David Attenborough to Narrate BBC’s Blue Planet II

NEW YORK: Following on the debut of Planet Earth II, BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit has unveiled Blue Planet II, which will be narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Blue Planet II marks the next chapter in the BBC’s telling of the epic story of our planet. The brand-new seven-part landmark nature series will explore the world’s oceans. The series’ camera teams have developed new filming technologies, including UHD ‘tow cams’ that allow predatory fish and dolphins to be filmed front-on; UHD suction cams, which enable the viewer to ‘travel’ on the back of large creatures such as whale sharks and orcas; and a motion-control rig, which is used to shoot time-lapse footage in the ocean, to reveal previously unseen wild behaviors.

The series is made by BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, co-produced with BBC America, WDR and France Télévisions in partnership with The Open University, Natural History and Specialist Factual.

Attenborough said: “I am truly thrilled to be joining this new exploration of the underwater worlds which cover most of our planet, yet are still its least known.”

Sarah Barnett, the president of BBC America, commented: “Hot on the heels of a rapturous response in the U.S. to Planet Earth II, we are delighted to announce our next, phenomenal and beautiful series from the BBC Natural History Unit, Blue Planet II. Like Planet Earth II, this is a remarkable and relevant sequel—this time plunging us into an awe-inspiring trip into our planet’s oceans—that will stand out as rare and extraordinary, even in today’s superlative TV landscape.”

Tom McDonald, the BBC’s head of commissioning for natural history and specialist factual, said: “Blue Planet II promises to combine the exceptional craftsmanship that our audiences have come to expect from BBC Natural History with genuinely new revelations about the creatures and habitats of the world’s oceans. I have no doubt it will thrill and delight the audience, and deliver a new benchmark in natural-history filmmaking.”

James Honeyborne, executive producer, said: “In the last decade, the oceans have been shown to be richer than could have been imagined, with more species being discovered than ever before. Blue Planet II is taking its cue from these breakthroughs, unveiling unbelievable new places, extraordinary new behaviors and remarkable new creatures. Showing a contemporary portrait of marine life in the world’s oceans today, it will provide a timely reminder that this is a critical moment for the health of the world’s oceans.”