10 Biggest TV Show Blunders Ever

From stray coffee cups to nationwide seizures, these TV shows just couldn't get it right.

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Warner Bros.

We've all noticed the occasional continuity error in our favourite television show.

Maybe a character is wearing a necklace in one shot, only for it to disappear in the next. Maybe someone is eating a sandwich, but no matter how much they bite, the sandwich seems to regenerate any time the camera cuts back to it. It's all pretty standard, forgivable stuff for overworked continuity editors who can't always have their eye on the ball.

Sometimes, however, a TV blunder will come along that completely takes you out of the show. One for which it is impossible to comprehend how it could have possibly slipped past the eyes of so many people and made its way onto your screen. One so cringeworthy that you feel physically uncomfortable for anyone responsible. One that is so astoundingly wrong, you can't help but question the very fabric of the universe this show takes place in.

We have collected ten of our favourite (and in some cases, least favourite) examples of these mistakes. Some will infuriate you, some will make you laugh, some might even make you cry (if you're the kind of person who cries at continuity errors (no judgement if so)).

Just for fun, we've also snuck one blunder or factual error into each entry on this list... See if you can spot them all!

10. The One Where Everyone Has A Clone - Friends

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Warner Bros.

The concept behind the sitcom Friends is pretty easy to grasp. We follow the trials and tribulations of a quirky group of friends: Ross, Rachel, Joey, Phoebe, Chandler, Monica, and of course, the seventh Friend: New York City.

Although the show was originally planned to be called Ross's Friends, the chemistry and comedy chops of the ensemble cast ensured that they all got equal screen time and storylines. This was a pretty sweet deal for the cast, especially considering the massive million dollar paychecks they were cashing per episode in the later seasons.

With this in mind, you would think there would never be any need for any of the actors to, say, leave work early and have a double stand in for them. Sitting in a café and chatting to your pretend pals can't be the most taxing task, especially when you know you've got a sweet millie waiting for you on the other end.

As you can see above, however, that is definitely not Monica talking to Phoebe. We don't know what happened to Courtney Cox that prevented her from shooting this scene, but the same thing must have been happening to Jennifer Aniston. In another episode, we can clearly see that Rachel has been replaced by someone completely different for all of Joey's close-ups.

For these Friends it was a case of "I'll be there for you... unless I can pay a struggling actor to stand in for me!"

Contributor
Contributor

Jimmy Kavanagh is an Irish writer and co-founder of Club Valentine Comedy, a Dublin-based comedy collective. You can hear him talk to his favourite comedians about their favourite comics on his podcast, Comics Swapping Comics.