BBC releases Blue Planet III trailer with Piccadilly Lights takeover

A whale bursting from the sea lit up Piccadilly Circus as the BBC released the first-look trailer for Blue Planet III.

The natural history series is narrated by David Attenborough. It runs to six hour-long episodes for BBC One, iPlayer, the BBC's streaming service, and BBC America, from the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The trailer launched at an evening global premiere at The Venue at Piccadilly Lights in London. Footage from the series took over the giant Piccadilly Lights screens, including a whale jumping clear of the water and crashing back into the sea.

Guests walked a blue carpet instead of a red one. BBC Radio 1 host Greg James hosted the event.

Attenborough joined by recorded message. He said 25 years ago, when he narrated the first Blue Planet, it did not occur to him that he would be narrating a third series in his centennial year.

The series took about four and a half years to make. That production time covers filming by the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the specialist natural history team behind the earlier Blue Planet series.

Music is central to the return. The trailer features an original song by Hans Zimmer and Jade Thirlwall, the singer formerly of Little Mix who now performs as JADE.

Zimmer worked with JADE and Bleeding Fingers, his film and television music company, on the exclusive track, the BBC said. The extended trailer was scheduled to premiere at 7pm BST on BBC Earth and BBC social platforms.

Zimmer also appeared by video message at the Piccadilly event. He called Blue Planet III the most important work he has ever done.

The BBC had teased the reveal a day earlier. On 5 October, it posted a YouTube Short titled 'A Peek of Blue Planet III' promising a first look at #BluePlanet3 the next day.

For viewers, this means a short wait for new ocean stories told on a large scale. Six hours, one familiar voice, and a Piccadilly-sized start.