How It's Made

The programme provides an insight into the manufacturing processes of four disparate items: paper umbrellas, coal, aircraft seats and cremation urns. It details the steps and techniques used to transform raw materials into each finished product. Viewers see how each item is assembled, finished and prepared for its specific purpose.

Paper Umbrellas/Coal/Aircraft Seats/Cremation Urns is a programme episode that takes a straightforward look at the creation of a surprisingly varied set of objects. The title itself lists the four items that the episode focuses on, signalling a tour through different manufacturing worlds within a single broadcast. In the core of the episode, the presenter walks viewers through the steps involved in producing paper umbrellas, the extraction and preparation of coal, the assembly of aircraft seats and the crafting of cremation urns. Each segment breaks down the process, showing how raw materials are transformed into the finished product. The approach stays centred on the practical aspects of how these items come into being. The programme’s range stretches from the light, disposable nature of paper umbrellas to the heavy, industrial handling of coal, then to the precision required for aircraft seating, and finally to the solemn craftsmanship of cremation urns. This contrast highlights the breadth of manufacturing techniques covered in a single episode. By moving from one product to the next, the episode offers a concise overview of the steps that turn raw inputs into everyday and specialised objects. Viewers get a clear picture of each production line without any digression beyond the making of the four featured items.