Disney Plus Star channel launches: TV shows, movies and more

(Image credit: Disney Plus)

The Disney Plus Star channel is here, and it's going to make Disney Plus a much more interesting platform (provided you're not in the U.S.). As long as it's coming to your region, you're going to see Disney Plus' catalogue grow exponentially — and your parental control options grow as well.

Announced back in December 2020, the Disney Plus Star channel will add a ton of TV shows and movies to the streaming service, content that didn't really "fit" Disney Plus before this. Which means that Star is bringing stronger parental controls to Disney Plus.

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What is the Disney Plus Star channel?

The Walt Disney Company owns far more content than what you get with Disney Plus. But in the U.S., Disney already has ways to distribute those shows and movies, either on Hulu (which it owns) or licensed elsewhere. So, it's adding a new section (or channel) to Disney Plus outside of the U.S., and it's called Star.

And you don't even need to do anything to get it, aside from having a Disney Plus account. The Star channel appears in the same row as the Disney, Marvel, National Geographic, Pixar and Star Wars icons.

That means Disney Plus is going to have all the same Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and Disney movies it already has, plus a bunch of stuff that isn't quite PG. This includes a bunch of shows programs that Americans can watch on Hulu — as Hulu's only in the U.S..

That includes Love, Victor, a series that was originally titled Love, Simon and almost landed on Disney Plus in the States. Not all Hulu shows are coming over, as the gender-switched High Fidelity series, which had a similar trajectory as Love, Victor, isn't coming along to Star.

Star's also getting Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Woman and The Favourite, none of which are exactly what we'd call "family friendly." So, how does this work?

Disney Plus Star channel availability and release date

The Disney Plus Star channel won't be coming to the U.S., but it's going to be practically everywhere else. Its initial launch includes the U.K., Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

The Star channel launched on Disney Plus on February 23 in select international markets.

Disney Plus Star channel price

And since Star isn't an optional add-on, it comes with a price increase. Those in the UK will see per month pricing go from £5.99 to £7.99, while annual pricing rises from £59.99 to £79.90.

Active subscribers keep their existing payment pricing until August 23, 2021. If your membership lapses during this window, it will renew at the higher price.

Australian monthly pricing goes from AU$8.99 to AU$11.99, with annual payments going from AU$89.99 to AU$119.99.

Disney Plus Star channel parental controls

The Disney Plus Star channel features an array of not-made-for-kids content, including Family Guy, The Savages, Super Troopers and 24. This means that Disney Plus is getting serious about parental controls.

Now, you'll be able to limit user accounts by age ratings, and also lock parental accounts with PIN numbers.

To get full instructions, check out our complete guide for how to set up Disney Plus parental controls.

Why the Disney Plus Star channel matters

Let's say you don't have kids, or your taste in movies doesn't lean towards Disney-owned properties. Sure the Star Wars and Marvel movies are fun, but are they worth a monthly payment on their own?

With the Star channel, Disney Plus becomes a little more adult, and a little less niche. All without losing the trove of family-first content that enabled the streaming service to rack up millions of subscribers.

Disney Plus Star channel content

We got a full list of the complete launch day list for the Star channel's content in the U.K. and Ireland. But since selection may vary by region, not all of these TV shows and movies may be available in all regions.

In addition to the shows and movies listed below, Star's also where huge Hulu exclusives, such as the Dopesick miniseries and new content from the Kardashian Jenners will debut in the U.K.

Disney Plus Star channel: Every TV show

Four shows are marked as Star Originals, but they're actually from other sources. Big Sky is on ABC right now in the U.S., while Helstrom, Solar Opposites and Love, Victor are Hulu Originals.

And while a lot of this list is made up of familiar shows that are on Hulu (American Dad, Prison Break and How I Met Your Mother) there's more than just Hulu's back catalogue.

For example, The Hot Zone (starring Julianna Margulies and Noah Emmerich) is on DirecTV on demand in the states, and Valley of the Boom (with Steve Zahn, Bradley Whitford and Lamorne Morris) is on Fubo and DirecTV.

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Alias
American Dad
Animal Fight Night
Apocalypse World War War I
Apocalypse: The Second World War
Atlanta
Big Sky (currently airing on ABC in the U.S.)
Black-Ish
Bloody Tales of Europe
Bloody Tales of the Tower
Bones
Brothers & Sisters
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Buried Secrets of WWII
Burn Notice
Castle
Code Black
Cougar Town
Desperate Housewives
Devious Maids
Drugs, Inc
Family Guy
Feud: Bette and Joan
Firefly
Flashforward
The Fosters
The Gifted
Glee
Grey's Anatomy
Helstrom (Hulu original)
The Hot Zone
Inside North Korea's Dynasty
The Killing
LA 92
Lance
Lie to Me
Lost
Love, Victor (Hulu original)
Mafia Confidential
Maradona Confidential
Mars
Modern Family
OJ: Made in America
Perception
Prison Break
Raising Hope
Resurrection
Revenge
Rosewood
Scandal
Scream Queens
Scrubs
Sleepy Hollow
Snowfall
Solar Opposites (Hulu original)
Sons of Anarchy
The Strain
Terra Nova
Terriers
Trust
Ugly Betty
Ultimate Survival WWII
Valley of the Boom
Witness to Disaster
WWII Bomb Hunters
The X-Files
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24
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9-1-1

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.