10 TV Shows That Accidentally Filmed Things You Weren't Supposed To See

3. A Huge Chunk Of Green Screen Is Visible Behind David Tennant (Doctor Who)

Doctor Who Midnight green screen mistake
BBC

As beloved as Doctor Who is, it isn't really known for its amazing special effects.

Heck, part of the show's charm (especially during the classic years) are those wobbly sets, unconvincing CG creatures, and cheap-looking costumes, and it would almost be a shame if this low-budget cheese disappeared entirely - which, with the more cinematic feel of the Jodie Whittaker years, it very nearly has.

On one odd occasion though, the show's small budget was stretched so thin, that the visual effects guys didn't even have time to finish them - either that, or a green screen was accidentally left in the shot. Probably the latter.

Right before the title sequence rolls in the Series 4 episode Midnight, there's a shot of David Tennant's Tenth Doctor chatting on the phone with Donna, and right behind him, a huge chunk of green screen is visible for a good handful of seconds. Of course, this is clearly an accidental inclusion that somebody forgot to deal with in post - but it's so glaring, that you have to wonder how it slipped through the cracks.

Another funny filming accident occurred five years later during the 50th anniversary special, when Matt Smith's script was left on the TARDIS console, in full view of the camera. Apparently, even the Doctor forgets his lines sometimes!

Contributor
Contributor

Danny has been with WhatCulture for over ten years, and is currently Doctor Who Editor and WhoCulture Channel Manager, overseeing all of WhatCulture's Whoniverse coverage. In 2022, he took charge of WhoCulture and has grown it into the biggest Doctor Who channel on YouTube, and one of the biggest Doctor Who communities on the web full-stop. He has been writing and video editing since his early teens, and first got a taste for content creation after making his own Doctor Who trailers, off the back of a burning obsession with the Matt Smith era of the show. Like many his age, he first got into Doctor Who with the 2005 revival, but has since gone back and fallen in love with the classic years too. If you need someone to recite every Doctor Who episode in order, or to give you a random factoid about the making of Gridlock, Danny is the person to ask!