Hosted by writer and historian Nathan Masters,[1] each episode of Lost LA brings the primary sources of Los Angeles history to the screen in surprising new ways and connects them to the Los Angeles of today. Much of the past 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, 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.[2]
Los Angeles is often thought of as a city without a history, an instant metropolis defined by the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. Lost LA challenges these stereotypes, offering a history of Southern California not found in other media. Unlike other history shows which only look backward at antiquarian arcana, Lost LA explains the Southern California of today and how we got here.
Episodes
Season 1 (Premiered January 27, 2016)
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1
1
"Wild L.A."
Laura Purdy, Sara Joe Wolansky
January 27, 2016 (2016-01-27)
2
2
"Before the Dodgers"
Javier Barboza, Amy Lee Ketchum, Ben Sax
February 3, 2016 (2016-02-03)
3
3
"Reshaping L.A."
Matt Glass, Jordan Wayne Long, Kelly Parker
February 10, 2016 (2016-02-10)
Special Summer Episode (2017)
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4
1
"Descanso Gardens"
Christopher Stoudt
July 26, 2017 (2017-07-26)
Season 2 (Premiered October 10, 2017)
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5
1
"Borderlands"
Elia Urquiza
October 10, 2017 (2017-10-10)
6
2
"Wild West"
Andrew Ahn, Giulia Caruso, Logan Kibens, Ki Jin Kim
At more than 4,500 acres, Griffith Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the United States. Its founder, the controversial and complicated Griffith J. Griffith, donated the land to the city as a public recreation ground for all the people—an ideal that has been challenged over the years. In this episode, featuring hiker and author Casey Schreiner, viewers visit a Mexican-era adobe within the park boundaries and ride the historic Merry-go-Round, where Griffith's ideal of equal access was challenged.
Although best known for designing the homes of celebrities like Lucille Ball and Frank Sinatra, the pioneering African American architect Paul Revere Williams also contributed to some of the city's most recognizable civic structures— all while confronting racism and racial barriers. In this episode, viewers visit Los Angeles International Airport's (LAX) iconic Theme Building, the Williams-designed Founder's Church of Religious Science, and the Pueblo del Rio public housing project.
As recently as a century ago, scientists doubted whether the universe extended beyond our own Milky Way—until astronomerEdwin Hubble, working with the world's most powerful telescope in the mountains high above Los Angeles, discovered just how vast our universe truly is. In this episode, viewers visit the underground vault of the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, where paradigm-shifting discoveries are annotated by hand-on-glass photographic slides; and the historic Mount Wilson Observatory.
The 1965 Watts riots (also known as the Watts Rebellion or Uprising) left South Los Angeles in social and economic distress. In their aftermath, Operation Bootstrap, a non-profit community-based organization was formed, with hopes of facilitating change through community empowerment. This episode explores the lasting impact of one Operation Bootstrap initiative, the Shindana Toy Company, whose ethnically correct black dolls forever changed the American dollindustry. We visit a doll collector, meet with former Operation Bootstrap organizers, and hear about the enduring legacy of Operation Bootstrap from a family of women who once made clothing for Shindana dolls. It's a story of community strength and economic revival—and one that, outside South L.A.’s Black community, is barely known.
In "Winemaking" host Nathan Masters picks grapes from the oldest vines in Los Angeles with Michael Holland at Villa Adobe.
25
3
"Prehistoric Landscapes"
Matt Bass
April 2, 2022 (2022-04-02)
In "Prehistoric Landscapes" host Nathan Masters sifts through a natural archive of climate change with Emily Lindsey (Assistant Curator and Excavation Site Director at the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum)and Sean Campbell (Preparator, Rancho La Brea).
26
4
"German Exiles"
Matt Bass
April 9, 2022 (2022-04-09)
In "German Exiles" host Nathan Masters meets with Claudia Gordon to tour Villa Aurora, a Pacific Palisades house that hosted spirited literary salons.
27
5
"From Little Tokyo to Crenshaw"
Matt Bass
April 16, 2022 (2022-04-16)
In "From Little Tokyo to Crenshaw" host Nathan Masters visits Kristen Hayashi, Ph.D., the collections manager at the Japanese American National Museum.
Season 6 (Premiered January 2, 2024)
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28
1
"Fast Food and Car Culture"
Matt Bass
January 2, 2024 (2024-01-02)
From McDonald’s to Taco Bell, many of the world’s most iconic fast-food chains were born in SoCal including Bob’s Big Boy, In-N-Out Burger and Del Taco. This episode explores how car culture and the restaurant industry collided in the L.A. region, forever shaping the way Americans dine and drive. Featured interviews include: L.A. Times’ Gustavo Arellano and Stacy Perman, LA Magazine’s Chris Nichols and author/chef George Geary.[3]
29
2
"Historic Filipinotown"
Matt Bass
January 10, 2024 (2024-01-10)
Filipino Americans fight to make their heritage more visible in Los Angeles. This episode explores the Yo-Yo’s surprising origin story, tours Historic Filipinotown in a Jeepny and tastes classic Filipino street foods. Featured interviews include: activist/librarian Florante Ibanez and the hosts of “This Filipino Life” podcast.
30
3
"Hiking Trailblazers"
Matt Bass
January 17, 2024 (2024-01-17)
Meet the people who led Angelenos onto their local trails, including early wellness guru Paul Bragg. In this episode, Nathan explores the origins of L.A. hiking, from the Indigenous people who first walked the land to activists like WalkGood LA’s Etienne Maurice who blaze new paths over familiar terrain. Featured interviews include: Modern Hiker’s Casey Schreiner.
31
4
"Eternal City: Los Angeles Cemeteries"
Matt Bass
January 24, 2024 (2024-01-24)
Visit Forest Lawn, Evergreen and Hollywood Forever to see how LA reinvented the cemetery. In this episode, Nathan and UCLA’s Eric Avila visit the gravesites of the rich and famous while learning how racial segregation once divided the dead. Featured interviews include: The Chinese Historical Society’s Eugene Moy and film historian Karie Bible.
32
5
"Tuberculosis, the Forgotten Plague"
Matt Bass
January 31, 2024 (2024-01-31)
Archives reveal the “forgotten plague” that shaped Southern California. In this episode, Nathan explores how California’s fresh air and cheap land drew consumptives to local sanatoriums as well as the stark reality of life as a tuberculosis patient. Featured interviews include: USC’s William Deverell, LA Times’ Patt Morrison and infectious disease specialist Dr. Brenda Jones.
33
5
"Tiki Bars and Their Hollywood Origins"
Matt Bass
February 7, 2024 (2024-02-07)
Nathan explores some of the oldest Tiki bars in Southern California. In this episode, discover the Hollywood origins of Don the Beachcomber and learn how postwar American pop culture appropriated the rich traditions of the South Pacific. Featured interviews include: Tiki Ti’s Mike Buhen, Tiki Scholar Sven Kirsten and Strong Water’s Ying Chang and Robert Adamson.
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.[4]
Production
New episodes are produced every year, typically premiering in the Fall.
