Blue Planet 2 is iPlayer's most popular show of the year - and now it's in 4K

The BBC has revealed that the first episode of Blue Planet 2 has become the most-streamed program on iPlayer in 2017, beating out Taboo by over 100,000 requests.

This number of streams is likely to now increase after the BBC made the entire series available to stream in 4K HDR after the conclusion of the final episode. 

Other popular shows from this year have included Doctor Foster, Three Girls and Sherlock, many of which will be returning to the service over the Christmas period after their initial 30-day catchup period expired. 

"Alexa, play The Archers"

Alongside the developments in iPlayer, the BBC has also been hard at work integrating its radio stations with Amazon's Alexa ecosystem. 

It's launched a dedicated Alexa skill that will allow you to access its radio stations using an Amazon Echo device, and you'll also be able to access the BBC's podcasts via the same voice skill. 

Although the BBC's radio stations are currently available through Alexa via TuneIn, we've found that podcast support can be patchy, especially when using your voice, with Alexa failing to pick out the right podcast from the thousands available via TuneIn. 

We're hoping this new skill smooths out this functionality, but we'll have to test it for ourselves before we pass our full judgement.

TOPICS
Jon Porter

Jon Porter is the ex-Home Technology Writer for TechRadar. He has also previously written for Practical Photoshop, Trusted Reviews, Inside Higher Ed, Al Bawaba, Gizmodo UK, Genetic Literacy Project, Via Satellite, Real Homes and Plant Services Magazine, and you can now find him writing for The Verge.

Latest in Televisions
Samsung QN90F on yellow background
Samsung announces US prices for its 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, and it’s good and bad news
Hisense U7N Prime Day 2024 deal image
The Hisense U7N was one of the best TVs I tested in 2024, and it just had its price slashed at Amazon
Samsung HW-Q990D soundbar with Halloween theme over the top
Samsung promises to repair soundbars bricked by its disastrous software update for free – but it'll probably involve shipping
LG C3 deal image on blue background
Woah – LG's C3 OLED TV just crashed to its lowest price ever for March Madness
Samsung Wireless One Connect on stone pedestal
I tested Samsung's new wireless TV connection box, and gamers need to know one thing
Samsung S95D with peacock feather on screen
Samsung says an OLED-beating new screen tech could come sooner than we thought – but I wouldn't expect it in 4K TVs right away
Latest in News
An image of Pro-Ject's Flatten it closed and opened
Pro-Ject’s new vinyl flattener will fix any warped LPs you inadvertently buy on Record Store Day
EA Sports F1 25 promotional image featuring drivers Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz and Oliver Bearman.
F1 25 has been officially announced, with this year's entry marking a return for Braking Point and a 'significant overhaul' for My Team mode
Garmin clippd integration
Garmin's golf watches just got a big software integration upgrade to help you improve your game
Robert Downey Jr reveals himself as Doctor Doom to a delighted crowd at San Diego Comic-Con 2024
Marvel is currently making a major announcement about Avengers: Doomsday's cast on YouTube, and I think it's going to be a long-winded reveal
Samsung QN90F on yellow background
Samsung announces US prices for its 2025 mini-LED TV lineup, and it’s good and bad news
Nintendo Switch Lite
Forget the Nintendo Switch 2, the original Switch is getting one last hurrah in a surprise Nintendo Direct tomorrow