10 Mistakes That Made TV Shows Better
Sometimes screw-ups actually make everything better.
Mistakes are an unavoidable part of any movie or TV show, and especially in the world of TV where both budgets and schedules are considerably tighter.
When so many departments are hurriedly working in tandem, inconsistencies and gaffes are unavoidable, not to mention actors simply goofing once the cameras are rolling.
Mistakes that make it into the final cut of a TV episode can be a major source of embarrassment for all involved: take the infamous Starbucks coffee cup that ended up in an episode of Game of Thrones and turned it into a sheer laughing stock.
Yet sometimes a mistake actually benefits a show for one reason or another, and its inclusion is actually a net positive for both the showrunners and fans.
These 10 TV shows all included mistakes that ultimately benefitted the storytelling, made for a hilarious gag, or simply felt like a natural extension of what was supposed to happen in the scene.
In a few cases they even had a major impact on future characterisation, but for the most part they simply resulted in fantastic dramatic and comedic moments that audiences won't ever forget...
10. Kelso Trips Over - That '70s Show
A mistake that made it into one of That '70s Show's earliest episodes ultimately ended up having a major impact on how one of its main characters was presented throughout the sitcom's tenure.
In the first season's Christmas episode "The Best Christmas Ever," Kelso (Ashton Kutcher) notices Laurie (Lisa Robin Kelly) across the room and decides to run towards her.
With a couch in the way, Kelso attempts to leap over it, yet ends up slipping on the cushions and falling forward, knocking into a table and damn-near destroying both a plate of festive cookies and the punch bowl.
This was in fact a total accident, and though Ashton Kutcher quickly recovered from his trip, it took a solid 10 seconds for a visibly amused Lisa Robin Kelly to regain her own composure.
It was ultimately agreed that the gaffe was funny enough to not only be kept in the episode, but also kickstart a running joke that endured throughout the show about Kelso constantly getting hurt, whether through his own clumsy means or the actions of others.