The world of TV and film can provide audiences with hours of entertainment and escapism - but on-screen magic isn’t always perfect. For decades eagle-eyed viewers have spotted small inconsistencies which break the illusion of reality.

Whether it’s a modern item appearing in a historical context or weather discrepancies in an action-packed scene, sometimes these blips ask us to suspend our disbelief a little too far.

Here are four times continuity errors were seen in popular TV shows and movies. Did you spot any?

Game of Thrones

Perhaps one of the most memorable continuity blunders took place in the final season of Game of Thrones. The highly successful series, set in an epic fantasy world of dragons and magic, became infamous and caused a social media frenzy.

In episode four, The Last of the Starks, viewers spotted a takeaway coffee cup which had mistakenly appeared in a Winterfell feast scene. The cup can be seen on the table in the great hall, while Emilia Clark’s character, Daenerys Targaryen, sits holding a more appropriately chosen goblet.

The coffee cup went on to make headlines around the world. It was initially identified as a Starbucks beverage, but was later confirmed to be from a local coffee shop where much of the series was filmed in Northern Ireland.

The takeaway cup was eventually edited out from re-runs, with HBO acknowledging the mistake. The show’s producers tried to make light of the situation after the episode’s broadcast. The official Game of Thrones Twitter account jokingly tweeted, “the latte that appeared in the episode was a mistake. Daenerys had ordered a herbal tea”.

Spider-Man’s self-repairing lamp

Despite a Hollywood budget of around $140 million (£106 million), Sam Raimi’s 2002 Spider-Man film is noted for continuity errors which can be spotted throughout the blockbuster.

One of the most prominent mistakes takes place early in the movie when Peter Parker is testing out his new spidey abilities in his bedroom. During a montage where Peter is adapting to his powers, he accidentally knocks over a blue lamp on his bookshelf while practicing web-shooting. The incident causes the lamp to break.

Soon after, Aunt May comes to check on the noise, with Peter claiming to be studying. However, when the camera cuts back to the bedroom shortly after, the lamp is still intact on the bookshelf. The incident is often referenced by fans as the magic lamp moment.

The Simpsons

In 2018, long-time writer, executive producer and showrunner of The Simpsons, Matt Selman, found an error in an episode which had aired 20 years prior. The mistake can be found in season six episode 13, 'And Maggie Makes Three'.

In the scene, Marge Simpson tells Homer that she’s pregnant with Maggie. However, a framed picture of Maggie is already framed on the wall behind them.

The slip up was tweeted by Selman, but he wasn’t the only person working on the series to not recognise the mistake. Yeardley Smith, who voices Lisa Simpson replied: “Oooops.” while another show writer, Al Jean, tweeted, “Canon is in ruins!”

After 37 seasons, The Simpsons are no strangers to continuity mistakes. After Selman’s tweet some viewers were quick to point out that a similar situation had taken place in a different episode when Marge told Homer she was pregnant with Lisa. Once again, the scene shows Homer run past a picture of Lisa, despite the fact she wasn't even born yet.

Gladiator

Upon its 2000 release, Ridley Scott’s Roman epic Gladiator dominated awards season and was deemed a massive commercial success. The film tells the story of a solider, Maximus, who must rise through the gladiatorial ranks in order to avenge his family.

But despite the film’s fame, it still features a handful of blips. Perhaps one of the most notable takes place during a battle scene in the Colosseum, when a horse-drawn chariot flips over revealing a gas cylinder underneath.

It is thought that the cylinder was used to turn over the prop chariot, but was intended to be hidden from view. Some fans have joked that it was a remarkable feat, considering the movie is set in 180AD and the stainless steel cylinder wasn’t invented until the 1800s.

This article was published in March 2026