Tales of a Third Grade Nothing - S7-E6
Other mistake: In the cutaway at Ford's Theater, Abraham Lincoln receives a cell phone call from someone who is implied to be Thomas Jefferson. While the anachronism of a cell phone in the Civil War can be ignored as humorously deliberate, Lincoln can't be talking to Jefferson; by April of 1865, when Lincoln was assassinated, Jefferson had been dead for nearly 40 years.
Suggested correction: Where are you getting the implication that it is Thomas Jefferson? You seem to have misunderstood the joke. "I hear you took that black chick home. You're welcome." is not a reference to Jefferson sleeping with one of his slaves. It's simply a reference to Lincoln freeing the slaves. Tom is just a generic name. (Besides, if you're complaining about historical anachronisms in Family Guy cutaways, you're probably missing the point.)
I concede that it's a bit of an assumption, but can you really fault me for making it? Yes, Thomas and its derivations can be common given names, but off the top of my head, I can't think of any from Lincoln's era famous enough for casual viewers to automatically make that assumption.
Conversely, since the allegations about Jefferson and Sally Hemings have endured for 220 years, Occam's Razor suggests it's the first thing probably 99% of us would immediately think of upon hearing "Thomas" and "black chick." And I have no problem with the historical anachronism of Lincoln owning a cell phone. Believe me, I get the joke; his obnoxious behaviour is why Booth shot him, and cell phones are so ubiquitous, it's something we in the 21st century can relate to.
The issue I have is of a factual nature. Even for an animated sitcom, there are certain tenets of reality that I think must be adhered to if a joke is going to be set in a specific time period, two of which are the passage of time and the finality of death. For the sake of argument, humor me and assume that it is Jefferson; it is well-documented historical fact that Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, the 50-year anniversary of the Declaration of Independence's adoption.
The reason why it's so well-documented is because, in one of the biggest coincidences in American politics, John Adams, a political frenemy of Jefferson's, and under whom he served as vice president, also died that day. My argument is that, given the limited context of the scene, under an assumption that 99% of us would make, the Thomas calling Lincoln can't be who it's implied to be, because who it's implied to be had been dead for nearly four decades.
Except Thomas Jefferson wasn't from Lincoln's era. You say yourself he had died almost 40 years earlier. This error seems to boil down to, "I'm going to assume that it is a Thomas Jefferson reference. I'm also going to assume that everyone else will see it that way. And that the producers didn't realise Jefferson was dead at the time. Therefore, it is an error based on my unfounded assumptions."
Screams of Silence: The Story of Brenda Q - S10-E3
Continuity mistake: When Lois and Peter help Quagmire to the couch, the clock on the wall says 7 pm. The next shot shows 2 am.
Continuity mistake: When Bertram sneaks into Stewie's bedroom, he tiptoes past Stewie, who is sleeping. But in the next close-up of Bertram, the shot pulls back and pans the room so we see Stewie's crib is empty. But in the next shot, Stewie is still sleeping, and then he wakes up. (00:10:25)
The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou - S5-E11
Continuity mistake: When Peter attacks Kyle, his shirt is clear of blood. However, when the shot changes to an overhead one, blood has suddenly appeared on his shirt. (00:09:50)
The Courtship of Stewie's Father - S4-E16
Continuity mistake: After Peter and Stewie's Jungle Cruise ride, when Michael Eisner walks up to the duo, Eisner's suit buttons are on his left, but then the buttons switch to the opposite side, and his tie's stripes change direction as well. (00:19:50)
The Courtship of Stewie's Father - S4-E16
Continuity mistake: When Peter takes the garden hose upstairs, the bathroom doorknob is on the right side. As Peter kicks in the door, but from inside the bathroom, the doorknob is on the opposite side of the door, so it swings open the opposite way. (00:10:25)
The Courtship of Stewie's Father - S4-E16
Continuity mistake: After Peter's mess of glee club, in the first shot of Obi-Wan the right side of his robe is over his left side, but next shot it's the opposite way with the left side over the right. (00:02:15)
Brian Goes Back to College - S4-E15
Continuity mistake: After painting the stripe on the van, the side passenger door handle vanishes when Peter/Hannibal gets into the front seat; then, that handle reappears when Quagmire/Face enters the van. (00:09:10)
Brian Goes Back to College - S4-E15
Continuity mistake: When Brian is escorted into the New Yorker's writers' lounge, the door has a knob and backplate, but the backplate vanishes in a following shot. (00:03:15)
Brian Goes Back to College - S4-E15
Continuity mistake: After the opening credits, Peter/Hannibal is wearing a jacket with pockets only on his right side; then pockets suddenly appear on his left side between shots. (00:00:40)
Continuity mistake: When Bertram climbs through the window into Stewie's bedroom, just as he tiptoes past a sleeping Stewie, the lightswitch on the wall is in the up position and the room is dark, but two shots later Stewie wakes up and now the lightswitch is in the down position so Stewie flips it up, then the light turns on. (00:10:20)
Chick Cancer - S5-E7
Continuity mistake: When we see the banner saying "Happy Birthday Quinn!", the I is next to the U. However, in the close-up there is a sizeable gap between them. (00:12:50)
Continuity mistake: When Joe and all the handicapped meet in front of Peter's restaurant, Joe is by some white lines in one shot and not in the next. (00:16:30)
Continuity mistake: When Peter is hiding in the bedroom, the colour of the books by the TV change between shots. Most noticeable is 2 blue books become 1. (00:06:00)
Continuity mistake: When Meg is talking about getting a job and buying a car, Stewie goes from reading a book to reading a newspaper. (00:09:20)
Continuity mistake: The rug in the living room vanishes when Peter walks across and sits down. (00:04:00)
Continuity mistake: When Peter comes home from work, the position of the rug moves in relation to the sofa. Note Chris' feet. (00:03:50)
Airport '07 - S5-E12
Continuity mistake: When Peter hits Quagmire's car, his truck leaves grey marks across the grass. When we get the close-up of people escaping, the marks on the floor have disappeared. (00:04:10)
Airport '07 - S5-E12
Continuity mistake: Peter puts the spray paint on the driveway. After the close-up of the truck window, they are now on the grass. (00:03:50)
The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou - S5-E11
Continuity mistake: When Chris holds out the newspaper for Herbert, it has a very noticeable band around it in the long shot, which changes in appearance in a closer shot. (00:02:10)
