NBC seems to have a particular affinity for slyly removing the word “God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. During the U.S. Open golf tournament in 2011, viewers immediately noticed and called out NBC for editing out the phrase “under God” [1] during the recital of the anthem. Maybe since it’s been four years, NBC thinks it can get away with it again, because a promo for one of NBC’s new primetime shows again omits “under God” during a reciting of the pledge. Ironically, the show is called “Allegiance.”
The show is about a rookie CIA agent whose allegiance to country and family is challenged by his newfound realization that his family is not who he thought they were. Turns out, his parents are undercover Russian spies working against the U.S. While the show’s title may refer to the young man’s allegiance to his family and to his country, surely allegiance to God doesn’t fit in NBC’s patriotic narrative.
In the promo, which is online and also has aired on television, a creepy chant of the anthem plays in the background and notably, that phrase “under God” is the only one missing.
After the U.S. open fumble, network execs walked back with their tail between their legs and apologized for “upsetting anyone” by editing out [2] the reverent phrase. Let’s see if NBC does the same this time, when they get inevitably get caught for this move that could only be considered liberal trolling. The show premieres Feb. 5 at 10 p.m. ET on NBC.
— Kristine Marsh is Staff Writer for MRC Culture at the Media Research Center. Follow Kristine Marsh on Twitter. [3]