In the streaming service universe, Disney Plus is one of the newer kids on the proverbial block. Still, the streamer has quickly reached powerhouse status, going toe-to-toe with heavy hitters like Netflix, Max and Prime Video, thanks to its epic slate of iconic content. Expanding the Marvel and Star Wars universes on the small screen has reaped enormous benefits for Disney Plus, attracting fans from all over. The platform’s original scripted programming library has grown exponentially since its inception, offering entertainment options for every family member. Whether you’re into comic book adventures, high school dramas, romantic comedies or educational docuseries, Disney Plus has got it.
So, you’re looking for TV show suggestions and need help figuring out where to start? You’re not the only one. The sheer amount of entertainment at your disposal can be pretty daunting. Don’t stress. Below, we’ve compiled a roundup of the 20 best Disney Plus original TV series to watch.
Doctor Who kicked off 60 years ago, and since then, the sci-fi series has been revamped multiple times. Actors like David Tennant and Matt Smith helped bring the iconic Time Lord into the present day with the program’s run of modern era seasons. Ncuti Gatwa is the latest actor to take the reins as the Doctor, marking the first time in the program’s history that a Black actor has stepped into the role. Doctor Who made the move to Disney Plus in 2023. New episodes (starting with season 14) will exclusively air on the streamer.
Lucasfilm
Simply put, I think Andor is the best Star Wars series Disney Plus has made. The program ditches the flashy, and often clichéd, production values of its predecessors and goes all-in on some intense ground-level storytelling. Expanding the story of the characters featured in the one-off film Rogue One, Andor comes through with the emotional stakes thanks to its smart writing and the excellent performances of its cast. Phenomenal stuff, right here.
Disney Plus
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau took their love of Star Wars to new heights with The Mandalorian. It’s the first live-action Star Wars series to hit Disney Plus and it set the standard for everything that came after. Stylistically inspired by things like the Lone Wolf and Cub manga, Akira Kurosawa’s Yojimbo and Sergio Leone’s iconic Dollars trilogy (which starred Clint Eastwood as the Man With No Name), the series follows a lone bounty hunter who gets a second chance at life when he’s hired to protect a little green alien you may know simply as Baby Yoda.
Apple Corps
The Beatles: Get Back
Marvel Animation
X-Men: The Animated Series ended its five season run in 1997. Almost three decades later, X-Men ’97 continues the story of everyone’s favorite mutant superhero crew. The pacing is quick, the writing is tight and the 2D animation style acts as a nice bow tying this lovely nostalgic gift together for ’90s kids everywhere.
Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
Echo (Alaqua Cox) was first introduced in a three-episode arc in Hawkeye. Marvel’s Echo is centered on the hearing-impaired antihero. She’s also a member of the Choctaw Nation, which leads the series to wonderfully explore these aspects of her identity. Her association with Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) further connects the MCU shows on Disney Plus with those previously on Netflix — and sets up the arrival of Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox) and crew quite nicely.
Ludo Studio
Bluey is a phenomenon, plain and simple. The kids’ show, which follows a family of anthropomorphic dogs — Bluey, her sister Bingo, dad Bandit and mom Chilli — was the most streamed series in 2023, and for good reason. Nearly all the episodes run at around eight minutes in length, making it an easy binge. And while the tone remains light and playful, the series digs into relevant and poignant topics in a way that never talks down to its audience. Who knew a show about an Australian dog family would be so addictive? Disney Plus knew.
Ms. Marvel is a breath of fresh air for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Disney Plus series flips the script on what we have grown to expect from Marvel shows on the streamer. Iman Vellani is a revelation as the titular hero. It’s a challenge for a show to balance the heavy responsibilities of being a superhero with the trials and tribulations of high school. The story pulls it off, and does so with a welcome helping of Muslim representation.
American Born Chinese is a bold take on classic Chinese mythology. Based on Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel of the same name, the series is a bold, bright, fun and heartfelt coming-of-age immigrant story. The humor and fight sequences add to the mystique of the show. It’s a new take on the iconic tale of The Monkey King and the involvement of Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Daniel Wu help solidify it as a must-watch.
Gareth Gatrell/Marvel/Disney Plus
Tom Hiddleston has appeared as Loki, the God of Mischief, throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe for the past decade. Thanks to Disney Plus, he finally leads his own odd adventure. The quirky sci-fi series puts Loki in the unlikely position of hero. Here, he works with a barrage of interesting characters, including Owen Wilson’s Mobius M. Mobius, to correct the timeline. It’s an offbeat, fun and thoroughly weird series that appeals to die-hard fans and newbs alike.
Isa Briones, Will Price, Miles McKenna, Zack Morris and Ana Yi Puig in Goosebumps on Disney Plus.
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Isa Briones, Will Price, Miles McKenna, Zack Morris and Ana Yi Puig in Goosebumps on Disney Plus.
This new take on RL Stine’s beloved Goosebumps books brings some spooky chills to Disney Plus. Justin Long headlines the supernatural series which follows a group of teens who find themselves investigating the death of a kid named Harold Biddle. As they learn about the boy, insidious secrets come to light connecting their parents to his passing three decades prior.
Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem Band get top billing in Muppets Mayhem, Disney Plus’s latest series inspired by Jim Henson’s Muppets. Here, the Electric Mayhem Band struggle to record one more album. But record company politics and other past mistakes make things complicated for the crew — and boy do those complications lead to some hilarious on-screen antics! Of all the Muppets programs to hit TV in recent years, Muppets Mayhem comes closest to the wacky, fun vibe of the original.
Chuck Zlotnick/Marvel Studios
Marvel’s Hawkeye is surprisingly fun. Instead of delving too deeply into Clint Barton’s trauma following the events of Avengers: Endgame, the series takes on the shape of a holiday journey home (akin to, say, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and Christmas Vacation). The result is a necessary new layer in Clint’s story. Plus, we get Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop — the necessary comedic foil to Clint’s hardened personality.
