The start of the year always feels like a soft reset. New habits, new plans, and yes, a freshly curated watchlist. Over on Disney+, this year’s lineup mixes dark thrillers, quietly emotional anime, globe-spanning adventures, and returning favorites that remind us why we keep coming back. Whether you’re easing in or diving headfirst, these shows are shaping the year one episode at a time.

1. The Beauty

High fashion meets body horror in this stylish, unsettling thriller. When supermodels begin dying under mysterious circumstances, two FBI agents uncover a virus that promises physical perfection at a terrifying cost. Set across Paris, Venice, Rome, and New York, the series leans into glamour, obsession, and the uncomfortable question of what people are willing to trade for beauty. It’s glossy, dark, and impossible to casually watch.

2. Medalist Season 2

This figure-skating anime returns with more pressure, tougher competition, and even bigger emotional swings. As Inori and her coach Tsukasa aim higher, the show continues to shine in the quiet moments. Training days, missed landings, small breakthroughs. Season 2 keeps its focus on effort over talent, making every step forward feel earned.

3. Pole to Pole with Will Smith

Will Smith takes on all seven continents in a docuseries that’s part adventure, part personal reckoning. From polar ice fields to dense jungles, each episode blends extreme environments with conversations about fear, curiosity, and resilience. The visuals are stunning, but it’s the willingness to look unsure, uncomfortable, and human that gives the series its pull.

4. High Potential

Fast, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt, this crime dramedy follows Morgan Gillory, a single mom with a genius-level IQ who goes from cleaning police offices to helping solve major cases. Kaitlin Olson brings sharp humor and warmth to a show that loves clever twists but never forgets its emotional core. If you want something smart that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this one delivers.

5. Grey’s Anatomy

More than two decades in, and it’s still pulling no punches. As it extends its run as the longest-running prime-time medical drama, the series continues to mix high-stakes emergencies with deeply personal stories. The characters evolve, the pressure never really lets up, and somehow, it still finds ways to surprise long-time viewers.

Some of these will stress you out, some might make you cry, and at least one will turn into a comfort rewatch. That feels about right for a year ahead.