HBO bid adieu to its longtime home in India, Disney Plus Hotstar, on 31st March; leaving Disney Plus Hotstar subscribers bereft of popular shows such as Succession, Barry, Game Of Thrones, Euphoria, The Last Of Us, and more.
If you’re a subscriber of Disney Plus Hotstar and wondering which International shows to watch on the platform, we bring you Top 15 mustwatch shows on Disney Plus Hotstar that will delight you as much, if not more, as HBO shows.
We’ve steered clear of the Marvel and Star Wars shows such as Wanda Vision, Loki, The Mandalorian, The Book Of Boba Fett, Andor, and the likes. We’ve also not taken into consideration the recent Korean dramas that have premiered on Disney Plus Hotstar.
Our aim with this article is to make readers aware of hidden gems English series that stream on Disney Plus Hotstar and that a lot of viewers are unaware of.
Here goes –
1. Billions – Drama, 6 Seasons
A deep dive into the high-powered world of New York big money and big business. Shrewd U.S. Attorney Chuck Rhoades and ambitious hedge fund king Bobby “Axe” Axelrod lock horns, with billions at stake. A powerful, provocative and intelligent drama with a compelling storyline. Starring Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis.
2. City On A Hill – Crime Drama, 3 Seasons
The crime drama series follows an attorney, Decourcy Ward, and a corrupt FBI veteran officer, Jackie Rohr, who form an unlikely bond in order to take down a family of armoured car robbers from Charlestown. The series is set in early 1990s Boston, where violent criminals, corruption and racism are a normal part of life.
Starring Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge
3. The Dropout – Drama, 1 Season
Hulu’s The Dropout tells the story of Elizabeth Holmes, founder of disgraced biotechnology company Theranos, played by Amanda Seyfried. The drama recounts how Holmes hoodwinked investors, Silicon Valley hotshots and millions of people, touting a revolutionary healthcare diagnostic system that just didn’t work, thereby putting lives at risk.
4. The Bear – Comedy Drama, 1 Season
‘The Bear’ is centred on a fine dining chef (Jeremy Allen White), who is compelled to leave the hallowed world of fine dining to manage his family’s small sandwich outlet back home. Along the way, he must deal with the vagaries of the restaurant business as well as his strained relationships with his family. The series boasts sharp writing, stellar performances and a wholesome story. The 8-part series is rated a rare 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
5. Dopesick – Drama, 1 Season
Dopesick is a compelling drama that centres on the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction across the U.S., from the boardrooms of Purdue Pharma, to a distressed Virginia mining community and to the hallways of the DEA. The series highlights the irresponsible marketing of Purdue Pharma’s addictive painkiller OxyContin. The series stars Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg, Will Poulter, John Hoogenakker, Kaitlyn Dever and Rosario Dawson in pivotal roles.
6. Homeland – Spy Drama, 8 Seasons
Homeland is a thrilling espionage drama, featuring Claire Danes as Carrie Mathison, a Central Intelligence Agency officer who’s suffering from bipolar disorder. Her myriad missions take her to destinations that are the hotbeds of terrorism and violent activities – Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Beirut, Pakistan and the like. The series, in its seven seasons, is littered with tantalising twists and turns, which keep viewers engaged and on the edge of their seats in anticipation. Also stars Damien Lewis, Rupert Friend, Jamey Sheridan, Morena Baccarin, David Harewood, and our own Nimrat Kaur, among others.
7. 24 – Crime Drama, 9 Seasons
Counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer fights the bad guys of the world, a day at a time. With each week’s episode unfolding in real-time, “24” covers a single day in the life of Bauer each season. Starring Kiefer Sutherland
8. What We Do In The Shadows – Satirical Comedy Drama, 6 Seasons
The horror comedy mockumentary series returns with its third season. The series is a different take on the vampire genre. It follows four vampire roommates in Staten Island, who have lived together for hundreds and hundreds of years, and who struggle to live up to their identities as vampires. The series stars Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, and Mark Proksch, and is created by Taika Waititi
9. Bones – Crime & Medical Drama, 12 Seasons
Dr. Temperance Brennan and her colleagues at the Jeffersonian’s Medico-Legal Lab assist Special Agent Seeley Booth with murder investigations when the remains are so badly decomposed, burned or destroyed that the standard identification methods are useless. Rated 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, the series stars Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz as leads.
10. White Collar
Neal Caffrey, a con man, forger and thief, is captured after a three-year game of cat and mouse with the FBI. With only months left serving a four-year sentence, he escapes to look for Kate, his girlfriend. Peter Burke, the FBI agent who initially captured Caffrey, finds and returns him to prison. This time, Caffrey proposes a deal with the FBI, as part of a work-release program. After some hesitation, Burke agrees, and thus begins this unconventional arrangement where Caffrey helps Burke apprehend white collar criminals.
11. The Americans – Spy Drama, 6 Seasons
During the Cold War, two Russian spies, who are married to each other and have children, pose as Americans while residing in Washington DC, in order to spy on the American government, while avoiding the suspicions of their neighbour, an FBI Counterintelligence agent. A compelling spy drama, it is rated a high 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
12. Under The Banner Of Heaven – Crime Investigation Drama, 1 Season
Andrew Garfield stars as a devout detective whose faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder that seems to be connected to an esteemed Utah family’s spiral into LDS fundamentalism and their distrust in the government. Gripping murder mystery and investigative drama.
13. The Old Man – Crime Drama, 1 Season
The Old Man stars veteran actor Jeff Bridges as a former CIA operative, Dan Chase, who’s absconded from the CIA, and living off the grid for 30 years. His explosive past revisits him when he’s ambushed by an assassin whom he is forced to kill. On the run from a renewed hunt for him by the CIA, Chase realises he can no longer run from his past. Also starring John Lithgow, E. J. Bonilla, Bill Heck, among others.
14. Abbot Elementary – Drama, 3 Seasons
Abbot Elementary follows a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal, brought together in one of the worst public schools in the country, but despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Feel good drama, rated a high 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.
15. Prison Break – Crime and Prison Escape Drama, 5 Seasons
Due to a political conspiracy, an innocent man is sent to death row and his only hope is his brilliant brother, who makes it his mission to deliberately get himself sent to the same prison in order to break the both of them out, from the inside out. Subsequent seasons see the protagonist Michael Scofield (Wentworth Miller) escape from high security prisons in different situations.