Best war TV mistakes of all time
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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
Visible crew/equipment: In the opening scene you see an old ship in the water, if you look closely you can also see the shadow of the helicopter that is filming the scene.
Factual error: Sgt. Carter is wearing a plain belt buckle with his dress blues uniform. Since Sgt. Carter is Gunnery Sgt, he is a staff NCO so his buckle should have the USMC emblem on the buckle. (00:24:00)
Character mistake: When Hoss takes Timmy for a horseback ride, after they both dismount by the lake, Hoss calls Timmy by his real name Johnny (Whitaker) and not Timmy.
Don't Forget the Diver - S4-E2
Factual error: While Capt. Square is looking through his binoculars at what he thinks is Mainwaring's platoon marching with their rifles, a 1960's Bedford lorry drives past on the road behind them.
Factual error: In this episode we see Blithe get shot in the neck and are told that he died in 1948. In reality he was shot in the shoulder and survived. He later served in Korea and was promoted to master sergeant as well as receiving the paratrooper of the year award. Blithe died in 1967 while on active duty in Germany.
Factual error: The verse Octavia recites is from Virgilius' poem "the Aeneid". That poem was written at least a quarter of a decade after the death of Caesar.
Klink for the Defense - S6-E19
Continuity mistake: General Burkhalter is eating Klink's dinner. When finished he places a metal cover over the plate. In the next shot the cover is lying on the table and there is extra food on the plate. (00:15:25)
von
Factual error: Aetius' troops don't look anything like 5th century Roman soldiers. They are carrying a large rectangular shield, a pilum (a spear which was used for throwing) and a sword (gladius) on their right. This was typical for the Roman army until about the 3rd century A.D. In Aetius' time, the soldiers would have had smaller oval shields, a hasta (a lance used for stabbing and for fending off cavalry attacks) and a sword (spatha) on their left. Also, there would be an enormous amount of "barbarian" mercenaries in the Roman army (Goths, Vandals, even Huns.), so it was hardly a Roman army anymore. And where's Aetius' cavalry?
Factual error: Part 4: The cord on the telephone Pug uses to call Pam should be a straight wire. Instead, it's coiled: a design not yet in use in the 1940s. (00:13:30)
Jean G
Factual error: In episode 7, we see a toilet in the improvised jail. In fact, most "toilets" in Iraq are specially built holes in the floor.
Revealing mistake: In the scene where the king and his entourage are walking through the crowd, someone in the crowd (right side) is wearing a watch on his left hand while applauding.
Other mistake: When Spike is thrown out of the base by Megatron at the end of the episode, Optimus calls him 'Splik'.
Continuity mistake: Episode: "Man Hunt": When Jonas tries to interrogate the hardware store owner, the owner falls off his chair, knocking it over. In the next shot it's standing upright again.
Boobra
Mercy Moment Murder Measure - S1-E7
Factual error: Early in the episode, there is a long shot of Woodhull's farm, snow on the ground...and aeroplane vapor trails in the sky.
goofyfoot
Factual error: When Pug comes home, Rhoda puts on a Christmas record. The record player has an automatic changer that drops the disc and then moves the arm into place. Though a small 45 rpm changer was designed as early as 1938, and this movie's set in 1942, the type Rhoda uses here wasn't around for another 20 years. (00:09:00)
Jean G
Visible crew/equipment: During the Battle of Bull Run, just before the first shell is fired towards the plantation house, at the upper part of the screen you can see a helicopter flying over the battle action. (01:45:00)
Jean G
Continuity mistake: In "Twenty-one today" (4-8) Williams says that he grew up in an orphanage and didn't know who his parents were, but in this episode he says that his father was a coal miner in South Wales.
Factual error: The briefer on the oil platform mission says the platform is 12 stories, and 80 million square feet. Doing the math, that makes it half a mile per side if completely square. It is nowhere near that size as shown. The largest oil rig in the world - Berkut in Russia's Far East - has a combined deck area of only 342,000 square feet. (00:13:35)
toroscan
Continuity mistake: Savage's bomber is hit and the left wing catches fire. But in the stock footage shot that follows, it's the right wing that's burning. (00:10:00)
Jean GJoin the mailing list
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