Doctor Who

The Bells of Saint John - S7-E8

Visible crew/equipment: After Miss Kizlet enters her office to find the walking base station Doctor sitting at her desk, as she walks around the motorbike lying on the broken glass, when this 'Doctor' says, "Yes, those still with bodies to go home to would be free," we can see the moving reflection of two crew members on the surface of the motorbike.

Super Grover

Doctor Who mistake picture

The Bells of Saint John - S7-E8

Continuity mistake: When the Doctor and Clara are on the rooftop terrace, there's a distinctive design on the Doctor's bow tie, but when he's in the coffee shop the bow tie's design differs, and when he runs outside to ask if Clara's okay it changes back, then it changes again when he's in back the shop. Additionally, when the walking base station Doctor uploads Clara it's wearing a bow tie, and its design also changes on the motorbike and in Kizlet's office.

Super Grover

Doctor Who mistake picture

Deep Breath - S8-E1

Continuity mistake: After Strax hits Clara with a newspaper she comes downstairs and he asks her if she needs anything. She asks for water and he places the bucket of mop water on the table in front of Clara. They have a conversation about the water and at the end of the conversation Clara looks at her newspaper and the bucket has disappeared from the table in front of her. Neither of them moved it. (00:26:45)

Aled Wesker

Boom Town - S1-E11

Revealing mistake: The 'earthquake' that takes place in this episode results in CGI-created cracks in the pavement that are very unconvincing. They do not appear to displace anything and - in a related continuity error - the cracks disappear in shots taken from ground level (the cracks are only visible in high-level 'looking down' shots). (00:34:30)

Doctor Who mistake picture

The Angels Take Manhattan - S7-E6

Continuity mistake: When they are back in the cemetery at the end, the Angel shows up right behind Rory. In the first shot facing Rory, as the camera zooms in on a close-up of the Angel, the Angel's right arm/hand is pointing straight out, and its left open hand is up in a grabbing position. After River asks where the hell it came from, in the Angel's next close-up and all subsequent close-ups, its arm/hand positions are reversed - left hand is pointing straight out and its right hand is up. Yet in every shot of the Doctor, River and Amy together, in the foreground we see the Angel's left hand is up in the grabbing position. (00:37:35)

Super Grover

Doctor Who mistake picture

Army of Ghosts (1) - S2-E15

Continuity mistake: When Rose presents her mother with the Bazoolium, she's holding it in her left hand. When the view switches to look at Jackie, it shifts to Rose's right hand and then immediately back to her left when the view restores to the original vantage point. (00:02:45)

LizzieWD

Father's Day - S1-E8

Plot hole: In "Aliens of London", it is established on a 'missing person' poster that Rose Tyler is approximately 19 years of age in March 2005 (The poster says 'missing since 6 March 2005'). This means that she must have been born prior to March 1986. However, in "Father's Day", which is dated 7 November 1987, Rose is still a baby in her mother's arms, when she should be a toddler aged approx two.

Rose - S1-E1

Revealing mistake: The Doctor and Rose locate the "metal" hatch that leads down into the Nestene Consciousness' lair. Watch carefully after the Doctor removes the "metal" hatch and moves it aside. The entire hatch pops up a second later. This is because it is plastic and it was suctioned to the floor.

todd mosley

The Big Bang - S5-E13

Continuity mistake: When Amy's dad stands up to present his speech at her wedding, a tear runs down the right side of Amy's face. In the next shot of her the right side of her face is completely dry.

THGhost

The Christmas Invasion - S2-E2

Audio problem: When the Doctor is proving his identity to Harriet Jones by telling her about when they were trapped together at Downing Street, his words don't match the movements of his jaw when we see him from behind - the timing's all off. (00:40:55)

Doctor Who mistake picture

The Idiot's Lantern - S2-E10

Revealing mistake: During the scene in which the Doctor is climbing the transmitter, there is a shot in which he is viewed from above and is then struck by lightning. In this shot, the Doctor's foot disappears briefly as it leaves the green screen on the ground under the actor. (00:38:25)

Doctor Who mistake picture

The Empty Child (1) - S1-E9

Deliberate mistake: When Jack is scanning the gas mask people, he has a scanner on his right wrist. However, when he shows Rose and the Doctor his image of the Chula warship, the scanner is on his left wrist. The makers flipped the stretch of film, according to the commentary, to make the shot work. (00:37:45)

Rose - S1-E1

Continuity mistake: When the three bride Autons attack Jackie, and they open their hands one at a time, it is clear that when the second Auton opens its hand, all three are already open. After it cuts to Rose, and back to Jackie again, the third one opens (even though we just saw it already open). (00:38:15)

LizzieWD

Doctor Who mistake picture

The Unquiet Dead - S1-E3

Factual error: When Rose is locked in the room and the bodies come toward her, you can see a modern-day electric light-switch to the side of the door she's trying to get through. When the Doctor hears her screaming for help and runs for her, you can see a central heating radiator. In fact, the undertaker's house has at least two radiators in different hallways. Both are wildly anachronistic for the time period. (00:16:30 - 00:17:08)

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: While the light switch is ahead of its time, the heating radiator was invented by Franz San Galli in 1855 and was immediately popular. It's possible that by 1869, when the episode takes place, that Mr. Sneed would have one.

Army of Ghosts (1) - S2-E15

Continuity mistake: At the start when we see Rose on the bus, a bald man sits down on the seat behind her. However, when the camera is inside the bus, he is sitting two seats behind her, without enough time for him to move. (00:00:20)

More quotes from Doctor Who

Season 2 generally

Trivia: "Torchwood" is an anagram for Doctor Who. Russell T Davies came up with it during the filming of Series 1 to label the tapes in order to prevent theft and potential leakage, and decided to use the name in the show proper.

More trivia for Doctor Who

Chosen answer: The Master knows that deep down, he deserves death for the crimes that he's committed throughout his life, and since he regards The Doctor as his arch-foe, he expects it to be at his hands. The fact that The Doctor is still willing to forgive him for all of his crimes hurts him more deeply than death would.

Captain Defenestrator

More questions & answers from Doctor Who

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.