BBC keeps murky water in new ocean series to prove footage is real

David Attenborough returns to the ocean floor in a new four-part series that aims to distinguish real wildlife from synthetic fakes. The BBC has announced that Blue Planet III will premiere on BBC One and iPlayer on Sunday, 1 November.

Executive producer Elizabeth White stated that the team intentionally left cloudier, less polished footage in the final edit to reassure viewers of its authenticity. White noted that the rise of artificial intelligence makes the team want to be even more authentic. She added that the deep-ocean animals filmed are probably more remarkable than AI could imagine.

In previous series, editors often removed shots containing plankton, boats, or buoys. They also rejected sequences with poor water conditions. For this production, the crew kept those details visible. White said the team is really leaning into that authenticity and expects to use even murkier imagery as AI technology advances.

Jack Bootle, the BBC's head of specialist factual commissioning, told journalists at a press screening that no generative AI was used in the series. He specified that not a single frame is artificial and that every image is real photography. Bootle described the series as bursting with novel behavior, noting that viewers often feel they have seen it all before in a golden age of natural history.

The production used a world-first underwater CCTV camera nicknamed the stonefish cam to capture specific behaviors. This technology, developed by director Yoland Bosiger, recorded dolphins using sea sponges to block coral holes and trap fish. The series also features a grouper communicating with another fish species and 200,000 crabs lining up in formation to feed.

Camera operator Lara Bickerton said the team continually innovated during the four-year filming process across five oceans. They built a mini-dome camera to follow an octopus and constructed a deep-sea selfie stick. Operators wore leg-mounted scooters to capture immersive diving footage similar to short-form social media clips, and lasers were used to film deep-sea animals.

The series continues the theme of ocean threats established in Blue Planet II. One episode shows how warmer seas from the climate crisis are killing sea anemones, which are the homes of clownfish. The fish are shown attempting to repair these damaged habitats. The production also examines pollutants and forever chemicals in the water.

David Attenborough, who is 100 years old, was very much involved in the production and made changes to the scripts. White said he has not lost his curiosity and remains excited when shown new footage. The series benefits from cost savings achieved by using more local crews on location than previous productions did.

Blue Planet III marks the tenth anniversary of Blue Planet II and the 25th anniversary of the original series. It combines cutting-edge technology with a focus on authentic animal behavior. The final cut retains the natural imperfections of underwater filming to stand out in an era of digital manipulation.