The streaming galaxy expands in a major way today as Disney+ makes its much-hyped and anticipated launch. The video-on-demand service joins Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu and other well-entrenched companies. Like those options (and unlike Apple’s boutique approach) the Disney venture offers a broad cafeteria of shows and film from the Disney and 20th Century Fox film libraries, as well as titles from the “Star Wars” catalog and the recent hit “Avengers: Endgame.”
At roughly $7 per month, the service will be cheaper than Netflix. An expanded package, including an ad-supported version of Hulu and an ESPN streaming service, will cost roughly as much as Netflix.
New, exclusive offerings on Disney+ reflect the service’s consistency and synergy with its corporate mission. They include “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” This faux-documentary look at a high school drama club putting on their own version of “High School Musical” was showcased last week on ABC, Freeform and Disney.
In a similar vein, it also offers a season expansion of “Encore!” a clever 2017 special featuring Kristen Bell, who invites actors, now in middle age, to reunite with high school castmates to revive musical productions they appeared in as teens.
Obsessive fans of the “Star Wars” sagas might enjoy “The Mandalorian.” The eight-episode series takes place in the narrative somewhere between the franchise’s sixth and seventh films. Got that?
It stars Pedro Pascal (“Narcos”) as a warrior in the far reaches of the galaxy. The cast includes Nick Nolte, Gina Carano, Giancarlo Esposito, Carl Weathers and German director Werner Herzog, who plays a villain.
Clearly aimed at fans of classic Disney films, a new “Lady and the Tramp” updates the 1955 favorite.
— While discussed as a rival to Netflix, it’s not clear if Disney+ will make inroads into that service’s subscriber base. There’s as good a chance that increased VOD options could exacerbate the exodus from cable, known as cord-cutting.
As if to comment on the worthiness (or worthlessness) of basic cable fare, here comes “Kings of Pain” (10 p.m., History, TV-14). A show this dumb must be seen to be believed.
Two dudes with light stubble and backward baseball caps set about getting stung, bitten and nibbled on by a host of venomous snakes, spiders and other creepy crawlies. They’re supposed to be on a scientific mission to establish a scale of pain and endurance. But most of this consists of them growling and grimacing and congratulating themselves on the outrageous nature of their tough-guy antics. I can’t believe they didn’t call this “Bite Me!”
Fans of this can also anticipate “Man vs. Bear,” arriving Dec. 4 on Discovery.
TONIGHT’S OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
— Eight artists move forward on “The Voice” (8 p.m., NBC, TV-PG).
— Feelings flow in Philadelphia on “This Is Us” (9 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— A health-care tycoon is slain on “FBI” (9 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— Hackers spark gas explosions on “NCIS: New Orleans” (10 p.m., CBS, TV-14).
— Sharpe goes the extra mile on “New Amsterdam” (10 p.m., NBC, TV-14).
— “Dolly Parton: Here She Comes Again!” (10 p.m., ABC) glances back at the singer’s career.
— “Frontline” (10 p.m., PBS, check local listings) looks at the children caught in the immigration crackdown.
— Bentley sees the light on “Treadstone” (10 p.m., USA, TV-MA).
CULT CHOICE
— A vulnerable woman’s (Mia Farrow) actor husband (John Cassavetes) conspires with the Satanists next door (Ruth Gordon and Sidney Blackmer) to have her give birth to the Antichrist in the 1968 shocker “Rosemary’s Baby” (7:10 p.m., Showcase), directed by Roman Polanski and produced by William Castle.
SERIES NOTES
A Marine ends up in the morgue on “NCIS” (8 p.m., CBS, TV-14) … National Nurses’ Day on “The Resident” (8 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … Darlene’s Lunch Box dreams on “The Conners” (8 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Time to mourn on “The Flash” (8 p.m., CW, r, TV-PG) … Harvest time on “Bless This Mess” (8:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
A trip to Miami on “Empire” (9 p.m., Fox, TV-14) … A country club clash on “mixed-ish” (9 p.m., ABC, TV-PG) … Oliver returns on “Arrow” (9 p.m., CW, r, TV-14) … Daddy-daughter time “black-ish” (9:30 p.m., ABC, TV-PG).
LATE NIGHT
Lizzy Caplan is booked on “Conan” (11 p.m., TBS) … Liev Schreiber, Daniel Kaluuya and Cold War Kids appear on “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” (11:35 p.m., CBS) … Jimmy Fallon welcomes Kristen Bell, Judd Apatow and Danny Brown on “The Tonight Show” (11:35 p.m., NBC) … Taron Egerton, Steve Kornacki, Mark Fischbach and Chris Johnson visit “Late Night With Seth Meyers” (12:35 a.m., NBC).
