10 TV Shows That Got Science Completely Wrong

7. The Effectiveness Of CPR - Baywatch

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Paramount

Once again, not exclusive to Baywatch, but it happens so much in Baywatch due to the nature of its premise, that it gets to represent all the shows that incorrectly use CPR.

As any medical practitioner will tell you, while CPR IS effective, it isn't anywhere near as effective as TV would lead you to believe. Especially not the improvised CPR that we see in shows like Baywatch.

While Baywatch and shows like it would have you believe that so long as you get someone to shore and perform the necessary maneuvers, then you're home free, the reality is a touch more bleak. Sure, in cases like almost drowning, you have a better chance, because it's just a matter of getting the water out of a person's system, but other cases, such as diseases that affect the lungs, require further treatment to keep the patient alive.

Sorry Baywatch, but you just fell back on this trope one too many times to be believable.

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John Tibbetts is a novelist in theory, a Whatculture contributor in practice, and a nerd all around who loves talking about movies, TV, anime, and video games more than he loves breathing. Which might be a problem in the long term, but eh, who can think that far ahead?