Blue Planet II (2018)

It's hard to believe, but it was seventeen years ago (2001) when the original BBC nature documentary Blue Planet premiered. That original series was comprised of eight 50-minute episodes. Blue Planet was followed by the BBC's eleven-episode Planet Earth (2006), which was eventually shown in 130 countries. In October of 2017, the BBC debuted its new, seven-episode sequel to the original in the UK, which was followed by its American premiere in January 2018 on BBC America. Filming the new series took four years and 125 expeditions in thirty-nine countries. Like the original, Blue Planet II is narrated and presented by David Attenborough (who is now 91 years old!), and explores the planet's marine life. You can only imagine how camera technology and techniques have changed in the past seventeen years, enabling BP II to feature newly discovered creatures that have never been seen or filmed before (like the hairy-chested Hoff crabs, snub fin dolphins that spit water, and a tool-using tusk fish). As you would expect, BP II also explores our human impact on the oceans, like plastics, coral bleaching, and global warming. Once again, three cheers for the BBC's Natural History Unit for its state of the art television production.