WASHINGTON – Viewers of the broadcast of this year’s fireworks show in the nation’s capital noticed something a little…strange about the live show.
As people who attended the event live know, the July Fourth fireworks display on the National Mall turned into a dreary affair as low-hanging clouds made most of the pyrotechnics impossible to see.
Yet despite overcast skies that muted the fireworks show for people viewing the display live, viewers watching “A Capitol Fourth” at home on PBS somehow had a clear view.
Some took to social media to blast PBS for showing old footage during the live broadcast. They pointed out other tell-tale signs that the video wasn’t live, such as the shots of the U.S. Capitol’s dome without a scaffolding.
The dome is currently undergoing a restoration project.
For comparison sake, below is the footage of the fireworks show as those who saw it live experienced it – under a thick blanket of cloud cover (video courtesy PBS/A Capitol Fourth).
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“A Capitol Fourth” tweeted an apology and said: “We showed a combination of the best fireworks from this year and previous years. It was the patriotic thing to do.”
The holiday in the nation’s capital was hindered by unseasonably cool, rainy weather, and crowds on the Mall were noticeably thinner than in years past. But the National Park Service vowed to continue with the fireworks unless the weather was dangerous.
Only a light drizzle was falling when the fireworks began at 9:09 p.m. Monday, but the top of the 555-foot Washington Monument was invisible because of low-hanging clouds.
The “Capitol Fourth” concert on the West Lawn of the US Capitol was festive as usual, with standout performances by Gavin DeGraw, Amber Riley and Smokey Robinson, among others.