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The 7 most wildly inaccurate historical dramas on TV

Photo credit: ITV
Photo credit: ITV

From Digital Spy

It's not easy making historical dramas. We have to give the producers a bit of artistic leeway, mainly so they can entertain us. After all, the alternative is a weird, pedantic kind of CCTV into the past which would probably be a bit boring.

However, some inaccuracies are so crazy we can't help but point and laugh at them (while wearing a wristwatch even though we're supposed to be taking part in the Battle Of Hastings or something).

What follows are some of the most wildly inaccurate mistakes in the history of dramas that we enjoyed binging on Netflix in 1823.

1. Highlander: The Series

You're not going to believe this, but there isn't actually a race of immortals who cut each other's heads off in order to be the most powerful one. Sorry about that, we were disappointed when we found out, too.

But leaving aside that potent historical inaccuracy, there's plenty more to annoy purists where Highlander's concerned.

Let's start with the fact that it portrays the Battle Of Waterloo (in the episode 'Band Of Brothers') as taking place on a snowy landscape.

To be fair to production, this wasn't because they couldn't be bothered to check their history books, but more because it was snowing on the day they'd booked to film the scene, and had to go ahead with the shoot anyway.

So, we'll forgive them for that. What we probably won't forgive is the fact the show frequently portrays the MacLeod clan leader as living in a hut with his mates.

Scottish clan leaders lived in castles – and the MacLeod clan leader still lives in Dunvegan Castle today. It's basically the equivalent of making a historical drama about Margaret Thatcher and shoving her into a garden shed for the scenes where she relaxes at home. Except, you know, with a lot more decapitations.

2. The Borgias

The Borgias, about a family of Spanish outsiders who try to take over control of Renaissance-era Italy, has a TON of inaccuracies, but our favourite is probably the fact they give the real-life Niccolò Machiavelli a job as adviser to the Medici family.

It's not just because he never held that position – or any position of power at that point in history – but because he eventually became a fairly strong enemy of the Medicis, who imprisoned and tortured him.

In fact, Machiavelli's most famous work, The Prince, is seen by some scholars to be a revolutionary text AGAINST the Medicis.

Look, what we're saying is, he would be a TERRIBLE advisor to those guys.

Still, even that isn't as inaccurate a representation of Machiavelli as the next show…

3. Leonardo

So, according to Leonardo, the original Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci was best friends with Machiavelli when they were teenagers. Only one sliiiiight problem with that: in 1467, when the show is set, Machiavelli hadn't actually been born yet.

So, yeah, Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci definitely weren't friends as teenagers, mainly because of the seventeen-year age gap.

And before anyone mentions the other inaccuracy – Machiavelli wasn't black – we don't actually care about that one, because we're all for diverse casting.

4. Outlander

Outlander is a based on the time-travelling series of novels by Diana Gabaldon, and follows the adventures of a married World War II nurse who is transported back to the Scotland of 1743, where she meets a dashing Highland warrior and gets mixed up in the Jacobite risings.

Don't worry, we're not about to start bellowing about how time-travel is inaccurate. Our problem is more historical than that: basically, the show involves a plot where Claire and Geillis Duncan are prosecuted for witchcraft.

The only trouble is, Parliament had abolished "witchcraft" as a crime in 1735 (possibly because witches aren't actually real).

Under the Witchcraft Act, it was actually a crime to accuse someone of witchcraft, which completely undermines the narrative thread.

Perhaps the writers could travel back in time to fix the mistake?

5. The Tudors

The Tudors focuses on the life and romances of the young King Henry VIII. A young… attractive Henry VIII. Hmm.

While the young Henry was reputedly a studly catch and a half, in our real-world timeline, Henry VIII didn't marry Anne Boleyn until he was in his forties. On the show he looks like he's in his late twenties. That is, until he ages abruptly in season four.

As for the fact that he's played by the unavoidably slender and attractive Jonathan Rhys Meyers, well, let's just say that anyone who's seen a portrait of the later Henry VIII will know that's not just historically inaccurate, it borders on comedic.

Couldn't the Showtime budget stretch to a fat suit / slightly less mega-hot actor?

6. Victoria

Let's leave aside the fact that Jenna Coleman isn't Queen Victoria's exact double, and focus on her pals' gnashers instead.

Sugar was pretty prevalent in Victorian Britain, but dentists? Not so much. That means most Victorian mouths basically resembled the contents of a privy.

Any show purporting to be an accurate depiction of Victorian Britain should be packed with crumbling brown gummy maws, or at least come with an 18 rating because every single mouth featured on the show would basically be a horror film.

(The Tudors gets away with it because sugar wasn't common enough back then.)

7. Time After Time

Okay, okay, we know this isn't a traditional historical drama, but this inaccuracy is too good to leave out.

Kevin Williamson's bonkers Time After Time is all about that one time Jack the Ripper used HG Wells' time machine to travel to 2017. You all remember when that went down, right?

Still, we don't have a problem with this aspect, because it's a very accurate representation of a thing that definitely happened.

However, when Jack gets to the future, he's amazed by the fact people in the modern New York can buy guns. Which would be fine if it weren't for the fact it was actually easier to do this in London in 1893.

Licenses to buy guns didn't exist until 1903, so, if anything, it's much harder in 2017.

So, yeah, add in the fact that Jack preferred knives to guns (hence 'The Ripper' and not 'The Shooter') and this is a pretty funny mistake.


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