Best comedy TV mistakes of all time
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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?
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.
bixxell
And Then There Was One - S2-E16
Other mistake: When the father arrives to pick up baby Emily he states his wife was having triplets the night before. Yet baby Emily in the stroller is under 6 months old. How is her mom having triplets already?
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. (00:07:40)
Ssiscool
Christmas Special (2) - S99-E2
Plot hole: Lee and Dawn overstay their tourist visa in the US, then fly back to the UK for the Office Christmas party. They then get into a taxi to go out to the airport in order to return to the US. They're kidding themselves. As I know (to my cost) when you overstay a tourist visa, the US Immigration Service finds out when you check in at the airport on departure. They'll be refused reentry, and probably barred from entering the US for up to six years. (I got a three year ban.) Neither Lee nor Dawn could possibly be unaware of this nor think they could beat the system as they would have been arrested when they checked in in Florida on departure (as I was), and they would have remained in small holding cells until the paperwork banning their return had been processed and their passports stamped 'Invalid for U.S. Entry', as mine was. (All this takes about seventy two hours, so they'd have missed the Christmas party anyway.) The mistake is NOT that they were able to leave the USA - that is explained (it's still not possible, but in the context of the show and the suspension of disbelief we are meant to believe it) the mistake is that they are on the way back to the airport to return. That's absurd. They would have been under no illusions as to their banned status re reentry to the USA.
Revealing mistake: While Andy, Aunt Bee, and Opie are at the Hollywood studio watching a scene being filmed, when Andy mistakenly stands up and interrupts the filming we can see the wall and shelves behind the director, and it should look familiar because it's the wall and shelves from Floyd's shop in Mayberry.
Super Grover
The One Where Phoebe Runs - S6-E7
Visible crew/equipment: When Phoebe bends over to tie her shoelace before the first run, and later when she surprises Rachel at the park while running, the mic pack bulge under Phoebe's top can be seen on her back, and when Rachel bends over there's a bulge at her back as well. It's also a bit noticeable the third time they run.
Super Grover
Mr. Monk Visits a Farm - S5-E14
Character mistake: When Randy Disher is having Chinese food in his apartment with his new girlfriend in 3-12 "Mr. Monk Gets Cabin Fever", he gets a fortune stating that he is going to get money from his uncle, and says that he doesn't have an uncle. In this episode Randy inherits a farm from his uncle who appears to have committed suicide, but was actually murdered.
BrooklynGirl418
Continuity mistake: Toby competes with Darryl to sell Girl Scout cookies. Toby says it's his daughter's first year selling them. However, earlier in the series, Toby agrees to sign Dwight's apology letter from corporate if he buys cookies from his daughter.
So Near, Yet So Farfetch'd - S1-E47
Continuity mistake: When Team Rocket takes off in the boat, it sinks. Their pokeballs float away, and Jessie says "Arbok and Lickitung are floating away!" But she doesn't catch Lickitung until Princess versus Princess (Season 1, Episode 52).
Knever
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). (00:05:05)
IDFS33140
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. (00:03:20)
Hamster
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.
Be Careful What You Witch For - S2-E22
Plot hole: When teenage Prue has run away with the demon, and Phoebe and Piper find her in the park, teenage Prue is 'killed'. Her sisters drive her home to get Leo to heal her, but shouldn't they have just been able to call to Leo to orb to them when Prue was first hurt, and heal her in the park, and save driving back to the Manor and risk Prue dying?
Suggested correction: I see orbing to the park but he didn't heal her, she was already dead and he can't heal the dead, that's why the genie brought her back - that's what Phoebe wished for.
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 this episode 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.
Continuity mistake: At the end of the episode when everyone is arguing in the kitchen, the potholders next to the lasagna on the table keep changing position between shots.
ACertainShadeofGreen
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.
Factual error: Throughout the whole show Godber, 'Bunny' Warren, McLaren, the Prison Governor and many of the guards refer to Fletcher as a Cockney. He even identifies himself as a Cockney on a number of occasions. However, in several episodes he refers to his upbringing in Muswell Hill and in this episode he refers to his having been born there - and we see his old stamping ground in that episode when he gets a weekend's compassionate leave. Nobody from Muswell Hill would ever refer to himself as a Cockney - Muswell Hill isn't even in East London!
Plot hole: When Zach Young's grandfather died, Zach was said to be the sole heir of the fortune. However, Noah Taylor (the grandfather) had a daughter that appeared several times while Mike Delfino was looking for Deirdre. Where was Kendra Taylor while Zachary Young was spending Noah's fortune on dresses for Gabrielle Solis? Why didn't she claim her share? She simply disappeared.
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Suggested correction: Randy says when that uncle dies that they were never close, so his leaving him the farm comes as a total surprise. It's still a character mistake, however, Randy is established as the sort of person who could "blank out" a relative that long-lost.
Captain Defenestrator