If you just signed up for Hulu and wondering where to start for a truly great comedy? Go with “Only Murders in the Building.” I’ve watched every season of this show, and it seems to just keep getting better. The comedic genius of Steve Martin and Martin Short is something to marvel at each episode and Selena Gomez is the perfect, lower-energy counterweight to the zaniness of the other two. I came here for the comedic genius, but I’ve stayed because of the great murder-mystery story-telling. If you’re new to Hulu, this is the first comedy to hit play on.

Top comedy TV show to stream first when you sign up for Hulu

Why ‘Only Murders in the Building’ is the must-watch comedy on Hulu

If you’ve never seen or heard of this show, it’s basically a murder-mystery comedy series about three friends (Martin, Short, and Gomez) who are super into true-crime podcasts and start trying to solve murders that always end up happening in their building. Then they start a podcast about each murder called “Only Murders in the Building.” Hence the name.

Now, I was chatting with a friend over the weekend about all the TV we were watching, and he described OMITB as equivalent to a cozy cup of chamomile tea. I think that’s the perfect description. Even with death at its center, the show is feel-good and warm and just lovely. Martin, Short, and Gomez are witty without being mean, and the tone is always light and playful as they try and find the killer (who is always close at hand). And while the first season used the podcast as a hook to bring these three very different people together, now the show is really about their friendship and how they support each other through each seasons’ ups and downs.

Now, this show has SO much charm and a lot of that has to do with “building” itself. The Arconia is iconic. It is a grand old Upper West Side building with marble, secret hallways, and a deep New York history. In Season 5 (dropping right now) we learn it even hides an underground mob casino, which fits the place perfectly. I love this season’s focus back on the building itself, and Lester’s (he’s the doorman) death hits hard at the end of Season 4. That story is a great way to pull the trio into a case that is super personal.

One way this show keeps things fresh five seasons in is how it plays with form. There is the mostly silent episode told in American Sign Language, “The Boy from 6B.” There is Steve Martin doing pitch-perfect physical bits next to zippy one-liners and social media satire. There are Broadway-style flourishes when Oliver’s brain goes full theater kid. And the score is its own character too, with Siddhartha Khosla’s sprightly, sneaky theme with that little bassoon line all setting the vibe perfectly.

Finally, when it comes down to it, the performances are the secret sauce of this show. We are watching some of the GOATs of comedy (and acting) go off in a world they clearly love. Martin’s Charles is stiff and guarded until he is not. Short’s Oliver is irrepressible and full of enthusiasm. Gomez’s Mabel is the cool, dry foil who grounds the chaos. That balance is why the trio works. Then the show layers in guest turns that never steal focus but always add spice. Sting as a resident suspect. Tina Fey as Cinda Canning. Nathan Lane as Teddy Dimas. Later, Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep swing by, and watching Streep trade TV-comedy beats with Short, while rumors swirl that they may be together in real life, seriously kills me.

And here’s the best part: this is one of those rare shows that is not dropping in quality between seasons. Season 1 was unreal. Season 2 dipped a bit. Then three and four hit, and now five is excellent. The mysteries are always twisty and logical, the payoffs make sense, and the cliffhangers land. You tune in for the murder, you stay for the warmth, and the rewatch value is high because the clues are hiding in plain sight. Tie-dye hoodies, bassoons, blueprints on cork boards, all of it. If you want a comedy that will leave you feeling good and a world you can put some detective work into and get a great payoff, this is the show to watch.

Only Murders in the Building

August 31, 2021

Three strangers share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one.

Watch the trailer for Season 1 of ‘Only Murders in the Building’

What is ‘Only Murders in the Building’ about?

OMITB follows three neighbors in a luxe Manhattan building who bond over a true-crime podcast and start investigating a murder in their own building while recording a podcast about it. That’s the setup. Every season spins a new case that somehow loops back to the Arconia and its very colorful residents. The show satirizes the way we all binge true crime, but it also has real heart. Charles, Oliver, and Mabel start as three lonely people in separate apartments, and soon solving real crimes turns into solving their real problem of isolation.

By Season 5, the podcast is more of a running joke than a driver, and the friendship is the point. They bicker, meddle, and make wild leaps. They also take care of each other. Add in the fandom energy, weekly theories, and the way the show invites you to play armchair detective, and it is easy to see why this is Hulu’s most-watched comedy series premiere and one of the platform’s crown jewels.

Other must-stream comedy shows on Hulu

If you want more great Hulu comedies after this, start with “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” the chaos engine that follows five deeply unserious friends running a Philly bar and turning every tiny problem into a full-blown disaster. Then queue up “Dave,” a semi-autobiographical ride with rapper Lil Dicky that blends cringe comedy, sharp writing, and legit music video-level visuals. And don’t miss “PEN15,” where Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle play their middle-school selves alongside actual kids, turning painfully real adolescence into something weird, tender, and very funny.