Disney+ is a gold mine of things to watch thanks to its hub of brands, including Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars. In Australia, we are also blessed to have Star on Disney+, which expands the streaming service’s offerings of top TV shows even more.
If you’re new to Disney+ or are just looking for a new series to binge, here are some of the best shows you can find.
The Best TV shows on Disney+
Shōgun
Shōgun is easily one of the best shows you’ll find streaming on Disney+. The series is pitched as Game of Thrones set in feudal Japan and it lives up to the hype with a gripping story that sees Lord Yoshii Toranaga face enemies from all sides on the Council of Regents and recruits the help of a stranded English sailor to give him an edge in the coming war. Shōgun is perhaps one of the most authentic depictions of Japanese culture on screen and is an incredible watch.
X-Men ’97
Anyone who is nostalgic for their Saturday morning cartoons can live their best life by watching X-Men ’97 on Disney+. The series is a direct continuation of the classic X-Men: The Animated Series from the 1990s and features the same art style, in-depth themes and a lot of the same voice cast.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
After attempts at bringing Rick Riordan’s beloved YA Greek mythology series to the big screen failed, Disney+ gave it another go with Percy Jackson and the Olympians. The series was a resounding success as a new young cast brought Percy Jackson and his demigod friends to the screen with season one adapting the entirety of the first book, The Lightning Thief.
The Artful Dodger
Filmed right here in Australia, The Artful Dodger is a Disney+ original TV show that explores what happened to Jack Dawkins after the events of Oliver Twist. It turns out he set up shop in 1950s Australia and became a respected young doctor, until an old acquaintance tempts him back into his life of crime.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch
Those who love the animated Star Wars series will no doubt enjoy The Bad Batch. Using the same style as the classic The Clone Wars series, The Bad Batch follows a group of rogue and specially-skilled stormtrooper clones as they attempt to forge a life for themselves in the galaxy after the events of Order 66.
The Bear
Combining the worlds of restaurants and intense family drama, The Bear became one of 2022’s biggest success stories.
Shameless star Jeremy Allen White is in the lead role as Carmy, a young chef from the fine dining world who returns to run his family’s sandwich shop after a tragedy. The second season was a little delayed in Australia but is now here, and soon a third season will serve up plenty more family drama.
Ahsoka
The latest series out of the galaxy far, far away is Ahsoka, which essentially brings Star Wars animated series like The Clone Wars and Rebels to life.
Ahsoka, once Anakin Skywalker’s apprentice, finds herself on a journey to chase down a rumour about the return of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Helping her is her own wayward apprentice, Sabine Wren, and friends Hera and Huyang.
Matildas: The World at Our Feet
Anyone who was captivated by the Women’s World Cup action last year absolutely has to watch Matildas: The World at Our Feet. The docuseries follows our national women’s soccer team as they prepare for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, giving an insight into each of the players and their individual journeys to make it into the Matildas.
Extraordinary
Disney+ may be home to an overwhelming number of superhero shows and movies, but not all of them are Marvel-related. Extraordinary is a British comedy series set in a world where everyone has a unique superpower, except for Jen, who struggles with being the only ordinary person in a superhero world.
The Old Man
Based on the novel of the same name, The Old Man stars Jeff Bridges as an ex-CIA operative who has been living off-grid for thirty years, but must reconcile his past in order to evade the various assassins and agents who want to hunt him down.
Under the Banner of Heaven
Andrew Garfield received an Emmy nomination for his role in the true crime miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven. The dark psychological series tests the faith of a police detective who is investigating the murder of a Latter-day Saint Mother and her baby.
Watch Under the Banner of Heaven here.
The Kardashians
The successor to the ever-popular Keeping Up With the Kardashians reality series, The Kardashians continues to follow the lives of the affluent Kardashian-Jenner family as they deal with problems in their relationships and businesses.
Not Dead Yet
Not Dead Yet is a new sitcom starring Jane The Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez as Nell, a broke and newly single woman who works to restart her career in journalism but can only land a job writing obituaries.
Andor
Quite possibly the best series to come out of the Star Wars universe so far, Andor is a prequel to the successful Rogue One story, following Cassian Andor in the formative years of the rebellion.
The show is darker, more dramatic and more adult – think BBC meets HBO but Star Wars. It’s a terrific watch but don’t go in expecting lightsaber battles. Instead, you’ll be met with complex characters, intriguing conspiracies and epic action.
Ms Marvel
Ms Marvel’s TV show made an epic debut on Disney+ and is top of our list of must-watches.
The show follows Kamala who is a superhero fan with an active imagination, particularly when it comes to Captain Marvel. Kamala doesn’t really feel like she fits in at school or even at home, well that is until she gets superpowers of her own.
Ms Marvel really is incredible. If you need more convincing, read our review here.
Dopesick
Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever, Will Poulter and Peter Sarsgaard star in the miniseries that takes a harrowing look at the opioid crisis in America. Reviews have praised Dopesick‘s exploration of difficult subject matter and how it handles those affected.
The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian was one of the first original series available on Disney+ when it launched and therefore it should also be your first port of call.
The first live-action series set in the Star Wars universe follows Din Djarin, a Mandalorian and bounty hunter who rescues a mysterious child from the clutches of the Imperials. Together, the duo go on a planet-hopping adventure as they seek a new home for the child.
The Mandalorian is Star Wars at its finest and an essential part of any binge-watch.
Only Murders in the Building
Another hit from Star on Disney+ is the murder mystery comedy Only Murders in the Building.
The show stars Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short as an unlikely trio of true crime fans who band together to solve a real crime that happens in their apartment building.
Only Murders in the Building is addictive and will keep you guessing until the end.
Watch Only Murders in the Building here.
Bob’s Burgers
With 12 seasons down and a movie on the way, it’s no secret Bob’s Burgers is massively popular.
The animated comedy follows the lovable Belcher family and their adventures as they attempt to keep their burger business running in a small seaside town.
The Imagineering Story
If you’ve ever been captivated by the magic of a Disney theme park then you can’t go past The Imagineering Story.
The docuseries takes viewers on a behind-the-scenes tour of how Disney’s Imagineers built each of the theme park’s greatest attractions, from the original park in California to locations around the globe.
Watch The Imagineering Story here.
Loki
Disney+ is home to pretty much every Marvel movie and TV series out there, but one of the best original shows on the platform so far is Loki.
The time-travelling, multiversal adventure stars Tom Hiddleston as Thor’s trickster brother, Loki, who finally gets his time in the spotlight. It’s funny, action-packed and has something for everyone. Not to mention it’s essential viewing for anyone who wants to stay up to date on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The Simpsons
All of The Simpsons episodes together in one place? That’s right, Disney+ is currently home to 31 seasons of the classic animated comedy, which makes for one hell of a binge-watch.
If you’ve been living under a rock for the last 30 years and don’t know what The Simpsons is about, it follows a dysfunctional family dealing with the comical situations presented by life in the town of Springfield.
Love, Victor
Love, Victor follows the successful teen movie Love, Simon. This time, the story concerns another closeted teenager, Victor, who writes to Simon about the challenges he faces as he explores his sexuality and tries to come out to his parents.
It’s a modern, heartfelt, warm hug of a series that has made waves as one of the few LGTBQ teen rom-com series out there.
Hawkeye
Clint Barton and Kate Bishop join forces during the festive season in Hawkeye, going up against a series of dangerous foes including Yelena Belova.
The Hawkeye series really spent the time to give this often underestimated hero his due credit as an Avenger, and this fresh combo in Kate Bishop and Clint Barton is a delight to watch.
Watch Hawkeye on Disney+ here.
Pam & Tommy
One of the wildest stories you’ll ever see played out on the small screen, Pam & Tommy takes audiences through the scandal surrounding the theft and distribution of a sex tape made by Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee in the ’90s.
The series will have you wondering how many of the events are true. Which, luckily for you, we have been keeping tabs on.
If none of these titles takes your fancy, there’s a huge number of shows from Marvel and Star Wars coming to Disney+ soon that will put your subscription to good use.
You can sign up for Disney+ here and start enjoying all these great shows ASAP.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
Lead Image Credit: Disney+
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