Are you ready to discover some buried Hulu treasures? Well, to make it easier to choose your next binge-worthy show, the 25 shows have been clustered into categories which shall be updated based on your feedback!
(While you are here, also get ready for some major disappointments with the nature of American streaming habits. Some real jewels were lost while we were busy binging on The Office and Buffy and Gilmore Girls, over and over.) The categories are as follows.
AWKWARD LAUGHS
It is not even close to as easy to make someone laugh as it is to make them cry. Tears are easier to pull at than that laughter nerve. So if you think the regular pop culture comedies are too feeble to pull at yours, here is a list of the wackiest and weirdest comedies on Hulu.
1Pen15
Hulu’s Pen15 was one of the funniest shows of 2019. This middle-school drama follows two thirty-somethings as they revisit the tragedies of being pre-teens.
Actresses Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle have embraced their inner-awkwardness so much so that this show will make you cringe and laugh in high proportions. You are highly likely to keep this on your own Hulu recommendations list as I have!
2Harvey Birdman: Attorney at Law
From Secret Squirrel being accused of flashing to Shaggy and Scooby getting arrested for drug possession, this absurdist legal comedy brings together all of your favorite Hanna Barbera characters into one universe.
In addition to ludicrous plots, hilarious jokes and endearing charaters, the show features incredible voice talent. Gary Cole of Veep and Talladega Nights fame leads the cast as Harvey Birdman, with Stephen Colbert voicing for multiple cast characters. Rick and Morty fans this show is worth your time.
3Happy Endings
Originally aired on ABC from 2011 to 2013, the show features the best chemistry found amongst a young and attractive cast actors ever since Friends. But the comparisons end there. The besties of Happy Endings are much zanier, zippier, wittier, and more pop culture savvy than Central Perk & Co ever were. They never got the attention they deserve.
4Don’t Trust the B— in Apartment 23
Featuring the gorgeously quirky Krysten Ritter from before she kicked ass and took names as Jessica Jones, the unfortunately-named show stars her as the hilariously droll Chloe.
She is you roommate from hell who was best friends with James Van Der Beek (playing the role of an actor named James Van Der Beek). Two seasons could never be enough time to spend with this odd-couple pairing, alas! An ABC Original, two seasons of Don’t Trust the B – aired from 2012 to 2013.
5The Hotwives
Tired of the Kardashians? Here are some like-minded heads who got together to make a parody of the whole Kardashian-led TV trend of social “reality” television. The Hotwives tells a different story in both its seasons.
The first season focuses on a group of wealthy, selfish Orlando housewives while the second one is based in Vegas. But both the seasons have in common some of the best names in comedy putting on a hilarious parody of shows like Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Real Housewives of New Jersey, and Vanderpump Rules.
The comedy is biting, absurd enough to disappoint you with its early cancellation.
TRUE TRAGEDIES
As always, this will be the longest list because matters of tragedy have been as old as the Greeks. Who are we to fight gene coding of centuries?
1Let the Sunshine In
Let the Sunshine In isn’t a romantic comedy – it’s a love comedy. Isabelle (Juliette Binoche) is a middle-aged woman only just now plumbing the depths of her desire. Watch as she shuttles from man to man, from revelation to revelation.
Let the Sunshine In is further proof of the seriousness that can be inherent in a romantic comedy. After all, the state of our hearts is a serious topic indeed.
2Younger
A 40-year-old mother is posing as a 26-year-old in order to get a job. The show more than justifies its fair share of passionate fans with that one line!
But ever since the show has moved from TV Land to Hulu, we want a bigger fan base which is quite likely given the perks of timelessness and global audience of streaming platforms. A TV Land Original, younger premiered in 2015 and continues steady even after 5 seasons.
3Bleak House
This list would be incomplete without a book adaptation considering we are talking about Hulu, the hub of all things adapted from the written word! So here is period piece for your lonely rainy winter day to curl up with and get lost in.
This 2005 adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Bleak House was critically acclaimed along with its stars Gillian Anderson and a young Carey Mulligan receiving praise aplenty.
4Moone Boy
A TV family? Here is an eccentric family story of a twelve-year-old Martin Moone (David Rawle) living the County life in the ’80s and ’90s Ireland.
He has three older sisters, a father, a mother who calls him an accident, and a very lively imaginary friend named Sean Murphy, played by Chris O’Dowd. Sean helps Martin get through the day-to-day humdrum of his unique life.
Moone Boy is partially based off O’Dowd’s own experiences growing up in Ireland. This is a charming, 18-episode coming-of-age show, perfect for those who have a favorite eccentric TV family.
5Harlots
Who ever said that period pieces were stuffy and stiff? Harlots refutes that reputation wholeheartedly. The Hulu original series is about two rival brothels in 18th century London.
Harlots is a juicy drama, naturally, but it’s also a fascinating exploration of the realms in which women could hold power in that era — and the prices they paid for doing so.
6Harlems
Here is yet another powerful period drama which was once WGN’s first original series. Here is This Is Us’ Janet Montgomery telling the story of a powerful witch using the Salem Witch Trials as a distraction to actually attempt summoning the Devil itself. The show ran for 3 seasons from 2014 to 2017.
OFF-BEAT SELF-HELP
Obviously, this section deals with the kind of shows that will show you a mirror to your broken self and help you heal. Except, there is no Deepak Chopra standing at the fore front with a positivity monologue but the darkest souls sharing their difficult worlds with you, hoping you too find the light that keeps them going.
1Wilfred
Dark is an underestimation for this Elijah Wood comedy. It is more like pitch black. It follows a suicidal man who sees his pet dog as a literal walking, talking man in a canine costume.
Bizarre, profane and oddly heart-warming is surprisingly the word on the streets about this one. An FX Original, Wilfred first aired in 2011 and has 4 seasons in all.
2United States of Tara
Not one or two or four but eight different Toni Collette performances. How about that! Before there was Orphan Black there was Tara, featuring the Oscar nominee as a woman with dissociative identity disorder, whose multiple personalities include a grizzled Vietnam vet, a perfect ’50s housewife, and a rebellious teenager. The Showtime Original aired between 2009 and 2011 and has 3 seasons.
3Please Like Me
Struggling with people pleasing tendencies? Here’s a wonderful overseas gift from an Australian twenty-something Josh Thomas just for you.
Created, written, directed, and starred in by Thomas, this acclaimed Australian coming-of-age story portrays Thomas as a gay man struggling to come to terms with his identity and navigate his relationships with his family, friends, and potential love interests. This Pivot Original ran for 4 seasons from 2013 to 2016.
4The Bisexual
Want a new take on the blonde lesbian comedy starring the comedienne herself-kinda shows? Here is Leila (Desiree Akhavan, who also writes and directs the show) who, after ten years with her girlfriend and business partner, realizes she’s bisexual.
What’s more, she is ready to start experimenting. The only problem is Leila has only been with women.
CRIMINALS
Crime, especially true crime, is an end in itself. No descriptions needed here. Find some of the best follow ups to the popular true crime productions like Mindhunter, Making a Murderer among others. There is one surprise addition as well. Scroll on to find out
1A Crime to Remember
Murder and mayhem have maintained a top spot on entertainment charts for the past few years and Hulu is more than aware of this trend. This is probably why it picked up the Discovery ID show A Crime to Remember.
The show focuses on crimes from America’s past – beginning with the Co-Ed Killer of the late 60s to the murder of Kitty Genovese. Each episode is a combination of expert interviews and staged but informative re-enactments.
It’s a great pick if you like nostalgia, mystery, or just can’t get enough serial murder, on your TV ofcourse.
2Alfred Hitchcock Presents
If you like twist endings, film noir, or crime thrillers, this show is for you. Alfred Hitchcock Presents is a spooky and grim anthology of crime stories which also excels in its suspense.
The creative and original storylines are backed up by consistently great acting, dramatic camera work, and mysteries that will leave you reeling. Amnesia and anxiety are common in first timers, you’ve been warned!
3Tyrant
Corrupting influences of power is the biggest crime our times have witnessed. Hence, this juicy family drama finds itself in this section. In between FX’s recent glut of acclaimed original programming (American Horror Story, Fargo, Legion, etc.), Tyrant is a worthwhile dive into juicy family drama and a portrait of the corrupting influence of power, all featuring a diverse cast and Game Of Thrones-esque power plays. The FX Original aired form 2014 to 2016.
THE ONES WITH POPULAR SIBLINGS
Well this is my favourite category, hence I climax this post with it. Very often some of the best shows are shadowed by their much bigger sibling shows, coming from the same creators that is. Here is a list of a few of those you can find on Hulu. They are special and carry a part of your favourite actors and creators in them, except they are not just as famous.
1Night Gallery
Everyone knows Rod Serling from his brilliant series, The Twilight Zone. The show set the bar for pretty much every anthology series to follow even as some of its episodes still tell the most inventive stories of science fiction.
However, Serling’s genius didn’t stop there. Here is Night Gallery for you, the eerie sister-show to his first masterpiece. Unlike The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery leans over on the side of the supernatural. It’s also in color and entirely narrated by Serling himself.
Night Gallery will absolutely please Twilight Zone fans. Be prepared to leave feeling disquieted and uneasy, just like the other show. You might want to keep from binging this one, though. “Stare into the void too long” and all that you know.
2My So-Called Life
Long before she started hunting terrorists on Homeland, a teenage Claire Danes starred in this acclaimed teen drama as the precocious student Angela Chase. (A young Jared Leto also starred as her love interest, Jordan.)
Despite earning Danes an Emmy nomination and a Golden Globe win, the show was cancelled after one season because it was considered too risqué for primetime. Disappointment! The ABC Original aired for just a year from 1994 to 1995.
3Top of the Lake
The Handmaid’s Tale’s star, Elisabeth Moss is displaying her amazing talents elsewhere on Hulu as well. Starring in this New Zealand co-production from Oscar winning filmmaker Jane Campion (The Piano), Moss plays an Australian detective Robin Griffin investigating the mystery of dead or missing girls.
Seasons 1 and 2 also feature legendary actresses Holly Hunter and Nicole Kidman in major supporting roles. The show originally airs on Sundance Channel starting 2013 to present.
4Bunheads
In between the smashes Gilmore Girls and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Amy Sherman-Palladino crafted this delightful but overlooked dramedy about a Las Vegas woman who becomes a small town ballet teacher.
Headlining the show is the talented Tony-winning Sutton Foster. This ABC Original aired for just a year from 2012 to 2013.
5Dollhouse
Like Bunheads was for Sherman-Palladino, Dollhouse came between major projects for Joss Whedon. This was after the unparalleled success of Buffy, but before making the leap to the big screen for The Avengers.
This story of a corporation that temporarily programs individuals with the means to complete a certain mission (spy, steal, assassinate) didn’t last long, but it’s worth checking out. The FOX Original aired two seasons between 2009 and 2010.
COVID-19 SPECIAL
1At Home with Amy Sedaris
For all those recently converted DIY-enthusiasts At Home With Amy Sedaris is just the kind of wacky TV you need RN!
The show perfectly combines Sedaris’ twin primary passions of comedy and crafting resulting in a madcap “how to” show in which Sedaris plays multiple characters, from an earnest and incompetent host to a series of intrusive neighbors.
There’s nothing else like it on TV. Sedaris seems to have been traveling toward this one-of-a-kind show her entire career.
212 Monkeys
The show first appeared on Syfy from 2015 to 2018 and ran for 4 seasons. Based on the 1995 Terry Gilliam film of the same name starring Bruce Willis and Brad Pitt, this series tells the story of a group of scientists who travel back in time to prevent the release of an apocalyptic virus. (There’s some hope for all those still in denial about the COVID crisis. Time travel is the answer to all you delusions, I am sorry, problems!)
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