What it is
The BBC's landmark 2017 series narrated by David Attenborough, widely credited with sparking the global movement against ocean plastics. Seven episodes cover the deep sea, coral reefs, coasts, open ocean, green seas, and the Big Blue, with a final episode focused entirely on the plastic crisis. Production took four years, visited every ocean, and used over 125 expeditions.
Why we picked this
Blue Planet II is the single most influential piece of ocean media ever produced. The 'Attenborough effect' is documented: within months of airing, the UK government announced plans to ban plastic straws and stirrers, the EU accelerated its single-use plastics directive, and plastic reduction became a mainstream political issue. The sequence of a pilot whale carrying her dead calf, likely poisoned by plastic pollution, became one of the most shared nature clips in history.
Key takeaways
- The series was watched by over 250 million people worldwide, making it the most-viewed nature documentary series of its generation.
- Within one year of airing, single-use plastic reduction policies were introduced or accelerated in 40+ countries, directly attributed to the series.
- Eight million tonnes of plastic enter the ocean annually, a figure the series made visceral and personal for a global audience.