Best TV mistakes of all time
The best and biggest TV mistakes of all time. Vote as you browse around to help the best rise to the top, and add your own! Show entries not limited by media.
1
Stranger Things (2016)
Chapter Two: The Weirdo on Maple Street - S1-E2
Factual error: When Chief Hopper and his fellow patrolman are standing over the lake, Hopper has a radio on his belt. The radio is a modern Motorola walkie talkie and at least a decade newer than it should be.
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Matdan972
Thunderbirds (1964)
Plot hole: In order to build up suspense, Virgil and Brains stand on the Crab Logger as its dangerous fuel is pumped out, despite the fact that it is hanging on the edge of a precipice. In fact they could have left as soon as they had plumbed in the pipes to empty the fuel tanks - the whole procedure is controlled by Scott in Thunderbird 1 and they make absolutely no contribution to the operation at all. They do not need to disconnect the pipes; they are left behind and dropped from Thunderbird 1 as planned. They just stand there chatting about how much danger they are in until jumping clear at the very last second. Silly buggers.
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3
Grey's Anatomy (2005)
Continuity mistake: When Derek and Richard are in the lift talking, you can see Richard's head bandages under his hat. But when he removes his hat, his head is bare.
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Hamster
4
Family Guy (1999)

The One Where Ross Finds Out - S2-E7
Continuity mistake: When Rachel finds out that Ross and Julie are getting a cat, watch Rachel's neck. When she says "together?" she's not wearing a necklace; cut to Ross and Julie for a fraction of a second, then when it cuts back to Rachel saying "both of you?" she's suddenly wearing a necklace. It then disappears again when she says "isn't that just lovely?" hanging off the side of the tray she's holding.
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6
The Office (2005)
The Secret - S2-E13
Continuity mistake: In this episode Pam and Jim are talking about how Jim used to have a crush on Pam when she first started here. This implies that Jim was working here when Pam was hired. However, in 4-3: Launch Party Pam says that when Jim first started working there she said, "Enjoy this moment, because you're never going to back to this time before you met your desk-mate, Dwight." These two scenes contradict each other.
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7
The Golden Girls (1985)
The Engagement (a.k.a) Pilot - S1-E1
Other mistake: When Dorothy explains to Rose about her ex husband Stan she mentions he is a 65-year-old man. If they were in high school together and she's in her 50s wouldn't that mean he would be 50s as well?
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Dania Cilla Hernandez8
Emergency! (1972)

The Promise - S3-E11
Visible crew/equipment: Once the ledge rescue is over, after Johnny tells Brackett that he could put in a good word for him to join the paramedic program, when Roy opens the squad door to get in, the wing mirror offers up nice reflections of a few crew members.
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Super Grover
9
Breaking Bad (2008)
Revealing mistake: At the end of the episode when Tuco shows up at Walter's house in the backseat of Jesse's car, he tells Walter to get in. As they drive off, the shot pans out to show the street sign across from Walter's house. The sign says Piermont, which is the real name of the street. In the show, the Whites live on Negra Arroyo Lane.
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Factual error: Kryten tells everyone that the matter paddle transmits matter in digital form from one place to another at the speed of light - he is very clear on this point. He then locates Waxworld, which is 200,000 light years away. Okay - so when they use the matter paddle to transmit themselves to Waxworld, why doesn't it take them 200,000 years to get there?
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Continuity mistake: Lily and Marshall mention that they've been using the same toothbrush ever since they've been together, but in the 14th episode of the 1st season, "Zip, zip, zip", Marshall and Lily are simultaneously brushing their teeth with a tooth brush each (before Ted and Victoria get home).
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IDFS3314012
Rules of Engagement (2007)
Continuity mistake: Timmy agrees to marry Russell because Timmy's work visa has expired and he will have to leave the country. However, in the season 5 episode "Double Down" Timmy states that he has been a US citizen for many years.
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bixxellMr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever - S3-E12
Character mistake: Season 3, episode 12, "Mr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever": When Randy Disher is having Chinese food in his apartment with his new girlfriend, he gets a fortune stating that he is going to get money from his uncle. Randy says that he doesn't have an uncle. In Season 5, episode 14, "Mr. Monk Visits a Farm", Randy inherits a farm from his uncle who appears to have committed suicide, but was actually murdered.
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BrooklynGirl418
Family Ties - S1-E22
Visible crew/equipment: After Rygel's transport pod returns to Moya, as the docking bay door slides open, in the shot facing everyone while they have their weapons drawn we can see the bare floor. However, when Aeryn checks Crais for hidden weapons and then as D'Argo approaches him, there's a blue crash mat on the floor. Then it vanishes again.
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Super Grover
Audio problem: Season 3, Episode 68, "The Duel". Sometimes the tank's co-axial machine gun is firing, but no gunfire sound is heard.
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16
Doctor Who (2005)
17
Deutschland 83 (2015)
Continuity mistake: When General Edel and Martin get in their car at the gas station, the fuel pump nozzle is still in the fuel port of the car. They drive off and the fuel pump nozzle has miraculously removed itself from the car.
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Scott215The Importance of Being Phoebe - S5-E11
Continuity mistake: When Phoebe is lying on the ground and is supposed to be unconscious, when Cole goes to pick her up you can see Phoebe throw her arms around his neck.
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19
Crossing Lines (2013)
Continuity mistake: In the scene where William Fichtner is shown first leaving his trailer and picking up litter in the amusement park, his gloved hand switches from his right hand to his left then back to his right again before he starts talking to the couple.
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Tania Del Giudice20
Hey Arnold! (1996)
Girl Trouble / School Dance - S3-E18
Continuity mistake: Besides the fact that when Helga is sharpening her pencil, the desk arrangement changes, one of the students visible when she looks at Arnold is...Helga.
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Continuity mistake: When Shepherd Book tells everyone about the electrical nets, Jayne says, "One day you're gonna tell us all how a preacher knows so damn much about crime." Shepherd then turns to leave. But in the immediate close up of him and Mal, he turns to leave again.
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THGhost22
Parks and Recreation (2009)
The Treaty - S4-E7
Factual error: At the UN conference, 'England' is shown as a member of the Security Council. England sits on both the UN and the Security Council as part of the 'United Kingdom' - not as a stand-alone country. UN nerds Leslie and Ben would have known this.
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Revealing mistake: As the gang drives up to the space-ship diner, cars whizzing by in the background. When they are driving to the base there's also a clip of a Firetruck going down the highway in the distance.
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Visible crew/equipment: When they are at the crime scene, you can plainly see the camera and camera man reflected in Special Agent Lundy's sunglasses several times. When it is a close up shot, it is even more obvious.
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craigshane2125
The King of Queens (1998)
Revealing mistake: When Carrie phones Doug at IPS, Doug goes to press the button on the phone for the correct line, but doesn't press any and continues to talk to Carrie.
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A Demon
26
The Prisoner (1967)
Free for All - S1-E4
Continuity mistake: Throughout the episode, Number 6's lapels switch from having solid to broken white piping and back again.
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Jean G
Visible crew/equipment: When Dewey yells for Lois because the bow was put on the present, if you look to the left of Lois, you will see a crewmember kneeling down, handing Lois the red dress, who is holding a bucket of water. He quickly gets out of the camera's view. [This is on the DVD of the first season. Someone said on the audio commentary that after catching it, they deliberately left it in to see if anyone would spot it. It's still a mistake, but that's why it's there.]
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28
Full House (1987)
Continuity mistake: In episode 10 (Joey's Place) the Tanner family move Joey into the garage, redecorating it so the entire place is filled with Joey's furniture, but in episode 12 (Our Very First Promo), it shows the characters in and out of the garage which is completely empty and back the way it was before Joey moved in. Later in the episode Joey's stuff is out of the alcove again.
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Visible crew/equipment: When Nina's just been shot, and makes it to the barn to call CTU (around 7.10am), while she's speaking on the phone there's a cameraman visible on the right hand side (DVD).
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30
Prison Break (2005)
And Then There Were 7 - S1-E11
Continuity mistake: When Quinn falls in the well, he falls through and subsequently destroys the well cover. At the end of the episode when the Secret Service boys show up, an undamaged cover is lying next to the well, which Kellerman uses to cover it up.
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