The 10 best Hulu original shows to stream right now

Hulu began as and remains a crucial service for TV fans looking to catch up on their favorite shows after they air — but at some point in the past decade the streamer became so much more. Its foray into original programming resulted in awards, critical acclaim, and appointment TV that wasn’t even on TV. Whether you’re a loyal Hulu subscriber or just joining the party, you need to check out these 10 exceptional Hulu originals.

This list doesn’t include limited series like Normal People and Looking for Alaska, or anything not produced or distributed by Hulu itself — all that adds up to a longer list, which we already made!

1. Love, Victor

Michael Cimino and George Sear in Season 2 of “Love, Victor.”
Credit: greg gayne / HULU

This TV spinoff from 2018’s queer romantic comedy Love, Simon stars Michael Cimino as Victor, a new student at Simon’s high school. He’s a star athlete, a model son, a great friend…and he’s beginning to think he might be gay.

Love, Victor is pitch-perfect high school drama with all the sweeping musical cues and whispered secrets such a thing entails. Plus, its connection to the original movie is incredibly sweet — Victor reaches out to Simon (now graduated) on Instagram for advice, and the franchise’s OG romantic hero periodically offers him advice on how to deal with life at Creekwood High. —Alexis Nedd, Senior Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Love, Victor is now streaming on Hulu.

2. Ramy

Ramy — “miakhalifa.mov” – Episode 204 — have you clicked on me? Zainab (MaameYaa Boafo) and Ramy (Ramy Youssef), shown. (Photo by: Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu)
Credit: Hulu

Ramy Youssef’s self-titled TV debut is captivating, contemplative, and often uncomfortable. The series tells the story of an Egyptian-American family — the father, mother, and sister as much as the eponymous son. For so much of it, Ramy focuses his energy on how to be a good Muslim, but it takes a long time and a series of missteps with drugs and women for him to realize that he should learn to be a good person, too.

Though the best episodes almost barely involve Ramy (with Youssef himself behind the camera and script), there is a self-assured DNA throughout its two seasons, a voice we hope to hear from much more. —Proma Khosla, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Ramy is now streaming on Hulu.

3. Pen15

Middle school has never been so excruciating or entertaining as Anna Konkle and Maya Erskine’s “Pen15.”
Credit: hulu

Pen15 is hard to watch, in a good way. It nails the awkwardness of middle school by having series creators Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle play fictionalized versions of themselves in 7th grade, surrounded by a cast of actors who are actually young enough to play their peers.

The inherent disconnect in watching made-up adults act like preteens heightens the comedy of its funnier moments, but also serves as a reminder that the drama of mid-puberty isn’t any less important because it’s experienced by children. Pen15 is cringey, sweet, hilarious, and wholly original comedy. —A.N.

How to watch: Pen15 is now streaming on Hulu.

4. Shrill

Lolly Adefope and Aidy Bryant in “Shrill,” based on the memoir by Lindy West.
Credit: hulu

Based on Lindy West’s memoir Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, this Hulu original dramedy is the Aidy Bryant vehicle of dreams. Bryant stars as Annie, a struggling Portland-based journalist on the verge of a personal revolution when a shitty boss and an even shittier boyfriend send her over the edge. What follows is a thoughtful reflection on self-compassion and acceptance that entertains and empowers in equal measure, with body acceptance as a central theme.

Bryant’s dazzling lead performance is complimented by a vibrant supporting cast, which includes Lolly Adefope, Luka Jones, Patti Harrison, Ian Owens, and John Cameron Mitchell. Although Shrill was canceled after Season 3, regrettably ending on a pretty big cliffhanger, the charming series remains a solid weekend watch. It’s got cute costumes, great music, juicy drama, and a real message; plus, every episode is 30 minutes or fewer. —Alison Foreman, Entertainment Reporter

How to watch: Shrill is now streaming on Hulu.

5. The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale — “Mayday” – Episode 313 — With her plan in place, June reaches the point of no return on her bold strike against Gilead and must decide how far she’s willing to go. Serena Joy and Commander Waterford attempt to find their way forward in their new lives. June (Elisabeth Moss), shown. (Photo by: Jasper Savage/Hulu)
Credit: Hulu

Hulu’s Emmy-winning take on Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale is one of the streaming service’s tentpole original series for good reason. Its harsh look at a dystopia that feels less unrealistic every day is a sobering and needed reminder of what happens when human rights disappear in the face of crisis. Elisabeth Moss stars as June/Offred, one of many modern American women forced to become a Handmaid — a sex slave whose only purpose is to bear children for a wealthy family in the wake of global infertility. The Handmaid’s Tale‘s four seasons follow June as she suffers under a totalitarian regime and learns to wield what power she has to join a mysterious revolutionary movement. —A.N.

How to watch: The Handmaid’s Tale is now streaming on Hulu.

6. Castle Rock

CASTLE ROCK — “Habeas Corpus” – Episode 102 – Henry gets a new client at Shawshank Prison. Bill Skarsgård, shown. (Photo by: Patrick Harbron/Hulu)
Credit: Hulu

This Stephen King anthology is deeply disturbing and suspenseful, just as you’d expect. Set in the cursed fictional town of Castle Rock, Maine, Season 1 unfurls the mystery of a prisoner (Bill Skarsgård) held secretly captive for 27 years. “The Kid” is allegedly dangerous and evil, but Castle Rock already has so much of that going around — not to mention the schisma in the forest, which is a whole thing. In Season 2, a young Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan) arrives in town with her daughter, digging up old wounds in the town’s history and setting herself down an inevitable path.

Castle Rock did a lot in its two seasons, sometimes misstepping and misleading to the point that we can’t confidently claim now, years later, to know what it was even trying to be. But if you love a good psychological thriller, masterful performances by the leads (and a few King mainstays in cameos), and just a splash of the devil, the series is unmissable. —P.K.

How to watch: Castle Rock is now streaming on Hulu.

7. The Great

The Great — “The Beaver’s Nose” – Episode 110 — Catherine’s decides to move forward with the coup on her birthday. Peter isn’t so easily overcome and holds Leo hostage as collateral. In exchange for a return to her status, Marial betrays Catherine to Peter and tells him that she is pregnant. Catherine realizes that the only chance for a greater Russia is to fight, without Leo. The battle begins. Catherine (Elle Fanning), shown. (Photo by: Ollie Upton/Hulu)
Credit: Hulu

Does The Great faithfully follow the true story of Catherine the Great’s infamous coup against her husband Tsar Peter III? No. Is it a hilarious, wacky interpretation of Catherine’s story, complete with frog guns, the invention of bowling, slapfights aplenty, and an imperial ton of vodka? Yes, absolutely yes.

The Great is a fantastic Hulu Original comedy series draped with all the trappings of a big budget period story, and it’s well worth a watch for fans of writer Tony McNamara’s Oscar-winning The Favourite. —A.N.

How to watch: The Great is now streaming on Hulu.

8. Solar Opposites

Co-created by Rick and Morty alumni Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan, Solar Opposites has all the intergalactic antics you love with a fraction of the Smith family’s existential dread. This Hulu original centers on the titular Solar Opposites: Korvo (voiced by Roiland), Terry (Thomas Middleditch), Yumyulack (Sean Giambrone), and Jesse (Mary Mack), a family of aliens who crash land on Earth after their beloved home planet of Shlorp meets an untimely doomsday. As with shows like Invader Zim and 3rd Rock from the Sun, the aliens’ acclimation to human life grounds much of the series’ action.

But, as far as sitcoms go, this one is far from predictable. Consistently good jokes and performances accompany a story full of dramatic twists sure to leave you entertained and invested. If you love really detailed TV, I mean everything from fan theories to pop culture Easter eggs, then this is the next obsession for you. —A.F.

How to watch: Solar Opposites is now streaming on Hulu.

9. Harlots

Harlots on Hulu is a mob drama that takes place in the last place anyone would expect to find one — the brothels of Georgian London. The two warring madams at the heart of the show’s main conflict have beef going back decades, and their conniving attempts to destroy each other rival anything seen on The Sopranos. Harlots also benefited from a nearly all-female creative team, which made it a unique show that portrayed sex work with a clear and unexploitative eye, giving its female characters agency over their lives even as their positions and livelihoods depend on a rotating cast of powerful men. —A.N.

How to watch: Harlots is now streaming on Hulu.

10. Difficult People

Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner’s acerbic comedy might have been a little too tart, too jaded, too insidery for the average viewer, but that was never the audience interpellated by this sharp series. The duo play disheartened New York City comics who are endlessly frustrated with how disappointing everyone in the world is besides themselves. If only people could see that Julie and Billy are the funniest, smartest, best, most worthwhile people in this city or any other, then we might have some hope as a society — but alas, we are doomed.

Klausner and Eichner’s crackling dynamic sets a tone that the show never lies about or fails to meet — if you don’t like the first few episodes, it’s not for you — with fabulous performances by Andrea Martin, Cole Escola, Shakina Nayfack, and more. Add it to the list of essential New York City TV, but know that these two have thoughts on Carrie Bradshaw. —P.K.

How to watch: Difficult People is now streaming on Hulu.