Star Wars: Skeleton Crewhas been one of the most surprising TV shows of the year: aStar Warsseries that people actually seem to like. However, its place at the top of the Disney+ global chart is not being earned easily, as Pixar seriesDream Productions, a spinoff fromInside Out, is proving to be a strong contender to steal the glory away from Jude Law’sStar Warsdebut.
The Disney+ TV chart has often been dominated by the worldwide phenomenon that isBluey, but a recent run of new shows has kept the little dog down. However, it is not often that two series are able to duke it out to take the No.1 spot when neither of them are the Joe Brumm-created animation series. That is exactly where we are now, though, with Jon Watts’Star Warsentry finding its Force being tested to the limit.
Having swapped Spider-Man forStar Wars, Watts’ “Gooniesin space” take on the galaxy far, far away has managed to avoid the usual pitfalls that have seen the likes ofThe AcolyteandAhsoka, pleasing both critics and audiences with an endearing mix of theStar Warssetting and a 1980s Amblin adventure vibe. Currently,Skeleton Crewhas recruited itself a 95% Tomatometer score, with an equally impressive 80% Popcornmeter rating (remember, this isStar Wars…anything above 60% is kind of miraculous these days).
The series follows a group of young new characters lost in space and attempting to find their way home with the help of Law’s Jod Na Nawood. While this adventure brings danger and strange aliens into their paths, the series is something of a breath of fresh air, as it does not rely on aerial dogfights or epic lightsaber battles – at least not yet – and seems to be all the better for it. How that holds over the rest of the season is yet to be seen.
Dream Productions is Building on ‘Inside Out 2’s Success
While the critical and crowd-pleasing success ofSkeleton Crewwould usually be enough to fend off any challengers on Disney+, the release of Pixar’sDream Productionsat the same time has put a spanner in the works – or several frantic emotions to be precise. The series once again gets inside the mind ofInside Out’s Riley, and is set between the events of the two movies. This time the focus is on Paula Persimmon, the dream director from Riley’s inner Dream Productions, who faces her own crisis of sorts as she sets about creating “the next big tween dream.”
‘Star Wars: Skeleton Crew’ Is So Much More Than Just ‘Stranger Things’ in Space
Lamented by some as “Stranger Things in space,” such a sentiment disregards the unique narrative the series brings to the Star Wars universe.
While critics have givenDream Productionsa 71% approval score, and some side notes of this just being another Disney cash-grab, audiences have had no such thoughts and the 4-episode miniseries currently has a perfect 100% Popcornmeter score. For many, the total runtime of 82-minutes has made them question why a miniseries format was used instead of it being delivered as a feature-length film. However, that is not really that important to those who have sentDream Productionssoaring up the chart, as their biggest issue is that is could really have been longer.
It would not be surprising to seeDream Productionstake a temporary lead overSkeleton Crewin the days leading up to new episodes of Lucasfilm’s latest series landing on Disney+. In the end, it is hard to honestly bet against anyStar Warsshow not leaping into the No.1 spot on the day of a new episode, so one that people actually seem to like? The sky and everything beyond it is the limit.
Star Wars: Skeleton Crew
Skeleton Crew is a Disney+ original series set in the Star Wars universe.The series was created by Jon Watts and Christopher Ford and tells the story of four young kids that must find their way home after becoming lost in the galaxy. The story takes place during the same time frame as The Mandalorian.
Dream Productions
