Best Disney+ Shows to Binge This Weekend
Face it. We’re all stuck inside for several more weeks. While we’re working from home, we might as well enjoy it. Here are several Disney+ shows to binge safely from the comfort of your living room.
The Avengers Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
With the Marvel Cinematic Universe on hold right now, you should take this opportunity to catch up on some of the most popular storylines from the comics.
Disney+ hosts several Avengers-based series, but this one goes back to the days when the MCU was still new. Earth’s Mightiest Heroes debuted in 2010 and started with the bang.
In the Brian Michael Bendis comic that brings back the modern version of The Avengers, a shocking event forced the superheroes to come together. A breakout occurs at a prison for supervillains.
This cartoon follows the same story, albeit with a Hydra attack on the United Nations, too. Afterward, season two delves into one of the most popular stories ever, the discovery and unthawing of Captain America.
This Avengers animated series works as an entry point for anyone interested in learning more about Marvel’s best superheroes.
Big Hero 6: The Series
Did you love Big Hero 6, the movie? If so, you owe it to yourself to catch up with the television series.
Big Hero 6, the cartoon, is something of a dream project. Mark McCorkle and Bob Schooley, the creators of Kim Possible, are in charge of the San Fransokyo franchise now.
The setting here is SFIT, the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, where Hiro and Baymax work together to fight crime with the rest of the team from the film.
Disney spared no expense with this series. Most of the voice actors from Big Hero 6 return and the storytelling is terrific.
Big Hero 6: The Series has earned several major Annie Awards nominations and even won one. It’s one of the best Disney cartoons in recent memory.
Brain Games
We all could use some mental exercises right now to keep us sharp, right?
This National Geographic Channel program was the highest-rated one ever when it premiered. Audiences delight in the perplexing nature of brain functions.
During each episode, someone like a magician demonstrates ways that your mind misleads you into drawing the wrong conclusions. One of the season finales even explores how to tell when someone is lying!
Brain Games will help you feel smarter while you work from home.
Continent 7 Antarctica
Okay, I’ve previously suggested this one as a show to binge on Disney+. However, I did so in the Before Time, back when there wasn’t a pandemic.
Now, Continent 7 Antarctica doubles as an inspirational tale. When you watch these episodes, you’ll appreciate that even during these trying times, you don’t have it so tough.
Some folks live in the harshest climate imaginable. What they go through daily is so nightmarish that you’ll feel much better about your own situation.
You have indoor plumbing, heat and air conditioning, and a good internet connection. You may not feel like it right now, but you’re blessed.
Meanwhile, these poor suckers who live and work in Antarctica should feel fortunate every time they make it off the continent alive.
The Emperor’s New School
The Emperor’s New Groove debuted quietly in 2000. It wasn’t a box office blockbuster by any stretch. However, it was really entertaining.
At the turn of the century, DVDs exploded in popularity. More people watched the adventures of Kuzco and Pacha, as they attempted to restore the emperor to non-llama status.
Let’s be honest. It’s a pretty weird film and an acquired taste. However, as more people discovered it and watched it multiple times, they fell in love with the concept.
Kronk’s New Groove came out a few years later and sold quite well on home video. Also, repeats of Emperor’s New Groove on cable performed astoundingly well.
So, Disney greenlit a television series that retrofit some of the characters from the film. In The Emperor’s New School, Yzma is the evil principal, Kuzco is the student who must graduate to become ruler, and so forth.
Think of the whole thing as Saved By the Bell: The Kuzco Years. And anyone who loves these characters will love this rare opportunity to see them again.
The Imagineering Story
I’ve recapped every episode of this series for MickeyBlog. What impressed me the most is that the documentary team fairly evaluated Disney.
Over the years, the company has had its ups and downs, like all businesses. However, Disney’s failures are more public than most.
Rather than brush them off, The Imagineering Story delves deep into what went wrong. The best two episodes are Hit Or Miss and The Midas Touch, which pair perfectly.
In watching these two hours of television, you’ll understand how the greatest successes often come in the wake of colossal failures. Mistakes provide inimitable learning opportunities.
Any true fan of Disney theme parks should watch The Imagineering Story. It chronicles how Disney developed a de facto monopoly in the industry, one good idea at a time.
The Simpsons
Yes, I’m suggesting that you binge arguably the most famous cartoon of all-time. I realize that this is like telling some of you to breathe or blink.
However, the ratings suggest that people aren’t watching The Simpsons live. Over the past year, the series has averaged less than two million viewers.
While there are exceptions, The Simpsons hasn’t consistently had five million people watching for many seasons now. And that means you’re missing some fantastic television.
I’ve previously suggested a bunch of episodes with theme park gags. And I also listed some of the best stories from seasons 11-20.
Even these suggestions are a drop in the bucket. The Simpsons has aired 574 episodes. I would guess that 99 percent of the population hasn’t watched them all.
So, you should use this downtime to catch up! It’s a wonderful background program.
Tangled: The Series
At this point, nobody is sure whether Tangled: The Series will continue. For decades now, the Disney business model has called for the cancellation of shows after three seasons.
On March 1st, the last week of the Before Time, the Tangled television show aired its 60th and possibly final episode. Barely two months later, the entire series is now available on Disney+.
Will there be more Tangled? I’m inclined to say no, but I don’t want to spoil the reason why. Instead, I’ll encourage you to watch roughly 20 hours of gripping television.
I’m passionate about Tangled as a movie. And I’m deeply impressed by how well this show honors the characters.