The Lost Tapes
Encounter the Pearl Harbor attacks, the L.A. riots, the Son of Sam murders and Patty Hearst's kidnapping the way they unfolded on TVs and radios across America. We present these shocking events from the 20th century, not through traditional journalistic reportage, but in real-time, as they were covered by national and local news broadcasts. This footage, much of which has not been seen in decades, gives an intimacy and immediacy to stories we thought we knew but will now rediscover through a unique perspective.
Seasons
1. Pearl Harbor
Air Date: 2016-12-04
President Roosevelt called December 7, 1941, "a date which will live in infamy," a quote that would become one of the most famous in American history. In fact, the attack on Pearl Harbor inspired several powerful public statements, but many of them have never been heard before, until now. Take an unprecedented look at this tragic day entirely through news reports, public statements, recently declassified documents, and footage recorded in the days before, during, and after the event that shook the world.
2. LA Riots
Air Date: 2017-04-23
The city of Los Angeles erupted into chaos on April 29, 1992, after four white LAPD officers were acquitted for beating African American motorist Rodney King. Over the next six days, television and radio reports, home video, and police footage captured the turmoil that led to 54 deaths, nearly 12,000 arrests, and over $1 billion in damages. Using these recordings, we take a look at one of the biggest periods of civil unrest in American history as if it were all unfolding in real time.
3. Patty Hearst
Air Date: 2017-11-19
Was she a victim of thought-control by terrorists or a millionaire turned revolutionary? The kidnapping of Patty Hearst by a leftist guerilla group that called itself the Symbionese Liberation Army made front-page national news in 1974. But over the months, the drama and the media attention deepened as Hearst turned from a teenage American heiress to a machine gun-toting fugitive named "Tania." The Lost Tapes places you at the heart of this astonishing story, presented solely through newscasts and rarely seen footage of the day.
4. Son of Sam
Air Date: 2017-11-26
From 1976 to 1977, a series of homicides terrorized New York City and captivated the world. The murder spree of serial killer David Berkowitz, a.k.a., "Son of Sam," triggered one of the largest police manhunts in the city's history and kept crime reporters on the beat 24/7. Using rare, local media, home movies, and police footage, some of which has never been seen before, this vivid and immersive account puts you at the scene of the drama as it unfolds.
1. Malcolm X
Air Date: 2018-02-26
In 1959, a 33-year-old minister from the Nation of Islam gains notoriety with his fiery rhetoric and keen intellect. His name is Malcolm X and over the next five years, this influential yet highly controversial civil rights leader will become an ideological hero to some and a dangerous enemy to others. Presented entirely through his speeches, newscasts, and rarely seen archival footage, The Lost Tapes: Malcolm X tells the story of the man who, by any means necessary, willingly put his life at risk to bring change and equality to black America.
2. Clinton Impeachment
Air Date: 2018-10-29
From the start of his run for the presidency through his eight years in office, Bill Clinton was dogged by scandals, none more consequential than his affair with Monica Lewinsky. Their relationship, exposed in detail in the Starr Report, captivated the nation and led to the first impeachment of a U.S. president since the years just after the Civil War. Revisit the story of betrayal, political ploys, and media madness, as told by news reports, investigative documents, and secret recordings, many of which have not been broadcast since 1999.
3. Tet Offensive
Air Date: 2018-11-18
In the few years since U.S. combat forces entered Vietnam, the Tet New Year usually brought with it an informal ceasefire. But in 1968, Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers launched a massive countrywide attack throughout South Vietnam. This began a two-month string of battles that would kill more than 15,000 troops and trigger fierce anti-war protests across the U.S. This is the story of the Tet Offensive, told through rare media reports and combat footage, much of which has never been seen or has not been broadcast since 1968.
4. Apollo 13
Air Date: 2018-11-25
Nine months after Neil Armstrong makes "one giant leap for mankind," Apollo 13 launches from Cape Kennedy, Florida for NASA's third moon landing mission in April 1970. But 55 hours after takeoff, a catastrophic in-flight explosion causes serious damage to the spacecraft and puts the crew in mortal danger. In a frantic attempt to get the astronauts safely home, mission control must use every resource at their disposal. Witness the events as they unfolded, told through rare news reports, mission control audio, and original NASA newsreels.
5. DC Sniper
Air Date: 2018-12-02
A year after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, there is still widespread fear that there will be another attack on U.S. soil. That fear is seen realized when an unseen gunman in the Washington D.C. area begins shooting residents for no apparent reason, triggering one of the most intense and complicated manhunts in American history. This is the story of the D.C. sniper's three-week reign of terror, told through police audio and video, plus local and national media reports, most of which have not been broadcast since 2002.
6. Tornado Super Outbreak
Air Date: 2018-12-09
A powerful cold front over the American plains joined a warm air mass from the south on April 3, 1974, creating the perfect conditions for an 18-hour catastrophe now known as the Tornado Super Outbreak. Revisit the epic disaster that swept from Michigan to Alabama, powered by 148 tornadoes, 30 of them category F4 or F5. Through local news broadcasts, stunning audio recordings, and eyewitness home movies, look back on one of the most violent natural disasters in history.
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Rating
10.0/10
Release Date
2016-12-04
Episodes
10 (2 seasons)
Status
Canceled