What to watch on Hulu: The best shows streaming right now
Catch up on new hit English Teacher and all the seasons of Only Murders In The Building
There’s no dearth of options on Hulu, so deciding what to watch can be overwhelming. Instead of figuring out which show will keep you on your couch for several hours, check out our roundup of the best series on the streamer, including beloved Hulu originals, FX gems, network TV hits, and more. Looking for something timely? Catch up on English Teacher and a new season of Only Murders In The Building.
This list is in alphabetical order. It was last updated on November 14. It will update monthly.
Abbott Elementary (ABC: 2021-)
Stars: Quinta Brunson, Tyler James Williams, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lisa Ann Walter, Chris Perfetti, Janelle James, William Stanford Davis
Number of seasons: 3 (4 is currently airing)
Abbott Elementary made a splash when it premiered on ABC in 2021. Since then, workplace comedy has earned praise from fans, critics, and the Emmys—and all for a good reason. Created by Brunson, the series follows underfunded school teachers of a Philadelphia public school as they work hard to make the best of their situation. The mockumentary format recalls The Office and Parks And Recreation, but Abbott has wisely carved its own space in the genre and boasts a talented ensemble.
The Americans (FX: 2013-2018)
Stars: Matthew Rhys, Keri Russell, Noah Emmerich, Alison Wright, Holly Taylor, Margo Martindale, Annet Mahendru, Keidrich Sellati, Costa Ronin
Number of seasons: 6
FX’s award-winning The Americans will rightfully go down in history as one of television’s finest (at least in our books). Created by Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields, the ’80s-set drama works effectively as a riveting Cold War thriller about two Russian agents who settle down in Washington, D.C., and start a family. However, The Americans is an even better meditation on family, marriage, and love as it dissects the relationship between Philip and Elizabeth Jennings.
Atlanta (FX: 2016-2022)
Stars: Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield, Isiah Whitlock Jr.
Number of seasons: 4
In a post-Community world, Glover found more mainstream success as musician Childish Gambino and through his FX comedy, Atlanta. This isn’t to say the show is by any means mainstream. In it, he plays Earn Marks, a rookie manager trying to get his cousin Paper Boi’s (Henry) rap career to take off. Over four seasons, Atlanta evolved into a sharp, incisive series with nuanced observations on race and other societal issues, with some can’t-miss standalone episodes.
The Bear (FX: 2022-)
Stars: Jeremy Allen White, Ayo Edebiri, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Liza Colón-Zayas, Lionel Boyce, Abby Elliott
Number of seasons: 3
No one saw it coming, but The Bear ended up as the best TV show to premiere in 2022. Created by Christopher Stohrer, the dark comedy follows chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, who moves from the fine dining world to run his family’s Italian beef sandwich shop in Chicago after the death of his brother. He has to manage an unruly staff and rundown kitchen, but it’s fine because, in the process, White and The Bear have turned “Yes, chef” into an instantly iconic phrase. In the show’s third season, which dropped in 2024, the staff struggles to run a fine-dining restaurant.
Better Things (FX: 2016-2022)
Stars: Pamela Adlon, Celia Imrie, Mikey Madison, Hannah Riley, Olivia Edwards, Diedrich Bader, Alysia Reiner, Rebecca Metz, Kevin Pollak
Number of seasons: 5
Adlon quietly created one of TV’s most sublime, must-watch comedies about motherhood, aging, and evolving familial bonds. Better Things borrows very specifically from her own life as a working actor and single mother of three daughters but feels eternally universal thanks to its resonant writing. Be sure to read our interview with the creator star about the end of the show.
Castle Rock (Hulu: 2018-2019)
Stars: Bill Skarsgård, André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Jane Levy, Sissy Spacek, Lizzy Caplan, Elsie Fisher, Paul Sparks, Barkhad Abdi, Yusra Warsama
Number of seasons: 2
Creators Sam Shaw and Dustin Thomason struck gold when they made Castle Rock, a kaleidoscopic exploration of Stephen King lore that isn’t tied to one book or short story. Instead, it pulls liberally from the horror author’s entire body of work. Like a cursed curio cabinet, the show displays some of King’s eeriest ideas with unnerving elegance. Beautifully written with a rich atmosphere, it’s a short-lived titan of terrifying TV.
Cheers (NBC: 1982-1993)
Stars: Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Nicholas Colasanto, Rhea Perlman, George Wendt, John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammer, Bebe Neuwirth, Woody Harrleson, Kirstie Alley
Number of seasons:11
A mainstay on any sitcom list worth its salt, Cheers forever raised the bar for the half-hour ensemble comedy with an 11-season run that somehow still feels too short. What starts as a will-they-won’t-they between waitress Diane (Shelley Long) and bartender Sam (Ted Danson) becomes a fully lived-in ecosystem of situational humor and friendship that’s since been mimicked by The Office, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and plenty more beloved series. Still, nothing beats an ice-cold Cheers.
Clipped (FX on Hulu: 2024)
Stars: Laurence Fishburne, Ed O’Neill, Jacki Weaver, Cleopatra Coleman, Kelly AuCoin, Corbin Berensen
Number of seasons: 1
Donald Sterling’s NBA scandal gets the miniseries treatment in FX’s Clipped. The six-part sports drama details how new L.A. Clippers coach Doc Rivers’ attempts to push the team to a championship are derailed by the organization’s boisterous and racist owner. The show doesn’t resort to sensationalism, instead handling the subject matter with care and providing a larger overview of race relations in America.
Cowboy Bebop (TV Tokyo: 1998, Wowow: 1998-1999)
Stars (Japanese subtitled): Koichi Yamadera, Norio Wakamoto, Megumi Hayashibara, Unshō Ishizuka, Aoi Tada
Stars (English dubbed): Steve Blum, Skip Stellrecht, Wendee Lee, Beau Billingslea, Melissa Fahn
Number of seasons:1
Widely regarded as one of the best-animated series ever, Cowboy Bebop perfectly combines film noir melodrama, spaghetti Western sensibilities, and high-energy anime action. It’s a smooth-riding saga that’s timeless in its start-to-finish confidence, deftly bookending its half-hour adventures about a bounty-hunting space crew with a killer intro sequence and an equally iconic stinger. As cool as hero Spike Spiegel, Cowboy Bebop is slick, smart, top-shelf mystery writing with style to spare.
Dave (FXX: 2020-)
Stars: Lil Dicky, Taylor Misiak, GaTa, Andrew Santino, Gina Hecht, Christine Ko, Travis “Taco” Bennett
Number of seasons: 3
Co-created by Dave Burd, a.k.a. Lil Dicky, and Jeff Schaffer, Dave is a surreal but oddly resonant comedy you don’t want to sleep on. Lil Dicky plays a fictionalized version of himself, a rapper who goes viral and uses that opportunity to become as famous as possible (although it’s, naturally, not an easy process). Expect lots of cameos from artists like Machine Gun Kelly, Justin Beiber, Doja Cat, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Lil Nas X, Usher, and Travis Barker. The third season outdid itself with appearances from Rachel McAdams and Brad Pitt.
Difficult People (Hulu: 2015-2017)
Stars: Billy Eichner, Julie Klausner, Andrea Martin, James Urbaniak, Cole Escola, Jackie Hoffman, John Cho
Number of seasons: 3
Difficult People follows two aspiring comedians trying to make a name for themselves, while seemingly hating on everyone except each other. As written in The A.V. Club‘s review: “Difficult People isn’t for everyone. Despite the genuine sweetness of Julie and Billy’s friendship, the show’s barbed humor and unlikable characters are potentially off-putting. In an era when, as Billy puts it, comedies have “become 30-minute dramas,” the broad joke-a-minute style can feel almost old-fashioned. But for the right erudite, pop-culture-obsessed, sardonic
audience, Difficult People is the kind of show that feels like it’s reaching out just to them.”
The Dropout(Hulu: 2022)
Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Naveen Andrews, William H. Macy, Dylan Minnette, Bill Irwin, Laurie Metcalf, Sam Waterston, Camryn Mi-Young Kim, Stephen Fry, Kate Burton, Elizabeth Marvel, Mary Lynn Rajskub
Number of seasons: 1
Come to The Dropout for Amanda Seyfried’s award-winning, chilling turn as Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes; stay for Naveen Andrews’ even more deranged take on her partner, Sunny Balwani. The two ran their company to the ground while scamming folks into constantly giving them money for an advanced blood testing machine that didn’t exist. Hulu’s limited series is an enticing depiction of the events, digging into how Elizabeth and Sunny manage to get investors while running a tight, paranoid ship at the office.
Echo (Hulu/Disney+: 2024)
Stars: Alaqua Cox, Devery Jacobs, Chaske Spencer, Tantoo Cardinal, Vincent D’Onofrio, Graham Greene, Cody Lightning, Zahn McClarnon, Charlie Cox
Number of seasons: 1
Echo is the first show under the Marvel Spotlight banner, which promises to focus more on character-driven stories over the larger MCU canon. And to some degree, the five-part series delivers on that front. Sans shifting timelines and alien invasions, Echo is a grounded drama about Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox) connecting with her roots. After debuting in Hawkeye, her spinoff dwells on her ancestry, powers, family connections in Oklahoma, and complicated bond with Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). It’s positively different from recent MCU fare, which automatically grants it some bonus points in our book.
Fargo (FX: 2014-)
Stars: Billy Bob Thornton and Allison Tolman (season one), Kirsten Dunst and Patrick Wilson (season two), Ewan McGregor and Carrie Coon (season three), Chris Rock and Jessie Buckley (season four), Juno Temple and Jon Hamm (season 5)
Number of seasons: 5
A blood-soaked love letter to the Coen brothers (inspired by their 1996 masterpiece but bursting with references to a bunch of their films), creator Noah Hawley’s anthology series is that rarest of birds: a show completely steeped in the mythology of other peoples’ creations that somehow still feels remarkably fresh. Fargo’s second and third seasons, in particular, were marvelous, high-water marks in an era of peak television. And even when the show dips in quality ever so slightly (cough, season four, cough), it’s a fascinating, beautifully made dip that we can’t turn off. Season five wrapped up in 2024.
Fleishman Is In Trouble (Hulu: 2022)
Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, Claire Danes, Adam Brody, Meara Mahoney Gross, Maxim Jasper Swinton
Number of seasons: 1
First of all, talk about an enviable ensemble. Fleishman Is In Trouble lives up to the hype of the cast and the Taffy Brodesser-Akner book it’s based on. The show follows Eisenberg’s Toby, a recently divorced man trying dating apps for the first time. Just as he begins to find success, his ex-wife disappears and leaves him to care for their kids, all while he just gets a promotion at the hospital where he works. Fleishman examines marriages, relationships, and how they fall apart through this story. It also happens to be very, very good.
Futurama (FOX: 1999-2003, Comedy Central: 2008-2013, Hulu: 2023-)
Stars: Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr, Lauren Tom
Number of seasons: 11
Futurama’s shelf life is commendable considering the animated series has switched hosts three times now. In fact, cryogenically preserved Philip J. Fry would be proud that the show continues to live on. Matt Groening’s sci-fi sitcom follows Fry, who finds work at an interplanetary delivery company alongside colleagues that include one-eyed Leela and a robot named Bender. After a decade off the air, Hulu not only revived the series this summer but renewed it for two more seasons.
The Great (Hulu: 2020-2023)
Stars: Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Sacha Dhawan, Phoebe Fox, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield, Adam Godley, Belinda Bromilow
Number of seasons on Hulu: 3
Tony McNamara’s historical comedy isn’t necessarily a true story at all. It is loosely—like, very extremely loosely—based on the life of Russian Empress Catherine the Great (Fanning), who usurps power from her cruel husband, Peter III (Hoult). The show has a helluva time depicting how she plots to overtake his kingdom, all while avoiding falling in love with him. For his part, Hoult delivers an extraordinarily funny, awards-worthy performance.
Good Trouble (Freeform: 2019-2024)
Stars: Cierra Ramirez, Maia Mitchell, Zuri Adele, Sherry Cola, Josh Pence, Tommy Martinez, Emma Hunton
Number of seasons: 5
A spin-off of The Fosters, Good Trouble follows foster siblings Callie and Mariana as they begin a new life in Los Angeles. They move into a communal apartment building and befriend the rest of the residents, forging meaningful friendships and romances while navigating their careers in law and tech, respectively. Good Trouble’s strength lies in its engaging storylines, nuanced writing, and diverse representation as it captures millennial issues, from equal pay to fighting for trans rights, without getting buried in drama. The show wrapped up earlier this year.
The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu: 2017-)
Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd, Samira Wiley, O.T. Fagbenle, Joseph Fiennes, Bradley Whitford, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Max Minghella
Number of seasons: 5
Yes, The Handmaid’s Tale and its dystopian nightmare don’t sound like an appealing escape. Based on Margaret Atwood’s novel, the show follows June Osborne’s (Moss) attempts to escape Gilead, formerly the U.S., which is reorganized based on religious fanaticism where women have no agency. Prepare for a particularly dark, daring TV drama.
High Fidelity (Hulu: 2020)
Stars: Zoë Kravitz, Jake Lacy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, David H. Holmes
Number of seasons: 1
We’re as pissed as Zoë Kravitz about the cancelation of High Fidelity, a fiercely smart, inclusive retelling of Stephen Frears’ 2000 rom-com about a heartsick record store owner. Not only did Kravitz’s star performance deliver a complex portrait of a queer woman looking for love, but the series also offered a comforting sense of old-school cool, something modern TV had been missing. Even if it ends on a cliffhanger, High Fidelity is worth watching on repeat.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (FX: 2005-2012, FXX: 2013-)
Stars: Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, Rob McElhenney, Kaitlin Olson, Danny DeVito
Number of seasons: 16
Against all odds, The Gang and the havoc it inevitably wreaks don’t seem to be going anywhere—16 seasons and counting!—and that’s just fine by us. Dennis Perkins summed up Sunny’s endurance nicely: “A lot’s been made about It’s Always Sunny’s unprecedented longevity, and how, despite the occasional misstep, its astoundingly consistent quality. As time’s gone on, the extreme difficulty built into Sunny’s singularly dark and bitter formula has only made that consistency more impressive.”
Justified (FX: 2010-2015)
Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Walton Goggins, Natalie Zea, Jacob Pitts, Nick Searcy, Erica Tazel, Joelle Carter
Number of seasons: 6
Whoever decided to team up Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins for a neo-Western crime drama deserves all the praise. The duo expertly leads Justified, with the former playing moral U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens. He’s assigned to the county he was born and raised in as a form of punishment and is forced to reckon with his community. The show remains one of the best, most underrated dramas of the 2010s.
Justified: City Primeval (FX: 2023)
Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Boyd Holbrook, Adelaide Clemens, Vondie Curtis-Hall, Aunjanue Ellis, Vivian Olyphant, Marin Ireland, Norbert Leo Butz
Number of seasons on Hulu: 1
The only logical thing to do after enjoying all six seasons of Justified is jump to the worthy 2023 revival series, Justified: City Primeval. Set years after the original, it features Olyphant’s Raylan Givens, who is more than capable of holding his own. (We must note, though, that Walton Goggins is sincerely missed here.) Givens gets caught up in tracking down notorious criminal Clement Mansell (Holbrook), which leads him to a new case, a new love interest, and some old ways.
Letterkenny (Crave: 2016-2023)
Stars: Jared Keeso, Nathan Dales, Melanie Scrofano, Michelle Mylett, Dylan Playfair
Number of seasons: 12
One of Canada’s best recent sitcoms (alongside Schitt’s Creek and Kim’s Convenience), Letterkenny is a hell of a good time. The scathing comedy from series star Keeso and Jacob Tierney is set in the titular rural community and follows siblings Wayne and Katy, who run a farm and produce stand with the help of their friends. The show deals with the low-stakes problems they encounter and subverts the trope that all small-town residents are, well, dim. The show’s twelfth and final season dropped in 2023.
Lost (ABC: 2004-2010)
Stars: Matthew Fox, Evangeline Lilly, Naveen Andrews, Yunjin Kim, Daniel Dae Kim, Josh Holloway, Michael Emerson, Terry O’Quinn, Henry Ian Cusick
Number of seasons: 6
It can easily be argued that Lost, which follows a group of people who land on a seemingly deserted island after a plane crash, changed how ensemble-driven dramas can succeed on TV. The show reveled in a puzzle-box setting, using flashbacks, flash-forwards (and flash-sideways!) to set up an epic and gut-wrenching mystery. Despite a divisive finale—which actually rules hard, sue me—Lost remains one of the most groundbreaking TV shows of our generation. It’s always a good time to watch (or rewatch) it.
Moonlighting (ABC: 1985-1989)
Stars: Bruce Willis, Cybill Shepherd, Curtis Armstrong, Allyce Beasley, Jack Blessing, Mark Harmon, Robert Webber
Number of seasons: 5
ABC’s acclaimed ’80s dramedy is available on a streaming platform for the first time ever. Moonlighting is the TV show that turned a pre-Die Hard Bruce Willis into an overnight star (and for good reason). The show centers on private detectives David Addison (Willis) and Maddie Hayes (Shepherd), who can’t escape romantic or sexual tension while solving fun, mysterious cases as the heads of Blue Moon Investigations.
New Girl (Fox: 2011-2018)
Stars: Zooey Deschanel, Jake Johnson, Hannah Simone, Max Greenfield, Lamorne Morris, Damon Wayans Jr., Nasim Pedrad
Number of seasons: 7
If you weren’t obsessed with “Who’s that girl? It’s Jess!” when New Girl aired, now is your chance to catch up. Fox’s ensemble sitcom follows Zooey Deschanel’s Jessica Day, who moves in with three guys in an L.A. loft after a breakup. Jess and her BFF, Cece (Hannah Simone), find friends and their respective soulmates with this crew. New Girl remains an ultimate comfort favorite, and let’s not forget it gave us TV’s best first kiss of all time. (We said what we said.)
Normal People (Hulu: 2020)
Stars: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Paul Mescal, Sarah Greene, Aislin McGuckin, Sebastian De Souza
Number of seasons: 1
Few adaptations feel as innately “correct” as Normal People, Hulu’s hugely affectionate retelling of Sally Rooney’s beloved romance novel. Across 12 half-hour episodes, each more tender than the last, Marianne (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Connell (Paul Mescal) come of age while falling in and out of love along Ireland’s Atlantic coast. The result is a tortured fantasy that will leave you screaming, “JUST FUCKING TALK TO EACH OTHER!” in the most satisfying way imaginable.
Only Murders In The Building (Hulu: 2021-)
Stars: Martin Short, Steve Martin, Selena Gomez, Amy Ryan, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Jane Lynch, Jackie Hoffman
Number of seasons: 4
Only Murders In The Building could just be Hulu’s best offering to date. Short and Martin are frequent and terrific collaborators, but their pairing with Gomez makes the series an immediate hit, with the three playing residents of a fancy New York City building who begin a true-crime podcast. And as a delightful bonus, its third season, which finished in 2023, boasts appearances from Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd. The even more star-packed fourth season wrapped up this fall.
Pam & Tommy (Hulu: 2022)
Stars: Lily James, Sebastian Stan, Nick Offerman, Seth Rogen, Taylor Schilling
Number of seasons: 1
Although it wasn’t permitted by the real Pamela Anderson or Tommy Lee (which, let’s be real, feels icky as hell), this limited series dramatization of the true story behind Pam and Lee’s infamous 1995 sex tape scandal is top-to-bottom bonkers–and deeply entertaining. Seth Rogen stars as Rand Gauthier, a down-on-his-luck contractor whose vengeful robbery of an A-list couple meets unforeseen consequences that changed both celebrity culture and the internet forever.
Party Down (Starz: 2009-2010; 2023-)
Stars: Adam Scott, Jane Lynch, Ken Marino, Ryan Hansen, Megan Mullaly, Martin Starr, Lizzy Caplan, Jennifer Garner, Zoë Chao
Number of seasons: 2
Party Down was underappreciated when it aired over a decade ago. Thankfully, Starz rectified its early cancelation by bringing it back for season three in 2023, which is exclusively on Starz. But if you need to catch up or dive in for the first time (we highly recommend it), Hulu is streaming the first two excellent seasons. The biting, oddly accurate comedy follows a group of caterers with dreams of making it big in Hollywood—if only it were that easy.
The Patient (FX: 2022)
Stars: Steve Carell, Domhnall Gleeson, Linda Emond, Andrew Leeds, David Alan Grier, Laura Niemi
Number of seasons: 1
The Patient is the first follow-up to The Americans from co-creators Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg. In this tense psychological thriller, Steve Carell and Domhnall Gleeson go toe to toe as a therapist and serial killer, respectively. Dr. Alan is kidnapped and chained in the basement by his murderous patient, Sam, who hopes therapy can cure him of his homicidal tendencies. It leads to deep conversations—and plenty of nail-biting tension about Alan’s chances of survival.
Pen15 (Hulu: 2019-2021)
Stars: Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Taj Cross, Mutsuko Erskine, Richard Karn, Melora Walters, Dallas Liu, Taylor Nichols
Number of seasons on Hulu: 2
Cringe comedy is never easy to get through, and Pen15 has heaps of it. We’re talking full-body shudders. Created by Erskine and Konkle, the two play 13-year-old versions of themselves, as they try to survive eighth grade and all the issues that come with it: first crushes, AIM chats (remember those?), pool parties, and early stages of friendships. Pen15 is definitely wince-worthy, but damn if it doesn’t remain endearing from start to finish.
Pose (FX: 2018-2021)
Stars: MJ Rodriguez, Indya Moore, Billy Porter, Dominique Jackson, Hailie Sahar, Ryan Jamal Swain, Angel Bismark Curiel, Angelica Ross
Number of seasons: 3
There isn’t another show quite like Pose. Set in the 1980s, it dives into New York City’s drag ball culture scene, assembling a history-making cast with multiple trans actors, led by Rodriguez. She plays Blanca, the mother of House of Evangelista, who takes in a number of struggling young folks. While it features the hardships that LGBTQIA and people of color went through during the time, Pose is still effervescent and joyous as it celebrates their existence.
Ramy (Hulu: 2019-)
Stars: Ramy Youssef, Hiam Abbass, May Calamawy, Mohammed Amir, Amr Waked, Steve Way, Laith Nakli, Mahershala Ali
Number of seasons: 3
Created by and starring Youssef, the show follows Ramy Hassan, a first-generation Egyptian American living in New Jersey with his family who goes on a spiritual quest to explore facets of his community, including volunteering at and spending time in a Sufi mosque. He’s caught up between both of his identities and strives to make sense of the world while believing life is just a morality test. Ramy features stunning performances all over, especially from Abbass and Calamaway.
Reservation Dogs (FX on Hulu: 2021-2023)
Stars: Devery Jacobs, Paulina Alexis, D’Pharaoh-Woon-A-Tai, Lane Factor, Zahn McClarnon, Sarah Podemski, Dallas Goldtooth, Gary Farmer, Elva Guerra
Number of seasons: 3
Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi’s sublime, heartwarming comedy tells the coming-of-age story of four Indigenous teens from rural Oklahoma who are mourning the death of their friend and trying to make money to honor his wishes to get out of town and move to California. Reservation Dogs deals with how they come to terms with their identity, friendship, and community. The show’s fantastic third and final season wrapped up in 2023.
Schitt’s Creek (CBC/Pop: 2015-2020)
Stars: Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Dan Levy, Annie Murphy, Emily Hampshire, Noah Reid, Dustin Milligan, Jennifer Robertson, Chris Elliott, Sarah Levy
Number of seasons on Hulu: 6
Schitt’s Creek’s ascension from a have-you-heard-about-this comedy into a mainstream pop-culture favorite is highly deserved. Eugene and Dan Levy’s show about the Rose family—who move from lavish mansions to the rundown titular town after losing their wealth—fleshes out its seemingly unlikable characters with detailed, heartfelt humor. It also lays down a roadmap for normalizing LGBTQ relationships with David and Patrick’s romance. There’s a reason it swept the Emmys in 2020, after all.
Shōgun (FX: 2024-)
Stars: Hiroyuki Sanada, Anna Sawai, Cosmo Jarvis, Tadanobu Asano, Takehiro Hira, Fumi Nikaido, Moeka Hoshi
Number of seasons: 1
Shōgun, FX’s adaptation of James Clavell’s sweeping Japan-set novel, weaves thrilling, action-packed drama with moving character-driven stories. The 10-episode series also finally gives Hiroyuki Sanada the leading role he deserves, and it boasts breakout performances by Anna Sawai, Tadanobu Asani, and Moeka Hoshi. Expect stunning visuals, plenty of fight scenes, heartbreak, and jaw-dropping political chess games. The show has been renewed for two more seasons.
Shoresy (Crave: 2022-)
Stars: Jared Keeso, Tasya Teles, Blair Lamora, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat, Terry Ryan, Jonathan-Ismaël Diaby, Keilani Elizabeth Rose
Number of seasons: 3
Letterkenny spinoff Shoresy levels up the dry humor of the original and tells the tale of its titular character (Keeso) taking a job with the Sudbury Bulldogs and placing a bet with the team’s general manager that, under his leadership, they’ll become winners. His attempts to rebuild and motivate the players lead to cutthroat, oddly heartwarming moments, making the Canadian sitcom pretty damn delightful. The show’s third season wrapped up in June.
Shrill (Hulu: 2019-2021)
Stars: Aidy Bryant, Lolly Adefope, Luka Jones, John Cameron Mitchell, Ian Owens, Patti Harrison
Number of seasons: 3
Shrill may have met its maker in 2021, with an unceremonious cancelation that left protagonist Annie as lost in her identity journey as ever. But this feel-good Aidy Bryant vehicle about an ambitious Portland writer living life on her terms was really good while it lasted, delivering 22 episodes of delightful self-discovery and quirky comedy chops to fans who loved them deeply. Come for the promise of Bryant getting the starring role she deserves; stay for Lolly Adefope and Patti Harrison stealing scenes like crazy.
Snowfall (FX: 2017-2023)
Stars: Damson Idris, Emily Rios, Carter Hudson, Sergio Peris-Mencheta, Amin Joseph, Michael Hyatt,
Number of seasons: 6
Created by John Singleton, Eric Amadio, and Dave Andron, Snowfall is a gripping tale that kicks off in 1983 during the early days of L.A.’s cocaine epidemic. Damson Idris plays Franklin, a street entrepreneur on a quest for power, who is on a collision course with Lucia, the daughter of a Mexican crime lord. Also involved: the CIA, obviously. An operative named Teddy begins an off-book operation that threatens everyone’s livelihood.
Superstore (NBC: 2015-2021)
Stars: America Ferrera, Ben Feldman, Lauren Ash, Nico Santos, Nichole Sakura, Colton Dunn, Mark McKinney, Kaliko Kauahi
Number of seasons: 6
Everything about Superstore screams quintessential American workplace comedy. Hailing from Justin Spitzer (The Office), the talented and diverse cast plays employees of big-box retail chain store Cloud 9 in Minnesota. Through the lens of their working-class jobs, the show explores their friendships and livelihoods. While series star Ferrera exited before the last season, Superstore goes out with an emotionally charged last bow as it tackles the pandemic. The show excels at character development (look no further than Lauren Ash’s Dina) and remains one of the funniest binges on Hulu.
Taste The Nation With Padma Lakshmi (Hulu: 2020-)
Stars: Padma Lakshmi
Number of seasons: 2
No one knows food better than the Emmy-nominated (former) host of Top Chef, Padma Lakshmi. Taste The Nation is evidence of this. Her culinary travel docuseries doesn’t just celebrate delicacies across the globe; it takes a deep dive into various immigrant cuisines and how they impacted the food culture in the States. In his review, Randall Colburn noted: “By focusing specifically on the immigrant groups that have seen their native dishes appropriated, as well as the ways in which they seek to preserve those original traditions, it inches toward an answer more complex than ‘fast food.’”
Under The Banner Of Heaven (FX: 2022)
Stars: Andrew Garfield, Gil Birmingham, Wyatt Russell, Sam Worthington, Adelaide Clemens, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Billy Howle, Rory Culkin
Number of seasons: 1
Based on Jon Krakauer’s sprawling book of the same name, Under The Banner Of Heaven follows the real-life case of the murder of Brenda Lafferty and her toddler in the ’80s. The emotionally striking series is told through the eyes of Detective Jeb Pyre as he wrestles with his own faith while solving the case that shook his LDS Church community in Utah. Here’s an excerpt from The A.V. Club’s review: “UTBOH is a thoughtful and evocative display of reckoning with one’s faith. It doesn’t match up to Krakauer’s sprawling volume, but it’s still an earnest effort from the whole cast and crew, and deserving of its own spotlight.”
UnPrisoned (Hulu: 2023-)
Stars: Kerry Washington, Delroy Lindo, Faly Rakotohavana, Marque Richardson, Brenda Strong, Tim Daly
Number of seasons: 2
Tracy McMillan created UnPrisoned, a comedy inspired by her life that expertly tackles heavy issues like mass incarceration and intergenerational trauma. In the show, Kerry Washington plays Paige, a relationship therapist and single mom to a teen son. Her world is upended when her father, Delroy Lindo’s Edwin, is freed from prison after 17 years, attempting to make up for lost time with his family. UnPrisoned is part of Hulu’s Onyx Collective, which consists of projects by creators of color. The series’ second season arrived in July.
Veronica Mars (UPN/The CW: 2004-2007, Hulu: 2019)
Stars: Kristen Bell, Enrico Colantoni, Percy Daggs III, Jason Dohring, Ryan Hansen, Kyle Gallner, Tina Majorino
Number of seasons: 4
There’s no teen drama quite like Veronica Mars. Kristen Bell embraced and made the role her own during the show’s three-season run and maintained that energy when it returned as a movie in 2014 and an eight-part season four in 2019. She plays the titular character, a young adult detective who can solve about any case in the fictional town of Neptune (except for her complicated love life, that is). No word yet on whether VM will return, and despite the polarizing twist in the most recent season, the show is absolutely worth your time.
Vida (Starz: 2018-2020)
Stars: Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda, Roberta Colindrez
Number of seasons: 3
Hulu has given its audience a little treat by adding Vida to its lineup this June. It’s the perfect time to catch up on Tanya Saracho’s underrated dramedy, especially if you’re a fan of Barrera. The show follows two sisters, Lyn and Emma Hernandez, who return home to L.A. after their mother dies. They begin running the family bar, and in the process, have to contend with their mom’s true identity and reckon with their Mexican American community.
Welcome To Wrexham (FX: 2022-)
Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Humphrey Ker, Paul Mullin, Fleur Robinson, Ollie Palmer, Shaun Harvey
Number of seasons: 3
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are good friends and actors who know nothing about how to run a sports team. So naturally, they buy one. Welcome To Wrexham is an entertaining, often heartwarming docuseries about the pair’s attempts to revive Wrexham A.F.C., a Welsh soccer team. The third season of the show wrapped up in June.
What We Do In The Shadows (FX: 2019-)
Stars: Kayvan Novak, Matt Berry, Natasia Demetriou, Harvey Guillén, Mark Proksch
Number of seasons: 5 (6 is currently airing)
When this American TV adaptation of Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s hilarious 2014 mockumentary was announced, you’d have been forgiven for giving a skeptical shrug. How, exactly, would showrunners be able to capture the original’s offbeat magic and sustain our interests over several seasons? We’re not sure how they could pull off just that, but it could have a lot to do with the chemistry between these Staten Island-dwelling vampires (and one doting familiar). The particularly strong performances by Demetriou, Proksch, and fan fave Guillén certainly don’t hurt, either. The sixth and final season will air through December.
You’re The Worst (FX/FXX: 2014-2019)
Stars: Aya Cash, Chris Geere, Kether Donohue, Desmin Borges, Allan McLeod, Brandon Mychal Smith, Janet Varney, Steve Agee
Number of seasons: 5
You’re The Worst is a brilliant anti-rom-com that tells the twisted, uncomfortably realistic love story of two people who shouldn’t be in relationships. Against all odds, of which there are many, Jimmy (Geere) and Gretchen (Cash) end up together. The show is hilarious and absurd, sure, but it also somehow fits in brutally emotional arcs about mental health, self-identity, and trust. To mark 10 years since the the show’s premiere, The A.V. Club ran down YTW‘s best episodes about messy relationships.