Flag Goofs in TV Shows

[APS221]

I was watching "Bones" last week and noticed the flags in this scene, which is set in an F.B.I. office, weren't placed properly.


In the second season premiere of "Covert Affairs," scenes set in a military hospital on Guam also weren't placed properly.

[Peter Ansoff]

Good catches, APS221!

The Guam one is especially interesting. The US and Guam flags are on the correct sides of the door, but the US flag has the union the wrong way around. You can almost see the mental process that they went through. The Guam flag has to be the way it is so that the "GUAM" inscription reads correctly, and they assumed that the US flag should face the same way. This is actually (IMO) a flaw in the flag code that comes up whenever the US flag is displayed vertically beside a flag that has writing on it (as do many state flags).

Peter Ansoff

[APS221]

I agree, it is a bit strange. It does make sense to have the union on the flag's own right when it's hung horizontally and vertically. When it's placed with other flags, it does seem a bit strange. I picture them as if they are on crossed staffs.


I also came across this picture taken in Glasgow during the filming of "World War Z."

Obviously the flag placement is incorrect. In addition, they are flying a City of Philadelphia flag instead of a State of Pennsylvania flag on a building that's supposed to be a U.S. (Federal not municipal) Courthouse.

In another episode of "Bones," "The Girl in the Fridge" (Season 1 Episode 8), there's another flag goof.

The establishing shot indicates the scene is set in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. However, the courtroom interior has a Maryland flag.

[Peter Ansoff]

In addition, they are flying a City of Philadelphia flag instead of a State of Pennsylvania flag on a building that's supposed to be a U.S. (Federal not municipal) Courthouse.

Not only that, but I don't think that state flags are normally flown on federal courthouses.

The establishing shot indicates the scene is set in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Also, the building in the establishing shot is not the US District Court for DC -- it's the Justice Department headquarters building. The district court is a few blocks down Constitution Avenue (and it's not nearly as photogenic!).

Peter Ansoff

[NAVA1974]

Flag goofs happen in real life, but unless you have a meeting of vexillologists, most go unnoticed. About 25 years ago I attended a conference at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. The subject was the project to conserve the state's Civil War battle flags. In attendance were luminaries like Grace Rogers Cooper, Fonda Tomsen, and Dr. Whitney Smith. At the end of the day, Dr. Smith and I were heading out of the Capitol building and across the street to a parking garage. As we passed the Pennsylvania Department of Education I glanced up at the US and State flags on diagonal staffs. The dark blue flag on the right? New York State!
We went inside and mentioned this to the receptionist who cooly said "No sir, that is the Pennsylvania flag." After we showed her the horses supporting the state coat-of-arms on the fringed flag behind her desk, she finally accepted our invitation to step outside, where she had to admit the female figures on either side of THAT flags arms were not horses, and it was not the Pennsylvania flag.

Nick A
Columbia Maryland

[APS221]

I caught another goof in a recent episode of "Magic City" (Season 1, Episode 4).

The flags aren't placed properly. The United States flag should be on the left. This scene takes places in the Dade County (11th District) State Attorney's office.
"Magic City" is set in 1959 Miami. The events in the first episode take place around New Year's Eve 1958/New Year's Day 1959. United States flags in the show should have 48 stars. I can't tell if the flag in the scene is correct or not. Of course, Alaska and Hawaii became states in 1959, and the 50 star flag was officially adopted on July 4, 1960.

[APS221]

I was watching CNN, and saw an interview of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg by Fareed Zakaria.

It looks like the U.S. and N.Y.C. flags were placed by the mantel incorrectly.