As streaming platforms go, Hulu truly has something for everyone. Not only does it feature a ton of original programming in its own right, its sprawling library includes access to a slew of new and classic series from other networks (whether they have their own streaming apps or not). Through its FX partnership, Hulu is also home to the entire FX library, as well as FX on Hulu collaborations (like The Bear) that don’t air linearly. There’s so much, in fact, that it can feel overwhelming to even know where to start. So, here are a few suggestions for the shows you should make sure to check out.
The Americans
Stars: Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell, Noah Emmerich, Alison Wright, Holly Taylor, Margo Martindale, Annet Mahendru, Keidrich Sellati, Costa Ronin
Number of seasons: Six
FX’s award-winning The Americans will rightfully go down in history as one of television’s finest. Created by Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, the ’80s-set drama works effectively as a riveting Cold War thriller about two Russian agents who settle down in Washington, D.C., and start a family. It’s an even better meditation on marriage and love as it dissects the relationship between Philip and Elizabeth Jennings. (And with co-stars Rhys and Russell having a moment with Widow’s Bay and The Diplomat respectively, there’s rarely been a better time for a rewatch.)
Atlanta
Stars: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Number of seasons: Four
In a post-Community world, Glover found more mainstream success as musician Childish Gambino and through his FX comedy, Atlanta. This isn’t to say the show is by any means mainstream. In it, he plays Earn Marks, a rookie manager trying to get his cousin Paper Boi’s (Henry) rap career to take off. Over four seasons, Atlanta evolved into a sharp, incisive series with nuanced observations on race and societal issues.
The Bear
Stars: Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Liza Colón-Zayas, Lionel Boyce, Abby Elliott
Number of seasons: Five
Created by Christopher Storer, the big-hearted dramedy sees chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (White) running his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop in Chicago after the death of his brother—and then turning that spot into a fine-dining destination. The series concluded with its fifth and final season in June 2026
Dopesick
Stars: Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Michael Stuhlbarg, Will Poulter, John Hoogenakker, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosario Dawson
Number of seasons: One
Based on Beth Macy’s best-selling book, Dopesick is a simultaneously heartbreaking and thoroughly enraging drama about the opioid crisis in America. Told via a nonlinear timeline and featuring a half-dozen intersecting storylines with twice that many major characters, the story covers everything from the initial launch of the drug OxyContin—and the many ways that providers were incentivized to prescribe it—to the indictment of Purdue Pharma’s Sackler family. (A settlement to pay billions to families of victims was ultimately reached in 2025, though some argue the family was let off too easily.)
The Dropout
Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Naveen Andrews, William H. Macy, Dylan Minnette, Bill Irwin, Laurie Metcalf, Sam Waterston, Camryn Mi-Young Kim, Stephen Fry, Kate Burton, Elizabeth Marvel, Mary Lynn Rajskub
Number of seasons: One
Come to The Dropout for Amanda Seyfried’s award-winning, chilling turn as Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes; stay for Naveen Andrews’ even more deranged take on her partner, Sunny Balwani. The two ran their company to the ground while scamming folks into giving them money for an advanced blood-testing machine that didn’t exist. Hulu’s limited series is an enticing depiction of the events, digging into how Elizabeth and Sunny manage to get investors while running a tight, paranoid ship at the office.
Extraordinary
Stars: Máiréad Tyers, Bilal Hasna, Sofia Oxenham, Luke Rollason, Siobhán McSweeney,
Number of seasons: Two
A superhero series for those who are tired of superhero series,this canceled-too-soon dramedy is set in a world where everyone gains a superpower at 18. Except for Jen Regan (Tyers), an underachieving twentysomething who has yet to manifest any sort of special ability at all. As Jen struggles to figure out what it means to lack powers in a world defined by them, she and her (oddly superpowered) friends face the frequently hilarious and heartbreaking trials of young adulthood, from relationship issues to career stagnation.
The Great
Stars: Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Sacha Dhawan, Phoebe Fox, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Adam Godley, Belinda Bromilow
Number of seasons: Three
Tony McNamara’s historical comedy isn’t really a true story at all. It is loosely—like, extremely loosely—based on the life of Russian Empress Catherine The Great (Fanning), who usurps power from her cruel husband, Peter III (Hoult). The show has one hell of a time depicting how she plots to overtake his kingdom—all while avoiding falling in love with him.
The Handmaid’s Tale
Cast: Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Max Mingella, Samira Wiley, Amanda Brugel, Bradley Whitford
Number of seasons: Six
The Emmy-winning adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s classic novel of the same name, The Handmaid’s Tale arrived at the timeliest possible political moment in the spring of 2017, and kept right on being uncomfortably prescient all the way through its series finale eight years later. Set in Gilead, a totalitarian theocracy where fertility rates have plummeted and the women still capable of conceiving are basically kept as slaves, the series centers on June (Moss), a handmaid struggling to survive and, later, to resist the horrific world she is trapped in.
Normal People
Stars: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Paul Mescal, Sarah Greene, Aislin McGuckin, Sebastian De Souza
Number of seasons: One
Few adaptations feel as innately “correct” as Normal People, Hulu’s hugely affectionate adaptation of Sally Rooney’s beloved romance novel. Across 12 half-hour episodes, each more tender than the last, Marianne (Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Mescal) come of age while falling in and out of love along Ireland’s coast. The result is a tortured fantasy that will leave you agonizing for several hours in the most satisfying way imaginable.
Only Murders In The Building
Stars: Martin Short, Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Michael Cyril-Creighton, Jackie Hoffman
Number of seasons: Five
Only Murders In The Building might just be Hulu’s most consistent offering to date. Short and Martin are frequent and terrific collaborators, but their pairing with Gomez made the series an immediate gem, with the three playing residents of a fancy New York City building who do a true-crime podcast. The star-studded fifth round wrapped up last fall, and the gang will head to London in season six.
Paradise
Stars: Sterling K. Brown, James Marsden, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Krys Marshall, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Jon Beavers
Number of seasons: Two
Dan Fogelman brings This Is Us‘ sentimentality to the political thriller Paradise, which charts the investigation of a Secret Service agent (played by Brown) into the death of Marsden’s former POTUS. However, nothing is as simple as it looks—and this drama is chock-full of crazy twists that will suck you in. The series has been renewed for a third and final season.
PEN15
Stars: Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Taj Cross, Mutsuko Erskine, Richard Karn, Melora Walters, Dallas Liu, Taylor Nichols
Number of seasons: Two
Cringe comedy is never easy to get through, and Pen15 has heaps of it. We’re talking full-body shudders. Created by Erskine and Konkle, the two play 13-year-old versions of themselves, as they try to survive eighth grade and all the issues that come with it: first crushes, AIM chats (remember those?), pool parties, and early stages of friendships. Pen15 is painfully awkward sometimes, but damn if it doesn’t remain endearing from start to finish.
Pose
Stars: MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Billy Porter, Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar, Ryan Jamal Swain, Angel Bismark Curiel, Angelica Ross
Number of seasons: Three
There isn’t another show quite like Pose. Set in the 1980s, it dives into New York City’s ball-culture scene, assembling a history-making cast with multiple trans actors, led by Rodriguez. She plays Blanca, the mother of House of Evangelista, who takes in a number of struggling young folks. While it features the hardships that LGBTQ+ and people of color went through during the time, Pose is still effervescent and joyous as it celebrates their existence.
Ramy
Stars: Ramy Youssef, Hiam Abbass, May Calamawy, Mohammed Amir, Amr Waked, Steve Way, Laith Nakli, Mahershala Ali
Number of seasons: Three
Created by and starring Youssef, this show follows Ramy Hassan, a first-generation Egyptian American living in New Jersey with his family who goes on a spiritual quest to explore facets of his community by volunteering at and spending time in a Sufi mosque. He’s caught up between both of his identities and strives to make sense of the world while believing life is just a morality test.
Reservation Dogs
Stars: Devery Jacobs, Paulina Alexis, D’Pharaoh-Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, Zahn McClarnon, Sarah Podemski, Dallas Goldtooth, Gary Farmer, Elva Guerra
Number of seasons: Three
Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi’s sublime, heartwarming comedy tells the coming-of-age story of four Indigenous teens from rural Oklahoma who are mourning the death of their friend and trying to honor his wishes by going to California. The show’s fantastic third and final season wrapped up in 2023.
Rivals
Stars: Alex Hassell, David Tennant, Aidan Turner, Bella Maclean, Emily Atak, Katherine Parkinson, Claire Rushbrook, Danny Dyer, Luke Pasqualino, Victoria Smurfit, Nafessa Williams, Oliver Chris, Hayley Atwell, Rupert Everett
Number of seasons: Two
Based on the bestselling novels by the late Dame Jilly Cooper, this salacious 1980s-set soap opera is full of corporate backstabbing, ill-advised affairs, sky-high shoulder pads, and cutting social commentary is the most unabashedly fun thing on television right now. The show centers on the ongoing feud between posh politician Rupert Campbell-Black (Hassell) and network executive Lord Tony Baddingham (Tennant) over the future of a local television franchise, but there’s plenty of drama to be had among all the Cotswolds’ residents. The second half of season 2 will air later this year, and the series has been renewed for a third season.
Say Nothing
Cast: Lola Petticrew, Hazel Doupe, Anthony Boyle, Josh Finan, Maxine Peake, Frank Blake
Number of seasons: One
Based on the book of the same name by journalist Patrick Radden O’Keefe, Say Nothing is a sprawling yet deeply personal account of the Troubles in Ireland, told across decades and lifetimes that see firebrand young IRA members grow into weary adults left to wonder whether all the violence was worth it. Lola Petticrew and Hazel Doupe are fantastic as two sisters drawn into the group, and though the show doesn’t offer any easy answers to the many questions it raises, it remains deeply compelling and empathetic to all its characters throughout.
Shōgun, FX’s adaptation of James Clavell’s sweeping Japan-set novel, weaves thrilling, action-packed drama with moving, character-driven stories. The 10-episode series also finally gives Hiroyuki Sanada the leading role he deserves, and it boasts breakout performances by Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asani, and Moeka Hoshi. Expect stunning visuals, plenty of fight scenes, heartbreak, and jaw-dropping political chess games. The show has been renewed for two more seasons.
Snowfall
Stars: Damson Idris, Emily Rios, Carter Hudson, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Amin Joseph, Michael Hyatt
Number of seasons: Six
Created by John Singleton, Eric Amadio, and Dave Andron, Snowfall is a gripping tale that kicks off in 1983 during the early days of L.A.’s crack epidemic. Idris plays Franklin, a street entrepreneur on a quest for power who is on a collision course with Lucia, the daughter of a Mexican crime lord. The series concluded with its sixth and final season in 2023, but a spin-off, The Drop: A Snowfall Saga, is set to premiere in September.
A gripping true-crime series based on the novel of the same name written by the late Rebecca Godfrey, Under The Bridge dramatizes the harrowing true story of the brutal murder of Reena Virk (Gupta), who went to a party with friends in 1997 and never came home. Sensitively written, the series explores the lives of the teenagers charged with her murder and the efforts of the local police officer (Gladstone) attempting to solve the case.
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