Hulu is beloved for being a destination for fantastic TV shows, including many of its own recent originals such as The Handmaid’s Tale and Only Murders in the Building. But the service is also home to many other excellent series that you could have missed when watching the others.
To help you out, I've rounded up some of my favorites — easily some of the best Hulu shows — you (probably) haven’t watched. Some, you may not have even heard of. They run the gamut from a British comedy that never even made it onto the radar to a star-studded adaptation that made a brief initial splash to an older cult classic that was recently revived.
Check out our list and get streaming!
Extraordinary
I’ve already written about how Extraordinary is so good that I binged it one day. The British comedy arrived on Hulu with such little fanfare that I missed it in my usual roundup of what to watch this weekend when it first premiered in late January. I’m very glad I didn’t overlook it for long.
Created by relative newcomer Emma Moran, Extraordinary is set in a world where everyone gets a superpower on or around their 18th birthday. Unfortunately for 25-year-old Jen (Máiréad Tyers), she still doesn't have an ability and it’s made her bitter and sarcastic. Then again, her friends/roommates aren’t exactly content, so maybe superpowers don’t guarantee a super life.
Genre: Comedy
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 100%
Watch now on Hulu
Reservation Dogs
One of the best shows on television is one of the most underrated. Critics have been proclaiming the merits of Reservation Dogs for several years, yet many people still aren’t watching it. Put a stop to that, for yourself, immediately.
Reservation Dogs elevates the indigenous perspective, following four Native teens living in rural Oklahoma. The first season follows Bear (D’Pharoah Woon-A-Tai), Elora (Devery Jacobs), Cheese (Lane Factor) and Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis) as they schemed to get enough money to hightail it off the reservation and head to California. Season 2 creates divisions among the group as they ponder their futures.
Genre: Comedy
Seasons: 2 (18 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%
Watch now on Hulu
Party Down
This cult favorite comedy has recently been revived for a third season by Starz. Yet, if you were among the many who missed out on the gem of a show when it first aired in 2009 and 2010, you can also catch the first two seasons on Hulu.
Each episode is set at a different party in Los Angeles, staffed by a team of cater waiters with Hollywood hopes and dreams. Henry (Adam Scott) is a failed actor best known for uttering “Are we having fun yet?” in a beer commercial, while struggling comedian Casey (Lizzy Caplan) unleashes her sarcasm on co-workers and unsuspecting guests. The rest of the cast is stacked by the likes of Ryan Hansen, Martin Starr, Jane Lynch, Jennifer Coolidge and Megan Mullaly. Binge Party Down and you will definitely be having fun.
Genre: Comedy
Seasons: 2 (20 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Watch now on Hulu
Life and Beth
Amy Schumer's been quiet these last few years, seemingly focused on her family life. She's done a few projects here and there (a pandemic cooking show, a documentary about her difficult pregnancy), but now she returns to scripted comedic fare with Life and Beth.
Beth has an enviable life as a wine distributor in Manhattan, but a sudden incident forces her to change everything. She returns to her childhood home, where flashbacks to her teen self lead her to reconsider who she is and who she wants to become. Beth also finds a new romantic prospect in the younger groundskeeper (Michael Cera).
Genre: Dramedy
Seasons: 1 (10 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Watch now on Hulu
Reboot
Everything old is new again in Hollywood. That’s fitting, since that’s the very premise of this new comedy from Modern Family creator Steve Levitan. It chronicles the reboot of an early-aughts sitcom called Step Right Up. The new executive producer (Rachel Bloom) wants to reunite the original cast, including the pretentious Reed Sterling (Keegan-Michael Key), vapid Bree (Judy Greer) and skeevy stand-up Clay (Johnny Knoxville).
The new show even brings back the original creator, Gordon (Paul Reiser), who discovers a lot has changed in 20 years and promptly puts foot in mouth when confronted by a much more diverse writing staff. Alas, Reboot has also been subject to that other age-old Hollywood tradition: cancellation. So, the first season is the only one.
Genre: Comedy
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Watch now on Hulu
Fleishman Is in Trouble
Taffy Brodesser-Akner brings her 2019 novel to the screen in this limited series with a star-studded cast. Recently-divorced fortysomething Toby Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg) ventures into the world of dating apps. He has some success but things are complicated when his ex-wife Rachel (Claire Danes) goes AWOL.
Now, Toby is solely responsible for caring for their two kids, juggling that with his demanding job as a doctor and a slew of dates. As Rachel’s disappearance lengthens, Toby begins to reflect on his marriage. The big-name cast, which also includes Lizzy Caplan and Adam Brody, ensured the show got a moment in the spotlight. But with a slew of other high-profile releases at the end of last year, it got a bit lost. It’s worth finding, though!
Genre: Drama/comedy
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 87%
Watch now on Hulu
Kindred
Octavia Butler’s best selling 1979 sci-fi novel finally makes it to the screen in this series starring Mallori Johnson. While critics didn’t gush about Kindred, an audience score of 87% is much more positive. Dana James is a young Black woman and aspiring writer who moves to Los Angeles to pursue her dreams. But before she settles into her new home, she is violently pulled back and forth in time.
Dana’s taken to a pre-Civil War plantation, which has deep and surprising ties to her family. Dana’s past and present are connected by interracial romances that challenge long-held ideas. When her visits to the past grow longer, she must find a way to survive slavery and ensure she can return to her own time.
Genre: Sci-fi drama
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 59%
Watch now on Hulu
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