Blue Planet III, the third season of the acclaimed nature documentary series, aired on BBC One on Sunday (November 1) with Sir David Attenborough again narrating. Within minutes of the first episode, some viewers were moved to tears, while others described the cinematography as stunning.
Viewer reactions to the opening episode
Audiences had been waiting four years for the new series, and many felt the wait was worthwhile. On X, formerly Twitter, one viewer wrote: "I am in awe watching #BluePlanetIII. The cinematography is stunning, as always." Another enthused: "Blue Planet III, WOW! Utterly stunning as usual! Just beautiful! #blueplanet3."
A third fan, moved to tears within the opening minutes, remarked: "Made me cry before it even tried to make me cry. Just beautiful." A fourth viewer posted: "Wow! Sea life is absolutely fascinating. David Attenborough is an absolute legend! ! #BluePlanetIII." Another heaped praise on the production crew: "A world of absolute beauty and wonders which we must do our best to protect. Thank you for the incredible amount of hard work and passion that has obviously gone into creating such wonder and awe."
Series focus and availability
The six-part series builds on the success of Blue Planet II, offering another glimpse into the world's oceans. A synopsis teases: "Where Blue Planet II exposed the threats to our oceans, Blue Planet III will also explore stories of adaptation and resilience in this changing world, along with stories of hope and recovery. The series will focus on the planet's five key underwater habitats: Tropical Seas; Open Ocean; Seasonal Seas; Polar Waters and The Deep."
The opening three episodes are now available to stream on BBC iPlayer. The first instalment centres on tropical seas, with the synopsis revealing: "In the tropical seas, year-round sunshine has created the perfect conditions for the ocean's richest habitats to flourish, but survival takes remarkable and surprising ingenuity."
Original track and streaming numbers
Former Little Mix member JADE worked alongside Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer on Into The Deep (Seas Cry), an original track produced exclusively for the new series launch. The track has already accumulated more than 800,000 streams on Spotify.
One final viewer expressed disbelief at how swiftly the opening episode flew by, writing: "#BluePlanetIII What happened? That wasn't an hour, we've been short changed. It was way too quick."
