TV Review: “Becoming” on Disney+

Everybody has a story and every dream has a journey. Those journeys are the subject of the new Disney+ docuseries Becoming, which tells the stories of 10 celebrities who worked hard to achieve their goals and reach their dreams.

From executive producers LeBron James and Maverick Carter, Becoming isn’t exactly breaking any new ground. It’s simply a docuseries detailing the lives of actors, athletes, dancers, comedians and so on. It’s fair to say that you certainly know what to expect when you start an episode of the new series.

What sets Becoming apart from other similar docuseries though, is the wide variety of subjects. Each roughly 25-minute episode focuses on a different incredibly talented celebrity and shows the audience how they came from their humble beginnings and became the NFL star or television star or whatever other kind of star that we know and love today.

The 10 episodes feature:

  • Anthony Davis
  • Colby Caillat
  • Adam Devine
  • Candace Parker
  • Nick Kroll
  • Ashley Tisdale
  • Nick Cannon
  • Rob Gronkowski
  • Caleb McLaughlin
  • Julianne Hough

With such a wide array of incredibly talented people featured in this new show, just about anyone will certainly be able to find at least one episode they can enjoy.

Having seen the Candace Parker, Ashley Tisdale and Rob Gronkowski episodes of Becoming, I can say this new series definitely has a formula for every episode but each one is still different enough to not feel like you’re watching the same thing again and again. Obviously, Parker’s story is going to be very different from Tisdale’s and both of them will be very different from Gronk’s.

If you’re a fan of (or at least familiar with the work of) any of these people, you will almost definitely enjoy getting a look at their lives and hearing their stories. However, it can also be very interesting hearing the story of someone who you may not be so familiar with. You may be a big New England Patriots fan and find yourself engrossed in Ashley Tisdale’s story, or a big High School Musical fan who is suddenly shopping for Rob Gronkowski jerseys. Every episode of this new series can draw you in.

Another thing about Becoming that stands out is the runtime. Typically, you might expect a show like this to devote a full hour to each topic. The shorter runtime crams an entire lifespan into just under a half hour. On one hand, that doesn’t allow them to really dig into specific aspects of their lives, but on the other hand, it keeps each episode moving and in some cases it makes them more impactful. The Candace Parker episode, for example, is an emotional roller coaster, taking audiences through the highs and lows of the WNBA star’s life in a very short period.

Without a doubt, the best thing about Becoming though is that it is incredibly inspirational. We may be familiar with the work of these celebrities, but this allows us to see what they went through in order to create that work. This new series can certainly motivate you to go out and chase your dreams, whatever they may be.

All 10 episodes of Becoming will premiere only on Disney+ on Friday, September 18.

Sign up for Disney+ or the Disney Streaming Bundle (Disney+, ESPN+, and ad-supported Hulu) now
Mike Mack
Mack is the Editorial Director for Marvel and ESPN content and he has covered comic cons, theme park events, video game showcases and other fun events. He is a fan of theme parks, sports, movies, Marvel Comics and is a self-proclaimed "nerd."