Incorrect number plates in TV and Film

Incorrect number plates in TV and Film

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Discussion

joropug

Original Poster:

2,700 posts

196 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2019
quotequote all
Do you know what really grinds my gears....?

When I'm watching TV or film, I can't help but take notice of number plates that are impossible or invalid for the car depicted. I can see the reasons why they do it, but it annoys me just the same.

Thought it could be interesting to see if any other anoraks have noticed this in TV or Film...

Take line of duty for example.

Number plates at least a few years too new on this range rover, and Q and I aren't allowed in the last 3.



And 5 minutes later a 2001 or older X5 is donning a 2016 plate and again has Q in the last 3.



Arguably they're criminal's cars so might have false plates...but generally wouldn't choose ones without tax or insurance ...

I'll grab my anorak on the way out.

Edited by joropug on Tuesday 22 November 13:36

elanfan

5,527 posts

234 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2019
quotequote all
You know it’s make believe right? Have you not noticed all the phone nos given in American tv or films always starts 555 why cos it’s make believe.

ZOLLAR

19,914 posts

180 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2019
quotequote all
hehe

I was wondering how long it would take for this to pop up, I pointed out the X5 one to the OH in my most car anorak voice I could muster.

She didn’t seem terribly interested.

Initially I thought it was due to them only having a budget for older cars but needing the show to be recent in terms of the year however I realised it was the BBC and they have no issues with wasting money so getting recent models wouldn’t be a problem!


Pica-Pica

14,479 posts

91 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2019
quotequote all
What really ground MY gears was in TV series Baptiste, when he was under threat, stopped when blocked by a car, got out and left the keys in. Also the female detective, under similar threat, drove without locking the doors. That just does not happen, surely?

joropug

Original Poster:

2,700 posts

196 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2019
quotequote all
Ha yeah I thought the same. Can't for the lofe of me remember what it was now, but a fully 'marked' police X5 old banger featured on a program the other day adorned with an eBay coloured 'M' grill slat set...


Pericoloso

44,044 posts

170 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2019
quotequote all
The RS2000 on the Professionals is of a spec that shouldn't be on a T plate.

Much internet speculation of it being a false plate too.

PNO641T.

JD66

159 posts

130 months

Tuesday 23rd April 2019
quotequote all
It really grinds my gears as well. Watched Eastenders until about 2007, gave up with all the actor changes for the same character and the final straw was seeing a T plate FX4 taxi.

Edited by JD66 on Sunday 12th May 00:29

Denis O

2,141 posts

250 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
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I noticed the X5 was an E53 although thought the plate was AOB and not AQB. Having checked the AOB plate it turns out to be a White Toyota Aygo.

I came to the same conclusion they were running on false plates, being of the criminal fraternity an all.

Glasgowrob

3,265 posts

128 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
Think it's more to do with not using a real registration that's assigned to someone's car

Legal issues etc

Same with phone numbers it was always be a dummy number used

croyde

23,939 posts

237 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
The cars in the background of previous Line of Duties have Northern Ireland plates cos it's filmed there but is not supposed to take place there.

I always seem to see wrong age cars in films.

Some film set in the 80s in New York but the yellow cabs in the background were the newer late 90s models.

Oh and in Narcos, set in the late 80s, one of the guys is using a rifle that wasn't in service until the mid 90s.

I'll get me coat smile


droopsnoot

12,664 posts

249 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
joropug said:
Thought it could be interesting to see if any other anoraks have noticed this in TV or Film...
It was mentioned in the "Line of Duty" thread quite early into the new series, I think.

I guess a lot of it's intentional, to remove the chance of it being confused with a real car. Also stops speculators in twenty years trying to sell an X5 with "as used in Line of Duty series 5" to bump the price up. smile

croyde said:
The cars in the background of previous Line of Duties have Northern Ireland plates cos it's filmed there but is not supposed to take place there.
One for the LoD thread, but do they ever actually say where it's supposed to be set?

joropug

Original Poster:

2,700 posts

196 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
That's a good question , I only half watch it but I assumed Liverpool due to Ireland and Scouse nexus.

droopsnoot

12,664 posts

249 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
And I'd assumed London, but then I don't recall whether we've ever had any of the scene-setting that usually comes with stuff that is supposed to be in London - recognisable landmarks, red buses, black cabs.

As for the accents, the Irish accent for Hastings has been there all the time, and the UCO with the Scouse accent is only in this series, everyone else (to me, at least) is fairly non-specific in accent.

crossle

1,520 posts

258 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
Can't remember the programme, but a robbery scene set in 1961 with two Jaguar MkII getaway cars, one with a "C" suffix, the other with a "D".

I get told off by my Mrs for pointing out this sort of thing...

croyde

23,939 posts

237 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
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The main lead guy with a London accent is played by an actor with a very heavy Scots accent.

geeks

9,746 posts

146 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
A friend of mine builds alot of cars/vehicles for TV and Film in the UK, they trough dummy reg numbers on them to stop people cloning vehicles from TV number plates to then go and do bad things with.

Oddly enough I think he is responsible for the X5 with the M grill hehe

Smollet

11,774 posts

197 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
elanfan said:
You know it’s make believe right? Have you not noticed all the phone nos given in American tv or films always starts 555 why cos it’s make believe.
That’s not actually true. A lot of the more popular series only use 555 but an increasing number of the better quality tv series use what appear to be normal phone numbers.

droopsnoot

12,664 posts

249 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
crossle said:
Can't remember the programme, but a robbery scene set in 1961 with two Jaguar MkII getaway cars, one with a "C" suffix, the other with a "D".

I get told off by my Mrs for pointing out this sort of thing...
I remember a classic film - perhaps with Richard Burton - where there's something like that. I wonder if it was about the great train robbery, which is why we knew what the date was? It wasn't actually the train robbery itself where the Jags were used, kind of a practice run. Not being able to remember which film is going to annoy me now, and sadly IMDB don't have a searchable category for anachronisms.

AdeTuono

7,406 posts

234 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
Smollet said:
elanfan said:
You know it’s make believe right? Have you not noticed all the phone nos given in American tv or films always starts 555 why cos it’s make believe.
That’s not actually true. A lot of the more popular series only use 555 but an increasing number of the better quality tv series use what appear to be normal phone numbers.
Thank God! So many Netflx shows have been ruined for me due to the use of a mobile # that couldn't possibly exist.

PistonBroker

2,522 posts

233 months

Wednesday 24th April 2019
quotequote all
Glad it's not just me, but we aren't normal.

Mrs PB just gave me a withering look when I pointed it out.

As already said, it must be hard to avoid legal issues if you end up inadvertently using someone's plate. So best to go this route I suppose - plates that couldn't possibly exist.