What to watch on Hulu: 26 best TV shows streaming right now

Check out new episodes of Reservation Dogs, prep for The Handmaid's Tale and Atlanta's upcoming seasons, and discover more great series

Clockwise from bottom left: Elisabeth Moss in The Handmaid’s Tale (Photo: Hulu), Maya Erskine in Pen15 (Photo: Jessica Brooks/Hulu), D’Pharaoh Woo-A-Tai and Paulina Alexis in Reservation Dogs (Photo: Shane Brown/FX), MJ Rodriguez in Pose (Photo: Eric Liebowitz/FX), Michael Keaton in Dopesick (Photo: Gene Park/Hulu) — Clockwise from bottom left: Elisabeth Moss in The Handmaid’s Tale (Photo: Hulu), Maya Erskine in *Pen15* (Photo: Jessica Brooks/Hulu), D’Pharaoh Woo-A-Tai and Paulina Alexis in *Reservation Dogs* (Photo: Shane Brown/FX), MJ Rodriguez in *Pose* (Photo: Eric Liebowitz/FX), Michael Keaton in *Dopesick* (Photo: Gene Park/Hulu)

There’s no dearth of options on Hulu. In fact, deciding what to watch can be quite overwhelming. So instead of wasting time trying to figure out which show will keep you on your couch for several hours, check out our roundup of the best of the best on the streamer, including beloved Hulu originals, FX hits, return-worthy big-network classics, and cult favorites. Looking for something timely? Catch up on The Handmaid’s Tale and Atlanta before they begins their new seasons later this month, or keep up with episodes of Reservation Dogs as it approaches its season finale on September 28.

This list is in alphabetical order. It was last updated on September 7, 2022. It will update monthly.

2 / 28

Atlanta (FX: 2016-)

Stars: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield, Isiah Whitlock Jr.

Number of seasons on Hulu: 3 (season 4 premieres September 15)

In a post-Community world, Glover found more mainstream success as musician Childish Gambino and through his FX comedy, Atlanta, which has won him two Emmys so far. Which 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 three seasons, Atlanta has evolved into a sharp, incisive series with nuanced observations on race and other societal issues, with some can’t-miss standalone episodes. On September 15, the show will launch its fourth and final season.

3 / 28

Better Things (FX: 2016-2022)

Stars: Pamela Adlon, Celia Imrie, Mikey Madison, Hannah Riley, Olivia Edwards, Deidrich Bader, Alysia Reiner, Rebecca Metz, Kevin Pollak

Number of seasons on Hulu: 5

Adlon quietly created one of TV’s most sublime, must-watch comedies about motherhood, aging, and evolving familial bonds. Better Things borrows very specifically from her own life as a working-actor single mother of three daughters but feels eternally universal thanks to its resonant writing. Be sure to read our interview with the creator-star about the end of the show.

4 / 28

Castle Rock (Hulu: 2018-2019)

Stars: Bill Skarsgård, André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Jane Levy, Sissy Spacek, Lizzy Caplan, Elsie Fisher, Paul Sparks, Barkhad Abdi, Yusra Warsama

Number of seasons on Hulu: 2

Creators Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason struck gold when they made Castle Rock, a kaleidoscopic exploration of Stephen King lore that isn’t tied to one book or short story. Instead, it pulls liberally from the horror author’s entire body of work. Like a cursed curio cabinet, the show displays some of King’s eeriest ideas with unnerving elegance. Beautifully written with a rich atmosphere, it’s a short-lived titan of terrifying TV.

5 / 28

Cheers (NBC: 1982-1993)

Stars: Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Nicholas Colasanto, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth, Woody Harrleson, Kirstie Alley

Number of seasons on Hulu: 11

A mainstay on any sitcom list worth its salt, Cheers forever raised the bar for the half-hour ensemble comedy with an 11-season run that somehow still feels too short. What starts as a will-they-won’t-they between waitress Diane (Shelley Long) and bartender Sam (Ted Danson) becomes a fully lived-in ecosystem of situational humor and friendship that’s since been mimicked by The Office, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and plenty more beloved series. Still, nothing beats an ice-cold Cheers.

6 / 28

Community (NBC: 2009-2014, Yahoo! Screen: 2015)

Daylight Savings Time | Community

Stars: Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Alison Brie, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Ken Jeong, Donald Glover, Chevy Chase, Jim Rash

Number of seasons on Hulu: 6

Over its six-season run (we’re still waiting on the #movie), Community cemented itself as a weird, clever send-up of pop culture. While creator Dan Harmon’s series began as a semi-normal sitcom following seven misfits who find themselves at a community college, it quickly morphed into something far greater through its many parody episodes, running gags, and just a few games of paintball. As Pierce would say, the show was “streets ahead.”

7 / 28

Cowboy Bebop (TV Tokyo: 1998, Wowow: 1998-1999)

Stars (Japanese subtitled): Koichi Yamadera, Norio Wakamoto, Megumi Hayashibara, Unshō Ishizuka, Aoi Tada

Stars (English dubbed): Steve Blum, Skip Stellrecht, Wendee Lee, Beau Billingslea, Melissa Fahn

Number of seasons on Hulu: 1

Widely regarded as one of the best animated series ever (and that’s some stupidly steep competition), Cowboy Bebop perfectly combines film noir melodrama, spaghetti Western sensibilities, and high-energy anime action. It’s a smooth-riding saga that’s timeless in its start-to-finish confidence, deftly bookending its half-hour adventures about a bounty-hunting space crew with a killer intro sequence and an equally iconic stinger. As cool as hero Spike Spiegel, Cowboy Bebop is slick, smart, top-shelf mystery writing with style to spare.

8 / 28

Difficult People (Hulu: 2015-2017)

Stars: Billy Eichner, Julie Klausner, Andrea Martin, James Urbaniak, Cole Escola, Jackie Hoffman, John Cho

Number of seasons on Hulu: 3

Difficult People follows two aspiring comedians trying to make a name for themselves, while seemingly hating on everyone except each other. Caroline Seide wrote it best in her review (in which she called the show “uber-specifically made for The A.V. Club”): “Difficult People isn’t for everyone. Despite the genuine sweetness of Julie and Billy’s friendship, the show’s barbed humor and unlikable characters are potentially off-putting. In an era when, as Billy puts it, comedies have “become 30-minute dramas,” the broad joke-a-minute style can feel almost old-fashioned. But for the right erudite, pop-culture-obsessed, sardonic audience, Difficult People is the kind of show that feels like it’s reaching out just to them.”

9 / 28

Dopesick (Hulu: 2021)

Dopesick Official Trailer | Hulu

Stars: Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever, Rosario Dawson, Michael Stuhlbarg, Will Poulter, Peter Sarsgaard, John Hoogenakker, Philippa Soo, Mare Winningham, Jake McDorman

Number of seasons on Hulu: 1

We won’t lie: Dopesick, an eight-part limited series detailing the rise of OxyContin over multiple decades and numerous settings, is a challenging show. Still, the importance of the material and excellent performances from Keaton and Dever make this a must-watch. As Danette Chavez writes in her review for The A.V. Club: “When [the show] does choose substance over gimmicky style, you won’t be able to look away.”

10 / 28

The Dropout (Hulu, 2022)

Stars: Amanda Seyfriend, 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 on Hulu: 1

Come to The Dropout for Amanda Seyfried’s 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 constantly giving them money for an advanced blood testing machine that didn’t really 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.

11 / 28

Fargo (FX: 2014-)

Stars: Billy Bob Thornton and Allison Tolman (season one), Kirsten Dunst and Patrick Wilson (season two), Ewan McGregor and Carrie Coon (season three), and Chris Rock and Jessie Buckley (season four)

Number of seasons on Hulu: 4

A blood-soaked love letter to the Coen brothers (inspired by their 1996 masterpiece but bursting with references to a bunch of their films), creator Noah Hawley’s anthology series is that rarest of birds: a show completely steeped in the mythology of other peoples’ creations that somehow still feels remarkably fresh. Fargo’s second and third seasons, in particular, were marvelous, high-water marks in an era of peak television. And even when the show dips in quality ever so slightly (cough, season four, cough), it’s a fascinating, beautifully made dip that we can’t turn off.

12 / 28

The Great (Hulu: 2020-)

Stars: Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Sacha Dhawan, Phoebe Fox, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Adam Godley, Belinda Bromilow

Number of seasons on Hulu: 2

Tony McNamara’s historical comedy isn’t necessarily a true story at all. It is loosely—like, very 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 a helluva time depicting how she plots to overtake his kingdom, all while avoiding falling in love with him. For his part, Hoult delivers an extraordinarily funny, awards-worthy performance.

13 / 28

The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu, 2017-)

The Handmaid’s Tale | Season 5 | Trailer

Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd, Samira Wiley, O.T. Fagbenle, Joseph Fiennes, Bradley Whitford, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Max Minghella

Number of seasons: 4 (season 5 premieres September 14)

Yes, The Handmaid’s Tale and its dystopian nightmare doesn’t sound like an appealing escape. Even so, there’s no better time to catch up because Hulu’s award-winning drama returns for a fifth season on September 14. Based on Margaret Atwood’s novel, the show follows June Osborne’s (Moss) attempts to escape Gilead, formerly the U.S., which is reorganized based on religious fanaticism where women have no agency. It’s a dark, daring TV drama that regained its groove in season four, with a promising trailer for its upcoming episodes. (Naturally, there are lots of close-up shots of a glaring Moss—but we’re used to that by now, right?)

14 / 28

High Fidelity (Hulu: 2020)

Stars: Zoë Kravitz, Jake Lacy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, David H. Holmes

Number of seasons on Hulu: 1

We’re as pissed as Zoë Kravitz about the cancelation of High Fidelity, a fiercely smart, inclusive retelling of Stephen Frears’ 2000 rom-com about a heartsick record store owner. Not only did Kravitz’s star performance deliver a complex portrait of a queer woman looking for love, but the series also offered a comforting sense of old-school cool, something modern TV had been missing. Even if it ends on a cliffhanger, High Fidelity is worth watching on repeat.

15 / 28

It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX: 2005-2012, FXX: 2013-)

Stars: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito

Number of seasons on Hulu: 15

Against all odds, The Gang and the havoc it inevitably wreaks don’t seem to be going anywhere—15 seasons and counting!—and that’s just fine by us. Dennis Perkins summed up Sunny’s endurance nicely in his recap of its most recent episode: “A lot’s been made about It’s Always Sunny’s unprecedented longevity, and how, despite the occasional misstep, its astoundingly consistent quality. As time’s gone on, the extreme difficulty built into Sunny’s singularly dark and bitter formula has only made that consistency more impressive.”

16 / 28

Lost (ABC: 2004-2010)

Stars: Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Naveen Andrews, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Josh Holloway, Michael Emerson, Terry O’ Quinn, Henry Ian Cusick

Number of seasons on Hulu: 6

It can easily be argued that Lost, which follows a group of people who land on a seemingly deserted island after a plane crash, changed how ensemble-driven dramas can succeed on TV. The show reveled in a puzzle-box setting, using flashbacks, flash-forwards (and flash-sideways!) to set up an epic and gut-wrenching mystery. Despite a divisive finale—which actually rules hard, sue me—Lost remains one of the most groundbreaking TV shows of our generation. It’s always a good time to watch (or rewatch) it.

17 / 28

Normal People (Hulu: 2020)

Stars: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Paul Mescal, Sarah Greene, Aislin McGuckin, Sebastian De Souza

Number of seasons on Hulu: 1

Few adaptations feel as innately “correct” as Normal People, Hulu’s hugely affectionate retelling of Sally Rooney’s beloved romance novel. Across 12 half-hour episodes, each more tender than the last, Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) come of age while falling in and out of love along Ireland’s Atlantic coast. The result is a tortured fantasy that will leave you screaming, “JUST FUCKING TALK TO EACH OTHER!” in the most satisfying way imaginable.

18 / 28

Only Murders In The Building (Hulu: 2021-)

Only Murders in the Building Season 2 | Trailer | Hulu

Stars: Martin Short, Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, Aaron Dominguez, Amy Ryan, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Jane Lynch, Jackie Hoffman

Number of seasons: 2

Now in its second season, Only Murders In The Building could just be Hulu’s best offering to date. Short and Martin are frequent and terrific collaborators, but their pairing with Gomez makes the series an immediate hit, with the three playing residents of a fancy New York City building who begin a true-crime podcast. The latest entertaining run of episodes wrapped in late August.

19 / 28

Pam & Tommy (Hulu: 2022)

Stars: Lily James, Sebastian Stan, Nick Offerman, Seth Rogen, Taylor Schilling

Number of seasons on Hulu: 1

Although it wasn’t given the permission of the real Pamela Anderson or Tommy Lee (which, let’s be real, feels icky as hell), this limited series dramatization of the true story behind Pam and Lee’s infamous 1995 sex tape scandal is top-to-bottom bonkers–and deeply entertaining. Seth Rogen stars as Rand Gauthier, a down-on-his-luck contractor whose vengeful robbery of an A-list couple meets unforeseen consequences that changed both celebrity culture and the internet forever.

20 / 28

Pen15 (Hulu: 2019-2021)

Stars: Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Taj Cross, Mutsuko Erskine, Richard Karn, Melora Walters, Dallas Liu, Taylor Nichols

Number of seasons on Hulu: 2

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 version 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, early stages of friendships. Pen15 is definitely wince-worthy, but damn if it doesn’t remain endearing from start to finish.

21 / 28

Pose (FX: 2018-2021)

Stars: MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Billy Porter, Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar, Ryan Jamal Swain, Angel Bismark Curiel, Angelica Ross

Number of seasons on Hulu: 3

There isn’t another show quite like Pose. Set in the 1980s, it dives into New York City’s drag 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 LGBTQIA and people of color went through during the time, Pose is still effervescent and joyous as it celebrates their existence.

22 / 28

Ramy (Hulu: 2019-)

Stars: Ramy Youssef, Hiam Abbass, May Calamawy, Mohammed Amir, Amr Waked, Steve Way, Laith Nakli, Mahershala Ali

Number of seasons on Hulu: 2 (season 3 premieres September 30)

Created by and starring Youssef, the 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, including 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. Ramy features stunning performances all over, especially from Abbass and Calamaway. The show returns for its third season on September 30.

23 / 28

Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu: 2021-)

Reservation Dogs | Season 2 Official Trailer | FX

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: 2

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 make money to honor his wishes to get out of town and move to California. Reservation Dogs is really something else, dealing with how they come to terms with their identity, friendship, and community. Season two is now streaming new episodes on Hulu every Tuesday.

24 / 28

Taste The Nation With Padma Lakshmi (Hulu: 2020-)

Stars: Padma Lakshmi

Number of seasons on Hulu: 2

No one knows food better than the Emmy-nominated host of Top Chef, Padma Lakshmi. Taste The Nation is evidence of this. Her culinary travel docuseries doesn’t just celebrate delicacies across the globe, it takes a deep dive into various immigrant cuisines and how they impacted the food culture in the States. In his review, Randall Colburn noted: “By focusing specifically on the immigrant groups that have seen their native dishes appropriated, as well as the ways in which they seek to preserve those original traditions, it inches toward an answer more complex than ‘fast food.’”

25 / 28

Shrill (Hulu: 2019-2021)

Stars: Aidy Bryant, Lolly Adefope, Luka Jones, John Cameron Mitchell, Ian Owens, Patti Harrison

Number of seasons on Hulu: 3

Shrill may have met its maker in 2021, with an unceremonious cancelation that left protagonist Annie as lost in her identity journey as ever. But this feel-good Aidy Bryant vehicle about an ambitious Portland writer living life on her terms was really good while it lasted, delivering 22 episodes of delightful self-discovery and quirky comedy chops to fans who loved them deeply. Come for the promise of Bryant getting the starring role she deserves; stay for Lolly Adefope and Patti Harrison stealing scenes like crazy.

26 / 28

Superstore (NBC: 2015-2021)

Stars: America Ferrera, Ben Feldman, Lauren Ash, Nico Santos, Nichole Sakura, Colton Dunn, Mark McKinney, Kaliko Kauahi

Number of seasons on Hulu: 6

Everything about Superstore screams quintessential American workplace comedy. Hailing from Justin Spitzer (The Office), the talented and diverse cast plays employees of big-box retail chain store Cloud 9 in Minnesota. Through the lens of their working-class jobs, the show explores their friendships and livelihoods. While series star Ferrera exited before the last season, Superstore goes out with an emotionally charged last bow as it tackles the pandemic. The show excels at character development (look no further than Lauren Ash’s Dina) and remains one of the funniest binges on Hulu.

27 / 28

What We Do In The Shadows (FX: 2019-)

Stars: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch

Number of seasons on Hulu: 4

When this American TV adaptation of Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s hilarious 2014 mockumentary was announced, you’d have been forgiven for giving a skeptical shrug. How, exactly, would showrunners be able to capture the original’s offbeat magic and sustain our interests over several seasons? We’re not sure how they could pull off just that, but it could have a lot to do with the chemistry between these Staten Island-dwelling vampires (and one doting familiar). The particularly strong performances by Demetriou, Proksch, and fan fave Guillén certainly don’t hurt, either. The show just wrapped its fourth season.

28 / 28