These are the best shows you can watch on Hulu now

From Lost to The Great, these are the best shows you can stream on Hulu right now.

By Joe Allen May 22, 2023

Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock. — NBCUniversal Television

There was a time when great TV was hard to come by. While not every TV show is great, these days, it can sometimes feel like viewers have the opposite problem. There are simply too many shows, and too many streaming services, to choose from. Thankfully, the best shows on Hulu are also among the best shows you can watch anywhere. From new originals to legacy series from decades past, it has tons of shows that will fill the hours of your day.

You’re probably aware that, while Hulu has plenty of great stuff, it’s far from the only streaming service with plenty of TV to offer. So whether you’re looking for the best Amazon Prime shows, the best Disney+ shows, or the best Netflix shows, we’ve got you covered. Below, we’ll dig into the best shows on Hulu that you can watch now.

Under the Banner of Heaven (2022)

Under the Banner of Heaven

Genre Crime, Drama, Mystery

Cast Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Daisy Edgar-Jones

Created by Dustin Lance Black

There are plenty of exhausting true crime shows out there, but Under the Banner of Heaven manages to buck that general trend. The show tells the true story of a fundamentalist sect of Mormons who committed a series of murders in the 1980s. Thanks to a compelling central performance from Andrew Garfield, and a careful examination of how faith can drive people to madness, Under the Banner of Heaven was equal parts fascinating and disturbing. It also was the rare show that took time to actually articulate who the victims of these crimes were, and why their deaths were such enormous tragedies.

Under the Banner of Heaven Limited Series Trailer | Rotten Tomatoes TV

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2005)

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Genre Comedy

Cast Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olsen, Danny Devito

Created by Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney

A truly great ongoing comedy series, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a show that really toes the line between what’s funny and what’s outrageous. The show follows five self-absorbed Philadelphia residents who are the absolute epitome of awful, fighting amongst themselves and turning on each other at the drop of a hat. What started as a racy sitcom turned into a brilliant satire that leaves no stone unturned, as political discourse and personal matters play out in messy and raucous fashion. If you dive in and love it, you’ll find that there are tons of episodes to plow through.

Dopesick (2021)

Dopesick

Genre Drama

Cast Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg

Created by Danny Strong

Boasting some incredible performances from a terrific cast, Dopesick tells a real story in a brief limited format. Based on the actual, shocking events that were inflicted on the nation by Purdue Pharma in the late ’90s and early 2000s, Dopestick shows the devastating impact that pushing Oxycontin as a non-addictive painkiller had on communities all over America.

DAVE (2020)

DAVE

Genre Comedy

Cast Dave Burd, Taylor Misiak, Andrew Santino

Created by Jeff Schaffer, Lil Dicky

Following the semi-fictionalized trials and tribulations of the Jewish, white rapper Lil Dicky, Dave has something for everybody. As this maladjusted man-child tries to weave his way through the rap world and make a name for himself, he finds that his appearance — among other glaring details — is the least of his worries as he proves to the world that his rap skills are legit. Struggling with writer’s block, Dave Burd reportedly wrote the second season as a parallel to his life as he struggled to finish the creation of his album.

30 Rock (2006)

30 Rock

Genre Comedy

Cast Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan

Created by Tina Fey

30 Rock is one of the all-time great sitcoms. The show follows Liz Lemon (Tina Fey), the head writer of a sketch comedy show for a major television network, as she deals with needy, arrogant, relentless, and outright ridiculous actors and superiors. 30 Rock — which was created and largely written by Tina Fey — is loosely based on her experience as the head writer for Saturday Night Live, painting hilarious parallels that are usually left up to the audience to decipher.

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Adventure Time (2010)

Adventure Time

Genre Animation, Comedy, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Cast Pendleton Ward, Olivia Olson, Jeremy Shada

Created by Pendleton Ward

A smart, quirky, and sometimes very dark cartoon that barely got approved for Cartoon Network, Adventure Time is a show that has been wholly embraced by people of all ages. The show follows Finn (Jeremy Shada), an adventurous and courageous 12-year-old who befriends a magical dog named Jake (John DiMaggio). Together they make all kinds of friends and go on surreal adventures as they traverse the oddly misshapen, post-apocalyptic Earth they call the Land of Ooo.

Atlanta (2016)

Atlanta

Genre Comedy, Drama

Cast Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Stanfield

Created by Donald Glover

Often experimental but always brilliant, Atlanta has earned its vaunted reputation. The show follows Earn (Donald Glover), a struggling father and ex-boyfriend looking for a break who tries to change his luck by becoming the manager of his cousin, Alfred, a recent breakout rap star going by the alias “Paper Boi” in Atlanta. Created by and starring the creative and multitalented Glover, Atlanta is a smart and witty series that addresses the themes of parenthood, race, discrimination, gender, music culture, classism, gentrification, and many others all at once, making it feel genuinely one-of-a-kind, even in a crowded TV landscape.

Key & Peele (2012)

Key & Peele

Genre Comedy

Cast Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele

Created by Keegan-Michael Key

A provocative and entertaining sketch comedy show, Key & Peele features the comic minds of Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele, writers and actors who bring a refreshing honesty to every one of their sketches. Key & Peele earned legendary status during its run, and both Key and Peele have had prosperous careers in the years since. Fun and easy to watch, this show continues to be hilarious, even though the timeliness of some of its jokes has dissipated.

Ramy (2019)

Ramy

Genre Comedy, Drama

Cast Ramy Youssef, May Calamawy, Hiam Abbass

Created by Ramy Youssef, Ari Katcher, Ryan Welch

One of the more underrated shows on this list, Ramy follows a first-gen Muslim-American trying to make his own path through life. Between religion, family, and friends, Ramy quickly discovers that his life is defined by what he believes in, and how he represents himself to the world. Featuring a fresh perspective on modern Islam in America, our character (loosely based on the real-life trials of the star, Ramy Youssef) navigates his religious upbringing and the dark side of discrimination in this realistic comedy.

Fargo (2014)

Fargo

Genre Crime, Drama

Cast Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, Jason Schwartzman

Created by Noah Hawley

While you might expect this to be a continuation of the events of the Coen brothers film of the same name, Fargo is simply capitalizing on the setting and tone established by that widely beloved classic. Full of recognizable faces and awesome mid-western accents, the first season of Fargo tells the story of a mild-mannered insurance salesman who gets conned by an out-of-town hitman and is led down a very dark path, while subsequent seasons tell entirely separate stories.

Letterkenny (2016)

Letterkenny

Genre Comedy

Cast Jared Keeso, Nathan Dales, Michelle Mylett

Created by Jared Keeso

Revered as one of the smartest under-the-radar comedy shows, Letterkenny is a brilliantly written show with fast-paced dialogue that might leave you utterly bewildered if you’re not paying attention. Based in the tiny town of Letterkenny, Canada, we witness the ridiculous nature of the local hicks, ‘skids,’ hockey players, and Christians as they all somehow coexist.

Broad City (2014)

Broad City

Genre Comedy, Drama

Cast Abbi Jacobson, Ilana Glazer, Hannibal Buress

Created by Ilana Glazer, Abbi Jacobson

Created by stars Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer and produced by Amy Poehler, Broad City is a silly and smart show following two best friends in their 20s who navigate New York City with an adventurous spirit. This show is laugh-out-loud funny and sometimes makes a whole episode out of a single, mundane task, ultimately revealing how smart both of the show’s leads are about crafting compelling comedy.

Hot Ones (2015)

Hot Ones

Genre Talk

Cast Sean Evans

Created by Chris Schonberger

“… The show with hot questions and even hotter wings,” Hot Ones is an interview show originally started on YouTube for hot sauce fanatics. Host Sean Evans takes on celebrities from all circles of entertainment to test how much heat they can handle as they answer his questions. Full of zany zings, zesty anecdotes, and spicy inside scoops, this show is a great choice for Scoville scale enthusiasts as well as pop culture fans.

Read More: Best Hot Ones Interviews

Justified (2010)

Justified

Genre Crime, Drama

Cast Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins, Joelle Carter

Created by Graham Yost

In the critically acclaimed crime drama Justified, we follow Raylan Givens, a deputy U.S. Marshal tasked with bringing down some of the most dangerous drug rings in the American South. Armed with his hip-holstered handgun and his fearless wit, our character is the closest thing to a modern-day cowboy you’re going to get on TV. Starring Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins, Justified explores the themes of justice, peace, crime, and punishment from a wide array of perspectives, and gives us some great character arcs along the way.

One Punch Man (2015)

One Punch Man

Genre Action & Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Cast Kazuhiro Yamaji, Yuichi Nakamura, Kenjiro Tsuda

Created by ONE

One of the best anime series on Hulu, One-Punch Man follows the life of Saitama, a hero that fights evil just because it’s fun. Of course, fighting can only be so entertaining when you can defeat any enemy with a single punch. A great mix of comedy and artistically executed action, One-Punch Man is a unique series that even anime newbies can enjoy from the start, subbed or dubbed.

Arrested Development (2003)

Arrested Development

Genre Comedy

Cast Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, Portia De Rossi

Created by Mitchell Hurwitz

Arrested Development follows the Bluths, a very wealthy family, as they finally discover that their wealth has been founded on lies and deceit after Michael Bluth’s (Jason Bateman) father is arrested. Seemingly the only sane one in the family, Michael must attempt to keep the rest of his kin above water as their way of life crumbles around them. This comedy series is one of the best ever made and features some of the most quotable lines you’ll ever see on TV.

High Fidelity (2020)

High Fidelity

Genre Comedy, Drama

Cast Zoë Kravitz, David H. Holmes, Da'Vine Joy Randolph

Created by Veronica West, Sarah Kucserka

Based on Nick Hornsby’s novel and a great John Cusack movie, High Fidelity is a story of music, neuroticism, and self-deprecation. A deeply involved lover of music and pop culture, Robyn ‘Rob’ Brooks (Zoë Kravitz) is the owner of a local record store, where she makes endless top-five lists while throwing back neat whiskey and reviewing all the events that led to the end of her last relationship. With plenty of great comedic timing and writing, this modern revival is worth a watch for any music lover.

The Great (2020)

The Great

Genre Drama, Comedy

Cast Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox

Created by Tony McNamara

A sharp, surreal, absurd show about the rise of Catherine the Great in Russia in the 18th century, The Great is unlike any other show on TV. Starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult as a frightful pair of would-be rulers, the show is far funnier than any period piece ever should be. Tony McNamara, who co-wrote The Favourite, is responsible for this show as well, which explains why it’s tone is so absurd and downright strange. Hoult and Fanning keep the whole thing grounded, though, even as they’re prone to flights of fancy themselves.

The Great Season 1 Trailer | Rotten Tomatoes TV

Lost (2004)

Lost

Genre Mystery, Action & Adventure

Cast Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Josh Holloway

Created by J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof, Jeffrey Lieber

One of the more controversial shows ever made, Lost is nonetheless a pillar of what great TV storytelling can be. Following a group of plane crash survivors who wind up on a mysterious island, the series is really about what it means to connect to someone, and how important that connection is to who we ultimately become. Over the course of six sprawling seasons, Lost introduced plenty of mythology as well, and while not everyone was totally satisfied by the ending, the ride there was more than worth it.

Lost Trailer (First Season)

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Joe Allen is a freelance culture writer based in upstate New York. His work has been published in The Washington Post, The…

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