Tom Power, senior entertainment reporter
Recently, we've taken the decision to replace each entry's man image with their season 1 trailers (from legitimate sources were possible), which will help you to determine whether these shows are worth watching.
However, given the age of some of the series in this guide, we haven't been able to find season 1 trailers for each show. Where this is the case, we've used a trailer for season 2, 3, and so on, which contain spoilers for said shows. In these instances, watch such trailers at your own risk.
The best Hulu shows are an extensive list of well-loved classics and Hulu Originals. To be a competitive player in the streaming game, you’ve got to offer a library of choice and Hulu does exactly that. As such, it’s one of the world’s best streaming services around (and we’ve got a Hulu review if you fancy delving a little deeper).
Hulu doesn’t only harbor its own content, it’s also become home for beloved series from across huge networks, including ABC and FX. With such a plethora of choices, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. That’s why in our guide to the best Hulu shows, we’ve narrowed down the vast amounts of content to the best TV series that have scored more than 70% on Rotten Tomatoes, from critics to audiences. If you’re ready to find your next binge worthy show, read on.
Moving
Seasons: 1
RT score: 100% (critics); 97% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Based on a hugely successful webtoon by South Korean artist, Kang Full, Moving is a supernatural drama of epic proportions. Three high school students with extraordinary abilities find themselves being hunted down by a mysterious organization. As they fight to hide their powers, given to them by their parents, they fight against the world’s indecision as to whether they’re heroes or monsters.
After achieving the status of the most-watched Korean original on the streamer, Hulu made it available in English from late-2023. Since then, all 20 episodes have been available to enjoy with viewers now making their own choice about who the bad guys really are.
Clipped
Seasons: 1
RT score: 87% (critics); 86% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
A decade ago, NBA team the LA Clippers were engulfed in scandal. Now, Hulu and Disney Plus have told the story through their six-part sports docudrama miniseries. Coach Doc Rivers (Laurence Fishburne) was striving for his team’s success, while owner Donald Sterling (Ed O’Neill) found himself between a rock and a hard place; his wife, Shelly, and his mistress-slash-assistant, V.
As V. records Sterling’s racial slurs and broadcasts them to the world, the Clippers find themselves immersed in deep, deep problems that threaten to jeopardize their entire NBA career. In Clipped, you can watch it all unfold, and it’s a nail biting slam dunk watch.
Extraordinary
Seasons: 2
RT score: 100% (critics); 91% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Extraordinary is a superhero comedy TV series made in the UK. It's set in a fantastical version of the real world in which most people get a superpower when they turn 18. But Extraordinary follows the story of Jen, a 25-year-old woman who is yet to get any powers even though all of her friends have one. So, she embarks on a journey to try and find hers, or induce it in weird and wonderful ways.
Extraordinary has been praised for its refreshing take on the superhero genre, turning tired tropes into unique moments of heartfelt drama and laugh-out-loud comedy. If you're looking to get stuck into a new comedy with a fantasy twist, then get Extraordinary on your must-watch list. The first season of Extraordinary came out in early 2023 and the second season landed on Hulu in March 2024.
Shōgun
Seasons: 1
RT score: 99% (critics); 90% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Shōgun is based on James Clavell’s 1975 popular historical fiction book of the same name that exposed audiences to many rich Japanese traditions. But it was also highly problematic with examples of cultural fetishization and some inaccuracies.
The new Shōgun TV adaptation aims to introduce Clavell's story to new generations whilst also fixing some of his errors. The story is set in Japan in the early 1600s, which is at the beginning of the century-defining civil war. It follows the story of Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who is fighting for his life as his enemies unite against him, when a mysterious ship is spotted in a nearby village. Read our Shōgun review for more on our spoiler-light thoughts.
Life & Beth
Seasons: 2
RT score: 89% (critics); 65% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Life & Beth is comedy-drama series created by comedian and actor Amy Schumer (Trainwreck) that follows the story of Beth, a woman who's seemingly living a great life in New York with her long-term partner.
However, a sudden incident forces Beth to relive her past and her present changes forever. The series follows Beth's current life and flashbacks to her teen self as she goes on a journey to better understand herself and her trauma.
Life & Beth stars Amy Schumer as Beth alongside Michael Cera (Arrested Development, Barbie). It premiered on Hulu in 2022 with ten episodes and in 2024 a new second season landed on the streamer.
Abbott Elementary
Seasons: 3
RT score: 99% (critics); 82% (audience)
Age rating: TV-PG
Abbott Elementary is a mockumentary-style TV series that follows the story of Janine Teagues (played by creator of the show Quinta Brunson), a second-grade teacher working at the underfunded Abbott Elementary, a fictional predominantly Black public school in Philadelphia.
The premise is that the documentary crew are recording the lives of teachers who work in underfunded and mismanaged schools but Teagues is perpetually optimistic and determined to give her students the best education she can against all odds.
Abbott Elementary premiered in December 2021 and has since been met with critical acclaim and garnered strong viewer numbers. It's no wonder it was renewed for a third season, which was released on Hulu in early 2024.
A Murder at the End of the World
Seasons: 1
RT score: 88% (critics); 88% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
This highly-anticipated seven-part series comes from creators Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij, the minds behind the fantastic sci-fi show The OA. Which means you ned to expect thrills, unexpected twists and plenty of mysteries from A Murder at the End of the World.
The series stars Emma Corrin (The Crown) as Darby, an amateur sleuth and hacker who gets invited to a retreat by a mysterious billionaire. As you might expect, another guest at the retreat winds up dead and Darby enters detective mode in a bid to prove they were murdered.
There's a great cast here alongside Corrin, including Clive Owen, Alice Braga, Jermaine Fowler, Harris Dickinson and co-creator Brit Marling. You can watch the whole first season on Hulu (and Disney Plus in the UK) to find out whether Darby solves the murder mystery.
Reservation Dogs
Seasons: 3
RT score: 99% (critics); 91% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Created by filmmakers Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi (What We Do In The Shadows, Thor: Love and Thunder), Reservation Dogs tells the story of a group of bored teenagers living in a small town in the Muscogee Nation in rural Oklahoma. They're desperate to escape their lives, going to great lengths in order to afford to move to California instead, including both committing and fighting crime.
Reservation Dogs is one of the first TV shows to be made almost entirely by an Indigenous American team. It's received high praise for its storytelling, excellent casting and the way it deals with grief and life as a young Indigenous person. All three seasons are now available to watch on Hulu.
The Clearing
Seasons: 1
RT score: 90% (critics); 65% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
If you're looking to get stuck into a thrilling crime show, then The Clearing might be your new favorite binge watch. This is the first Australian original series made for Disney Plus – although Disney owns Hulu too, remember? – and it follows the dark story of a cult lead by charismatic leader Adrienne Beaufort (played by Miranda Otto).
What makes The Clearing even more chilling is it's based on JP Pomare’s novel In the Clearing, which was inspired by the Family, a real-life doomsday cult led by a woman called Anne Hamilton-Byrne who claimed to be Jesus reincarnated. Finished The Clearing and want more of the same? We wrote this guide to 4 TV shows just like The Clearing before it came out, but it’s good if you want the same vibe after you’ve seen it, too.
Fleishman is in Trouble
Seasons: 1
RT score: 87% (critics); 80% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Boasting a stellar cast – including Jesse Eisenberg, Claire Danes, Lizzy Caplan, and Adam Brody – Fleishman is in Trouble is a drama focused on recently separated surgeon Toby Fleishman (Eisenberg). As he bravely enters the world of app-based dating, Fleishman finds more success than he did when he was a younger single man. However, he's left reeling when his ex-wife (Danes) disappears, leaving him with their kids.
This eight-episode miniseries has been praised for its writing, the brilliant performances, and the poignant storylines.
What We Do in the Shadows
Seasons: 5
RT score: 97% (critics); 92% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
What We Do in the Shadows is a comedy mockumentary series, following a group of vampire housemates living on New York's Staten Island. The four lead characters (three traditional bloodsuckers, plus "energy vampire" Colin Robinson) deal with the ups and downs of living with the same beings for centuries, while negotiating the challenges of being a supernatural entity in the modern world.
Building on the success of the Taika Waititi movie of the same name, it's an extremely funny show packed with memorable performances, most notably from The IT Crowd/Toast of London star Matt Berry. There are currently five seasons to indulge in on Hulu so, if you're yet to – ahem – take a bite out of this comedy show, what are you waiting for?
Schitt's Creek
Seasons: 6
RT score: 93% (critics); 93% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Losing this award-winning show was a big blow for Netflix. Hulu acquired the US streaming rights to Schitt's Creek earlier this year, meaning all six seasons are now exclusively available on the Disney-owned platform.
Schitt's Creek gets off to a slow-ish start, but this tale of a super-rich family forced to live in a motel quickly finds its mojo, becoming a genuinely heart-warming and beautiful thing with comedy that's often cutting but never cruel. Catherine O'Hara steals every scene as self-obsessed matriarch Moira, but Eugene and Dan Levy (who also created the show), Annie Murphy, and Emily Hampshire are all spectacular and hilarious, too.
The Bear
Seasons: 2
RT score: 99% (critics); 93% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Although The Bear and The Menu debuted last year and both center on elite chefs, that’s where the similarity ends. Where the Ralph Fiennes movie revels in satirizing the world of haute cuisine, this highly-acclaimed comedic drama is a much more down-to-earth affair.
Shameless’s Jeremy Allen White plays the master cook who comes home to run the family sandwich cafe after the tragic death of his brother. The pressure cooker environment of the kitchen proves to be the perfect backdrop for tasty dialogue, memorable characters and some suitably tense culinary confrontations.
There are currently two seasons of The Bear on Hulu, but fans will be happy to hear that a third is on its way in June 2024. Here's everything we know so far about The Bear season 3.
The X-Files
Seasons: 11
RT score: 74% (critics); 85% (audience)
Age rating: TV-PG to TV-MA (US)
Hulu is currently the only place in the US you can watch all 11 seasons of the groundbreaking sci-fi classic The X-Files.
One of the most successful TV shows ever made, The X-Files is a multi-award winning series that stars Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny as FBI agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder. The duo try to uncover the facts behind strange and unexplained events, while dealing with sinister government agents eager to stop the truth from getting out there. It's iconic TV, ready and waiting for you to watch – or rewatch – immediately. An essential inclusion in our best Hulu shows guide.
If you are considering revisiting this classic sci-fi show, take a look at our how to rewatch The X-Files guide. Note that the age rating varies greatly depending on the episode, so if you're watching with kids be sure to check the specific rating of each before you hit play.
The Handmaid's Tale
Seasons: 5
RT score: 83% (critics); 57% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
An outstanding adaptation of Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name – and arguably the streaming platform's most acclaimed original series to date – The Handmaid’s Tale is one of the best Hulu shows ever. It might be based on a now three-decades-old book, but the series' haunting dystopia remains as relevant as ever.
Following Offred (Elisabeth Moss), we're catapulted into a not-too-distant, totalitarian and theocratic future that dictates fertile women become 'handmaids' to elite couples who have trouble conceiving. Blessed be the fruit and all that. If you're yet to stream this gripping tale, it's absolutely worth your time. Many fans and critics agree with our sentiments, too – The Handsmaid's Tale winning numerous big awards throughout its run.
Atlanta
Seasons: 4
RT score: 98% (critics); 85% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Is there anything Donald Glover can't do? The multi-talented actor, producer, writer, director, comedian, and musician shows off his varied skillset in comedy drama Atlanta, which has wowed audiences throughout its four-season run.
Atlanta charts the rise of two cousins Earnest (Glover) and Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry) as hip hop artists trying to make something of themselves. It's a smart, funny, and a fitting look at being black and middle class in America. And, with the likes of LaKeith Stanfield and Zazie Beetz among its starry supporting cast, TV aficionados the world over will love this one.
Fargo
Seasons: 5
RT score: 93% (critics); 85% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
While its origins lie in the 1996 Coen brothers cult classic movie of the same name, FX’s black comedy crime drama Fargo has made a name for itself as a show in its own right.
An anthology series set in the same universe, it features multiple stellar casts including (but not limited to) Martin Freeman, Kirsten Dunst, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, and David Thewlis. While Fargo's first season pays homage to the vibe of the original movie – tracking a series of murders and the antics of a downtrodden insurance salesman – the later instalments venture into totally alternate storylines.
The Girl From Plainville
Seasons: 1
RT score: 91% (critics); 50% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Elle Fanning is front and center in The Girl From Plainville, a drama that chronicles the events that led up to the death of Texas teenager Conrad Roy, who took his own life at the age of 18. Fanning plays Roy's girlfriend Michelle Carter, who was subsequently convicted for involuntary manslaughter after she was perceived to have encouraged him in text messages to kill himself. The drama takes us through the lead-up to the tragedy and Carter's subsequent trial.
Fanning is the star of the show, but there are also top performances from Chloë Sevigny and Cara Buono. It's a grim tale, but one that's tastefully handled.
Normal People
Seasons: 1
RT score: 91% (critics); 92% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
Sally Rooney's bestselling novel was adapted tenderly and elegantly for the small screen in 2020, and it still remains an absolute must-watch today. Set on the Irish coast, the show follows the relationship between teenagers Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) as they move from school through university and into adult life.
Normal People is an emotional rollercoaster as the pair's complex love life takes turn after turn after turn. In Mescal and Edgar-Jones, it has two compelling and relatable leads, who provide drama, comedy, and a nostalgic longing for the years of your own youth. Unsurprisingly, the duo have gone to bigger and better things in the years since Normal People's arrival – surefire examples of just how talented they are and how much they poured into these roles.
Under the Banner of Heaven
Seasons: 1
RT score: 86% (critics); 81% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man) leads this dark detective drama, which retells the events of the horrendous 1984 murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty and her 15-month-old daughter, Erica. Garfield plays Jeb Pyre, a devout Mormon and police detective whose faith is utterly shaken when he is asked to investigate the murder of a Mormon mother and her baby daughter that seems to involve The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Daisy Edgar-Jones, Sam Worthington, Rory Culkin, Denise Gough, Wyatt Russell, and Billy Howle are among the supporting cast, while Dustin Lance Black – writer of Oscar-winning drama Milk – adapted Jon Krakauer's book about the real-life case. Like The Girl From Plainville, it's not for the faint of heart. But if you're a fan of true-crime detective series, this could be for you.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Seasons: 16
RT score: 94% (critics); 92% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
For the benefit of anyone who's been living under a rock for the past 15 years, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is a hugely successful sitcom that's as provocatively funny and often controversial as they come.
It features five alcoholic narcissists who run a bar in Philadelphia, and whose side hustles have a tendency to go spectacularly wrong – to laugh-out-loud effect. It's Always Sunny... is a boundary-pushing show that (almost) always gets it right, as proved by its fresh rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. Every single season is available on Hulu right now, and it's more than deserving of its place on our best Hulu shows list.
Only Murders in the Building
Seasons: 2
RT score: 97% (critics); 90% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Only Murders in the Building stars Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez as three true crime podcast addicts who get pulled into the orbit of a crime themselves. The most notable aspect of this show? The murders happen in the apartment complex that the trio live in. Cue plenty of comedy capers and lots of guest-star appearances from a spectacular array of familiar household names.
There are multiple reasons why Only Murders in the Building deserves its place in our best Hulu shows selection. It's built on a simple yet novel premise, makes the most out of its two veteran funnymen, is an easy watch, and contains plenty of humor and crime-based scenarios that all kinds of TV fans will get a kick out of.
The Dropout
Seasons: 1
RT score: 90% (critics); 82% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Amanda Seyfried leads the way in The Dropout, a lavish drama that retells the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of healthcare tech startup Theranos.
Theranos had set out to revolutionize US healthcare by creating a machine that could undertake bloodtests in a matter of minutes. Along the way, she secured deals to put her machines in major US supermarkets and saw Theranos achieve a market value of $9 billion, with more than $400 million raised in venture capital. Sadly, the technology never worked and Holmes is now imprisoned after being convicted of fraud.
Seyfried delivers a stellar performance as Holmes, while Naveen Andrews, Stephen Fry, and Laurie Metcalf head up a spectacular supporting cast. An eight-parter, this is a stirring, gripping, and superbly executed drama.
The Great
Seasons: 3
RT score: 96% (critics); 85% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
If you've seen the terrific Oscar-winning movie The Favorite, don't miss The Great, because Tony McNamara (writer on both projects) manages to hit a similar tone with this historical comedy-drama.
Starring Nicholas Hoult (X-Men, Mad Max: Fury Road), it's about the rise of Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning) and her relationship with the appalling Emperor Peter III of Russia (Hoult), who she plots to remove from power. This comedy is as dark as it gets – in episode 1, Peter tries to drown his new wife as a joke – and its two leads are phenomenal. Add it to your best Hulu shows watchlist immediately.
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Seasons: 7
RT score: 85% (critics); 92% (audience)
Age rating: TV-PG
With more sass than you can shake a vampire-slaying stake at, Buffy the Vampire Slayer is so much more than your average undead-hunting drama series – with all due respect to Supernatural.
Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar as the no-nonsense slayer of the title, Buffy's battles against (the still terrifying) villains who attempt to take down her nearest and dearest are but a small part of what makes this show so great. Expect wit, roundhouse kicks, tears, and tantrums, and – of course – myriad quintessentially '90s outfits and some other outdated stereotypes and themes. Seasons two and three are undoubtedly the peak of the show's seven-year run.
Firefly
Seasons: 1
RT score: 77% (critics); 96% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
Firefly may not have existed for long but it burned so very brightly over its one-season run. The very definition of a cult classic, this beloved sci-fi show riffs on the space Western stylings of the original Star Wars to create a fun and extremely quotable spin on life on the old/new frontier. As war veteran Mal Reynolds, future Castle star Nathan Fillion leads a memorable ensemble of fugitives, criminals and misfits aiming to misbehave on board a Firefly class starship named Serenity.
While the single 14-episode season isn’t perfect – you can tell this was a show still finding its feet when the axe fell – it’s easy to see why the show developed such a passionate fanbase. In fact, the love of the so-called Browncoats was strong enough to get movie follow-up Serenity off the ground, and the big-screen sequel resolved many of the storylines left hanging when the show was cancelled.
Justified
Seasons: 6
RT score: 97% (critics); 94% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Timothy Olyphant somehow always seems at home playing a cowboy, whether it's in the old West (Deadwood), outer space (The Mandalorian), or the present day (Justified). This series sees Olyphant as Marshal Raylan Givens, lawman who's expelled from Miami law enforcement after killing a criminal in broad daylight. He's then relocated to his hometown in Kentucky, where he deals with more small-time types of crime – not to mention his childhood friend, the unpredictable and fiery Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins).
Justified starts as a satisfyingly episodic modern Western, then becomes steadily more ambitious in telling serialized storylines. Don't miss it if you skipped the show when it aired on FX between 2010 and 2015.
Frasier
Seasons: 11
RT score: 95% (critics); 94% (audience)
Age rating: TV-PG
Of all the regulars propping up the bar at Cheers, Dr Frasier Crane (Kelsey Grammer) never seemed the most likely candidate for his own spin-off. Nonetheless, when the stuffy psychiatrist moved to Seattle to host his own radio phone-in, Frasier was even more successful than its brilliant predecessor.
Over 11 award-winning, ratings-topping seasons, the world was engrossed by the lives of Frasier, producer Roz (Peri Gilpin), dad Martin (John Mahoney), and the will they/won’t they romance between brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) and Martin’s carer, Daphne Moon (Jane Leeves). It's a good opportunity to watch (or rewatch) one of the most iconic sitcoms of the ’90s before you head over to Paramount Plus to check out its recent revival.
Archer
Seasons: 14
RT score: 91% (critics); 85% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Hulu is certainly not hurting for a lack of adult animated comedies. As well as being the home of perennial Fox favorites like Family Guy and Bob's Burgers, it's also where espionage-themed Archer lives.
Essentially, it's a James Bond riff about pompous spy Sterling Archer (H Jon Benjamin) and his numerous colleagues in the espionage business – well, that's how the show starts, anyway. It's morphed into different forms over its many years on the air but, thankfully, never loses sight of its spy parody roots. Every single season of Archer is available to stream on the platform – and with each episode coming in at 20-25 minutes, it won't take you long to binge one of the best Hulu shows around.
Devs
Seasons: 1
RT score: 82% (critics); 77% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Devs is a thriller from Ex Machina mastermind Alex Garland, who writes and directs every episode. After her boyfriend goes missing while working at an extremely successful but mysterious tech company, Lily (Sonoya Mizuno) investigates what happened to him. Parks and Recreation star Nick Offerman (who recently appeared in The Last of Us to memorable effect) also turns up as the company's boss, Forest, so you know it'll make for a scintillating watch.
This beautiful-looking thriller is imbued with sci-fi and horror sensibilities, so fans of these genres will also find plenty to enjoy here. It's slow-going at times, but one not to be missed.
Little Fires Everywhere
Seasons: 1
RT score: 79% (critics); 62% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Adapted from Celeste Ng's critically acclaimed novel of the same name, Little Fires Everywhere welcomes us into the intertwined lives of two mothers (Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington) from very different socio-economic backgrounds.
A limited series that explores race, class, and the irrevocable pull of motherhood, Little Fires Everywhere is a thought-provoking drama that forces you to confront your own thoughts and feelings on its sociopolitical issues. Its plot plays it a bit too safe on occasion but, when Witherspoon and Washington are given the floor, they absolutely nail every scene.
High Fidelity
Seasons: 1
RT score: 86% (critics); 78% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Starring Zoë Kravitz (The Batman), the latest adaptation of High Fidelity – Nick Hornby's book of the same name – follows a record store owner and music obsessive (Kravitz) as she catalogues her break-ups. Like the brilliant John Cusack starring movie from 2000, this TV version shifts the action from London to the US.
This breezy show is one of Hulu's better originals. Kravitz is a compelling lead, even if it's almost implausible that people under the age of 35 would still be obsessed with Dexys Midnight Runners' 'Come on Eileen' in 2020. Sadly, High Fidelity was cancelled after a single season, but if you're looking for an emotionally charged, witty, and somewhat charming series, this is the one for you.
Veronica Mars
Seasons: 4
RT score: 91% (critics); 78% (audience)
Age rating: TV-PG
Mystery drama Veronica Mars felt like the heir to Buffy the Vampire Slayer when it debuted back in 2004. It's a smart-mouthed teen drama, but with a lot of crossover appeal, and a Twin Peaks-like mystery at the center of each season.
The CW canceled the show after three seasons, bumping it off the schedule for a Pussycat Dolls reality show of all things. Fans didn't forget it, though, and in 2014 a Kickstarter-backed sequel movie was released. In 2019, Hulu surprised everyone by bringing it back from the dead for a fourth season that picks up with many of the same characters years later.
Even with two revivals under its belt, Veronica Mars somehow feels underrated. This is still one of the best modern serialized dramas, though it's unlikely we'll see more seasons on Hulu.
American Horror Story
Seasons: 12
RT score: 77% (critics); 66% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
If you feel like you've been getting too much good sleep recently, American Horror Story is all-too-happy to fix that for you. You'll find 12 seasons of the anthology show on Hulu, each of which centers around a different plot line and unique set of fears. That means the quality can fluctuate depending on the season's theme – even though the ensemble cast recurs throughout – but there's plenty to like here.
Not sure if clowns are all that scary? Watch American Horror Story. Think porous materials are harmless? Again, watch American Horror Story. Anything you love can and will be used to scare you silly. Just don't watch it in a darkened room, alone, and/or at night.
Castle Rock
Seasons: 2
RT score: 88% (critics); 79% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Based on the work of author Stephen King but not a direct adaptation of any specific novel, Castle Rock is a fantastic work of fiction brimming with a curious mystery, dark fantasy, and relatable characters.
Set in the titular Castle Rock in Maine, the show is bursting with references that fans of the writer will appreciate. Like American Horror Story, you'll find each season (of which there are only two) tells a different story. While AHS is filled with jump scares and in-your-face spooky goings-on, though, Castle Rock does its best work via its foreboding and dread-inducing atmosphere, preferring to let your imagination scare you silly. Easily one of the best Hulu shows around.
Rick and Morty
Seasons: 7
RT score: 90% (critics); 83% (audience)
Age rating: TV-MA
Need your fix of black humor and sci-fi gone wrong? Hulu’s got Adult Swim's brain-pummeling, universe-stretching, animated adventure Rick and Morty on tap.
Sit back and allow the iconic grandpa and grandson duo to teach you a thing or two about psychology, bizarre family dynamics, and excellent scriptwriting through five seasons that promise to leave you scratching your head for days on end. It's as funny, surreal, and intellectually brilliant as you could possibly wish for.
30 Rock
Seasons: 7
RT score: 78% (critics); 92% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
Delivering subversive satire and laughs-a-plenty, Tina Fey’s 30 Rock – a show about a female TV writer trying to grasp control over backstage antics at a live, prime-time variety show – is as smart as it is downright hilarious.
Each episode is layered with running gags, absurd plot twists, and pop-culture references – so much so that you'll need several sittings to appreciate each one. Fey appears alongside a brilliant ensemble cast featuring Tracy Morgan, Alec Baldwin, Jane Krakowski and Jack McBrayer, as well as an impressive roster of guest stars. A fantastic addition to this guide to the best Hulu shows.
Broad City
Seasons: 5
RT score: 99% (critics); 87% (audience)
Age rating: TV-14
Ever find yourself screaming "Yas queen!" without really knowing how the term came to be? Let Broad City educate you. Comedy Central’s bangin' lady duo – Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer – are the reason this phrase will be forever lodged in your lexicon.
Championing female friendship like no other show on TV, Broad City shines a hysterically real and infinitely positive light on how ridiculous life can be, all the while being perma-blazed on gingerbread blunts. You've got five seasons to work your way through, so get cracking.
For more Hulu coverage, read our guides on the best Hulu movies and all of the new Hulu movies to be released this month.
