5 best Disney+ shows of 2023, ranked

By Christopher Hinton December 24, 2023

In the age of streaming, various platforms are continually finding ways to stoke audience intrigue and corral eyes for the next bingeable series. Fortunately, 2023 continued an upward trend of ever-engaging dramas, sitcoms, and adventurous narratives for those seeking more content worthy of their time. “There isn’t anything to watch” simply isn’t a viable complaint these days as you needn’t look far for thrilling content.

Contents

5. The Crossover
4. The Muppets Mayhem
3. Ahsoka
2. Loki season 2
1. A Small Light

Disney+ contributed to this wealth of media entertainment this year with a few stellar options for fans of the service. While Disney+ may be more known for its vast library of legacy cinematic Disney productions and films, the platform also offers a wealth of first-rate shows. Here are the best Disney+ shows of 2023.

5. The Crossover

The Bell family sitting together on a bench. — Disney+

The novel The Crossover by Kwame Alexander has become the source of Disney’s new eponymous series, which hit the platform in April. The series follows the Bell family and, specifically, siblings Josh (Jalyn Hall) and Jordan “JB” Bell (Amir O’Neil). These two are basketball stars in the making, but, of course, there’s more to life than just basketball. The show features a talented cast portraying a family going through all the growing pains many of us are familiar with.

This coming-of-age series is filled with heart and humor, as well as plenty of drama to keep you locked in. It’s a stellar series that’s perfect for families to enjoy together.

4. The Muppets Mayhem

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Who doesn’t love Kermit, Miss Piggy, and the entire Muppet gang? They’re a riot and often inspire countless smiles no matter the production they appear in. The Muppets Mayhem is a spin0ff series of sorts. You’re not going to find Kermit or many of his famous cohorts here. In fact, the show focuses on the Muppet musical group Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem.

That’s right, the series is a musical combined with the same comedic flavor the Muppets brand is known for. This new series hit the streaming service in May 2023. The show won’t have a second season, but that’s not due to a lack of solid musical, comedic, and storytelling talent. So, if you haven’t given the show the time of day, now is your chance.

3. Ahsoka

Rosario Dawson as Ahsoka dual-wielding her white lightsabers in the Disney+ series. — Lucasfilm

These days, it’s hard to see an entire year pass without Disney churning out some sort of Star Wars content. While a general fatigue for the franchise may be settling in for audiences, Ahsoka is one new series that might give you whiplash as you quickly shift from Star Wars exhaustion back to lightsaber-wielding ecstasy. Ahsoka is a series that had been promised since the titular Jedi heroine made her first live-action appearance in The Mandalorian series. Rosario Dawson takes on the role of the Togruta warrior once again in this thrilling series.

Ahsoka Tano isn’t the only familiar face you can expect to see in her new show, however. There are many memorable faces from the past Ahsoka’s past. If you are in the camp of Star Wars oversaturation and feel like giving Star Wars a break, make sure you do it after you’ve seen Ahsoka.

2. Loki season 2

Marvel Studios’ Loki Season 2 | October 6 on Disney+

Loki was a hit upon the release of the first season from Marvel Studios. It scratched an itch that not many other Marvel productions can seem to reach. Loki, while certainly adorned in all things Marvel Comics, isn’t exactly the spitting image of a superhero story — something that is becoming increasingly more difficult for the MCU to create without being met with middling reactions.

Loki always positioned its eponymous lead as a conflicted being locked in a foreign world — the Time Variance Authority’s world to be exact. It’s here that Loki, a former Norse deity of mischief and villainy, learns that there is more to the way time operates than meets the eye. In fact, varying timelines and an entire multiverse open Loki’s world to all-new possibilities. The second season of the series released this year and continued what season 1 started in a big, thrilling way. Don’t miss it.

1. A Small Light

Miep Gies in A Small Light — Disney+

If you’re looking for a historical drama, A Small Light should be on your must-watch list. Amid the bleak backdrop of Europe plunged into the chaos of World War II, the series follows the real-life story of Miep Gies, a Dutch citizen who was employed by Otto Frank (the father of Anne Frank). She ultimately became entwined with Otto and his family as she sought to hide them from the Nazi occupation in the Netherlands.

It’s a harrowing story filled with hope and heartache. It’s also a thought-provoking drama with an astounding cast and production, making it one of the better Disney+ offerings in 2023.

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Topics

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Christopher Hinton

Writer

Chris is a passionate and creative writer whose abiding fondness for cinema, video games, television, novels, and comic books…

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