Disney+: the best shows on the platform as it turns 5
In that time, the platform has brought us hundreds of excellent TV shows – some of which, like The Bear and Abbott Elementary, have gone onto be massive award winners.
But there are plenty of other gems on Disney+, and what better time to round up some of the best?
From Atlanta to the complexity of the Star Wars Universe, here are our picks for the shows that should be next on your list – ideally to be watched with a birthday cake and some popcorn to hand.
Take three A-list actors, stick them in an old-timey murder mystery set in a New York apartment block, and what do you get? The answer is TV magic. Selena Gomez, Steve Martin and Martin Short are excellent as Mabel, Charles and Oliver, three tenants at the Arcadia building who end up becoming true crime podcasters/ amateur sleuths when one of their neighbours is offed.
This was one of Disney+'s first TV shows to break through into the mainstream, and for good reason. Jeremy Allen White stars as Carmy, a Michelin-standard chef who moves back to his family's sandwich shop in Chicago when his older brother Tommy dies. Naturally, this being a drama about chefs, the tension is sky-high, but all the shouting is tempered by a high gag rate and some devastatingly touching moments. Plus, there's always Ayo Edebiri, in her breakthrough role as Carmy's sous-chef Sydney.
They don't get much more epic than this. Adapted from the 1975 book by James Clavell, Shogun reinvents the story of an English sailor shipwrecked on the shores of 1600s Japan by focussing on its excellent Japanese cast. The end result is a multilayered, complex drama that dives into the shifting politics of Japanese feudal lords, as well as the Portuguese missionaries attempting to seize power from them.
Thought the mockumentary was dead? Think again – Abbott Elementary proves there's life in the format yet. Streaming since 2021 (there are now four seasons), the show takes place in a predominantly Black Philadelphia public school, where a documentary crew is recording the lives of teachers working in underfunded, mismanaged schools. The whole thing is pleasingly complete with glances to camera, bone-dry gags and complex characters.
Yes, we know that MCU shows abound on Disney+, but Agatha All Along does feel like a breath of fresh air among all of them. Set after the events of the (equally good) WandaVision, we're reintroduced to Kathryn Hahn as the titular witch Agatha Harkness. She chomps scenery, alongside Joe Locke's mysterious Teen, as the pair set off on the Witch's Road, a dangerous series of trials which Agatha hopes will restore her magic. Best watched on Hallowe'en.
It's hard to go wrong with the long-running juggernaut that is Grey's Anatomy. Ellen Pompeo is of course Meredith Grey, a surgeon at Seattle Grace Hospital – and over 20-plus seasons, we dive into her romantic life, friendship with her fellow staff at the hospital (you know the drill: Cristina Yang, Izzie Stevens), and tragedies.
Donald Glover turns in a barnstorming performance as music manager and college dropout Earn, who sniffs an opportunity when he finds out his cousin Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry) is becoming a hip-hop star. But it's about more than that: the story's surrealist style of storytelling, standalone episodes and generally otherworldly air has made it a critical smash-hit – and Glover's own musical credentials don't hurt either.
The show that kick started the craze for Star Wars TV shows. Pedro Pascal, of course, is the Mandalorian, a bounty hunter who goes rogue when he's sent to capture a Force-sensitive infant called Grogu (aka Baby Yoda). The pair's resulting adventures across the galaxy, chased by the former Imperial commander Moff Gideon, is action-adventure catnip.
Hot on the heels of Mando comes Andor. On the face of it, the premise is slightly uninspired – an aimless thief and scrounger becomes committed member of the Rebellion – but fortunately, the excellent cast elevate this show to the next level. Diego Luna is the aforementioned thief, Cassian Andor, who becomes involved in a plan to steal the schematics of the Death Star (thereby setting up the events for Rebel One). Factor in the compelling storylines – which give us a proper look into the workings of the fascist Empire – and the result is a winner.
Yes, it's exceptionally silly, but there's a lot to love about WWDITS too. Adapted from the 2014 New Zealand film of the same name (which starred Jermaine Clement and Taika Waititi), this sees the action move to the suburbs of New York and a new, entirely batty cast of inept vampires take centre stage. As Nandor, Lazlo and Nadja bumble from one disaster to another, their hapless familiar Guillermo keeps the show on the road – the end result is a mockumentary style delight.
Taika Waititi's name pops up again, but this time, it's to tell the story of a group of Native American kids. Elora, Bear, Cheese and Willie Jack are the 'Rez Dogs', a group of four teens living on an Oklahoma reservation. Ever since the death of their friend Daniel, they've been desperate to leave, but their adventures in the rez, which range from encountering underwhelming ancestral spirits to navigating the medical system – plus the lashings of bittersweet humour the show piles on top of it – make this an underrated gem.
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