Best mystery TV factual errors of all time

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Midsomer Murders picture

Show generally

Factual error: Whenever the killer (always dressed in black with a balaclava disguising his/her identity) uses a knife, the blow invariably is an overhand strike. However, a knife in a downward thrust quite frequently simply skids off the overlapping ribcage of the victim.

goofyfoot

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24: Live Another Day picture

4:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. - S1-E6

Factual error: Simone is hit by a bus running after her niece. The bus is service number 106, however service 106 is Finsbury Park - Whitechapel and runs nowhere near Horseguards Parade, which is where the scene was filmed. Also the bus is operated by Sullivans Buses, when route 106 is actually operated by Arrivia. The depot code SM (seen on side of bus) is Potters Bar and not AE (Ash Grove) which is the actual depot that operates route 106.

Steve Everett

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Hemlock Grove picture

Tintypes - S2-E9

Factual error: The show is supposed to be set in Pennsylvania. But when Roman is getting treatment in a doctor's office, and his phone vibrates on a table next to him, a close up shot of his phone is shown and the cell service is ROGERS. This cell service is only in Canada. (00:22:00)

Vettey

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Roswell picture

Max to the Max - S1-E20

Factual error: When Nasedo kidnaps Liz, he stops in a gas station to leave the FBI another clue. As he is pulling into the station, the sign above the gas pumps misspells the word "brakes" as "breaks."

zanijoey

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13 Reasons Why picture

Bye - S2-E13

Factual error: In the disturbing assault scene, after having his head smashed into a mirror and banged against the sink multiple times, there is no way Tyler would be conscious for the rest of the scene.

TyPage

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Endeavour picture

Pylon - S6-E1

Factual error: A plastic bag of items is found under the footboard. Plastic bags weren't invented in 1969. They first appeared in public in 1979.

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Lovecraft Country picture

Show generally

Factual error: In Massachusetts, Atticus, Leti and George are attacked by the local sheriff and his deputies, who are patrolling the county roads. In Massachusetts, sheriffs run the county jails, but they do not (and did not) handle routine policing, which is the responsibility only of municipal police departments.

Necrothesp

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Sherwood picture

Show generally

Factual error: The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police has red fabric within the crowns on his rank insignia. This would be correct for most British police forces, but the Metropolitan Police uses blue fabric instead.

Necrothesp

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In the Heat of the Night picture

A Matter of Justice - S8-E1

Factual error: About 45 minutes into the episode, the girls' car stalls because the alternator's wire has been removed to cause this. For a car to stall like this, the battery has to be heavily drained which it would wind up being. When the killer comes up to the car, he tells her to try and start the car. She does and it turns over but doesn't start. The battery would never have enough amperage to turn over the car if it didn't have enough to keep the motor running.

terry s

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The Last Thing He Told Me picture

Protect Her - S1-E1

Factual error: When Jules and Hannah are talking about the financial shenanigans at Owen's firm, Jules says that the owner of Owen's company had fraudulently driven up the price of the stock before the IPO. This is impossible. The IPO is the first time the shares become tradeable.

bnemirow

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Law & Order: Criminal Intent picture

Show generally

Factual error: When the cops need to arrest a medical professional, they are frequently shown barging into his/her office, exam room, or even operating room. This would never happen in real life and is strictly forbidden, as it is a gross violation of the patient's privacy, and in the case of the OR, could contaminate the sterile environment, thereby jeopardizing patient safety as well.

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The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance picture

The Crystal Calls - S1-E9

Factual error: At the end when Skeksis enters the crystal chamber, in the overhead shot you can see 22 arcane symbols around the crystal when there should only be 18, one for each exiled skeksis. (00:45:53)

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The Rockford Files picture

The Countess - S1-E4

Factual error: Two cops (the bowtie guy that cuffs Rockford and the one that watches him being taken away from his trailer) report to HQ saying that the protagonist is a suspect for a 157, to which Rockford reacts saying he did not murder anyone (and it is in fact what he is accused of). But homicide is in CA police code 187, not 157. A 157 is an entirely different felony. (00:21:00)

Sammo

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Surface picture

Episode #1.13 - S1-E13

Factual error: When Rich and Laura are searching for drug information from the 1960s, they visit the US Patent Office website; under the heading "SSRIs", is displayed "Selecttive Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors" - with the double-t spelling error. (00:15:25)

David R Turner

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Moonlighting picture

The Murder's in the Mail - S1-E6

Factual error: Dead blonde guy is sitting upright in the chair, as Dave/Maddie close in, and Maddie realises he isn't moving. David goes to him and smacks him across the shoulder, to "wake him up" and blonde dead guy, right on cue, instantly slumps over a table at his right side, when the direction that David hit his shoulder, should have sent the dead guy slumping more forward, then at the front edge of the table. Obviously staged for the actor's comfort.

eaglegrad16

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30 Coins picture

TelaraƱas - S1-E1

Factual error: A man enters a bank and begins firing his Glock 9mm pistol. A few of the men he shoots, jump up in the air after the rounds impact their bodies. Bullets hitting a body will never make it jump, or fly in the air. (00:00:01 - 00:01:46)

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