spotless: not a barnacle, rust spot or touch of encrustation on it. After centuries at the bottom of the ocean? Wouldn't happen. (00:02:00)