KCET, the nation’s largest independent public television station, introduces a new special broadcast series, “LOST LA” created in partnership with the University of Southern California libraries. It is based on KCET’s “LA as Subject” web series written by L.A. historian Nathan Masters.

“LOST LA” is the latest broadcast special to come out of KCET’s online to on-air incubation model where high-trafficked web content is produced for broadcast.

A digital destination for related content will be featured at kcet.org/LostLA, which will host web-exclusive content. An exclusive web preview segment of the “WILD L.A.” broadcast episode featuring L.A.’s lost grizzly bears premieres online Wednesday. Viewers and readers can join the conversation on social media using #LOSTLA.

“We are very excited to work with USC libraries to extend the reach of the ‘LA as Subject’ stories, among our most consistently popular web destinations, to a broadcast audience,” said Juan Devis, SVP, content development and production. “We have some fascinating stories to tell about Los Angeles through the lens of emerging filmmakers and we’re pleased to be able to educate our viewers about the region’s past with their debut work.”

A co-production of KCET and USC libraries, “LOST LA” brings Southern California history to life by marrying the extensive collections housed at the USC libraries and among “L.A. as Subject” member archives with innovative forms of documentary storytelling from fresh new voices in filmmaking.

The three-part series, which Masters hosts, explores stories from L.A.’s past that have been lost to folklore, including wildlife and wildfires; the Elysian Hills before Dodger Stadium’s construction; and defunct tunnels, canals and hills. The nine filmmakers, utilizing techniques that range from rotoscoping to cinema verité, bring the primary sources of L.A. history to the screen in surprising new ways.

“Los Angeles has forgotten, buried, or rewritten much of its history,” said Masters. “It’s torn down landmarks, recast its Mexican past as a Spanish romance, and written entire cultures and communities out of its official historical narratives. Drawing upon the city’s archives, this series gives an authentic voice to some of those stories, bringing to light what might otherwise be permanently lost.”

The “LOST LA” three-part broadcast series will be televised as follows:

“WILD L.A.” premieres Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 8:30 p.m. PT, “Before The Dodgers” premieres Wednesday, Feb. 3 at 8:30 p.m. PT) and “Reshaping L.A.” premieres Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 8:30 p.m. PT).