Best Disney Plus shows - originals and returning favourites

If Deadpool & Wolverine left you craving another Marvel romp, look no further than Disney Plus original Loki, which first established the Time Variance Authority that plays a crucial role in both stories.

Tom Hiddleston returns as the God of Mischief, who is plucked out of the MCU by the TVA having cheated death one too many times. He soon crosses paths with Agent Moebius (Owen Wilson), Hunter B-15 (Wunmi Mosaku) and Renslayer (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) among others, and starts to unravel the mystery of how they all ended up there.

Despite a change of talent behind-the-scenes and some real-world drama clouding production, Loki season 2 lived up to the success of the first, with Academy Award winner Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) getting involved in another gripping adventure through time. Trust us: you will not be ready for the series finale.

James Hibbs and David Craig

Police procedural dramas continue to be some of the biggest hitters on TV, with this addition to the genre following Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (played by Ramón Rodríguez of The Wire fame).

Trent has the highest clearance of anyone in the GBI and is intent on making a difference in his career, ensuring that no person is abandoned like he was as a child in the overwhelmed Atlanta foster care system.

Based on the bestselling novels by Karin Slaughter, the series is gripping from the offset, with his close-knit team displaying hidden depths as they tackle tough crimes and open up about their own personal lives.

Season 2 is currently streaming on Disney Plus and a third was ordered earlier this year – this compelling drama is only getting started!

Morgan Cormack and David Craig

While other streaming services have hit animated shows such as Invincible and Rick and Morty in their libraries, most would agree that Disney Plus has truly become the king when it comes to the animated sitcom. Alongside hundreds of episodes of shows such as Family Guy and The Simpsons, the platform also has another mega-hit in its roster, in the form of Matt Groening's Futurama.

The show has such a dedicated fanbase that it has been brought back time and again from cancellation, proving that it really is one to watch. Fans have enjoyed the adventures of Fry, Leela and Bender for years now, with the show having an anarchic sense of humour, as well as the opportunity to go to far-out, absurdist places that other series daren't.

James Hibbs

The first live-action streaming series from Marvel Studios – and arguably still the best – served as a sequel of-sorts to Avengers: Endgame and a loose interpretation of classic comic book storyline House of M.

Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany reunite as Wanda Maximoff (AKA Scarlet Witch) and The Vision respectively, with the pair appearing to share an idyllic suburban life reminiscent of a vintage sitcom. However, it soon becomes apparent that things are not entirely as they seem.

Premiering after a Marvel drought and during a UK-wide lockdown, the initial interest in WandaVision was enormous, generating endless speculation from week to week on social media. The show's commitment to its sitcom homage during the first three episodes delighted some and frustrated others, but eventually gave way to blockbuster Marvel action.

If you've been considering a re-watch, now would be the perfect time as spin-off series Agatha All Along is just around the corner.

The latest live-action Star Wars series has proven divisive among fans, but it has undoubtedly taken the franchise in a new, bold direction, telling a story set at the end of the High Republic era, approximately 100 years before The Phantom Menace.

The series takes the form of a mystery and crime show combined with a thriller, as it follows new Jedi characters investigating a series of crimes leading back to a Sith plot.

It features strong performances from Amandla Stenberg, who has taken on dual roles, and Squid Game's Lee Jung-jae, who learned English for his own role in the series. Featuring some hugely shocking moments and twists throughout, this new show might not be for everyone, but a number of fans have found a lot to enjoy.

James Hibbs

One of the most acclaimed shows on TV right now, The Bear has just released its third season, which is available to stream in full now on Disney Plus.

The show stars Jeremy Allen White and Ayo Edebiri as two chefs attempting to turn an old sandwich joint into a fine-dining restaurant, with plenty of soul-searching, stress and grief to muddle through along the way.

The show has consistently been put up for awards in the comedy categories, and it's easy to see why – it is often hysterically funny, in no small part thanks to the antics of Ebon Moss-Bachrach's Richie. However, it is also one of the most stirring, innovative and downright emotional dramas around right now, which gets right to the heart of the human condition.

The Bear is one of those shows which actually manages to exceed its own hype, meaning it's no surprise that it keeps managing to attract major A-listers for fun cameos along the way.

James Hibbs

As Disney has looked to expand on some of its popular film franchises with streaming shows in the advent of Disney Plus, one which has stood out above some of the others is Monsters at Work, the sequel series following on from Monsters Inc and its prequel, Monsters University.

The series, which takes the form of a workplace comedy, follows Tylor Tuskmon, a new employee at Monsters Incorporated who dreamed of being a scarer, but has to find a new purpose in life after the factory has switched to laugh power.

Featuring the returning voices of Billy Crystal and John Goodman as Mike and Sully, the series starts out a little shaky and formulaic, but really finds its footing in its second season, which also features some other fun character reprisals from the films. It's funny throughout, has a well-developed central arc for Tylor, and is well worth the time of both younger and older audiences alike.

James Hibbs

The longevity of Shonda Rhimes’s Seattle-set surgical drama is something of a medical miracle in TV terms. It launched almost two decades ago and consists of well over 400 episodes, all of which can now be found on Disney Plus – along with the latest season, which is dropping new episodes every Thursday.

The milestone 20th season looks poised to usher in some changes by its finale, with life at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital rarely quiet for long. But with US ratings dropping following Ellen Pompeo's stepping back, one has to wonder if it's almost time for this resilient series to be discharged. At this stage in the game, there'd be no shame in it!

Whatever happens, Grey's will always be able to boast some incredibly memorable characters and multiple heartbreaking twists, which kept viewers coming back year after year. If you're yet to experience them, maybe now's the time.

Michael Hogan and David Craig

Have you got an X-Men '97-sized hole in your life since the spectacular revival concluded? Us, too. And if recent animated shows are anything to go by – we're looking at you What If...? and Invincible – it could be a long time until season 2 lands on Disney Plus.

So, why not tide yourself over by diving into the original X-Men series from 1992? Whether watching for the first time or revisiting after decades away, this influential series will allow you to get even more out of the revival when it eventually does return.

Adapting some of the most famous storylines in X-Men history – heck, in comics history – and handling a cast of utterly larger-than-life characters, you'll certainly never be bored.

David Craig

If you’re a fan of a workplace comedy, then you need to start streaming Disney Plus mockumentary Abbott Elementary.

Created by and starring Quinta Brunson, the series follows teachers working in an underfunded state school based in Philadelphia as they try their best to teach their students with the few resources they have whilst navigating teachers’ lounge politics and educational bureaucracy.

With the likes of Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Lisa Ann Walter and Sheryl Lee Ralph making up the ensemble cast, Abbott Elementary is your classic “nicecore” sitcom (the genre of television made popular by Ted Lasso), full of heart-warming moments, witty repartee and important criticisms of the American education system.

This excellent historical drama is based on CJ Sansom's Shardlake novels, and follows Tudor lawyer Matthew Shardlake, who is sent by Thomas Cromwell to investigate the murder of one of his commissioners at a monastery.

There's so much about this that works – sure, the murder mystery is a bit thin, but the historical detail, the political intrigue, the well-drawn, complex characters and the ominous, somewhat creepy atmosphere all work a treat, coming together in a bingeable, hugely enjoyable four-part series.

The stars are all excellent, particularly the central trio of Arthur Hughes, Anthony Boyle and Sean Bean. Here's hoping they get to return for a second season filled with further mysteries in the future.

James Hibbs

Get ready to have that theme tune stuck in your head once more, as X-Men: The Animated series has been revived in the new, hugely popular X-Men '97. Picking up right where the original show left off, this new iteration brings back many of the same voice actors and sticks to the show's original animation style, while dusting off the cobwebs and giving everything a fresh lick of paint.

What has been created is a hugely nostalgic experience for fans of the original show, but also a dramatic, exciting and fresh new adventure in its own right, which continues to take the characters to unexpected places and deliver shocking moments that no one will see coming.

James Hibbs

When this new comedy series debuted last year, it quickly became a fan-favourite and now, we've got a second instalment full of superpowers, surprises and hilarious mishaps as we follow Jen (Máiréad Tyers) on her own powers journey.

The 25-year-old shop worker faces her own fair share of problems, not least that she's yet to develop any powers when those around her are practically showing them off. With her infectious wit, Tyers is a delight to watch in the lead of this series which may seem like it's all caught up on the superpower elements, but actually speaks more to identity and feeling like the odd one out.

Morgan Cormack

A mysterious ship marooned in a nearby village, a Lord struggling for power and decades-long rivalries converge in this epic new series. Based on James Clavell’s novel of the same name, this new series blends action, adventure and history for one hell of a watch. Standout performances come from Hiroyuki Sanada as the enigmatic Lord Yoshii Toranaga, while Anna Sawai and Cosmo Jarvis’s budding relationship as John and Toda is enough to keep us tuning in, eager to see whether there’s more to Sawai’s translator than meets the eye.

While it’s definitely not going to be the show you turn to for a relaxing watch, the drama packs a punch with its sprawling cast, battles and cinematography that will likely make this a series people are talking about for the year to come.

Morgan Cormack

If you’re in the mood for a good thriller, Homeland has just landed on Disney Plus — with all eight seasons set to take viewers on quite the rollercoaster.

The series follows CIA officer Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes), who in the first season is reassigned to the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center in Langley, Virginia. Carrie comes to suspect an American soldier, Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis), who has returned after being presumed dead in Iraq, could actually be part of a sleeper cell planning a terrorist attack.

While there are eight seasons to get through, this is one that keeps you on your toes and delivers some surprising cliffhangers, with standout performances from Danes and Lewis, as well as supporting cast members Mandy Patinkin, Morena Baccarin and more.

Morgan Cormack

In an age of many book-to-TV adaptations, it can often feel like some series were best left in their written form – but the same can’t be said of Black Cake. Here, Charmaine Wilkerson’s novel comes alive with vibrant locations like Jamaica and California interspersed with scenes in London and Scotland. A widow named Eleanor leaves her two children in complete confusion after leaving them audio recordings detailing her life story, one that started out in Jamaica as a girl named Covey.

The series features plenty of soap opera-style reveals, twists and turns but manages to pack in some pretty heavy themes of racism, sexual assault and immigration that will make this wide-spanning tale one that is ever topical and important.

Morgan Cormack

While a Charles Dickens adaptation may not be everyone’s idea of a raucous TV ride, this new series does away with expectations and provides a lively new spin on some beloved Oliver Twist characters. At the end of the well-known tale, The Artful Dodger was sentenced for his crimes and shipped off to Australia, and this series fills in those blanks, providing a new story about the fate of Dodger, aka Jack Dawkins.

Led by Thomas Brodie-Sangster, the show is fast-paced, as we follow Jack as a surgeon with a penchant for his criminal past – even more so when Fagin (David Thewlis) makes an appearance and the sneaky duo are reunited.

Morgan Cormack

It’s quite wild to think that it’s been four years since Modern Family concluded with its 11th and final run – but, at long last, we can binge-watch the entire 11 seasons on Disney Plus.

The final instalment brings with it plenty more barrels of laughs, but is also that bit more poignant, as we see the likes of Luke, Haley, Alex, Manny and Lily face the trials and tribulations of being teenagers and fully grown adults, a far cry away from their baby-faced season 1 characters.

As per usual, the Pritchett, Tucker and Dunphy clans go through many arguments, trials, tribulations, romances and new beginnings – but in the most hilarious ways possible.

Morgan Cormack

The key names on the credits for this highly stylised new drama are those of the creators and directors, Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij: their previous collaboration, Netflix’s The OA, was seen by viewers either as an utterly baffling mess, or as one of the greatest television shows of all time.

This one looks to have a higher budget, since the icy, remote, futuristic mansion in which its set is so impressively realised. Living there is a mysterious, reclusive billionaire played by Clive Owen, and among the guests invited to come and stay for reasons unclear is hacker and amateur sleuth Darby Hart, played by former Crown star Emma Corrin. When someone gets killed, everything quickly gets intensely weird.

Jack Seale

Move over, The Rings of Power and The Wheel of Time — there’s a new epic fantasy quest to get lost in, and it’s full of cheeky, youthful energy. Co-written by Rick Riordan, author of the hit novel series in which Greek gods and legends persist in the present day, the new show casts Walker Scobell as Perseus “Percy” Jackson, an apparently ordinary American kid with dyslexia and ADHD who is in fact a demi-god, and who has been accused by Zeus of stealing his “master bolt”.

As a trek across the country looms, a snappy sense of humour underpins the lush special effects and the story’s coming-of-age subtext about struggling to find one’s place in the world.

Jack Seale

Surely this must rank among the most underrated sitcoms in recent television history.

Krysten Ritter is hilarious in the outrageous role of New York City party girl Chloe, whose first instinct is always to scam, cheat and manipulate in order to get her way. That all changes when an innocent mid-westerner called June (Dreama Walker) unexpectedly manages to outwit her, securing a room in her apartment and endeavouring to get her on the straight and narrow.

Filled with shocking scenarios, quotable lines and iconic characters – including roles for the eccentric Eric Andre and a self-parodying James Van Der Beek – this is a hidden gem that deserves to be found.

When this mockumentary series, based on the film by Taika Waititi and Jemaine Clement, was first mooted, fans were nervous. Could it truly live up to that original film’s lightning-in-a-bottle concept and execution? Thankfully, it more than did, and over five seasons has become a huge success in its own right.

Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch and Kristen Schaal all put in strong performances, while Matt Berry remains, unsurprisingly, a scene-stealer, getting a laugh from even the most simple of jokes through his inimitable delivery. If you’re looking for laughs, look no further.

James Hibbs

Before he was Star Wars’ jackbooted, imposing arch-villain, Darth Vader was a hero called Anakin Skywalker – and Anakin, like any Jedi worth his kyber crystals, had a young apprentice who he taught in the ways of the Force, the lightsaber and (most crucially of all) Jedi robe-swishing 101.

Now, Anakin’s apprentice Ahsoka – an alien character who wasn’t in the Star Wars movies, but has appeared in a few of the Disney+ TV shows – has her own adventure. At this point, Vader is long dead, but Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) is keen that nobody tries to continue his dark legacy. Cue spaceship chases and twirling laser swords as she takes on the forces of evil, and meets a few familiar faces from her past.

Huw Fullerton