1 Year Later, Disney+'s 8-Part Sci-Fi Series That You Can Binge In 4 Hours Is Still One Of Its Best

1 week ago 13

Published May 1, 2026, 7:32 PM EDT

Sean is a senior writer for ScreenRant and has been writing about new TV releases since December 2023. He has received multiple advance screenings of popular shows and ideated his own coverage read by hundreds of thousands of readers.

Sean is a self-published author of a Western novel. Sean has also written award-winning opinion pieces related to local politics while getting his Bachelor's degree in journalism.

A year after its release, one eight-part science fiction show is still one of the best series on Disney+, and you can watch it all in one afternoon. Some of the best shows on Disney+ fall under the umbrella of science fiction. All the Star Wars shows, most of the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows, and other classics like The X-Files and Firefly all call Disney+ their home.

Skeleton Crew Is A Great Star Wars Show The Whole Family Can Enjoy

The kids looking off-screen in Star Wars Skeleton Crew

The absolute best part of Skeleton Crew that makes it such a perfect sci-fi show to binge-watch is how accessible it is. This show has something for truly every member of a family, and viewers of any age can get something out of it. Kids will resonate with the very young main cast of Skeleton Crew, adults will appreciate Jude Law's performance and the more mature moments, and everyone can appreciate the show's sense of adventure and fun.

The near universal appeal of Skeleton Crew was also baked into it from the start. The creators of the show themselves compared Skeleton Crew to The Goonies, and that's a very fitting and flattering comparison to make. Like The Goonies before it, Skeleton Crew is filled with adventures, space pirates, snarky droids, a morally complex and mysterious character, action, humor, and much more.

Skeleton Crew is designed to be entertaining first and foremost, and it accomplished that goal in spades. Each episode is laden with references for longtime Star Wars fans, but given the kids' sheltered upbringing, it also acts as a great entry point to Star Wars as a whole. It also feels like Skeleton Crew was made specifically for Star Wars fans, as so many of the show's elements are designed to inspire the same wonder and excitement that Star Wars itself inspires so often.

Skeleton Crew Was A Severely Underrated Star Wars Story

As previously mentioned, Skeleton Crew somewhat flew under the radar when it was first released in 2024. Star Wars fans obviously knew about the show and watched it, but Skeleton Crew didn't get nearly as much marketing as other shows like The Acolyte from the same year, nor did it garner as much widespread appeal as shows like The Mandalorian. All told, Skeleton Crew didn't make a very big wave.

That lukewarm reception is a real shame, considering how great Skeleton Crew is, especially among Star Wars' other shows. Skeleton Crew may not be as critically acclaimed as Andor, but it was also much better and more entertaining than shows like The Book of Boba Fett and Obi-Wan Kenobi. On the whole, Skeleton Crew is one of the best live-action Star Wars shows Disney has ever made, but it doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

Not Enough People Watched The Best Star Wars Show Since Andor

Skeleton Crew is the perfect antidote to the problems with modern Star Wars. It should've been a huge hit, but it remains tragically underrated.

Part of the reason Skeleton Crew is underrated is likely due to its target demographic. Skeleton Crew is clearly aimed at a younger audience and their families, which meant that many older Star Wars fans likely weren't willing to give it a chance. Despite being family-friendly, however, Skeleton Crew is still a great time. The show is full of adventure, humor, action, and more than a few fascinating revelations about Star Wars lore.

Most importantly, Skeleton Crew was exactly what Star Wars needed. It was a much more well-liked show than The Acolyte, which proved incredibly divisive. It also explored a new part of the New Republic era separate from the Mandoverse, which helped deal with a bit of oversaturation from The Mandalorian. Most of all, however, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew was a reminder that Star Wars can still be fun, inventive, and accessible for viewers of all ages.