Continuity mistake: Higgins is interrupted in his reading of Lord Byron's "So, we'll go no more a roving" by distinctly un-African music. As it happens, the book in his lap changes angle entirely in his lap. (00:06:15)
Revealing mistake: In the flashback of the massacre in Africa experienced by the man in the opening when he stares at the moon, one of the extras is supposed to fall struck down by a rifle shot, but she is blatantly using the arms to soften the fall, and then tries to adjust flat on the ground, making it all look like she just decided to start doing push-ups on the spot. (00:03:15)
Continuity mistake: In the first scene after the opening credits, when the woman approaches the very Londonian chap greeting him with "'allo ducks", extras in the background don't transition between one shot and its reverse. (00:02:30)
Past Tense - S3-E4
Continuity mistake: Higgins' sweat on his khakis is inconsistent when Lyden ties him up, completely gone when he tells the honey story to TC in agony. (00:37:00)
Past Tense - S3-E4
Continuity mistake: John Hillerman's shirt has a pronounced sweat stain all across his pecs when Floys leaves to go check on Jack. The stain is barely a hint 30 seconds and a couple cuts later when he hears the gunshot. (00:32:00)
Past Tense - S3-E4
Continuity mistake: When Magnum speaks to Tanaka in front of the police station, he leans against his car; his hand is on the windshield in the close-ups on Kwan Hi Lim, but on the hood in Tom Selleck's. (00:27:25)
Past Tense - S3-E4
Continuity mistake: The front of John Hillerman's shirt is practically spotless when the bad guy calls him "Sergeant Major" on top of the hill, but when he escapes with TC after shoving him down, it's a messy sweat. The back of the shirt was also very sweaty in the opening of the scene, but the sweat is different with a smaller stain when they both turn around after TC's kick. (00:23:45)
Past Tense - S3-E4
Revealing mistake: In the sequence when the three baddies are pushed down the slope, stunt doubles are used, with the black haired guy's being especially obvious. The stunt person is noticeably younger and leaner and with longer hair. (00:23:50)
Did You See the Sun Rise? - S3-E1
Revealing mistake: The actress playing Julie Barbara has short dark hair as is abundantly clear during the lengthy scenes involving her. But for the shot of the explosion, the stuntperson wears a long blonde wig. (00:41:40)
Did You See the Sun Rise? - S3-E1
Visible crew/equipment: Mac is trying to convince Magnum of his scientific method to improve his results at the competition. When he says "You give me their strengths and weaknesses", say hello to the stick of a boom mike popping to the upper right corner of the frame, and that follows them and stays in view for about 8 seconds before it gets pulled up. (00:22:20)
Did You See the Sun Rise? - S3-E1
Visible crew/equipment: When TC's helicopter is landing on Robin's lawn, right after the "Written by Donald P. Bellisario" credit, look at the left of the screen, right side of the helicopter, to see a cameraman filming from it. (00:09:25)
Past Tense - S3-E4
Continuity mistake: When Magnum and the driver are diving away from the explosion, they fall in the grass almost in north-south position, with the hands of Tom Selleck' stunt double on the shoulders of the other guy. In the next shot they are closer and Selleck's face is just above the driver's butt. (00:03:00)
Past Tense - S3-E4
Other mistake: Magnum quite literally breaks into TC's office, shattering the glass with his shoe and reaching through to unlock the door. When he and Rick leave, he reaches in again and locks the door back. They get stopped by Lieutenant Yoshi Tanaka in the corridor, have a bit of banter without them touching the door, and when the policemen walk past them, they just have to push the door to open it; it's completely unlocked already. (00:15:55 - 00:16:55)
Past Tense - S3-E4
Continuity mistake: When TC's chopper lands in the prison courtyard, its registration mark is N1095A, while when it is shown on the open ocean it is N58243 and it has emergency floats equipped on its skids. (00:07:45 - 00:10:20)
Past Tense - S3-E4
Revealing mistake: As the helicopter takes off with the prisoner, guards shoot it repeatedly. In particular in a close-up they shoot off two grills on the engine combustion fuel drain. Looking at the close-up, you can see the wires used to detonate the charges, and bits of the black paper/gaffer tape that kept the explosion rigging together, flapping now in the wind. (00:07:55)
Past Tense - S3-E4
Continuity mistake: One of the skyjackers is about to kill Higgins, saying that one hostage is plenty already. His boss though rushes in and stops him. In the first shot the man with the gun has his arm bent and the boss is standing with his arms folded. In the second, Gun Guy has his arm fully straight and Boss Guy starts by leaning on the palm with his arm up on the trunk. (00:13:20)
The Eighth Part of the Village - S3-E3
Continuity mistake: In the final climax, Higgins says "Don't" to Sano, pointing a gun. Kim Miyori's head is turned differently (very noticeably) in the different shots. (00:44:10)
The Eighth Part of the Village - S3-E3
Continuity mistake: Magnum and his buddies have gotten all the information they needed from Jansen and Harms, and he begins to fast-talk his way out of the reinforcements. He points a stick at one of them, using his left hand, saying "You owe me 30 bucks." In a cut, the stick switches to the right hand. (00:33:10)
The Eighth Part of the Village - S3-E3
Continuity mistake: At Rick's place, Magnum reminds him about searching for the yo-yos that hit him at the dock. Meanwhile, he is holding the bar bills in a different way between shots (vertical first, horizontal next). (00:17:55)
The Eighth Part of the Village - S3-E3
Audio problem: When Higgins' mail order bride (well, not really) bows deeply for Magnum and her hat falls off, she says "Thank you, Higgins san", but the actress, overwhelmed by her own abundant mane, is just grinning and her lips don't move. (00:11:15)
