Will the new style of the show be able to meet the expectations of the audience?
For 16 long years, after an immense success of the first part of the BBC wildlife series, Blue Planet finally returned to our screens on Sunday 29 October, this time bringing even more fascinating marine life, even more new captivating locations and of course, even more breathtaking emotions! To take our excitement even further, despite the rumors of David Attenborough not being involved in the second part of the series, renowned naturalist will continue taking his audience through the water mysteries and exploring the oceans together.
The first episode, released on Sunday 29 October already drew half a million more viewers than Strictly Coming Dancing, broadcasted on the same evening. This is not surprising: after the release of the trailer, Blue Planet 2 has been a topic of discussion for many. The main point of concern for the audience was the fact that the new version of the documentary contains the parts filmed in a studio. Viewers were worried about the authenticity of the series, which is understandable: they value the show for its portrayal of the wildlife as it is.
In response to the fears of the public, David Attenborough came up with a statement and reassured the audience. According to his words, the minor parts of the filming done in the studio were crucial for the understanding of the behavior of the animals, but he repeatedly emphasized – the shooting remains totally true to nature: Blue Planet 2 team worked closely with the scientists to recreate the rock pool and other habitats of the marine creatures.
Although the studio shots aspect remained the key subject people were anxious about, some of the pre-launch conversations equally included excitement from the news about the Blue Planet 2 teaser. Released on September 27, the prequel video became a balm for the soul for all the Radiohead fans – the band collaborated with Hans Zimmer, the Oscar Winning composer, to deliver a remix of the song “Bloom”, this time in an orchestral version. According to Zimmer, “Bloom appears to have been written ahead of its time as it beautifully reflects the jaw-dropping lifeforms and seascapes viewers are introduced to in Blue Planet 2”. Moreover, the track enhances the understanding of nature and helps to concentrate on the important parts of the documentary without distracting the audience.
What is meant by “the important parts of the documentary” you might wonder? As said by Sir David Attenborough himself, the second part of Blue Planet focuses not only on the marine life, but also brings the attention to the problem of water pollution with plastic. Although not giving specific instructions on what could be done, he suggested large retail stores cut down on the use of plastic packaging, as it brings devastating consequences to the oceans. At the end of the day, Attenborough mentioned, Blue Planet 2 will hopefully not only guide the audience through the astonishing depths of the seas, but also raise the awareness of the world environmental problems, the extent of which is still underestimated.