Southern California's Unique Relationship to the Space Shuttle, The Cold War, the St. Francis Dam Disaster and Animation Are All Explored in the Seventh Season of Regional Documentary Series; Special Marathon of Season Six Airs January 1 on PBS SoCal Plus
LOS ANGELES, Dec. 11, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- PBS SoCal, Southern California's flagship PBS organization, announced today the seventh season of the locally produced, historical documentary series LOST LA. Public historian and writer Nathan Masters returns as Host for the untold histories behind Southern California's space shuttle program, the Cold War, the St. Francis Dam disaster and finally, uncovering Disney's roots and how the city became the birthplace of modern animation. The series is a co-production with the University of Southern California Libraries, as part of their longstanding commitment to building public engagement with regional history collections. The first episode of the new season explores how Southern California took part in creating the Space Shuttle, bringing humanity closer to the cosmos.
The new season of LOST LA is scheduled to air on Tues., Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m. PT on PBS SoCal, just prior to the new season of PBS's award-winning, acclaimed series FINDING YOUR ROOTS WITH HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. to complete a night of historical exploration. Each new episode of LOST LA will be preceded by a variety of previous LOST LA episodes airing at 7 p.m. PT on PBS SoCal. LOST LA is available to stream online and on YouTube, with new episodes available on the free PBS App starting Jan. 7.
PBS SoCal's broadcast channel PBS SoCal Plus will celebrate the award-winning series LOST LA throughout the month of January by offering viewers multiple opportunities to watch the new season as well as popular episodes from past seasons. A special marathon of all LOST LA season six episodes will kick off the new year on Wed., Jan. 1 from 8-11 p.m. PT on PBS SoCal Plus. The untold histories behind tiki culture, fast food, Historic Filipinotown, hiking, tuberculosis and cemeteries will be highlighted for viewers to ready themselves for the new season of LOST LA which will also air every Wednesday in January at 8 p.m. PT on PBS SoCal Plus (and encoring on Saturdays at 9 p.m. PT on PBS SoCal Plus), with a variety of previous LOST LA episodes airing at 8:30 p.m. PT following the new broadcasts.
The half-hour series LOST LA explores the region's hidden past through documents, photos and other rare artifacts from California libraries and archives. Since its premiere in January of 2016, the series has continued to challenge the assumption that Los Angeles is a city without a history. Instead, LOST LA offers a history of Southern California that is not often told, or has been forgotten, bringing primary sources of Los Angeles history to the screen and connecting them to the Los Angeles of today.
The new episodes of LOST LA will be telecast as follows (subject to change):
"Space Shuttle" – Tues., Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal / Wed., Jan. 8 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
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.
"Cold War Secrecy" – Tues., Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal / Wed., Jan. 15 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
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.
"When the St. Francis Dam Collapsed" – Tues., Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal / Wed., Jan. 22 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
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.
"Animation" – Tues., Jan. 28 at 7:30 p.m. on PBS SoCal / Wed., Jan. 29 at 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal Plus
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.
PBS SoCal has also made episodes from past seasons of the series available on the Events Resource Library on pbssocal.org. With a range of original local content, this free digital hub equips organizations to easily host community screenings. Offering customizable invites, downloadable episodes and engaging post-screening content, the Events Resource Library fosters local storytelling, dialogue and connections.
Additionally, the LOST LA Curriculum Project uses LOST LA episodes to present culturally relevant teaching materials centered on local history. The Lost LA Curriculum Project now features 17 lesson plans developed by Southern California educators on topics ranging from the history of Dodger Stadium to Tongva communities before and after Spanish arrival, L.A.'s environmental history, segregation in L.A. leisure activities and the region's rapid growth during the 20th century. Teachers may navigate lessons by topic, watch the documentaries, download the PDFs of lessons and classroom activities as well as find related articles. The Lost LA Curriculum Project works with California's history-social science instructional framework and aligns local stories and materials with state educational standards. The Lost LA Curriculum Project is a collaboration among PBS SoCal, USC Libraries, the UCLA History-Geography Project and the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West.
LOST LA is supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs and other generous institutional funders.
For more information about LOST LA and to watch episodes online, visit pbssocal.org/LostLA
Follow us on social at @pbssocal.
About PBS SoCal
PBS SoCal uses the power of public media for good, strengthening the civic fabric of Southern California and providing our community with an essential connection to a wider world. As a local, donor/member-supported non-profit organization, PBS SoCal is available to stream on the PBS app and the PBS Kids App and reaches nearly 19M viewers across 7 Broadcast channels — including 2 primary channels, PBS SoCal and PBS SoCal Plus and 5 digital subchannels. With a commitment to make content available anytime and anywhere for free, PBS SoCal offers programming that reflects the diversity of Southern California and showcases the full schedule of beloved and trusted PBS content spanning Education, News, Environment and Arts & Culture. PBS SoCal also sparks the sharing of ideas at in-person cultural events and community conversations as well as prepares children for kindergarten and beyond by bringing bilingual, hands-on learning experiences to the community for free.
About USC Libraries
The USC Libraries actively support the discovery, creation, and preservation of knowledge at the University of Southern California and beyond. The libraries serve as host institution for L.A. as Subject, an association of more than 267 libraries, cultural institutions, official archives, and private collectors dedicated to preserving and telling the sometimes-hidden histories of the Los Angeles region. Southern California history is among the USC Libraries' prominent collections and programming strengths, and Lost LA is an emblem of USC's connection and commitment to Los Angeles as a Pacific Rim megacity.
Media Contact
Allison Gray, PBS SoCal, 747-201-5298, [email protected], pbssocal.org/LostLA
SOURCE PBS SoCal
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