Best drama TV factual errors of all time
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Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street - S1-E2
Factual error: When Chief Hopper and his fellow patrolman are standing over the lake, Hopper has a radio on his belt. The radio is a modern Motorola walkie talkie and at least a decade newer than it should be.
Matdan97
Factual error: When Roy is electrocuted and falls from the roof, after Karen uses the defibrillator paddles on Roy, she lifts both paddles, looks at the EKG monitor and says "He's converted." How exactly could Karen have known that he's converted? It's impossible for the EKG monitor to show anything at all. Either the defib paddles have be in contact with Roy's body for the “quick-look” to get a reading, which they weren't, or the ECG electrode discs have to be on Roy's chest connecting him to the EKG monitor, and they weren't. As an aside, just watching Marco having problems attaching the air mask, and quickly glancing up towards the camera frustrated, then giving up is priceless.
Super Grover
Factual error: Tiffany asks a guard where he would go if he could travel back in time. He says he would return to 1999 to attend a Judas Priest concert he missed. He says he wasn't able to get close to Rob Halford. The problem is Rob Halford was not the lead singer of Judas Priest in 1999. Tim 'Ripper' Owens was.
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: Probably an in joke - the wheels of the "airliner" shown landing at LA international airport are those of a B52 bomber. They are very distinctive and look nothing like those on any airliner ever made.
PEDAUNT
Factual error: In a number of episodes people are shown eating and drinking in the laboratories. For instance, in "Miss Willows' Regrets" Nick and Greg are seen eating fried chicken in the lab, and in "Overload" Sara eats a sandwich while watching Grissom experiment with her deli pickle. There are other examples. No reputable laboratory (which this is supposed to be) would allow its staff to eat or drink while in the lab. It is basic scientific protocol to prevent contamination of samples or the person picking up toxins on their food.
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
I Only Have Eyes For You - S2-E19
Factual error: In the episode 'I Only Have Eyes For You', during the flashbacks to 1955 James and Grace dance, and James later shoots himself, to the song 'I Only Have Eyes For You', which wasn't released until 1959. (00:18:20 - 00:26:50)
Factual error: The tanks, half-tracks and self-propelled guns are modern American vehicles painted in a a bright yellow color rather than a muted desert sand color. The only vehicles which actually did see action in North Africa in WW2 would have been the M-7 Priest Gun Motor Carriage and the M3 half-tracks being used by the Germans in "The Rat Patrol."
Scott215
Factual error: When Cindy wanted a hitman to kill Ian she looks in the yellow pages to find one. Surely the police and the makers of the yellow pages would have been alerted if a hitman agency wants to advertise itself in the yellow pages?
The Doctor Dances (2) - S1-E10
Factual error: Magnetic tape recorders weren't available outside of Germany during World War II. True the tape recorder could have been captured from the Germans, but, as it was "cutting edge" technology for 1941, it would hardly be likely to have ended up in a hospital office.
Factual error: The Roswell, New Mexico sheriff forces Bones to examine the body because it was found in his jurisdiction. But later in the episode, we learn that the body was found 2 kilometers from the border of Mexico. Roswell is not even in a county on the border of New Mexico much less one that borders Mexico. In fact the closest border to Roswell between the US and Mexico would be in Texas - hours drive away. The Roswell sheriff would have no jurisdiction.
Myridon
Factual error: When discussing a recent search of a suspect's home, Hill Harper says "we got his hard drives", but pulls a computer power supply out of a bag. Hard drives are significantly smaller and don't have a bundle of wires coming out the back of them.
Jon Sandys
Episode #4.5 - S4-E5
Factual error: When Lady Edith visits a Harley Street doctor his nameplate is shown outside his surgery. His name is prefixed with "Dr." However, one of his post-nominal qualifications is "FRCS." As a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, his name should be prefixed with "Mr.", as with all qualified surgeons in the British Isles.
Necrothesp
Factual error: When Shawn is talking to Belle over the phone, the Eiffel Tower can be seen outside her window, yet, she's supposed to be in Milan, Italy.
The Letter - S5-E7
Factual error: Sgt. Saunders is looking at a color photo of his kid brother in a letter from home. Aside from being prohibitively expensive for the average family to afford, color photos were not common. Also, the wartime rationing of photo chemicals for color film used by civilians would not be available.
Scott215
Factual error: Foyle is subordinate to an Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, but Hastings had its own force (merged with other Sussex forces 1943-47) and the Met had no jurisdiction outside London.
Murdoch.com - S2-E10
Factual error: Enid, the telegraph operator, exclaims that "He is sending an SOS." However, in the 19th century, distress calls did not include the letters "SOS," It was not until the early 20th Century that SOS was chosen as the international distress call.
goofyfootSuggested correction: The show is set in the early 1900's, which is the early 20th century. By the time this event transpired, SOS would have been established as a universal distress signal.
Role Model - S1-E17
Factual error: House and Foreman tell the Senator that he has toxoplasmosis, which is caused by a fungus. Toxoplasmosis is actually caused by a protozoan parasite.
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