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Best of KCET Originals 2019

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It was an outstanding year for KCET Original series. From the untold story of aerospace in Southern California to examining the hidden human side of the 24-hour economy, KCET Originals offered refreshing and unflinching looks at California's past and the pressing issues facing its citizens in 2020.

Catch up with the KCET Originals that you may have missed below:

Blue Sky Metropolis - Wings: Aviation Takes Flight in Early Los Angeles

Space Shuttle Endeavour arrives to its final home in Los Angeles, c. 2012 | Courtesy NASA

"Blue Sky Metropolis" is the untold story of how aerospace was central to the growth of California and its emergence as an economic power. In the premiere episode, the documentary establishes Southern California as the undisputed aviation capital of the world and introduce the industry founders — Jack Northrop, Glenn Martin and Donald Douglas. Watch Now with PBS Passport.  

Nightshift

Vincent works at the future L.A. Rams Stadium | Still from "Nightshift"

While most of us are sleeping, nearly 15 million Americans are heading off to work. Experience the hidden human side of the 24-hour economy through the eyes of five night-shift workers, as they share observations, feelings and aspirations about their unique lives and issues that impact us all. Watch Now.  

Lost LA - Three Views of Manzanar: Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange and Toyo Miyatake

A Monument in the Cemetery at Manzanar Relocation Center | Ansel Adams, Courtesy of the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division

"Lost LA" explores our region’s hidden past through documents, photos and other rare artifacts from California libraries and archives. Despite the trauma of their incarceration during World War II, Japanese Americans built new lives while detained at concentration camps like Manzanar. Three renowned photographers captured these scenes: outsiders Dorothea Lange and Ansel Adams and incarceree Tōyō Miyatake who boldly smuggled in a camera lens to document life from within the camp. All three trained their lenses on small yet profound moments of dignity and domesticity, documenting resilience in the face of civil injustice. Watch Now.  

LA Foodways

LA Foodways Chapter 1 thumbnail

"LA Foodways" looks at the storied agricultural history of Los Angeles to understand present food waste challenges and opportunities to bring fresh foods to urban communities. The episode spans 150 years of change, from 1870 to the present, focusing on the land in and around Los Angeles, how it has been used and developed into either farms, freeways or front lawns. Watch Now.  

SoCal Connected - Life In Plastic: California’s Recycling Woes

Recycling center employees sorting through materials | Still from SoCal Connected episode, "Life in Plastic: California's Recycling Woes"

"SoCal Connected" is KCET’s weekly award-winning news documentary series, presenting a mix of investigative reporting and richly textured narratives in a thoughtful and compelling way. As California deals with the fallout of a global waste crisis, plastic manufacturers continue to spread misleading information about recycling, while spending big on lobbying efforts to keep their products on the shelves. Watch Now.  

Tending Nature - Rethinking The Coast with the Ti'at Society

Aerial view of a traditional Tongva canoe launching into the ocean. | Still from "Tending Nature"

"Tending Nature" shines a light on the environmental knowledge of Indigenous peoples across California by exploring how the state's Native peoples have actively shaped and tended the land for millennia. Climate change and urban development have significantly altered ocean conditions and our ability to access the coast, making it more and more difficult for the Tongva tribe to carry on their long-held seafaring traditions. Today, members of the Tongva, Chumash and Acjachemen are rebuilding their connection with the ocean and the Channel Islands by rebuilding a Ti’at, a traditional Tongva canoe. Watch Now.  

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