Disney’s “Star”, their upcoming streaming service aimed at more “mature” audiences, is coming next month as a section on Disney+. Today, some of the titles that will be available from Day 1 in the UK have been revealed – including Big Sky, Desperate Housewives, 24, Love, Victor and more.
As we reported last month, Star will become a part of Disney+ on February 23, with general entertainment content (as opposed to the more family-friendly content that’s currently on the service).
Since launch, Disney+ offered TV shows and movies from the worlds of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars and National Geographic, therefore there was no room for more general-entertainment offers from the vast Disney-owned portfolio.
Star will double the amount of content available on Disney+, with thousands of additional hours of TV programmes and movies, from Disney-owned properties such as FX, 20th Century Studios and 20th Television.
Since some of the new content won’t be suitable for children – Disney is also adding more robust parental controls: From February 23, Disney+ parental controls will separate me-time from kids-time on the entire platform.
Viewers will be able to set limits on access to content for specific profiles based on content ratings and add a PIN to lock profiles with access to mature content.
Disney+ launched in the UK in March 2020, as a major competitor to Netflix and Prime Video (see our full Disney+ UK review), at a price of £5.99/month or £59.99 for a full year.
The addition of Star, however, will also bring with it a price increase – the total cost is going up to £7.99/month or £79/year (But you can still subscribe at the old price, until February).
What Will I Be Able To Watch On Disney+ Star?
Today, Disney revealed a partial list of some of the titles that will be available on the new Star section. While it’s not the full list yet, it gives us a taste of what’s to come:
Big Sky
From prolific producer David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies, The Undoing) comes Big Sky, an intense thriller that follows private detectives Cassie Dewell and Cody Hoyt as they join forces with his estranged wife and ex-cop, Jenny Hoyt, to search for two sisters who have been kidnapped by a truck driver on a remote highway in Montana.
Big Sky stars Katheryn Winnick, Kylie Bunbury, Brian Geraghty, Dedee Pfeiffer, Ryan Phillippe and more. In the US, it airs on ABC.
Love, Victor
Set in the world of the original 2018 gay coming-of-age film Love, Simon, the series follows Victor, a new student at Creekwood High School on his own journey of self-discovery, facing challenges at home, adjusting to a new city, and struggling with his sexual orientation.
The series was originally planned for Disney+, but was eventually moved to Hulu in the US. In the UK, it will find its home on Star.
24
Another chance to watch this iconic series, starring Kiefer Sutherland, where the entire season takes place in one day, with each of the 24 episodes covering one hour, told in real-time.
Desperate Housewives
Another iconic show that helped change the shape of television when it first aired: Looking down on her friends and family is a way of death for Mary Alice after she took her own life in her perfect house.
Now, from beyond the grave, she takes us into the lives of her friends and neighbours: Susan is a divorcee and single mom who will go to any length for love; Lynette is an ex-career woman who traded the boardroom for boredom and mania as the mother of four unmanageable kids; Bree Van De Kamp is like Martha Stewart on steroids, with a family on the verge of mutiny; Gabrielle Solis is an ex-model with a rich husband and a big house, so what is she doing with the 17-year-old gardener?
And serial divorcee Edie Britt’s conquests have everyone buzzing. Mary Alice sees more now than she ever did alive and she’s planning to share the secrets that hide behind every door in this seemingly perfect American suburb.
Lost
Mysteries abound as the 48 survivors of Oceanic Air Flight 815 find themselves stranded on an unidentified island with little hope of rescue, in this groundbreaking ABC show starrring Matthew Fox, Naveen Andrews, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway and others.
How I Met Your Mother
All episodes of the beloved comedy about Ted (Josh Radnor) and how he fell in love, narrated through flashbacks from the future.
It all started when Ted’s best friend, Marshall (Jason Segel), dropped the bombshell that he was going to propose to his long-time girlfriend, and now wife, Lily (Alyson Hannigan), a kindergarten teacher.
At that moment, Ted realized that he had better get a move on if he too hopes to find true love. Helping him in his quest is Barney (Neil Patrick Harris), a friend with endless, sometimes outrageous opinions, a penchant for suits and a foolproof way to meet women.
When Ted met Robin (Cobie Smulders), it was love at first sight, but when things didn’t work out, Ted realized destiny must have something else in store.
Prison Break
Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) is a desperate man in a desperate situation: His brother, Lincoln Burrows (Dominic Purcell), is on death row and scheduled to die in a few months for an assassination Michael is convinced Lincoln did not commit.
With no other options and time winding down, Michael holds up a bank to get himself incarcerated alongside his brother in Fox River State Penitentiary.
The X-Files
The classic series that made us look up at the sky (with fear?). Unconventional FBI agent, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny), takes it upon himself to investigate a group of unsolved cases, known as the “X-Files,” that he believes involve paranormal phenomena.
To keep tabs on his work, and in the hopes of debunking his theories, the FBI teams him up with Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson), a young, sceptical agent who has a degree in medicine and a strong bias toward the scientific.
Atlanta
Atlanta revolves around Earnest “Earn” Marks (Donald Glover), a loner who returns to his hometown of Atlanta, Georgia (The Peach State) after dropping out of Princeton.
Upon his arrival, he discovers his cousin Alfred has become Atlanta’s hottest new rap act. The show follows the cousins on their way up through the Atlanta rap scene, where their opposing views on art, commerce, success, and race will make their quest anything but easy.
Black-ish
Like any parents, Andre “Dre” (Anthony Anderson) and Rainbow (Tracee Ellis Ross) Johnson want to give their children the best. But their offspring’s childhood is turning out to be much different than theirs.
They now realize at least two things: There is a price to pay for giving their children more than what they ever had, and these loving parents are totally unprepared for the fallout.
“Pops” (Laurence Fishburne), Dre’s dad, takes every opportunity to offer his old school opinion on family issues.
Die Hard Movies
A selection of titles from the Die Hard franchise, starring Bruce Willis, will be available at launch. While too late for Christmas – these always give a fun watch.
- Remember – you can still subscribe to Disney+ and get Star (when it launches) at the old annual price – but only until February 23.