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PBS was pummeled on social media after it acknowledged having spliced in video of previous years' Washington, D.C., fireworks in its live "A Capitol Fourth" broadcast Monday night.

Hundreds of viewers complained on the annual show's Twitter and Facebook pages that the fireworks display couldn't be live because the images were in clear weather:

An image from PBS' 'A Capitol Fourth' Independence Day show Monday night.

Washington, however, was heavily overcast and foggy Monday night — which was readily apparent as the pyrotechnics faded into dense clouds:

Fireworks explode Monday night over the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. AP

About 10 p.m. ET, the show's Facebook and Twitter pages acknowledged that the supposedly "live" show was, in fact, " a combination of the best fireworks from this year and previous years."

We showed a combination of the best fireworks from this year and previous years. It was the patriotic thing to do. #July4thPBS — A Capitol Fourth (@July4thPBS) July 5, 2016

Reaction online was swift and savage:

@July4thPBS Only in DC could a PBS show become a scandal #July4thPBS #capitolfourth — thedcfloridian (@thedcfloridian) July 5, 2016

@July4thPBS How is using stock video patriotic? If I wanted that, I'd watch YouTube. #fake #July4thPBS — Thomas Rainer (@ThomasRainerDC) July 5, 2016

#Blessed to see the fireworks from my apt window & watch #July4thPBS. Tho, the fireworks out my window don't look like @pbs. #fake? ?????? — Tina (@tinpant) July 5, 2016

Not cool @pbs.... Fake footage of fireworks on the Fourth???? It's cloudy and rainy in DC. Those shots are clearly not from tonight. — Chris Wallgren (@seawall77) July 5, 2016

PBS representatives didn't immediately return NBC News' calls for comment Monday night.