Behind the Scenes: Choosing the Stories for Lost & Found

When we first announced the open call for Lost & Found, our upcoming docuseries about personal transformation, we expected maybe fifty submissions. We received over two hundred. Each one was a window into someone’s life — their lowest moments, their turning points, their quiet victories. Reading through them was one of the most humbling experiences our team has ever had, and honestly, one of the hardest.

Every submission deserved to be told. That’s not an exaggeration or a polite thing to say — it’s the truth that made the selection process so agonizing. We spent three weeks in a small room with printed copies spread across tables, reading and re-reading, passing stories to each other with notes in the margins. There were tears. There were long silences. There were moments when someone would look up from a page and say, “How do we not tell this one?” We asked ourselves that question more times than we can count.

In the end, we chose six stories — not because they were “better” than the others, but because they represented the full spectrum of what it means to lose yourself and find your way back. A military veteran rebuilding his identity after service. A teenage mother who refused to let anyone else write her story. A retired teacher who discovered art at sixty-seven. A young man who found purpose after incarceration. A family navigating grief after an unimaginable loss. And a woman who left everything behind to start over in a town where she knew no one. Together, these six threads weave a tapestry that we believe will resonate deeply with audiences.

We carry a tremendous responsibility with these stories. Every person who submitted trusted us with something sacred — their truth. To the 200-plus people who opened their hearts: thank you. Your courage moved us in ways we’re still processing. And to the six individuals whose stories will anchor the series: we promise to honor your journey with the care, honesty, and respect it deserves. Production begins next month, and we cannot wait to share what comes next.