Is Lost LA coming back?
Lost LA (2016–present) — history on PBS
About Lost LA
Much of Los Angeles' past is lost to history -- but we can rediscover it in the region's archives. This new series, a co-production of KCETLink and the USC Libraries, in collaboration with "L.A. as Subject," brings Southern California history to life by marrying archival materials with innovative forms of documentary storytelling. Hosted by L.A. public historian Nathan Masters of USC Libraries, this original series of three episodes showcases nine emerging filmmakers. From rotoscoping to cinema verité, the range of the filmmakers' techniques mirrors the diversity of their backgrounds. But a common thread runs through their films: each brings the primary sources of Los Angeles history to the screen in surprising new ways. What previously hidden stories will the next generation of filmmakers unearth in the collections of "L.A. As Subject" members? Tune in to find out. Each episode of Lost L.A. rediscovers a forgotten city that preceded the arrival of Anglo settlers and shows how it transformed so quickly into a sprawling, culturally diverse metropolis.
Lost LA episode schedule
40 aired
Aired · 40
| Date | Ep. | Title |
|---|---|---|
| January 27, 2026 | S8·E4 | The Charm & Chaos of SoCal's Botanical Landscape |
| January 20, 2026 | S8·E3 | LA's True Crime: Fact & Fiction |
| January 13, 2026 | S8·E2 | Sci-Fi Origins |
| January 6, 2026 | S8·E1 | The Fast and the Forgotten |
| January 28, 2025 | S7·E4 | Animation |
| January 21, 2025 | S7·E3 | When the St. Francis Dam Collapsed |
| January 14, 2025 | S7·E2 | Cold War Secrecy |
| January 7, 2025 | S7·E1 | Space Shuttle |
| February 6, 2024 | S6·E6 | Tiki Bars and Their Hollywood Origins |
| January 30, 2024 | S6·E5 | Tuberculosis: The Forgotten Plague |
| January 23, 2024 | S6·E4 | Eternal City: Los Angeles Cemeteries |
| January 16, 2024 | S6·E3 | Hiking Trailblazers |
| January 9, 2024 | S6·E2 | Historic Filipinotown |
| December 23, 2023 | S6·E1 | Fast Food and Car Culture |
| April 12, 2022 | S5·E5 | From Little Tokyo to Crenshaw |
| April 5, 2022 | S5·E4 | German Exiles |
| March 29, 2022 | S5·E3 | Prehistoric Landscapes |
| March 22, 2022 | S5·E2 | Winemaking |
| March 19, 2022 | S5·E1 | Who Killed the Red Car? |
| November 19, 2019 | S4·E6 | Shindana Toy Company: Changing the American Doll Industry |
| November 12, 2019 | S4·E5 | Discovering the Universe: Exploring the Cosmos Atop Mount Wilson |
| November 5, 2019 | S4·E4 | Paul Revere Williams: An African-American Architect in Jet-Age L.A. |
| October 30, 2019 | S4·E3 | Bootlegger Tunnels: A Journey Through LA's Prohibition Lore |
| October 22, 2019 | S4·E2 | Three Views of Manzanar: Adams, Lange, Miyatake |
| October 15, 2019 | S4·E1 | Griffith Park: The Untold History |
| November 27, 2018 | S3·E6 | Fantasyland |
| November 6, 2018 | S3·E5 | Venice |
| October 30, 2018 | S3·E4 | Ghost Towns |
| October 23, 2018 | S3·E3 | Desert Fantasy |
| October 16, 2018 | S3·E2 | Beach Culture |
Show 10 earlier episodes
| October 9, 2018 | S3·E1 | Yosemite |
| November 21, 2017 | S2·E6 | Pacific Rim |
| November 14, 2017 | S2·E5 | Coded Geographies |
| November 7, 2017 | S2·E4 | Dream Factory |
| October 24, 2017 | S2·E3 | Building the Metropolis |
| October 17, 2017 | S2·E2 | Wild West |
| October 10, 2017 | S2·E1 | Borderlands |
| March 2, 2016 | S1·E3 | Reshaping L.A. |
| February 24, 2016 | S1·E2 | Before The Dodgers |
| February 17, 2016 | S1·E1 | Wild L.A. |