The Lost Tapes

Synopsis

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.

First Air Date: 2016-12-04

Last Air Date: 2018-12-09

Number of Seasons: 2

Number of Episodes: 10

Networks: Smithsonian Channel

Top Cast

David Berkowitz as Self (archive footage)
Franklin D. Roosevelt as Self (archive footage)

Seasons

Season 1 (2016)

No overview available for this season.

Episodes:

Ep. 1: Pearl Harbor (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.
Ep. 2: LA Riots (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.
Ep. 3: Patty Hearst (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.
Ep. 4: Son of Sam (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.