Netflix Quietly Adds New Season of Hit Disney Show

The Netflix streaming library just got a little fuller thanks to the addition of one Disney title. On Sunday, Sept. 5, the fifth season of the hit Disney show Bunk’d arrived on the streaming platform, much to the delight of fans. The new season’s addition came as a bit of a surprise, as Bunk’d Season 5 had not been on Netflix’s September 2021 incoming titles list, though it had been reported in August that the new batch of episodes would arrive sometime in September.

Originally premiering on the Disney Channel in July 2015 as a spinoff of fellow hit series Jessie, Bunk’d is a comedy series that follows the Ross children — Emma, Ravi, and Zuri — as they head off to Camp Kikiwaka, a rustic summer camp in Maine where their parents met as teens. During summers away from their family and friends at home, the Ross kids make new friends, and they all must try to adapt to their lives at the camp all while dealing with a love triangle, and the fears of the camp, and new friendships. The first three seasons starred returning stars Peyton List, Karan Brar, and Skai Jackson. Miranda May, meanwhile, has starred throughout the show’s five-season run.

With much of the original main cast having departed, Season 5 continued to shift focus to different characters, though it did feature a big surprise with List’s return to the show. According to the season premiere’s official synopsis from Disney, “Camp director Lou, counselors Ava and Noah, and campers Destiny, James, Matteo, and Finn are delighted when Emma, fresh from her glamorous career as a fashion designer in Milan, pays a surprise visit to Camp Kikiwaka.” Along with List and May, Season 5 stars Shelby Simmons, Israel Johnson, Mallory James Mahoney, Raphael Alejandro, and Will Buie Jr.

Season 5 was initially given the green light back in February 2020, and the 21-episode season arrived on Disney Channel on Jan. 15. The season wrapped up on Aug. 6, meaning its arrival on Netflix came just a month after the Season 5 finale. At this time, all 21 episodes, as well as all previous episodes, are available for streaming.

Given that Netflix has consistently been losing Disney titles to rival streaming service Disney+, which hosts Disney movies and series as well as titles from others like National Geographic, it’s safe to assume Bunk’d‘s life on Netflix is running on limited time. Although a departure date has not been released, What’s On Netflix reports the show is likely licensed to Netflix “on a lifetime + x number of years after,” meaning the show will likely leave Netflix after an agreed amount of time following its series finale. At this time, Bunk’d has not been picked up for Season 6, meaning if Season 5 were to be the last, Netflix would likely hold the show’s streaming rights until 2025, though a sixth season would push that date back.