All The Disney Plus Exclusive Launch Shows, Explained
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The Death Star is nearly operational.
For the past several years, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and other streaming services have been doing battle for people's views and dollars with exclusive documentaries, specials, and prestige dramas. Competition is a game that benefits the consumer. But it's going to be difficult for any streaming platform to compete against Disney+, which is poised to flip the board over in a matter of hours when it launches on November 12 in the US and certain other markets around the world.
Let's start with the obvious: the entire contents of the Disney Animation Studios' "Disney Vault" will be coming to the service, along with every Star Wars film, every Marvel MCU film, and every episode of The Simpsons. That, in itself, is nearly worth the subscription price alone.
But in addition to all that, plus thousands of hours of TV shows, documentaries, movies, and Disney classics, Disney+ will also be rolling out exclusive television programs, specifically produced and created as Disney+ content. That includes an original Star Wars series in the form of The Mandalorian, a Jeff Goldblum-focused show, and a variety of MCU tie-ins that will function as part of Phase 4--although none of those Marvel shows (such as Loki, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, or WandaVision) are launching this year.
Disney Plus News
Below, we're taking a look at every exclusive TV show that will air on Disney+ in 2019 at launch.
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The Mandalorian
November 12, 2019
The Mandalorian will cover the uncharted time between Episode VI: Return of the Jedi and Episode VII: The Force Awakens; the story is set after the fall of the Empire, but before the rise of the First Order. Pedro Pascal will play the namesake Mandalorian bounty hunter, who belongs to the same planetary race as Jango Fett and Boba Fett.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
November 12, 2019
The teen franchise is going metatextual. High School Musical: The Musical: The Series is a mockumentary, about a high school that's putting on a school production of High School Musical. It's already been renewed for a second season.
Encore!
November 12, 2019
Hosted by Kristen Bell, this reality series will reunite classmates to put on the high school musicals they performed when they were teenagers.
Family Sundays
November 12, 2019
An arts and crafts show, Disney Family Sundays will be hosted by Amber Kemp Gerstel, who hosts the popular crafts blog Damask Love.
The Imagineering Story
November 12, 2019
This will be a celebratory, historical look at the Imagineers: the people behind Splash Mountain, the Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, and countless other beloved theme park attractions in Disneyland and Walt Disney Worlds across the globe.
Marvel's Hero Project
November 12, 2019
A feel-good reality series, Marvel's Hero Project spotlights young people who are making a difference in their communities, and then immortalizes them in comic book form, via Marvel's talented stable of artists.
Pixar In Real Life
November 12, 2019
This is a candid prank-type show, where passersby will engage with Pixar characters and landmarks in filmed encounters. A teaser thumbnail at this year's D23 Expo showed a real-life Wall-E interacting with a dog.
Weird But True
November 12, 2019
Disney acquired the rights to the Fox television library, and Disney+ will have a section of their service dedicated solely to National Geographic. The second season of Weird but True will debut on Disney+, featuring more kid-themed exploration of the natural and modern world.
The World According to Jeff Goldblum
November 12, 2019
Hosting a man-on-the-street reality series, Jeff Goldblum will dig deep on a specific niche topic (sneakers, ice cream, barbecue), and get into various adventures in the process, from riding on horseback to using a tattoo machine.
Forky Asks A Question
November 12, 2019
Similar to Mater's Tall Tales and other Pixar short film series, this show will have Forky continue to explore his sentience and toy nature. It has the potential to be both cute and insightful, especially if it delves into more heady questions about life and love.
SparksShorts
November 12, 2019
Pixar created an in-house indie film studio with SparksShorts. Rather than adhering to a grand, studio-shared vision, SparksShorts allows individuals at Pixar a modest budget to create independent films and showcase them. The results of these efforts will appear on Disney+.
Legend of the Three Caballeros
November 12, 2019
Up until recently, this animated series has only been available in the Philippines and on the Disneylife app. It's based onoff of Disney's Saludos Amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1944) animated features, which were made as part of an outreach/goodwill effort to South America.
101 Dalmatian Street
November 15, 2019
Set 60 years after the original film 101 Dalmatians, 101 Dalmatian Street is already popular in the UK and Europe. Disney+ will bring this animated series to American shores. There are currently plans to make Season 2 as well.