At Hulu’s Annual NewFront event, Hulu brought together talent from their original shows to unveil new dramas, comedies, and a return of Huluween this Fall.
The company also said that since launching FX on Hulu in March, 50% of Hulu subscribers have engaged with the content hub. New shows like “The Old Ma” (Jeff Bridges), “A Teacher” (Kate Mara), “Y: The Last Man” will debut exclusively on FX on Hulu this year.
“Streaming is leading one of the most profound consumer behavior shifts in history. For advertisers, Streaming TV is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ or ‘a place to test and learn.’ It’s a must have, and it will redefine advertising in the same way that search did twenty years ago,” said Kelly Campbell, President of Hulu.
“Hulu is proven in this space and was made for this very moment: we have the experience, the storytelling, the data and the scale to put television budgets to work, help brands connect authentically with audiences and drive results.”
Original Dramas
After the success of “Little Fires Everywhere” and “The Handmaid’s Tale”, Hulu announced “Dopesick” starring Michael Keaton and “The Mysterious Benedict Society starring Tony Hale. The shows previously announced “Nine Perfect Strangers” with Nicole Kidman and “The Dropout” starring Kate McKinnon.
For those waiting for the return of “The Handmaid’s Tale”, that won’t return in 2021, since it had production shutdown due to COVID-19.
Dopesick
Emmy-Award® winning writer Danny Strong and Golden Globe®-winning Actor Michael Keaton, join Hulu’s newest limited series Dopesick, a compelling look at the epicenter of America’s struggle with Opioid addiction. Strong shared, “I truly believe this is one of the most important stories of our time, and I want to shine a light on the heroes who fought back.”
The Mysterious Benedict Society
The Mysterious Benedict Society, featuring Emmy Award® winner Tony Hale and based on the bestselling novel, is a tale of four gifted orphans who are recruited by a benefactor to go on a secret mission at a boarding school. “I am so excited about this because when the story begins, the world is just being bombarded with messages of fear and negativity…and I feel like today we are being flooded with [these] messages… and its stories like these that hopefully emulate a different way of being,” described Hale.
Nine Perfect Strangers
Coming to Hulu in 2021, starring Academy Award® winner Nicole Kidman and based on the book by New York Times best-selling author Liane Moriarty, Nine Perfect Strangers takes place at a boutique health-and-wellness facility that promises healing and transformation, as nine stressed city-dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Kidman explained “Sometimes thrilling, sometimes mysterious and sometimes funny, the series dares us to dream, transform, transcend… all you have to do is check in. Give us 10 days of your life.”
The Dropout
Kate McKinnon stars and executive produces The Dropout, a limited series inspired by the ABC News podcast on the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes and her company, Theranos. McKinnon states “It’s a story about ambition, about the pain behind that ambition, and about the pain that the ambition wrought… That’s good. I’d watch that.”
Original Comedies
With shows like “Ramy”, “Solar Opposites”, “Shrill”, and “Pen15”, growing viewership 80% year-over-year, Hulu is expanding their list of comedic originals with shows from Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Amy Schumer.
Only Murders In The Building
Only Murders In The Building, starring comedic legends Steve Martin and Martin Short and from executive producer Dan Fogelman, the series follows three New Yorkers who find they have a mutual interest in solving true crime – but limit their amateur sleuthing to only murders in their building. Martin and Short are excited to embark on the show together, stating “I’m so proud to say that this show is already one of the highlights of my career” said Short, quickly followed by Martin “I’m proud to say it’s a blip on the radar of mine.” “It is…” Short agreed.
Love, Beth
Love, Beth, starring and executive produced by Amy Schumer, is an upcoming 10-episode comedy series that Schumer describes as “…hilarious, it’s raw and it’s very me. About three years ago, I found my journals from growing up, from age 13 – 21… And it made me remember the time when I had all this confidence and life was fun and full of possibility. So, I really wanted to make a show about a woman who blows her whole life up and returns to the things that really make her happy.”
Woke
Semi-animated live-action series Woke, featuring Lamorne Morris, is a series that Morris shares as, “Simply put—this series is smart, funny and right on time. And the cast is unbelievable.” Inspired by the life and art of cartoonist Keith Knight, the show follows Keef (Morris), a Black cartoonist living in San Francisco, who is finally on the cusp of mainstream success when an unexpected incident changes everything.