The Beano thinks TV wasn't around in 1938!

In this week's The Beano comic, in Minnie the Minx's strip, she's speaking to 1930s character Ping The Elastic Man...

Minnie: Let's watch some telly.
Ping: What's Telly?
Later, at Minnie's house: We didn't have Magic Boxes like this in 1938?

But as we all know, they did. BBC TV launched in 1936, two years before The Beano! Can anyone think of any similar gaffes anywhere in the media?

well it could be argued that they were not commonplace in 1938.

No, they certainly weren't commonplace until the early 1950s. Many people went out and bought them so they could watch the Queens Corronation in 1950.

In the late 30's there would probably only have been a couple of hundred sets and those would only have been in London in reach of the few transmitters there were then.

The point is, they DID have them! The comic said they didn't. Quite a gaffe. I'm sure this can't be the first time a magazine or newspaper has made that mistake though...

Ok, lets look at your quote again...

Minnie: Let's watch some telly.
Ping: What's Telly?
Later, at Minnie's house: We didn't have Magic Boxes like this in 1938?

It would be wrong to say if the text said "There" stating a fact but as We meant themselves only. So it's more technical than historically wrong.

Well, seeing as this IS a thread about errors!

Unfortunately, we were poor at the time and couldn't afford to buy one three years early.

We waited till 1953, when the Coronation (one r) actually happened!

It also depends what part of the country the strip was set. Only London had TV until long after the war. So if they are outside London (which is quite certain) then the text was quite correct

Most likely set in its long-running area of "Beanotown", location of which could honestly be anywhere. But from the strips, it would appear to be some far-flung village somewhere which rules out London full-stop.

That was a typo! Honest - I thought I'd actually typed 1953, whoops!

Beanotown is near either London or Dundee, as that's where publisher DC Thomson is based. I'd check www.beanotown.com too.

I'll let you off then!

<grin>

Just as long as you know I'm watching!

Who honestly cares about the Beano anyway? It's a kids comic, it doesn't have to be accurate.