Hulu has always had access to a deep library of beloved hits, but in the past few years, the streaming service has upped the ante. Making a splash with its fresh original series, Hulu has been racking up Golden Globes and Emmys like it's their job… which it kind of is, actually.
Showcasing unique, modern narratives, Hulu’s hits can be found in every genre, from sci-fi comedy to subtitled historical epic and everything in between. There’s something for everyone here, and to help you find your next binge, we’ve gathered together some of the best original and non-original shows Hulu has to offer.
1. Shōgun
Just when the streaming landscape was feeling empty of sweeping period epics, Shōgun entered the chat. With dizzying political intrigue, intricate attention to historical accuracy, shocking brutality in the name of ambition, and a stunning title sequence, this gripping adaptation of James Clavell’s bloody 1975 novel quickly became one of the best TV shows of 2024.
English sailor John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) is marooned in 1600 feudal Japan, his fate now in the hands of the strategic daimyo Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada). Both men view each other as barbarians, but Blackthorne's ship full of guns offers Toranaga a new piece to play in his ongoing political chess match with his fellow regents. He'll need a way to communicate with Blackthorne first. Enter Lady Mariko (Anna Sawa), the whip-smart translator with a troubled family history who helps Blackthorne understand the high-stakes social expectations and longstanding political struggles he's unknowingly stumbled into. — Kristina Grosspietsch, Contributing Writer
How to watch: Shōgun is now streaming on Hulu.
2. Extraordinary
You might think you don't have space in your queue for another superhero show, but believe us, Extraordinary is not like the others. In a world where everyone gets a super power at the age of 18, Jen (Máiréad Tyers) is an outlier. She’s 25, and she’s completely ordinary. Her best friend can commune with the dead. Her stepsister is super strong. And her mother can control technology (which would be more helpful if she understood technology at all). But Jen never got her power, and she's miserable about it. Written by Emma Moran, Extraordinary is a smart, hilarious, irreverent comedy about not fitting in and the struggle to "find yourself." And also about a cat named Jizzlord.* — K.G.
How to watch: Extraordinary is now streaming on Hulu.
3. Only Murders in the Building
It’s got mystery; it’s got comedy; it’s got Steve Martin and Martin Short being criminally lovable — what more could you possibly need from a TV show? How about an endless revolving door of top-tier guest stars, tightly plotted scripts, and razor-sharp wit? Yes, please!
Only Murders in the Building follows three misfits who live in the same Upper West Side building, the Arconia. Steve Martin is a lonely, has-been TV star. Martin Short is a former Broadway producer who can't scrape together his rent. Selena Gomez is a taciturn artist struggling to move past the traumas of her youth. The only thing that they have in common? A love of true crime! So when someone in their building kicks the bucket under suspicious circumstances, they do the only thing three directionless nobodies looking for a new hobby can do — they start a podcast! — K.G.
How to watch: Only Murders in the Building is now streaming on Hulu.
4. Life & Beth
Beth's (unfulfilling) NYC life is thrown into chaos when her mother unexpectedly dies. Seeking meaning, she heads back to where she grew up — Long Island — to confront the memories of her past… and spend time with a gentle, offbeat gardener (Michael Cera).
Amy Schumer's Life & Beth starts off leaning more into the drama half of comedy-drama, but as the series progresses, so does its humor. (Season 2 is downright silly!) This is an incredibly smart, sweet, and moving show based loosely on Schumer's own experiences in life and love. The cast is impeccable, Kevin Kane as Beth’s coke-addicted bf is a standout, and the laughs are well-earned and full of heart. — K.G.
How to watch: Life & Beth is now streaming on Hulu.
5. Fargo
Who doesn't love a little Midwest murder, huh? Based on the Coen Bros' 1996 film of the same name, Fargo was adapted into an anthology TV series by Noah Hawley — and each season hits harder than the last. From Minnesota to Missouri, you’ll get to know a range of fictional small-town killers and the detectives trying to catch them. With a cast that ranges from Kirsten Dunst to Billy Bob Thornton, Ewan McGregor to Carrie Coon, and Lamorne Morris to Jon Hamm, you’re guaranteed to get drawn into this addictive, unpredictable, larger-than-life (but surprisingly grounded) show. — K.G.
How to watch: Fargo is now streaming on Hulu.
6. The Bear
Jeremy Allen White became an instant star with his turn as Carmy, a tortured, talented chef who returns home to Chicago to take over his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop following the suicide of his brother. The Beef is a chaotic mess, and a far cry from Carmy's previous highfalutin gigs. Plus, each week there brings up a new, long-repressed childhood trauma he's been running from his whole life. Can he save his family’s restaurant? Is it even worth saving?
Created by Christopher Storer, The Bear is a deeply stressful and deeply fascinating watch. It’s funny, it’s subtle, and it is so very, very Chicago (IYKYK). There’s a reason this dramedy quickly became one of the buzziest prestige watches of the 2020s and inspired everyone you know to say "Yes, chef!" — it's just that good. — K.G.
How to watch: The Bear is now streaming on Hulu.
7. Abbott Elementary
Quinta Brunson struck sitcom gold with Abbott Elementary, an optimistic, The Office-style mockumentary series about the staff of an underfunded Philadelphia public school. Brunson shines as Janine Teagues, a chipper new teacher with a can-do attitude that exhausts her peers. Abbot Elementary is a lovable network hit that feels both fresh and nostalgic at the same time.
Like most of the best sitcoms, this cheerful comedy is all about character dynamics. The unflappable Barbara Howard (Sheryl Lee Ralph) thinks Janine is wasting her time by trying to change things at Abbott, while their boss, the deeply under-qualified Principal Ava Coleman (Janelle James), is determined to reject all of Janine's efforts. The rest of the outrageously charming cast (Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, William Stanford Davis) either aid or discourage Janine at every turn, but she has an ally in Gregory (Tyler James Williams), a handsome substitute who isn't sure teaching is for him. But Janine just might be...!!! — K.G.
How to watch: Abbott Elementary is now streaming on Hulu.
8. Reservation Dogs
Get ready to meet your new favorite squad: a group of Oklahoma reservation teens (the Rez Dogs) who steal a chip delivery truck. They're trying to scramble together enough cash to go to California and fulfill the dream of their late friend, whose death has left them rattled. But not everything goes as planned, because this isn't an action show about heists and capers. This is a coming-of-age show about Native teens trying to find their place in the world and struggling to cope with a shocking loss.
Thanks to its almost entirely Native team of talent, both behind the camera and on, the heart of this show is in its authentic relationships and its loving slice-of-life depiction of a world that doesn't often get the limelight: life on a reservation. The young actors who lead the series (Devery Jacobs, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, and Paulina Alexis) are all simply magnetic, and the writing is sublime. Reservation Dogs is a warm, touching, and funny treat. — K.G.
How to watch: Reservation Dogs is now streaming on Hulu.
9. The Great
Does The Great faithfully follow the true story of Catherine the Great's infamous coup against her husband Tsar Peter III? No. Is it a hilarious, wacky interpretation of Catherine's story, complete with frog guns, the invention of bowling, slap fights aplenty and an imperial ton of vodka? Yes, absolutely yes.
The Great is a fantastic Hulu Original comedy series draped with all the trappings of a big budget period story, and it's well worth a watch for fans of writer Tony McNamara's Oscar-winning The Favourite. —Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: The Great is now streaming on Hulu.
10. Love, Victor
This TV spinoff from 2018's queer romantic comedy Love, Simon stars Michael Cimino as Victor, a new student at Simon's high school. He's a star athlete, a model son, a great friend... and he's beginning to think he might be gay.
Love, Victor is a pitch-perfect high school drama with all the sweeping musical cues and whispered secrets that entails, and its connection to the original movie is incredibly sweet — Victor reaches out to Simon (now graduated) on Instagram for advice, and the franchise's OG romantic hero periodically offers him advice on how to deal with life at Creekwood High. — A.N.
How to watch: Love, Victor is now streaming on Hulu.
11. What We Do in the Shadows
Season 1 of What We Do in the Shadows proved the show had what it took to live up to its screamingly funny predecessor; Season 2 left those comparisons behind altogether by expanding its universe and deepening its characters. For ten glorious weeks this spring, it was our pleasure to be invited into the day-to-day lives of these hopelessly clueless vampires as they tangled with ghosts and trolls, navigated chain emails, and "superb owl" parties, and, in one glorious instance, ran off to small-town Pennsylvania to reinvent themselves as a "human bartender" named Jackie Daytona to avoid paying back rent. (Okay, that last one was just Laszlo.)
But for all the vampires' quirky charms, the series' true secret weapon has turned out to be Guillermo, a put-upon familiar who is still, to his undying regret, still very human. Empowered with the discovery that he’s actually a vampire hunter by heritage, Guillermo realizes he doesn't have to take this crap anymore... but also maybe that he still kind of wants to. It's hard to blame him: Hanging with Nandor, Laszlo, Nadja, and Colin Robinson makes for a devilishly good time. — Angie Han, Deputy Entertainment Editor
How to watch: What We Do in the Shadows is now streaming on Hulu.
12. Pen15
Pen15 is hard to watch, in a good way. It nails the awkwardness of middle school by having series creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle play fictionalized versions of themselves in 7th grade, surrounded by a cast of actors who are actually young enough to play their peers.
The inherent disconnect in watching made-up adults act like preteens heightens the comedy of its funnier moments, but also serves as a reminder that the drama of mid-puberty isn't any less important because it's experienced by children. Pen15 is cringey, sweet, hilarious, and wholly original comedy. — A.N.
How to watch: Pen15 is now streaming on Hulu.
13. Ramy
Ramy Youssef’s self-titled TV debut is captivating, contemplative, and often uncomfortable.
The series tells the story of an Egyptian-American family — the father, mother, and sister as much as the eponymous son. For so much of it, Ramy focuses his energy on how to be a good Muslim, but it takes along time and a series of missteps with drugs and women for him to realize that he should learn to be a good person, too.
Though the best episodes almost barely involve Ramy (with Youssef himself behind the camera and script), there is a self-assured DNA throughout its two seasons, a voice that we hope to hear from much more. — Proma Khosla, entertainment reporter
How to watch: Ramy is now streaming on Hulu.
14. Friday Night Lights
A common misconception in shows about sports is that you have to be interested in that sport to be interested in the show. This could not be less true, especially in the case of Friday Night Lights. Based on the movie that was based on the book of the same name, FNL is on its surface the story of a high school football team in Texas, but it's actually the story of a community, of all the individual triumphs and systemic failures that add up to the crazy little thing we call life.
Come to cry at Coach Taylor's epic pre-game speeches, root for the weaponized himbo Tim Riggins, or just marvel at the perfection that is Mrs. Coach's hair — all reactions are valid to the emotional glory that is Friday Night Lights. — A.N.
How to watch: Friday Night Lights is now streaming on Hulu.
15. Normal People
There's a reason that Normal People — based on Sally Rooney's novel of the same name — left viewers so emotionally saturated (or perhaps bereft). The story of school sweethearts Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) and their years of noncommittally orbiting each other is just what the title says: normal. Whether it's a few months, two years, or close to the decade that these two characters experience, most viewers will recall some sort of sustained romantic turmoil in their own lives that mirrors this. The show explores intimacy as it manifests in romance, sex, conversation, and friendship and leaves us as beautifully heartbroken as if it were real. — P.K.
How to watch: Normal People is now streaming on Hulu.
16. Devs
Devs is what happens when you give filmmaker Alex Garland, the director of Sunshine and Ex Machina, the freedom to tell a story across eight hours. It’s a massive mindfuck of a sci-fi tale, following Lily Chan (Sonoya Mizuno) as she's drawn into a world of high-tech corporate espionage and international intrigue. It all starts when her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman) joins a mysterious research unit at the tech company where they both work. Something strange is going on with the company's CEO and founder, Forest (Nick Offerman), and after Sergei disappears one day into his new job, Lily finds herself on an increasingly perilous journey to uncover some answers. — Adam Rosenberg, senior entertainment reporter
How to watch: Devs is now streaming on Hulu.
17. Atlanta
How does one describe Atlanta? It’s not like your modern serial sitcoms that follow a single narrative thread from episode to episode. The series starts with Earn (Donald Glover), who is broke and has no home or job, stepping up to help his cousin Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry) manage his rap career. But that basic description — which doesn’t even mention co-stars LaKeith Stanfield and Zazie Beetz — barely captures what Atlanta is actually about. Each vignette-ish episode presents a slice of life from the streets of the Georgia city, focusing on Earn and his friends, and often tackling social issues in intelligent and nuanced ways. — A.R.
How to watch: Atlanta is now streaming on Hulu.
18. Rick and Morty
This wildly popular animated comedy may draw attention for its Szechuan sauce-loving fans, but fans of Rick and Morty know that the show is way more than it seems. Its mile-a-minute jokes and irreverent...everything make it one of the funniest animated shows on TV, all the while delving into issues of loneliness, family, the validity of space various forms of space politics, and what happens when one asshole genius decides he's above the social contract. — A.N.
How to watch: Rick and Morty is now streaming on Hulu.
19. Monsterland
Each episode of Hulu original Monsterland takes place in a different, deeply haunted corner of the United States. Its horrors are both literal and metaphorical, with meat-eating mermaids and jazz vampires creeping around as extrapolations of the darkness hiding within humanity.
Kelly Marie Tran, Mike Colter, Taylor Schilling, and other big stars appear in Monsterland's anthologized episodes, though their stories challenge the audience to ask which characters are the monsters and which are simply human. — A.N.
How to watch: Monsterland is now streaming on Hulu.
20. Mrs. America
This FX miniseries dramatizes the 70's feminist attempts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment and conservative spokeswoman Phyllis Schlafly's campaign to stop the ERA in its tracks.
Cate Blanchett plays Schlafly, whose conservative values clashed with the idea that political, civil, and legal rights should be equally extended to American men and woman. Rose Byrne plays legendary feminist activist Gloria Steinem, who supported the law. Mrs. America tells a heightened version of the incredible history of the ERA and the swaths of American women who fought for and opposed equal rights on the basis of sex and gender, and like many historical dramas is as entertaining as it is occasionally infuriating.— A.N.
How to watch: Mrs. America is now streaming on Hulu.
21. Woke
In Woke, Lamorne Morris plays a Black cartoonist whose perspective on life turns upside down after a run-in with the police forces him to reckon with the realities of racism and complacency. His character Keef Knight's growing wokeness is literally illustrated by his newfound ability to see inanimate objects as animated voices that berate him for ignoring the social influences that have affected his life and help him move towards greater consciousness in this "bold, irreverent" comedy. — A.N.
How to watch: Woke is now streaming on Hulu.
22. The Bold Type
Listen, is The Bold Type a practical depiction of what it's like to work for a women's magazine? No. Is it a fun adventure rife with unpredictable plots, romance, and enough fantastic outfits to drive any reasonable person to attempt a complete closet overhaul? Hell, yes. The Bold Type paints New York's aspiring writers in bright colors and offers a glossy alternate universe where writing for the dot com is one small step away from a corner office and expense account. — A.N.
How to watch: The Bold Type is now streaming on Hulu.
23. You're the Worst
It’s almost too perfect that FXX’s existentially dark romantic comedy takes place in the bleached sunny scenery of Los Angeles.
Jimmy (Chris Geere) and Gretchen (Aya Cash) are not known to their respective friends for being outgoing or even likable, but they meet at a wedding and hit it off. The series follows their relationship from hot sex to mortified attachment, blind panic, and then some. Stephen Falk and his writers create a twisted, raucous take on comedies about adult friendship, with Kether Donohue and Desmin Borges superbly rounding out the cast (Borges' Edgar and his PTSD plotline is some of the best black comedy writing of the decade).
Come for the cringe, stay for Sunday Funday, and just skip to Season 4 to maximize your enjoyment. — P.K.
How to watch: You're the Worst is now streaming on Hulu.
24. Bob's Burgers
I consider it a tremendous privilege — nay, a tremendous honor! — to convince anyone who isn't already watching Bob's Burgers to watch Bob's Burgers.
Originally conceived as an adult series about a family of cannibals (seriously), Loren Bouchard's beloved animated sitcom follows a family of five struggling to keep their restaurant afloat. Across 14 seasons (and counting), Bob, Linda, Tina, Gene, and Louise have faced all sorts of restaurant-related quandaries, ranging from a persnickety health inspector to an unexpected case of meat fraud. But more than an underdog tale of a small business succeeding against the odds, Bob's Burgers has developed a unique knack for capturing what it means to really be a family in the modern age.
A complex and touching blend of compassion and exhaustion, this series has become the go-to comfort watch for many. Turn on one episode, any episode, and you'll see why. The characters are supremely likable, the world feels fully lived in, and the one-liners will follow you wherever you go. — Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Bob's Burgers is now streaming on Hulu.
25. The Golden Girls
Classic shows are classics for a reason, but The Golden Girls has more reasons than most. Its jokes hold up decades years later, its theme song is iconic, and Betty White, Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Estelle Getty's legendary on-screen chemistry is the gold (no pun intended) standard to which all other sitcom friendships are judged.
The Golden Girls took seven excellent seasons to prove its television thesis that older characters, especially women, could be funny, emotionally developing, and romantically involved stars of their own show, and looking at modern hits like Grace and Frankie, it's easy to see its impact on TV today. — A.N.
How to watch: The Golden Girls is now streaming on Hulu.
UPDATE: May. 10, 2024, 1:22 p.m. EDT This list was updated to reflect the most current streaming options.
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