TV can't get it right

[Thorlifter]

So my one chick TV show I watch is Parenthood. One of the characters is Max Braverman, a teenager that has Asperger's, which is a form of autism. Anyway, he was building a model airplane and his dad walks in and gives him a book on WWII fighters. The dad then asks, "Are you building a fighter?" to which Max replies "Yes."

He was building a B-25

 

[evangilder]

My wife watches that one a lot. I catch it now and again. While that is an obvious goof, the kid who plays Max does a phenomenal job as an actor. My son is high functioning autistic and the behaviors are very similar.

 

[GregP]

I notice that TV almost never gets it right when talking about aviation in general. Sometimes they even used piston sound when showing a jet! No, I'm not talking about the movie Airplane or the various sequels. They seem to misidentify almost everything.

I remember when the PSA plane crashed in San Diego around 1980 or so and Popular Mechanics showed a Cessna flying from about a 90° angle toward a Boeing 727 from about 1,000 feet away on the cover of the magazine. A Boeing 727 comes down long final at 170 knots and the Cessna probably wouldn't make 170 knots straight down. We all KNOW who ran over who in that one.

 

[Gixxerman]

I notice that TV almost never gets it right when talking about aviation in general.

This is my pet dislike.

I can forgive a general show for that sort of lazyness but the number of times I've seen basic factual errors (especially with inappropriate video, ie showing wrong planes when talking about various eras of the war) omissions from supposedly 'specialist' TV (like the History Discovery channels especially) is really annoying.
I know perfection is impossible but some of the things they leave out or get wrong is pretty terrible.
If they are going to make programs of this sort the least they could do is employ some clued up researchers who will get it right much more often.
It surely can't be that difficult can it?

 

[N4521U]

Yes, it can.
Espeshely for thems that knows it all.

 

[bobbysocks]

i think they are under the conviction that the majority of the people watching wont know the difference so they will get away with it. and they are probably right. it would be interesting to know how many people actually caught that. i can sort of forgive that under the "poetic license" type of thing but what really jerks my chain is when news casters...who are supposed to be giving you the "facts" screw things totally up for lack of a little research. " The gunman was armed with an SKS-47 assault rifle..." if they cant get the small details correct what else are they telling me that isnt correct?

 

[Shortround6]

if they cant get the small details correct what else are they telling me that isnt correct?

Most everything

After over 30 years as a paid firefighter I lost track of the times we were watching the "news" after an incident and turned to each other and said " what fire/accident are they talking about because it sure wasn't the one we were at!"

 

[Njaco]

along with screeching car tires...on dirt!

One of the reasons I love "SPR" (with a wink-wink about the tank-buster P-51s!). Not everyone had a Thompson MG in a platoon - usually it was the Lt or Capt. They also usually had one guy who had the BAR. Spielberg researched his history to get the little things. He has a fascination with the Mustang, though!

 

[CobberKane]

I remember all those T-6 trainers getting mowed down in Tora!Tora!Tora! Though to be fair that was long before the days of CGI and it was a great movie nonetheless. I also recall Ben Affleck in the greatly inferior 'Pearl Harbour' advising his fellow pilots during the attack: "You can't outrun a Zero in a P40 so don't try!" I thought that was one of the few advantages the P40 did have, and besides - how would he know? At the time of the attack the US barely knew the zero existed. much less what it could do.
My pick for best (and most accurate) WWII air combat movie? 'Dark Blue World.'

 

[evangilder]

I'm with you on Dark Blue World.

One of my favorite things I see on the news is they will often state that an aircraft "has a machine gun on it". When in fact, it is just the pitot tube! I ended up writing a blog about it because I was exasperated with it when a T-28 here locally crash landed on a beach in Oxnard. The talking heads said the T-28 "still has the machine gun".

 

[GrauGeist]

Here's a good one...in just about any movie, where an aircraft dives (on purpose or otherwise) to the unmistakable sound of a Stuka's Jericho Trumpet!

 

[GregP]

Evan, it's just like your conputer that has a cup holder ... err ... cd/dvd drive!

 

[GrauGeist]

Evan, it's just like your conputer that has a cup holder ... err ... cd/dvd drive!

Hey now, those are cool! And what's even better, it retracts when you're done using it!

 

[vinnye]

I have seen a few documentaries that show archive footage of WWII gun cameras. Nothing wrong in that - except when the narrative with it is about The Battle of Britain and the film shows a FW190!
I have also seen pictures of P40's when again the narrative is about Hurricanes!
Drives me mad! (Or should I say madder?).

 

[Thorlifter]

My all time "throw something at the TV for getting it wrong" is in the 1970 movie Midway when they show a Corsair on a strafing run. Gaaaaa!!!!!!

 

[evangilder]

It was a secret weapon at that time.

 

[tyrodtom]

I like it when they add sound to gun camera film, one gun.

 

[Elmas]

Many years ago I've seen a movie about El Alamein battle.
Two British Officers seeing a number of tanks coming, clearly outlined against a red desert sunset, started screaming "Here! the Italian tanks are coming!"
Unfortunately for the Italians, and very fortunately for the Allied, Italians had not a single one M47

deployed at El Alamein in 1942......

 

[Feu]

My pick for best (and most accurate) WWII air combat movie? 'Dark Blue World.'

But even then they depict 109's with cannon in the wings AND firing through the propeller hub.

 

[meatloaf109]

Back in the 50's and 60's before the really cool reproductions and CGI, they used what ever was at hand. My favorite was the "Tiger tank that will smash the rebellious prisoners flat!" in the second episode of Hogans Heroes, that was an M-7 Priest! Also tank commander Newkirk wore a German firemans helmet.