New to Streaming: STAR on Disney+

And in one fell swoop, Disney+ eclipses Netflix with the drop of their extensive streaming collections. The mega-corporation has been holding its cards close since the service initially dropped but they’ve now dealt their hand, and will presumably collect some massive winnings. While collecting property after property through its various acquisitions, Disney has faced a major crisis in preserving its image. The mainline, capital D Disney brand is largely known as a brand of G-rated content; it’s home to vaguely feminist princesses, animal adventures and nostalgia-ridden, morning cartoon classics. Films like Alien and shows like Dirty Sexy Money don’t exactly gel with popular expectations of Walt’s classic fairytale land. However, with Star, the new ‘channel’ launched alongside Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic, Disney is able to distinguish their mouse house from its other branches, while enjoying the profits that they’ve been longing to seize.

The selection of STAR isn’t too bad. With a large selection of sitcoms, lots of horrors and a deep archive of classic films that Netflix sorely lacks, Disney+ has put itself in the running to top the ever-growing pile of streaming services. However, the service seems to really miss the mark with any original series outside of their Star Wars and Marvel collection. Without the equivalent of a Stranger Things, Disney+’s STAR fails to build any fanfare, becoming a somewhat forgettable channel amongst the services other pop-cultural achievements.