Best mystery TV trivia of all time

Please vote as you browse around to help the best rise to the top.

Columbo picture

A Deadly State of Mind - S4-E6

Trivia: Unusually enough for a television show devoted to a homicide detective and the way he unravels the plans of cunning murderers, the fact is that Columbo has nothing to do in this episode. Doctor Collier is seriously assaulted by Carl Donner who then goes on to violently attack his wife. Use of deadly force to prevent such an attack is allowed in the United States. Collier does not commit murder; he doesn't even commit a crime. You'd think such a hightly educated man would know enough to keep his head, call the police and explain what had happened. He wouldn't even be charged.

More Columbo trivia
Monk picture

Trivia: Brooke Adams, Tony Shalhoub's real-life wife, has appeared on the show 5 times. In S1 as Leigh the flight attendant Monk drives crazy in "Mr. Monk and the Airplane"; in S3 as Mrs. Carlyle in "Mr. Monk and the Kid"; in S5 as Sheriff Butterfield in "Mr. Monk Visits a Farm"; in S7, again, as Leigh the flight attendant in "Mr. Monk's 100th Case"; in S8 as the crazy cat lady in "Mr. Monk and the Badge."

More Monk trivia
More Charmed trivia
The Twilight Zone picture

A Game of Pool - S3-E5

Trivia: Johnson's script originally featured an ending in which Jesse loses the game and yet finds himself still alive. Seeing this, Fats explains that he will die "as all second raters die: you'll be buried and forgotten without me touching you. If you'd beaten me, you'd have lived forever." This ending was eventually filmed when this episode was remade in 1989, during the first revival of The Twilight Zone.

More The Twilight Zone trivia
The X-Files picture

Trivia: Scully's father and the man Mulder thought was his father were both named William. Mulder's actual father, Cancer Man, was played by William B Davis. Scully and Mulder's son was also named William.

More The X-Files trivia
The Twilight Zone picture

Button, Button - S1-E50

Trivia: The original ending of the episode would have Norma pressing the button and getting the money after Arthur dies in a train accident. When Norma asks the stranger why Arthur had to die, the stranger responded, "Did you really think you knew your husband?"

More The Twilight Zone trivia
Rizzoli and Isles picture

Trivia: Sharon Lawrence plays Sasha Alexander's mother in the series, even though in real life she's only 12 years older than Alexander.

More Rizzoli and Isles trivia
Alias picture

Trivia: Throughout the show, the number 47 appears many times. There are multiple room 47's (where Syd found the Circumference in season 1 and the room in her memories from season 3, among others.), there are 47 Rambaldi artifacts, and Page 47 of the Rambaldi manuscript was the page that had Sydney's picture on it. Also the pagers flash 47911 when they get called into the office.

More Alias trivia
South Park picture

Trivia: The creators of the show, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, based the Stan Marsh and Kyle Brosfloski characters after themselves (Stan being Parker and Kyle being Stone.) The Eric Cartman character was partly based on Archie Bunker.

More South Park trivia
Lost picture

Trivia: The character Sun was created specifically for Yoon-jin Kim, after she auditioned for the role of Kate but the writers felt she was not right for the role.

More Lost trivia
Dexter picture

Return to Sender - S1-E6

Trivia: (POSSIBLE SPOILER) When Masuka brings up the list of doctors authorized to get the M99, Dexter removes his alias note that Dexter's fake alias (used to get the M99 tranquilizer) is Dr. Patrick Bateman. Patrick Bateman is the lead character of "American Psycho". This was most likely an intentional "easter egg" of sorts within the show.

Cloud203

More Dexter trivia
More NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service trivia
More Sherlock trivia
House, M.D. picture

Joy to the World - S5-E11

Trivia: This episode contains another reference to Sherlock Holmes. Wilson tells the (fictional) story of who had sent House a present. Wilson says it was one of House's first patients called Irena Adler. He then explains that House had feelings for the patient, but did not take it any further and therefore regards her as the 'woman who got away'. Irene Adler was an adversary who bettered Sherlock Holmes - the woman who got away. As it happens, the fist patient House treats in the pilot episode is called Rebecca Adler.

Jeff Walker

More House, M.D. trivia
Bones picture Bones trivia picture

The Dwarf in the Dirt - S5-E7

Trivia: At around 5 mins 11 seconds into the episode, Vincent Nigel-Murrey and Dr. Saroyan are discussing the bones on the forensic platform. In the background of a shot of Vincent, the x-ray on the screen is of Homer Simpson's head in the middle of the screen, instead of a real human skull.

jamba_fish_87

More Bones trivia
More Criminal Minds trivia
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! picture

Trivia: Velma's famous line, "My glasses; I can't see without them!" was coined from her voice actress Nicole Jaffe when she lost her glasses during a recording session and then uttered of what became to be famous catchphrase of the bespectacled character. The writers liked the phrase so much that they decided to put the iconic scenes of Velma losing her glasses during the show.

More Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! trivia
More Castle trivia
More Batman: The Animated Series trivia
More CSI: Crime Scene Investigation trivia

Join 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.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.