''Lost LA'' is a

public television Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...

historical documentary series that explores

Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...

's hidden

past The past is the set of all events that occurred before a given point in time. The past is contrasted with and defined by the present and the future. The concept of the past is derived from the linear fashion in which human observers experience t ...

through

document A document is a written, drawn, presented, or memorialized representation of thought, often the manifestation of non-fictional, as well as fictional, content. The word originates from the Latin ''Documentum'', which denotes a "teaching" or ...

photos A photograph (also known as a photo, image, or picture) is an image created by light falling on a photosensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic image sensor, such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are now created ...

, and other rare artifacts from the region's libraries and archives. Hosted by writer and historian

Nathan Masters Nathan Masters (born 1981) is a writer, Los Angeles historian, and host of ''Lost L.A.'', a public television series about Los Angeles history. He manages public programs at the University of Southern California Libraries. In 2013, he launched a Gi ...

, each episode of ''Lost LA'' brings the

primary source In the study of history as an academic discipline, a primary source (also called an original source) is an artifact, document, diary, manuscript, autobiography, recording, or any other source of information that was created at the time under ...

s of Los Angeles history to the screen in surprising new ways and connects them to the Los Angeles of

today Today (archaically to-day) may refer to: * Day of the present, the time that is perceived directly, often called ''now'' * Current era, present * The current calendar date Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Today'' (1930 film), a 1930 A ...

. Much of the

is lost to history, but through the region's archives, we can rediscover a forgotten Los Angeles. The half-hour series is co-produced by KCET and USC Libraries and is broadcast by

KCET KCET (channel 28) is a secondary PBS member television station in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is owned by the Public Media Group of Southern California alongside the market's primary PBS member, Huntington Beach–licensed KOCE-TV ...

, PBS SoCal and other public television stations.

Development

The show began as a series of online articles that featured historical materials from the L.A. as Subject research alliance. When the online series became successful, it was spun off into its own TV series.

Funders

''Lost LA is made possible by Anne Ray Foundation, a Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropy; The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation; and the

California State Library The California State Library is the state library of the State of California, founded in 1850 by the California State Legislature. The Library collects, preserves, generates and disseminates a wide array of information. Today, it is the central ...

Plot

Los Angeles is often thought of as a city without a history, an instant

metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...

defined by the glitz and glamour of the

entertainment industry Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and Interest (emotion), interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have dev ...

. ''Lost LA'' challenges these

stereotype In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example ...

s, offering a history of Southern California not found in other media. Unlike other history shows which only look backward at

antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an fan (person), aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artifact (archaeology), artifac ...

arcana, ''Lost LA'' explains the Southern California of today and how we got here.

Episodes

Season 1 (Premiered January 27, 2016)

Special Summer Episode (2017)

Season 2 (Premiered October 10, 2017)

Season 3 (Premiered October 9, 2018)

Season 4 (Premiered October 15, 2019)

Season 5 (Premiered March 19, 2022)

Cast and characters

Historian Nathan Masters has hosted the series since its inception. Los Angeles City Archivist Michael Holland has also appeared in several episodes.

Production

New episodes are produced every year, typically premiering in the Fall.

Awards

The series has been honored with numerous awards, including four Los Angeles Area Emmy Awards; the

Los Angeles Press Club The Los Angeles Press Club is an American journalism organization founded in 1913. It honors journalists through its annual National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Awards and SoCal Journalism Awards. The Board of Directors includes the organi ...

's SoCal Journalism Award; the Los Angeles Press Club's National Arts & Entertainment Journalism Award; and the Radio and Television News Association (RTNA) of Southern California's

Golden Mike Award The Golden Mike Award is a broadcast journalism award presented by the Radio and Television News Association (RTNA) of Southern California. Awards are given in the categories of television news and radio news. Eligibility is limited to a select gr ...

."KCET and PBS SoCal Win Seven Golden Mike Awards Presented by the Radio & Television News Association of Southern CA,"
KCET website (January 23, 2019).

References

External links

* * {{IMDb title, 5390422 2016 American television series debuts 2010s American documentary television series History of Los Angeles Television series about the history of the United States University of Southern California Works about cities in the United States