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Hulu Starter Kit: What Shows Are Worth Watching (2022)

Hulu is a fantastic video on demand service with lots of great shows and movies. While the service is owned by Disney, most of the kid-friendly content resides on Disney+, leaving Hulu as the more adult option. Hulu has great long-running series from the past, sci-fi classics, groundbreaking comedy series, and outstanding dramas. You’ll be surprised how much there is to choose from.

We’ll break down some of the best Hulu shows to get started with. Simply add them to your queue and start watching whenever you feel in the mood for one of these great series!

Hulu Original Series

  • Only Murders in the Building

    August 31, 2021

    Three strangers who share an obsession with true crime suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. The series stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez.

  • The Handmaid's Tale

    April 26, 2017

    Set in a dystopian future, a woman is forced to live as a concubine under a fundamentalist theocratic dictatorship. A TV adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s novel.

    This harrowing series features dynamite performances from Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Joseph Fiennes, and Ann Dowd. The show’s first season won 8 Primetime Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Drama Series.

  • The Great

    May 15, 2020

    A genre-bending, anti-historical ride through 18th century Russia following the rise of Catherine the Nothing to Catherine the Great and her explosive relationship with husband Peter, the emperor of Russia.

  • Letterkenny

    February 7, 2016

    Letterkenny follows Wayne, a good-ol’ country boy in Letterkenny, Ontario trying to protect his homegrown way of life on the farm, against a world that is constantly evolving around him. The residents of Letterkenny belong to one of three groups: Hicks, Skids, and Hockey Players. The three groups are constantly feuding with each other over seemingly trivial matters; often ending with someone getting their ass kicked.

Hulu Limited Series

  • Dopesick

    October 13, 2021

    The story of how one company triggered the worst drug epidemic in American history. Look into the epicenter of America’s struggle with opioid addiction, from a distressed Virginia mining community, to the hallways of the DEA, and to the opulence of “one percenter” Big Pharma Manhattan.

  • The Dropout

    March 3, 2022

    The story of Elizabeth Holmes, the enigmatic Stanford dropout who founded medical testing start-up Theranos. Lauded as a Steve Jobs for the next tech generation and once worth billions of dollars, the myth crumbled when it was revealed that none of the tech actually worked, putting thousands of people’s health in grave danger.

  • Nine Perfect Strangers

    August 18, 2021

    At a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation, nine stressed city dwellers try to get on a path to a better way of living. Watching over them during this 10-day retreat is the resort’s director, Masha, a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. However, these nine “perfect” strangers have no idea what is about to hit them.

  • Little Fires Everywhere

    March 18, 2020

    The intertwined fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and an enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. Explore the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, the ferocious pull of motherhood – and the danger in believing that following the rules can avert disaster.

  • Pam & Tommy

    February 2, 2022

    This comedic series takes on the true story behind the release of the first ever viral video in history — the sex tape of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee.

  • Candy

    May 9, 2022

    Candy Montgomery is a 1980s housewife and mother who did everything right — but when the pressure of conformity builds within her, her actions scream for just a bit of freedom. Until someone tells her to shush. With deadly results.

Great Drama Shows that Initially Aired Elsewhere

  • Fargo

    April 15, 2014

    A close-knit anthology series dealing with stories involving malice, violence and murder based in and around Minnesota.

  • The Shield

    March 12, 2002

    The story of an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct where some of the cops aren’t above breaking the rules or working against their associates to both keep the streets safe and their self-interests intact.

  • Sons of Anarchy

    September 3, 2008

    An adrenalized drama with darkly comedic undertones that explores a notorious outlaw motorcycle club’s (MC) desire to protect its livelihood while ensuring that their simple, sheltered town of Charming, California remains exactly that, charming. The MC must confront threats from drug dealers, corporate developers, and overzealous law officers. Behind the MC’s familial lifestyle and legally thriving automotive shop is a ruthless and illegal arms business driven by the seduction of money, power, and blood.

  • Firefly

    September 20, 2002

    In the year 2517, after the arrival of humans in a new star system, follow the adventures of the renegade crew of Serenity, a “Firefly-class” spaceship. The ensemble cast portrays the nine characters who live on Serenity. Part comedy, part adventure, part sci-fi drama, this landmark series has been hugely influential, despite running just one season.

    The cast is top-notch, with Nathan Fillion, Gina Torres, Alan Tudyk, and Morena Baccarin.

    If you enjoy this show, be sure to catch the story-concluding film “Serenity.”

  • This Is Us

    September 20, 2016

    Follows the lives and families of three adults living and growing up in the United States of America in present and past times. As their paths cross and their life stories intertwine in curious ways, we find that several of them share the same birthday - and so much more than anyone would expect.

  • Lost

    September 22, 2004

    Stripped of everything, the survivors of a horrific plane crash must work together to stay alive. But the island holds many secrets.

  • American Crime Story

    February 2, 2016

    An anthology series centered around some of history’s most famous criminal investigations.

  • 24

    November 6, 2001

    Counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer fights the bad guys of the world, a day at a time. With each week’s episode unfolding in real-time, “24” covers a single day in the life of Bauer each season.

  • Under the Banner of Heaven

    April 28, 2022

    A devout detective’s faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder that seems to be connected to an esteemed Utah family’s spiral into LDS fundamentalism and their distrust in the government.

  • Justified

    March 16, 2010

    A character drama based on the 2001 Elmore Leonard short story “Fire in the Hole.” Leonard’s tale centers around U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens of Kentucky, a quiet but strong-willed official of the law. The tale covers his high-stakes job, as well as his strained relationships with his ex-wife and father.

  • Veronica Mars

    September 22, 2004

    In the fictional town of Neptune, California, student Veronica Mars progresses from high school to college while moonlighting as a private investigator under the tutelage of her detective father.

  • Shameless

    January 13, 2004

    The story of a young group of siblings pretty much abandoned by their parents, surviving by their wits - and humor - on a rough Manchester council estate. Whilst they won’t admit it, they need help and find it in Steve, a young middle class lad who falls for Fiona, the oldest sibling, and increasingly finds himself drawn to this unconventional and unique family. Anarchic family life seen through the eyes of an exceptionally bright fifteen year old, who struggles to come of age in the context of his belligerent father, closeted brother, psychotic sister and internet porn star neighbors.

  • Homeland

    October 2, 2011

    CIA officer Carrie Mathison is tops in her field despite being bipolar, which makes her volatile and unpredictable. With the help of her long-time mentor Saul Berenson, Carrie fearlessly risks everything, including her personal well-being and even sanity, at every turn.

  • Buffy the Vampire Slayer

    March 10, 1997

    Into every generation a slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a chosen one. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer.

  • Hannibal

    April 4, 2013

    Both a gift and a curse, Graham has the extraordinary ability to think like his prey—he sees what they see, feels what they feel. But while Graham is pursuing an especially troubling, cannibalistic murderer, Special Agent Jack Crawford teams him with a highly respected psychiatrist – a man with a taste for the criminal minded – Dr. Hannibal Lecter.

  • Attack on Titan

    April 7, 2013

    Several hundred years ago, humans were nearly exterminated by Titans. Titans are typically several stories tall, seem to have no intelligence, devour human beings and, worst of all, seem to do it for the pleasure rather than as a food source. A small percentage of humanity survived by walling themselves in a city protected by extremely high walls, even taller than the biggest Titans. Flash forward to the present and the city has not seen a Titan in over 100 years. Teenage boy Eren and his foster sister Mikasa witness something horrific as the city walls are destroyed by a Colossal Titan that appears out of thin air. As the smaller Titans flood the city, the two kids watch in horror as their mother is eaten alive. Eren vows that he will murder every single Titan and take revenge for all of mankind.

  • My So-Called Life

    August 25, 1994

    The life of a 15 year-old high school student, whose angst-ridden journey through adolescence, friendship, parents, and life teaches her what it means to grow up.

  • St. Elsewhere

    October 26, 1982

    St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series starred Ed Flanders, Norman Lloyd and William Daniels as teaching doctors at a lightly-regarded Boston hospital who gave interns a promising future in making critical medical and life decisions.

  • NYPD Blue

    September 21, 1993

    Police drama set in New York City, exploring the internal and external struggles of the fictional 15th precinct of Manhattan. Each episode typically intertwined several plots involving an ensemble cast.

  • The Practice

    March 4, 1997

    A provocative legal drama focused on young associates at a bare-bones Boston firm and their scrappy boss, Bobby Donnell. The show’s forte is its storylines about “people who walk a moral tightrope.”

  • CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

    October 6, 2000

    A Las Vegas team of forensic investigators are trained to solve criminal cases by scouring the crime scene, collecting irrefutable evidence and finding the missing pieces that solve the mystery.

Great Comedies and Sitcoms that Initially Aired Elsewhere

  • Abbott Elementary

    December 7, 2021

    In this workplace comedy, a group of dedicated, passionate teachers — and a slightly tone-deaf principal — are brought together in a Philadelphia public school where, despite the odds stacked against them, they are determined to help their students succeed in life. Though these incredible public servants may be outnumbered and underfunded, they love what they do — even if they don’t love the school district’s less-than-stellar attitude toward educating children.

  • It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia

    August 4, 2005

    Four egocentric friends run a neighborhood Irish pub in Philadelphia and try to find their way through the adult world of work and relationships. Unfortunately, their warped views and precarious judgments often lead them to trouble, creating a myriad of uncomfortable situations that usually only get worse before they get better.

  • Atlanta

    September 6, 2016

    In this wildly imaginative show from creator Donald Glover, a one-hit wonder hip-hop artist and his cousin navigate the world of small-time fame in the music industry. “Atlanta” is impossible to categorize - alternately funny, touching, strange, surreal, and perceptive. Each episode switches tone, serving almost as a standalone film featuring recurring characters. There are no rules on “Atlanta” - Justin Bieber is Black, invisible cars exist - the world is whatever Glover needs it to be for that particular episode. This gem is one of the most inventive shows on TV.

  • What We Do in the Shadows

    March 27, 2019

    A documentary-style look into the daily (or rather, nightly) lives of a group of vampires in Staten Island who have “lived” together for hundreds and hundreds of years.

  • Cheers

    September 30, 1982

    The story about a blue-collar Boston bar run by former sports star Sam Malone and the quirky and wonderful people who worked and drank there.

  • Freaks and Geeks

    September 25, 1999

    High school mathlete Lindsay Weir rebels and begins hanging out with a crowd of burnouts (the “freaks”), while her brother Sam Weir navigates a different part of the social universe with his nerdy friends (the “geeks”).

  • Modern Family

    September 23, 2009

    The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan is a wonderfully large and blended family. They give us an honest and often hilarious look into the sometimes warm, sometimes twisted, embrace of the modern family.

  • Big Mouth

    September 29, 2017

    Teenage friends find their lives upended by the wonders and horrors of puberty in this edgy comedy from real-life pals Nick Kroll and Andrew Goldberg.

  • Community

    September 17, 2009

    Follow the lives of a group of students at what is possibly the world’s worst community college in the fictional locale of Greendale, Colorado.

  • Baskets

    January 21, 2016

    Chip Baskets wants to follow his dream of being a French clown—however, reality keeps interfering. Saddled with financial difficulties and facing an impenetrable language barrier, he moves back home to Bakersfield with high hopes. There, he is forced to confront his past while working as a rodeo clown and competing with his siblings for his mother’s approval and affection.

  • Will & Grace

    September 21, 1998

    Will Truman and Grace Adler are best friends living in New York, and when Grace’s engagement falls apart, she moves in with Will. Together, along with their friends, they go through the trials of dating, sex, relationships and their careers, butting heads at times but ultimately supporting one another while exchanging plenty of witty banter along the way.

  • Arrested Development

    November 2, 2003

    The story of a wealthy family that lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together.

  • The Simpsons

    December 17, 1989

    Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday adventures of the Simpson family; Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, as well as a virtual cast of thousands. Since the beginning, the series has been a pop culture icon, attracting hundreds of celebrities to guest star. The show has also made name for itself in its fearless satirical take on politics, media and American life in general.

    “The Simpsons” was ranked the best sitcom of all time by Rolling Stone in 2021.

    If you’ve never seen it, “The Simpsons Movie” pulled together some of the series’ best writers for a wild ride.

  • DAVE

    March 4, 2020

    A suburban neurotic man in his late 20s has convinced himself that he’s destined to be one of the best rappers of all time. Now he must convince his closest friends, because with their help, he might actually convince the world.

  • The Golden Girls

    September 14, 1985

    Four Southern Florida seniors share a house, their dreams, and a whole lot of cheesecake. Bright, promiscuous, clueless and hilarious, these lovely, mismatched ladies form the perfect circle of friends.

  • Peep Show

    September 19, 2003

    Peep Show follows the lives of two men from their twenties to thirties, Mark Corrigan, who has steady employment for most of the series, and Jeremy “Jez” Usbourne, an unemployed would-be musician.

  • Frasier

    September 16, 1993

    After many years spent at the “Cheers” bar, Frasier moves back home to Seattle to work as a radio psychiatrist after his policeman father gets shot in the hip on duty.

  • Party Down

    March 20, 2009

    A group of struggling actors and dysfunctional dreamers wait for their big break while they are stuck serving hors d’oeurves for a Hollywood catering company ‘Party Down.’

    Canceled too soon, this workplace comedy features a stellar cast (Adam Scott, Lizzy Caplan, Ken Marino, and Martin Starr) with a different guest star each episode. Cameos include Kevin Hart, J.K. Simmons, Kristen Bell, Jennifer Coolidge, Matt Walsh, Patrick Duffy, Josh Gad, George Takei, Rob Corddry, Paul Scheer, Steve Guttenberg, Steven Weber, Rick Fox, Enrico Colantoni, Ed Begley Jr., and Ken Jeong. It’s rare you’ll see a show where every actor is having this much fun.

  • Living Single

    August 29, 1993

    Living Single is an American television sitcom that aired for five seasons on the Fox network from August 22, 1993, to January 1, 1998. The show centered on the lives of six friends who share personal and professional experiences while living in a Brooklyn brownstone.

    Throughout its run, Living Single became one of the most popular African-American sitcoms of its era, ranking among the top five in African-American ratings in all five seasons. The series was produced by Yvette Lee Bowser’s company, Sister Lee, in association with Warner Bros. Television. In contrast to the popularity of NBC’s “Must See TV” on Thursday nights in the 1990s, many African American and Latino viewers flocked to Fox’s Thursday night line-up of Martin, Living Single, and New York Undercover. In fact, these were the three highest-rated series among black households for the 1996–1997 season.

  • Blackadder

    June 15, 1983

    Black Adder traces the deeply cynical and self-serving lineage of various Edmund Blackadders throughout British history, from the muck of the Middle Ages to the frontline of the First World War.

  • Futurama

    March 28, 1999

    The adventures of a late-20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J. Fry, who, after being unwittingly cryogenically frozen for one thousand years, finds employment at Planet Express, an interplanetary delivery company in the retro-futuristic 31st century.

  • Absolutely Fabulous

    November 12, 1992

    Set in the world of fashion and PR, immature fun-loving mother Edina Monsoon and her best friend Patsy drive Eddie’s sensible daughter, Saffron, up the wall with their constant drug abuse and outrageous selfishness. Numerous in-jokes and heavy doses of cruel humour have made this series a cult hit in the UK and abroad.

  • How I Met Your Mother

    September 19, 2005

    A father recounts to his children - through a series of flashbacks - the journey he and his four best friends took leading up to him meeting their mother.

  • My Name Is Earl

    September 20, 2005

    When petty criminal Earl Hickey wins the lottery, he sets off on a quest to repair his questionable karma.

  • Superstore

    November 30, 2015

    A hilarious workplace comedy about a unique family of employees at a super-sized mega store. From the bright-eyed newbies and the seen-it-all veterans to the clueless summer hires and the in-it-for-life managers, together they hilariously tackle the day-to-day grind of rabid bargain hunters, riot-causing sales and nap-worthy training sessions.

  • The Bob Newhart Show

    September 16, 1972

    The Bob Newhart Show is an American situation comedy produced by MTM Enterprises, which aired 142 original episodes on CBS from September 16, 1972, to April 1, 1978. Comedian Bob Newhart portrays a psychologist having to deal with his patients and fellow office workers. The show was filmed before a live audience.

  • You're the Worst

    July 17, 2014

    Narcissistic, brash, and self-destructive Jimmy Shive-Overly thinks all relationships are doomed. Cynical, people-pleasing, and stubborn Gretchen Cutler knows that relationships aren’t for her. So when they meet at a wedding, it’s only natural that the two of them go home together.

  • The Odd Couple

    September 24, 1970

    Felix and Oscar are two divorced men. Felix is neat and tidy while Oscar is sloppy and casual. They share a Manhattan apartment, and their different lifestyles inevitably lead to conflicts.

  • The Bernie Mac Show

    November 14, 2001

    The Bernie Mac Show is an American sitcom that aired on Fox for five seasons from November 14, 2001 to April 14, 2006. The series featured comic actor Bernie Mac and his wife Wanda raising his sister’s three kids: Jordan, Bryana, and Vanessa.

  • Scrubs

    October 2, 2001

    In the unreal world of Sacred Heart Hospital, John “J.D.” Dorian learns the ways of medicine, friendship and life.

  • Broad City

    January 22, 2014

    Broad City follows two women throughout their daily lives in New York City, making the smallest and mundane events hysterical and disturbing to watch all at the same time.

  • Brockmire

    April 5, 2017

    A famed major league baseball announcer who suffers an embarrassing and very public meltdown live on the air after discovering his beloved wife’s serial infidelity decides to reclaim his career and love life in a small town a decade later.

  • King of the Hill

    January 12, 1997

    Set in Texas, this animated series follows the life of propane salesman Hank Hill, who lives with his overly confident substitute Spanish teacher wife Peggy, wannabe comedian son Bobby, and naive niece Luanne. Hank has conservative views about God, family, and country, but his values and ethics are often challenged by the situations he, his family, and his beer-drinking neighbors/buddies find themselves in.

  • black-ish

    September 24, 2014

    A family man struggles to gain a sense of cultural identity while raising his kids in a predominantly white, upper-middle-class neighborhood.

  • Better Things

    September 8, 2016

    Sam Fox is a single, working actor with no filter trying to raise her three daughters – Max, Frankie and Duke – in Los Angeles. She is mom, dad, referee and the cops.

  • The Office

    July 9, 2001

    Nightmare boss. Tedious colleagues. Pointless tasks. Welcome to Wernham Hogg. Fancy a tea break with David Brent? Classic comedy from the archive.

  • 30 Rock

    October 11, 2006

    Liz Lemon, the head writer for a late-night TV variety show in New York, tries to juggle all the egos around her while chasing her own dream.

  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show

    September 19, 1970

    30-year-old single Mary Richards moves to Minneapolis to start a new life after a romantic break-up. There she reacquaints with Phyllis who rents her a room, and meets her upstairs neighbor and new best friend Rhoda. Mary unexpectedly lands a job as associate producer at the TV station WJM, where she works alongside her bristly boss, Lou; the comical newswriter, Murray; and the newscast’s often-incompetent anchor, Ted.

  • M*A*S*H

    September 17, 1972

    The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.

  • The Goldbergs

    September 24, 2013

    Before there were parenting blogs, trophies for showing up, and peanut allergies, there was a simpler time called the ’80s. For geeky 11-year old Adam these were his wonder years and he faced them armed with a video camera to capture all the crazy. The Goldbergs are a loving family like any other, just with a lot more yelling.

  • Designing Women

    September 29, 1986

    Julia Sugarbaker, Mary Jo Shively, Charlene Frazier-Stillfield and Suzanne Sugarbaker are associates at their design firm, Sugarbaker and Associates. Julia is the owner and is very outspoken and strong-willed. Mary Jo is a divorced single-parent whom is just as strong-willed as Julia, but isn’t as self-confident. Charlene is the naive and trusting farm girl from Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Suzanne is the self-centered ex-beauty queen whom has a number of wealthy ex-husbands.

  • Rick and Morty

    December 2, 2013

    Rick is a mentally-unbalanced but scientifically gifted old man who has recently reconnected with his family. He spends most of his time involving his young grandson Morty in dangerous, outlandish adventures throughout space and alternate universes. Compounded with Morty’s already unstable family life, these events cause Morty much distress at home and school.

  • Malcolm in the Middle

    January 9, 2000

    A gifted young teen tries to survive life with his dimwitted, dysfunctional family.

  • Taxi

    September 12, 1978

    Louie De Palma is a cantankerous, acerbic taxi dispatcher in New York City. He tries to maintain order over a collection of varied and strange characters who drive for him. As he bullies and insults them from the safety of his “cage,” they form a special bond among themselves, becoming friends and supporting each other through the inevitable trials and tribulations of life.


Ben Bowman is the Content Director of The Streamable. He cut the cord in 2009. He roots for all Detroit sports and is a fan of Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Edgar Wright, Paul Thomas Anderson, Billy Wilder, Buster Keaton, and the Coen Brothers. Ben streams on an Apple TV.

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