Best TV factual errors of 2018

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

Manifest picture

Hard Landing - S1-E15

Factual error: A thief has stolen 75 million dollars. He runs out with two large duffel bags. All US bills weigh a single gram. This means that $1,000,000 in $100 bills - the largest bills in circulation - weigh around 10 kilograms, or a little over 22 pounds. $75 million would be 1,650 pounds. No way this could be carried in two duffel bags.

toroscan

More Manifest factual errors
Lost in Space picture

Impact - S1-E1

Factual error: At the start the Robinsons are playing a game of fish, in weightless or free fall conditions. At about 1:30 the computer announces "Completing De-Orbit Burn." De-Orbit Burn involves deceleration. This is not free fall, they should be experiencing the deceleration and hence a sense of gravity. The cards should not float. (00:01:30)

More Lost in Space factual errors
Mr. Sunshine picture

Episode #1.1 - S1-E1

Factual error: The American flag shown waving outside the White House is the current present-day flag with 50 stars. From 1896 to 1908, (the time period that this show is set in) the US flag only had 45 stars as Oklahoma, New Mexico, Nebraska, Alaska and Hawaii were not recognised as states in that time period. The flag did not have 50 stars until 1960. (00:04:30)

Casual Person

More Mr. Sunshine factual errors
The ABC Murders picture

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)

More The ABC Murders factual errors
The Looming Tower picture

Tuesday - S1-E9

Factual error: At O'Neil's retirement party, '2-Way' by Lil Romeo is playing while one of the characters is dancing. This scene is set in the summer of 2001, the song was released in April 2002, nearly a year after the retirement party took place.

More The Looming Tower factual errors
The Rookie picture

Greenlight - S1-E16

Factual error: Captain Anderson pulls a suspect underwater and shoots him. There's a bright, yellow flash under the water. In reality, this wouldn't happen, only a large amount of bubbles would appear, but no flash.

Matdan97

More The Rookie factual errors
Yellowstone picture

No Good Horses - S1-E3

Factual error: The intro takes place in March. The trees in the background say otherwise. In the mountains in March, leaves are usually not fully developed on trees until April at the earliest. The scene was likely shot in the fall.

manthabeat

More Yellowstone factual errors
Magnum P.I. picture

The Day Danger Walked In - S3-E5

Factual error: Higgins, Thomas, TC and Rick are locked in a freezer. Their barber friend is tapping his horn in "a pattern" Higgins says is Morse code, and announces that he tapped "move back." Not really. I know Morse Code. All I got (along with a few undecipherable things) was TOERT NMU ETM CEA OFJ DER WK. No way that spells "Move Back."

toroscan

More Magnum P.I. factual errors
More Station 19 factual errors

FBI (2018)

FBI picture

Partners in Crime - S1-E13

Factual error: The Saturn in the show is an Ion which stopped production in March of 2007. Therefore, it couldn't be a silver 2009 Saturn they were looking for.

More FBI factual errors
Titans picture

Titans - S1-E1

Factual error: When Starfire gets out of the totalled car, there is a road sign visible. It is a settlement exit sign, denoting the exit of Königsstetten and Zeiselmauer as next settlement ahead. Obviously the makers tried to be extra thorough nailing down their "outside Vienna" location. They started OK - both Königsstetten and Zeiselmauer actually ARE outside Vienna - but then they completely botched it: Not only did they use a German black-on-yellow "StVO Zeichen 331" instead of the Austrian "StVO Hinweiszeichen 17b" which has black writing on a white base with a blue rim and doesn't list the next settlement, but they also put 852km as the distance to the next settlement, which is more than the length of Austria west to east. The real distance is 3.8km.

Doc

More Titans factual errors
Bodyguard picture

Episode #1.6 - S1-E6

Factual error: When Commander Anne Sampson appears in her body armour she wears the rank insignia only worn by the Commissioner (a crown over a pip over crossed tipstaves in a wreath) instead of that worn by her own rank of Commander (crossed tipstaves in a wreath). She has apparently been promoted four ranks.

Necrothesp

More Bodyguard factual errors
More Waco factual errors
Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan picture

Falcon - S3-E1

Factual error: Luka's military officer cap isn't a Russian cap, it is a Hungarian police cap. The Russian cap is bigger.

More Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan factual errors
Pose picture

Take Me to Church - S3-E4

Factual error: During Pray Tell's visit with his birth family in Pittsburgh, Jada wants to make sure his final wishes are carried out and presents him with a power of attorney document to sign during lunch at a restaurant. He signs it with only Jada present. In Pennsylvania, to be legal a power of attorney needs to be signed in the presence of two witnesses other than the person being granted power. (01:00:10)

Paco386

More Pose factual errors
The Resident picture

Emergency Contact - S2-E18

Factual error: After Dr. Austin directs the anesthesiologist to urgently start phentolamine intravenously to address the patient's hypertensive crisis on the operating room table, the anesthesiologist is seen quickly rolling the clamp on the line, purportedly to make it run faster. The clamp however is being rolled in the direction to close off line's flow. (00:20:20)

Paco386

More The Resident factual errors
The Terror picture

Show generally

Factual error: Sir John Franklin, Francis Crozier and James Fitzjames all wear a crown over an anchor on their epaulettes, the rank badge for a captain with over three years in rank. This is correct for Franklin and Crozier, but Fitzjames only held the rank of commander, and should therefore only be wearing an anchor on his epaulettes.

Necrothesp

More The Terror factual errors
More Picnic at Hanging Rock factual errors
More Cobra Kai factual errors

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.