Disney Plus is now live in the US, Canada, and the Netherlands. If you live in those markets, you can stream thousands of TV episodes from the history of Disney. But which are the best Disney Plus TV shows?
To be perfectly honest, the series that are currently available to stream from Disney Plus are mostly targeting kids. There are a few exceptions, but the majority of the Disney Plus TV shows lineup is not meant solely for adults. Having said that, many young adults will likely enjoy going back in time to stream some older Disney Plus series on the service. With all that in mind, here are the best Disney Plus TV shows on the service, with a quick look at things to come.
Best Disney Plus TV shows
Editor’s Note: We will update this list as more Disney Plus TV shows are added to the service.
1. Duck Tales (1987)
Disney Plus is now the home to the terrific 1987 animated series. It helped to usher in a new era of animated TV series from Disney. The show was based in large part on the Disney Uncle Scrooge comic books that were written and drawn by the great Carl Barks. Scrooge McDuck and his three grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie go on a number of Indiana Jones-style adventures around the world in this show. It’s like watching a great action series, but one made for kids and kids of all ages.
You can also watch the recently rebooted Duck Tales series, which is just as good as the original, on Disney Plus as well.
2. Phineas and Ferb
First launched in 2007, Phineas and Ferb remain one of the best-animated series from the Disney family. Phineas Flynn and his stepbrother Ferb Fletcher get into all sorts of adventures while on summer vacation. This causes no end of issues for sister Candace, who is constantly trying to tell on her brothers to their parents. Oh, did we mention their pet platypus Perry, who is secretly a super-spy out to thwart the world takeover efforts of the evil Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz? You can’t help but smile when you watch this show. It’s just plain fun.
Be sure to also check out Phineas and Ferb: The Movie on Disney Plus. Look for another original film, The Phineas and Ferb Movie: Candace Against the Universe, to debut on Disney Plus in 2020.
3. Gravity Falls
One of the best Disney Channel animated series is now one of the best Disney Plus TV shows to stream. It’s the “typical” tale of a 12-year-old boy, Dipper Pines, and his twin sister Mabel. They travel to Gravity Falls, Oregon for the summer to visit their uncle. However, the town turns out to be a magnet for strange supernatural creatures and forces. The show has some truly funny episodes that bring modern humor to stock sitcom premises. It’s fun for the entire family, and that’s what many of us need right now.
4. Boy Meets World
Originally produced for ABC, this sitcom quickly became a favorite of pre-teens. It starred Ben Savage as Cory Matthews, and through seven seasons we saw him and his friends grow up from middle to high school and finally to college. We also saw the relationship between Cory and his girlfriend Topanga, played by Danielle Fishel, grow until they finally got married during the seventh season. It was a show that was funny, but also dealt with some serious issues for kids of that era.
You can also check out the sequel series, Girl Meets World, on Disney Plus as well.
5. Runaways
In a bit of a surprise, Disney Plus added the first season of Runaways, a Marvel superhero show that is also streamed on Hulu. It’s is based on the acclaimed comic of the same name which combines superhero action with adolescent angst. Six teenagers learn they each have superpowers, but this is not a cause for celebration, as they also learn their parents are part of a secret supervillain group called The Pride.
As you might expect, these kids decide to fight their parents rather than join them, all while trying to figure out the normal teenage issues of love, acceptance, and more. Once you finish this show’s first season on Disney Plus, you can catch the season on Hulu. A third season is due on Hulu in 2020.
6. The Simpsons
What else can be said about The Simpsons? The longest-running scripted US TV show of all time has been part of our lives for over 30 years now. Once more, the show has no signs it is going away anytime soon. Now that The Simpsons is part of Disney (as part of its purchase of 20th Century Fox), you can watch nearly all of the episodes. It’s definitely one of the best Disney Plus TV shows you can stream right now. You can also stream the 2007 feature film, The Simpsons Movie, on Disney Plus.
7. Lizzie McGuire
Lizzie McGuire was one of the first real live-action TV show hits for the Disney Channel network. Hilary Duff played the title character as a typical 13-year-old girl who is trying to navigate life in school. The show also used an animated version of Lizzie who helped to explain some of the character’s inner thoughts. The show ended up being a funny, down to earth look at growing up. It also set some of the formulas for future Disney Channel shows like Hannah Montana, The Wizards of Waverly Place, and more.
You can also check out The Lizzie McGuire Movie on Disney Plus. Also, the service will debut a Lizzie McGuire reboot series sometime in 2020, with Hilary Duff returning to play a 30-something version of the character.
8. Star Wars: The Clone Wars
After the poorly received Star Wars prequel trilogy was completed, fans of the movie series got an unexpected surprise in 2008. Star Wars: The Clone Wars was made originally for kids, but it grew into a very complex look at the Star Wars universe. We got introduced to new characters. We also got reintroduced to some older characters, particularly Darth Maul, in new incarnations. The final result was that this “kids show” turned out to be far better than the prequel films that spawned it.
Be sure to check out the Star Wars: The Clone Wars feature film on Disney Plus as well. Plus, get ready for the final episodes of this series to drop on Disney Plus in February 2020.
9. X-Men – The Animated Series (1992)
Disney acquired the rights to this series when it bought Marvel. This X-Men series was shown first on Fox in its original run. Like another show on Fox, Batman: The Animated Series, this show took itself very seriously. It adopted many of the great storylines from the original X-Men comics and offered serialized storylines as well. The success of X-Men on Fox was likely a reason why the first X-Men live-action feature film was finally given the green light a few years later. It’s not a stretch to say that X-Men paved the way for the current superhero boom in films and TV.
10. The Mandalorian
So far, there are only two episodes of this live-action Star Wars series. However, it’s not just one of the best Disney Plus TV shows, but it may be the best live-action Star Wars project since, well, The Empire Strikes Back. Much like another great show, Firefly, this is a space-themed Western about people who live outside the law. The Mandalorian is a bounty hunter who doesn’t care about fighting for the Rebellion or the Galactic Empire. All he wants is to get paid. As played by Pedro Pascal, he’s a man who is not to be crossed as he takes his assignments.
The visuals are stunning as well, and make this show look like it could have been filmed when Star Wars: A New Hope was made back in 1977. It’s too early to give this show a full grade review, but we like what we see in The Mandalorian so far.
A look at the Disney Plus TV shows of the future
As we mentioned, there are not a lot of TV series on Disney Plus that are made for an older audience. However, that will change in the weeks and months to come. Two more live-action Star Wars TV shows are due to be released in the 2020/2021 time frame. One will center on rebel spy Cassian Andor and the droid K-2SOx before the events of the Rogue One movie. The other will tell an untold story about Obi-Wan Kenobi, with Ewan McGregor returning to that role of the master Jedi.
In addition, Marvel Studios has seven live-action Disney Plus TV shows it is developing for 2020 and 2021. They will all tie into the lineup of Marvel Studios movies that are being produced in the next two years as well. Some will feature characters that were introduced in the movies, like The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Loki, Hawkeye, and WandaVision. Others will introduce new Marvel characters to the MCU, like Moon Knight, She-Hulk, and Ms. Marvel.
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