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.
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.[3] Other frequent guests include journalist Gustavo Arellano and historians Eric Avila, William Deverell, and D.J. Waldie.
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.
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"Prehistoric Landscapes"
Matt Bass
April2,2022(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).
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"German Exiles"
Matt Bass
April9,2022(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.
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"From Little Tokyo to Crenshaw"
Matt Bass
April16,2022(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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"Fast Food and Car Culture"
Matt Bass
January2,2024(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.[11]
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"Historic Filipinotown"
Matt Bass
January10,2024(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.
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"Hiking Trailblazers"
Matt Bass
January17,2024(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.
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"Eternal City: Los Angeles Cemeteries"
Matt Bass
January24,2024(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.
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"Tuberculosis, the Forgotten Plague"
Matt Bass
January31,2024(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.
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"Tiki Bars and Their Hollywood Origins"
Matt Bass
February7,2024(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.
Season 7 (Premiered January 7, 2025)
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"Space Shuttle"
Matt Bass
January7,2025(2025-01-07)
The Space Shuttle Endeavour has its journey traced from the program's very origins to the now iconic display open to the public at The California Science Center. Nathan highlights the significant achievements of local astronauts, test pilots, engineers and blue-collar workers, showcasing how Southern California became a vital stepping stone in humanity's journey into the cosmos. Featured interviews include astronaut John Daniel "Danny" Olivas, Colonel Maryann Karlen and curator Kenneth E. Phillips.[12]
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"Cold War Secrecy"
Matt Bass
January10,2025(2025-01-10)
The Cold War had a profound impact on Southern California's infrastructure, revealing a landscape rife with secrets underneath. Nathan explores artifacts from LA's military and aerospace industries throughout the city as he uncovers how federal investments transformed the region, simultaneously creating a wealth of opportunity while cloaking the area in a culture of secrecy. Featured interviews include historian D. J. Waldie, combat photographer Ken Hackman and museum founder Justin Jampol.[13]
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"When the St. Francis Dam Collapsed"
Matt Bass
January21,2025(2025-01-21)
Author Geoff Manaugh joins Nathan to understand the 1928 St. Francis Dam collapse, which unleashed a deadly flood that devastated the Santa Clara River Valley. Visit the dam site, follow the 54-mile flood path to the Pacific and uncover stories of loss, resilience and heroism. Explore the disaster's impact on Mexican American families and hear from experts on its lasting significance. Featured interviews include professor Jose Alamillo, archaeologist Ann Stansell and seismologist Lucy Jones.[14]
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"Animation"
Matt Bass
January28,2025(2025-01-28)
Uncover Disney's roots and Walt Disney's first home as Nathan explores how Los Angeles became the birthplace of modern animation. Animators Floyd Norman and Jane Baer, producer Don Hahn, composer John Debney and voice actor Bill Farmer explain how the city transformed cartoons into the art form of animation. Take a one-of-a-kind tour of Disney's Animation Research Library and learn what it takes to bring drawn characters to life.[15]
Season 8 (Premiered January 6, 2026)
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"The Fast and the Forgotten"
Matt Bass
January6,2026(2026-01-06)
Explore Southern California’s century-long love affair with car racing. Once a major form of entertainment, racing drew crowds and shaped the region’s car culture. Host Nathan Masters visits the Auto Club of Southern California’s archives, watches land speed racers in the high desert, tours the Petersen Museum’s vault and uncovers the hidden racing history of the Santa Monica Mountains. Featured interviews include author Harold Osmer, historian Morgan Yates, archivists Laura Fisher and Nathaniel Salvini, photographer Allen Kuhn, retired ranger Tom Young and SCTA race director Bill Lattin.[16]
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"Sci-Fi Origins"
Matt Bass
January13,2026(2026-01-13)
Boldly go into the heart of science fiction storytelling and discover its deep roots in Los Angeles. From UC Riverside’s vast sci-fi collection to author Octavia Butler’s Pasadena, host Nathan Masters explores how Southern California became a launchpad for stories that imagine new worlds—and reflect hopes and fears. Featured interviews include librarian Phoenix Alexander, scholar Ayana Jamieson, curator Alexis Bard Johnson, ONE Archives at USC Libraries director Joseph Hawkins and Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society members.[17]
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"True Crime"
Matt Bass
January20,2026(2026-01-20)
Host Nathan Masters examines old crimes like a 1950s Burbank murder and how these moments shaped the true crime genre. Featuring author Michael Connelly, former prosecutor Marcia Clark, podcaster Kate Winkler Dawson and historian William Deverell, the episode explores how Los Angeles' crimes have influenced storytellers and the city’s cultural identity.[18]
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"California Blooms"
Matt Bass
January27,2026(2026-01-27)
Meet the personalities who bring year-round color to California’s landscape. Hunt for native wildflowers in the Santa Monica Mountains, visit San Diego to learn how horticulturalist Kate Sessions colorized the Golden State, stop by Whittier for a debate on the controversial jacaranda tree and see how Burbank’s annual Rose Parade float comes together. Featured interviews include Los Angeles Times journalists Gustavo Arellano and Julia Wick, float designer Eric C. Andersen and botanist Mare Nazaire.[19]
