Sunset Boulevard is one of those long, long American streets, 22 miles that tell the story of film, of Hollywood, of course, but Laura Barton thinks this street tells the story of America itself. Laura Barton loves Sunset Boulevard and walking through LA, a city utterly devoted to driving. At foot level, you see things you'd never see in a car.

In this 2 part series, Laura walks the length of Sunset Boulevard in 24 hours. Along the way, she uncovers the contemporary arts stories and the iconic artistic legacy of this street. She meets artists and historians, as well as ordinary people who live and work along one of the most famous streets in the world.

The second episode takes Laura Barton from the glamourous, raucous Sunset Strip out to the coast, the edge of the Pacific Ocean - through the wealthy Beverly Hills neighbourhood and its manicured, lawns. She meets with professor of public policy Elizabeth Currid-Halkett, cultural historian David Ulin, soul band KING, former poet laureate Luis Rodriguez, and architect Alice Kimm, revealing the famous and the hidden stories of Sunset's artistic life.

Sunset Blvd's cultural landmarks tell LA's story - the drought threatening a city by the sea, the mixed up sub-cultures and ethnic and racial communities that come together to make the city - this is why Laura thinks Sunset is a microcosm of today's American story.

In 24 Hours on Sunset, Laura finds how Sunset Boulevard and its artistic legacy have become a shorthand for what LA represents in our collective imagination.

Presented by Laura Barton
Produced by Nija Dalal-Small. Show less