What was made for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 1990 to 1999
 
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office decision in 1990 to set up an internal Television and Radio Unit was the first step toward substantially removing all production from COI. Historically the Foreign Office and the other overseas departments had, since the 1950s /1960s, something of the order of over a third of the Film Division expenditure on production and distribution.

Following the setting up of the FCO Film Unit television programs were commissioned by as individual projects and put out to tender. For example the Foreign Office commissioned several series of  30 minute television programs under the title Inside Britain. In some instances Film Division was invited to pitch for a particular a program, sometimes it was successful, sometimes not. 

During the period 1990 to around 1994/95 two series remained in production with Film Division before moving over to the FCO Film Unit.

The first was the science and technology series Perspective that had commenced production in 1983. It had proved to be very successful with sales to television stations in some 60 countries. It had also gained a number of Awards at Festivals of science films. The programs covered a range subjects that demonstrated scientific work in the UK  that supported the FCO information objective of presenting the UK as an innovative and inventive country.

Another television series was UK Today, first commissioned by the FCO in 1989  as a monthly series of 15 minute, later 30 minute, television magazine programs. 
 
 Perspective: What was made 1990 to 1996.
 
1990
 
The Molecule Mine  for centuries the native inhabitants of tropical rainforests have lived on, and used plants. Now Western scientists are realising that these forests contain many species, previously unknown to them, which could provide new medicines, dyes and foodstuffs. 
Producer Jenny Ranson Director Chris Warren Script Dick Sullivan. (NFA ID 397461)
 
 
Hampton Court - A Palace Preserved in 1986 fire destroyed one wing of the Royal Palace of Hampton Court. The program shows how modern architecture and engineering techniques, coupled with individual craftsmanship have been used to restore it to its former glory. The work has also provided an invaluable opportunity for archaeologists to discover more about 18th century building techniques and materials. 
Producer Bob Thorpe Director Judy Davison Script Claire Petersen Editor Peter Day (NFA ID 437338)
 
Copycat over millions of years, plants and animals, including humans, have evolved to make the best use of their environments. For example, an insect's feet, a spider's web and a fish's tail are all highly specialised tools. Scientists and researchers are borrowing ideas from the natural world and adapting them to robotics, aerodynamics and future technology. 
Producer Bob Thorpe Director Mike Lockey Script Alan Jabez Editor Bob Philips (NFA ID 437464)
 
Physiology of Muscles the body depends on muscle structure not just for movement, but for every bodily function, including breathing, digestion and blood circulation. Greater understanding of their structure and function means that doctors can now rebuild muscle or replace one type with another, often a life-saving measure 
Producer Bob Thorpe Director/script  Craham Buchan Editor Mike Murray (NFA ID 437571)
 
Earthscan looks at how seismography, sonar imaging, remote sensing and photography from space are changing scientists' perceptions of the planet. These techniques can also help in the search for minerals and the prediction of natural phenomena, such as earthquakes and abnormal weather patterns Producer Jenny Ranson Director Richard White Research Sally Wheal (NFA ID  437475)
 
Computers In Medicine program about the increasingly important role played by computers in medicine as record keepers, diagnostic tools, providing a network of communication for doctors and researchers, and improving knowledge of the effects of drugs on the body.
Producer Jenny Ranson Director Yvonne Hewett. (NFA ID  397463)
 
1991

Hole in the Sky program explains that there are alternatives to the harmful chemicals responsible for the holes in the protective ozone layer, and that international research and co-operation are needed to ensure that everyone is aware of the danger posed by chemicals and has access to the solution. 
Producer Jenny Ranson Director/writer Julian Chomet Editor Terry Staples. (NFA ID  397462)
 
1992
 
Guarding the Atom was a program is about Nuclear power in Britain. It is produced by either nuclear fusion (the combining of atomic nuclei) or nuclear fission (the splitting of atomic nuclei). In nuclear power stations the fission process is harnessed to produce heat. In the right hands, nuclear energy is life-giving and sustaining, but mishandled it is a devastating force. In Britain, all the nuclear facilities are strictly regulated by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. 
Producer Bob Thorpe Director/script Neil Harris Editor David Fairhead (NFA ID  426938)
 
Art Restoration  the program explains how science now plays a part in the restoration of fine art, scuplture, ceramics and architecture, and how sometimes a previously hidden masterpiece is revealed. Producer Geoff Raison Director Ian Softley Script Christine Leeson. (NFA ID 425210)
 
Flatworms program explains how in an ancient wood in New Zealand, in a dank and cool climate, a species of worm was found, which was apparently unique to a small area. It was of little interest except to biologists. Then, probably as eggs in a lump of soil, it was carried halfway around the world, arriving in Northern Ireland where it thrived. The worm is carnivorous - it eats earthworms. As the New Zealand flatworm thrives, the earthworm population dwindles, resulting in a reduction in fertility in the soil and loss of crops. The worm has reached Scotland and Denmark and vast tracts of agricultural land are threatened. Therefore it is necessary to find the means to restrain it. (NFA ID 37489)
 
Cholera In 1991 cholera returned to South America, for the first time in 100 years. The disease spread rapidly throughout the continent. The programme examines the reasons for its return, and explains that new economic and political factors are involved. New solutions, co-operation and determination are essential if this simple-to-cure, but population-decimating disease is to be eliminated 
Producer Bob Thorpe Director Chris Warren Script Sally Wheale (NFA ID  437348)
 
Living Under Stress   can affect everybody. A degree of stress may be a good thing, motivating and stimulating people, but too much can cause mental and physical breakdown. New research investigates the causes of stress, how to live with it and how to avoid its worst consequences at every stage of life. (NFA ID 426939)
 
Materials Revolution the program explains that in the 19th century Britain became the world centre for the production of textiles made from cotton and wool. Subsequently, the industry declined in the face of competition from other countries, but now, another revolution is taking place in the North of England. New artificial materials with properties similar to those of natural fabrics are being produced. Revolutionary materials are also being developed by other industries. For example, fibre reinforced composites of tremendous toughness are being used in aerospace design. Producer Annabel Olivier-Wright Director/script Chris Barmer. (NFA ID 426940)
 
1993
 
Animal Psychology  program explains how it is possible to learn about animal psychology by observing their behaviour under different conditions. As understanding of their needs grows, so the conditions in which they live can be improved. Such study has both moral and economic implications, particularly in relation to farm animals. 
Producer Bob Thorpe director/script Julian Chomet Edior Terry Stapley (NFA ID 26857)
 
Blindness throughout the world there are 42 million people defined as blind, though many will have severely limited residual sight. The most common cause of blindness are cataracts, which nowadays, can be removed by a simple operation in a matter of minutes, restoring sight cheaply and safely. The program describes how simple technology and special training can help blind people fare better in a sighted world. Producer Bob Thorpe Director Bassem Abdallah Script Jonathan Priest Research Isobel Hinshelwood. (NFA ID  426860)
 
Transgenic Chickens program about the use of genetically-modified chickens in the cheap production of human factor 8, an essential chemical for haemophiliacs. Director Richard White.(NFA ID 584408)
 
1994
 
The Burrowers  a program about the use of advanced machines to dig tunnels for example the Channel Tunnel, to burrow safely through ground previously thought to be impenetrable Director: Neil Harris (NFA ID  437339)
 
Technology for Disabled  program examines the use of computers in increasing the possibilities of independence and improving the lives of disabled people. (NFA ID 445488)
 
Biodiversity  thousands of species a year become extinct as a result of human exploitation of natural resources. Many more, some of which are still unclassified and thus with unknown potential, are under threat. British scientists are at the forefront of international initiatives to protect the world's wildlife through the creation of conservation programmes. (NFA ID 445419)
 
Bridges the program explains how new engineering techniques have led to remarkable innovations. Director: Suzanne Campbell-Jones. (NFA ID  437334)
 
Aids  program explains that while scientists are still trying to unravel the mysteries of AIDS  they now have sufficient understanding of how it destroys the body to seek ways of interfering with its lifecycle. (NFA ID 437346)
 
Gene Theory  Katie Adams was born 12 years ago with no immune system. She was the first baby to survive a bone marrow transplant performed at the Great Ormand St Hospital in London. Now the hospital offers a unique new treatment including new gene therapy. The program explains what gene therapy is and how Charles Darwin fits into the story. (NFA ID  437436)
 
In The Pipeline program about the Pipeline Investigation Gauge which works in dark and confined spaces, sensing everything around it. Weighing several tons, it can withstand temperatures and forces greater than those exerted on spacecraft. It travels inside oil and gas pipelines, pinpointing weaknesses in pipes deep under the sea, or buried underground. (NFA ID 437440)
 
Crowds On The Move  program looks at the increasingly sophisticated crowd monitoring techniques which are being deployed by the police and transport authorities. Their knowledge is contributing to improved standards of safety, efficiency and design. 
Producer Bob Thorpe Director/script Marian Covington Editor Bob Rootes (NFA ID  437472)
 
Formula One  some 90% of the world's Formula One racing teams are located in Britain. The automotive engineering needed to keep one team marginally ahead of another means that new ideas, techniques and designs for cars are constantly emerging. At present they are exclusive to Formula One, but in a few years time they will be integrated into ordinary cars. Producer Bob Thorpe Director Julian Chomet. (NFA ID 437488)
 
Medical Robots  program is about a robotic machine that sets the path of probes into the brain. It is one of a series of robots helping surgeons in the operating theatre. Designers are also working on a robot to guide the surgeon's drill in operations to repair broken thigh bones, and another to perform prostate removals. Director: Paul Neuberg. (NFA ID 437569 )
 
Mother of Invention program explains that in many parts of the world, employment in rural areas has declined and people have moved to the cities. The program looks at the work of the Rural Development Commission that aims to halt this trend in England. Its remit is to design simple, inexpensive, innovative technology, which will assist small firms to improve productivity, create jobs and aid expansion. 
Producer Bob Thorpe Director/script Mike Lockey Editor Bob Phillips (NFA ID 437570)
 
Repairing  the Damage productivity on the land has sometimes been pursued at the expense of the environment. The legacies of this can be poisoned land, infertile soil, or treeless hillsides swept away by storms. However, with the right approach land can be cleansed: repairing the damage and restoring the natural environment.
 Producer Bob Thorpe Director Bob Bentley Script Sally Wheale. (NFA ID 437592)
 
Potatoes  program explains that potatoes are of great importance in the world economy, and how scientists are using genetic engineering to produce better, sweeter, and disease-resistant crops. 
Director Suzanne Campbell-Jones. (NFA ID 437593)
 
Leisure Wear people who  pit themselves against the elements and choose to battle against dangerous conditions demand the best in terms of clothing and equipment. The program explains how their requirements are indirectly benefiting victims of tragedy throughout the world.
(NFA ID  445477)
 
Organic Clean Up over 200 years of industrial activity have left a legacy of pollution and waste. The programme looks at the possibilities of using microbes such as bacteria to help clear up the mess. Restaurant waste, acid water from disused mines and oil spills all respond to bacterial treatment. Bugs can even extract toxic metals and radioactive waste from contaminated land.(NFA ID 445482)
 
Plant Factory program looks at Oil seed rape that had become a prime crop in England. The program explains how adaptable the plant is. Genetic engineers hybridise it with alien species and materials. As a result, the yellow fields are becoming the world's new plastic factories, oil wells and major food store.(NFA ID 445484)
 
Spacelink  program looks at a range of products developed as spin-offs from the `space race.' They include flexible heat shields, robotic tools, communication systems and a special telescope now in use as a very sophisticated medical research tool.(NFA ID 445487)
 
Wetlands  program provides an explanation as to why Britain's wetlands need to be protected.  Bogs, marshes, swamps and estuaries are all wetlands, which used to be deemed to be environmentally unimportant, and have been systematically polluted or destroyed. In fact, they have great economic significance, being a source of employment, agriculturally rich, and most importantly, an organic filter of society's effluent. (NFA ID 437594)
 
Medical Joinery  program about facial reconstructive surgery following accident, disease or genetic deformity. Shows how non-medical influences play a part in surgery at Mount Vernon Hospital. These include a sculpture course for plastic surgeons, 3-D computer imaging of the human face, and the art of a goldsmith helping to save the sight of an elderly cancer victim. 
Producer Bob Thorpe Director Bill Metalfe Script Jenny Lucas Editor Fred Goodland. (NFA ID 437568)
 
Asthma program reported on the incidence of the life threatening condition of asthma that had increased considerably. It was believed to affect one person in ten throughout the world, but it remained a mysterious disease with no single cause. The program looks at some of the possibilities of curbing it, ranging from genetic research to the manufacture of new duvet covers 
Producer Bob Thorpe Director Bill Metcalfe Script Jenny Lucas.(NFA ID 445418)
 
Algae  program reports on Algae that are the oldest and most primitive plants in the world. Scientists are finding new ways of exploring them and using them as drugs, food, fertilisers and fuel. However, some algae are toxic and can present a serious, even fatal, threat.(NFA ID 445417)
 
1995
 
 Diagnostic Dummies a program about the various uses of diagnostic dummies - the pliable, state of the art, crammed with sensors dummies, used in place of living volunteers, for example, in car crash tests, or testing the viability of a life jackets in icy conditions, or in medical research into the development of bedsore. (NFA ID 583275)
 
Heart of the Man a profile of Sir Magdi Yacoub whose team of surgeons at London's Harefield hospital performed more heart and lung transplants than any other in the world. Explores his commitment to promoting preventative medicine, training younger surgeons, and researching and pioneering innovative life-saving surgical technique.(NFA ID 583277)
 
 Mind Games  program examines brain scanning techniques which are providing new information on how the brain functions. This is allowing scientists to develop new techniques for repairing the brain when, from trauma, disease or mental illness, it breaks down.(NFA ID 583278)
 
Non-food Crops   program reports that scientific developments had transformed farming in Europe(1995) so that farmers now produce a surplus of food. New crops are being farmed such as timber, biomass, oil seeds, plants from which clothes can be manufactured. A surplus of resources forced the West to rethink strategies of farming and find solutions that should overcome some of the hazards of industrial societies. (NFA ID 584057)
 
Scar Wars  program is an examination of scientific progress into why and how wounds heal. New techniques are being developed that prevent scars that are disfiguring. This work is also relevant to persistent wounds such as ulcers. (NFA ID 584061)
  
Science of Sleep   an explanation of the importance of sleep. Looks at how people in modern society often find it hard to get eight hours undisturbed sleep. Emphasises the dangers of lack of sleep and discusses the need for more understanding of the nature of sleep in order to tackle modern day problems. (NFA ID 584063)
 
Airports  program about  the complex technical processes which intermesh to keep the daily movement of 120,000 people through Heathrow Airport flowing. Looks at flight check-in, baggage handling, customs, immigration and air traffic control. (NFA ID 577986)
 
1996
 
Anglo Australian Telescope  program reported on fundamental questions about the universe that have teased and intrigued scientists throughout the ages, and examines the part played by the Anglo-Australian telescope at Siding Spring in New South Wales in advancing the study of astronomy during its first twenty-five years of operation. (NFA ID 515235)
 
Wheelchair Athletes   program shows how many paraplegics have taken up sport to help overcome their disabilities and train as hard or harder than their able-bodied counterparts. Sporting activity has given them increased self-esteem and made society recognise that, though confined to wheelchairs, they lead full and active lives (NFA ID 49637)
 
These were the last programs in the Perspective series produced by the COI. The series then moved to the Foreign Office Film Unit that had been formed in 1990.
 
UK Today
 
This series of television magazine programs was commissioned in 1989 only a year before the formation of the Foreign Office Film Unit. The format was reminiscent of British Calendar in the early 1960s. It enabled UK Today to be produced in a number of language versions providing television transmissions in many countries.  
 
It was a 30 minute monthly television magazine program that began  providing an update on life and events in the UK. Each edition includes 4 to 6 items on a wide range of themes from sports, arts, celebrities, commerce, politics, environment or technology.  
 
Film Division made issues 1 to 124 from 1989 to 1999. Thereafter the FCO commissioned the series from a production company called "Intonation" and then by "World Wide Pictures Ltd" for several more years.
 
At present there is no information about the content of issues 1 to 84 though VHS cassettes of most of these issues exists in the NFA. Information about the content of programs beyond issue 84 vary from very little to the rather large.
 
UK Today Some Indicative Programs:
 
UK Today No 85 (May 1996) an edition of the monthly television magazine on life and events in the UK. Featured stories are: British Library; Keyhole surgery; Soccer computers; hard lessons for architects ; Scottish surrealists.
 
UK Today No 117 (January 1999) Featured stories are: “Millennium Dome” an on site visit looking at the history of the building of the dome and its impact; “Children of the Storm” looks at how the Hampstead School in London offers support and a new life to many young refugees from war-torn countries, integrating them into the school and helping them overcome their traumatic experiences; “Millennium Bug” examines how Action 2000, a government funded body, was helping UK businesses with practical advice to ensure that their computer systems were millennium compliant; “Body Building” follows the progress of the British female body building champion, Angela Barnes as she entered the Miss Universe competition which was being held in the UK. Looks at her training and rehearsal programme and films her competing for the world title. 
 
UK Today No 118 (February 1999) An edition of the monthly TV magazine on life and events in the UK. Featured stories are: `The V & A Spiral' looks at plans for the new extension to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and features the first major project of its Polish architect, Daniel Liebeskind - the new Jewish Museum in Berlin; `Oyster fishing' looks at the work of the Cornish oystery fishing fleet, and profiles families who have worked in the industry for generations; `London's statues' considers three aspects of London's public statuary - the restoration of Eros, the significance and meaning of some of the statues, and the role of today's artists in creating sculpture for public spaces. Includes an interview with the sculptor, Anthony Gormley, the creator of the giant `Angel of the North' statue outside Gateshead; `Jazz dance' describes the new dance craze to sweep the club scene. Known as jazz dance or jazzcoteque, it is a blend of soul dancing, jitterbug, African dance, break dancing and other elements. The story focuses on one young group of dancers who perform regularly at the Jazz Café in London
 
UK Today No 119 (March 1999) An edition of the monthly TV magazine on life and events in the UK. Featured stories are: `New Scottish museum' looks at the building of the new Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh, created over eight years by an Anglo-Scottish firm of architects, Benson and Forsyth. Takes a high-speed tour through its galleries, and considers how it reflects Scottish culture; `Mapping the Universe' about the three-dimensional computerised map of the Cosmos, plotting the positions of some 15,500 galaxies, which was created over a ten-year period by an international team of astronomers, led by British scientists; `Smart homes for the future' looks at the prototype of a new home for frail elderly people, which has been adapted to make it fully automated. The project was funded by the charity, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation; `Oxford orchestra' talks to the founders of the Oxford Philomusica, shows musicians in rehearsal, and features the debut concert in March 1999 with the renowned cellist, Steven Isserlis. The orchestra was set up primarily to showcase the work of contemporary composers.
 
UK Today No 120 (April 1999) Featured stories are: `Kosovo refugees at the National Theatre' looks at a three-week workshop set up by the Royal National Theatre in London which was designed to help a group of teenage refugees from the Kosovo region of former Yugoslavia to find their feet in an alien landscape, and at their reactions to the onset of war in their homeland; `Carthusian monks go online' about the Carthusian monastery of St Hughes Charterhouse in Sussex. Provides a tour of the monastery and considers its decision to create an Internet website; `John Prescott in the Maldives' about the visit paid to the Maldive Islands by the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, which drew attention to the islands' ecological problems. Pollution and global warming combined with the effects of El Nino are causing the death of the coral reefs on which the atolls are based; `Sheffield pop centre' a whirlwind tour of the National Centre for Popular Music, which had just opened in Sheffield. Features members of the local pop groups Allisha's Attic and Seafruit, the centre's director, the architect, Nigel Coates, and its creative director.
 
UK Today No 121 (May 1999) Featured stories are: `Fighting for a living' about Alison de Burgh, a former British ladies longbow champion, who has just qualified as the first female fight director in the British actors' union, Equity. She teaches male and female stage actors the skills of combat; `Bluewater - a new vision in shopping' looks at the creation of the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, Europe's largest shopping mall, with more than 300 shops, two department stores, and nearly a dozen cinema screens. Features the project's architect, the American Eric Kuhne; `Festival of the Word' about a two-week long festival held in London celebrating the power of the written, spoken and performed word. Features interviews with some of the participants, including the American author, Joseph Heller, the Chilean poet, Ariel Dorfman, and the British novelist, Jeffrey Archer.
 
UK Today No 122( June 1999) Featured stories are: `De-mining in Sarajevo' about a new de-mining device called `Tempest' which recently went into action in the suburbs of Sarajevo. Shows the ground clearing vehicle, which was created by Warwick University, on trial in the UK and in action in Sarajevo; `Train riders' joins a group of `Gricers' - train fans who travel rail routes trying to cover as many miles and different sections of Britain's rail networks as possible - on a special day-long outing around the northern suburbs of London; `Eye vets' follows the progress of a dog undergoing a cataract operation in Britain's only specialist ophthalmology veterinary surgery, based in the village of Eye in Herefordshire; `Circus Space' looks at the work of the Circus Space centre in east London. The former electricity generating station is now an established venue for grooming circus performers. Includes a preview of the circus show to be presented in the Millennium Dome in Greenwich on New Year's Eve 1999
 
UK Today No 123 (July 1999) Featured stories are: `Motorcycle couriers' looks at two of the largest motorcycle and pedal cycle courier firms, who operate in some of Britain's busiest cities; `St Kilda - Britain's furthest horizon' offers a snapshot of the island of St Kilda as it is today, and tells its history through the recollections of its oldest surviving resident. Abandoned in the 1930s and now largely uninhabited, the island is visited each summer by scores of people wanting to study its fauna and flora, to investigate its archaeological sites, or to work on restoring some of its derelict buildings; `A Tube line to the Millennium Dome' looks at the overall Jubilee Line underground rail extension project, and focuses on the architecture of three of the four stations that had been completed and opened at the time - Stratford, New Ham and North Greenwich, the stop serving the Millennium Dome; `Design student's stage show' looks at the show staged in the Roundhouse in London to showcase the work of graduates in costume making from the London College of Fashion. More than 50 costumes were made specially for the show, a phantasmagoria, drawing inspiration from Greek myths, Shakespeare and many other sources. The show was presented by professionals from film, TV and theatre. 
 
UK Today No 124 ( August 1999)  Featured stories are: `Eco warriors' looks at the self-styled "eco warriors", young environmental activists, fighting to stop what they see as the despoiling of the British countryside, and also hears from representatives from business, the police, and the MP Tony Benn, who sees them as the legitimate voice of protest; `Nirad C Chaudhari obituary' brief biography of the Indian writer who died at his Oxford home in early August 1999 at the aged of 101. Includes footage of his 100th birthday celebrations, his thoughts on culture and mortality, and a tribute from the writer Vikram Seth; `Organic food' visits the first UK supermarket devoted entirely to organic food and one of the UK's leading organic farms; `A Boom in football stadium building' how the government's post Hillsborough disaster ruling that all large soccer club grounds should become all seaters has been tackled at Sunderland Football Club's new stadium, and also at plans to rebuild Wembley Stadium in London; `Woodland burials' examines the growing enthusiasm in Britain for woodland burials over urban cemeteries.
 
UK Today No 124 was the last program produced by Film Division.

The series was then put out to tender by the Foreign Office. A production company called Intonation followed by World Wide Pictures until January 2003 when it ceased production.