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There’s no shortage of streaming services available right now–possibly too many. Hulu has been around for longer than most, but it continues to deliver great content. TV, in particular, is well catered for, with hundreds of shows, from drama and comedy to documentaries and anime, available to watch right now.
One of Hulu’s strong points is that you can watch many network and cable TV shows the day after they air on the service. Did you miss last night’s The Goldbergs? Well, it’s on Hulu Thursday morning–and if you have an ad-free account, you can skip out on all those ads too. It has its own originals, the entire FX programming catalog, and an exhausting amount of shows it has purchased the streaming rights to. You’re never going to run out of things to watch on Hulu.
How do you wade through it all, though? After all, we only have so much time and watching hundreds of TV shows doesn’t seem possible. Luckily, GameSpot has your back. We’ve gone through Hulu’s library of shows and picked out the very vest of the best for you.
So take a look at the best TV shows on Hulu below and then go watch them. They’re worth it. All of these shows are included with the basic Hulu subscription, which starts at just $7 a month. You can check out our full breakdown of Hulu plans and pricing for 2021 (including the Disney Plus bundle with Hulu) for more details if you’re considering signing up. There’s also a 30-day free trial if you just want to try it out or watch a specific movie.
Hulu offers a 30-day free trial.
Cowboy Bebop
Animated, 1 season
There’s good reason why Cowboy Bebop is considered one of the best anime of all time. Whether you’re a longtime fan and haven’t revisited the classic music-infused sci-fi western series in a while, or this is your first foray, Bebop should be one of the first things you watch on Hulu.
Vikings
Drama, 6 seasons
This historical drama follows the legendary Viking Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons as they set out to conquer the world. With a sprawling story set across numerous continents, epic battles, and more than enough intrigue over the years, Vikings is reminiscent of Game of Thrones–except it actually happened and its ending is incredibly fulfilling.
Dollface
Comedy, 1 season
After a breakup, a woman played by Kat Dennings reconnects with her old friend group. Oh yeah, and she begins taking life advice from a human-sized talking cat that she’s begun hallucinating. Dollface is a very funny, and truly weird series on Hulu, elevated by a fantastic cast–Dennings, Brenda Song, Shay Mitchell, and Esther Povitsky.
Animaniacs
Animated, 6 seasons
If you don’t know what Animaniacs is, something’s gone horribly wrong in your life. The animated series from Steven Spielberg introduced an entirely new group of Warner Bros. cartoon characters and managed to address current events in ways that made sense to kids. With the reboot that’s exclusive to Hulu, the series picked up where it left off without missing a beat.
Cheers
Comedy, 11 seasons
Cheers is hands-down one of the greatest sitcoms of all time, and its premise is incredibly simple. It’s set in a bar and tracks the lives of those who shuffle in every day to share beers together, as well as those slinging the booze. Over its 11 years, Cheers was a phenomenon that made household names of most of its cast–from Ted Danson and Rhea Perlman to Kirstie Alley and John Ratzenberger. What’s more, it led to another show on this list as the character Frasier Crane, played by Kelsey Grammer, got his own series.
Saved By the Bell
Comedy, 5 seasons
No, large portions of Saved By the Bell haven’t aged well. Yes, Zack Morris is a terrible person. And yet, Saved By the Bell remains an iconic TV show for those that grew up in the ’90s. The various misadventures of the gang–from working at a beach club to, yes, getting in a drunk driving accident–made Saved By the Bell a show burned into so many of our memories. It also led to a sequel series, which is exclusive to Peacock. However, Hulu does have the one season of Good Morning, Miss Bliss–the original version of the show.
Watched Saved By the Bell on Hulu
Cruel Summer
Thriller, 1 season
If you like a show that keeps you guessing about what exactly is going on and who the villain of the story actually is, this thriller about two teen girls embroiled in a kidnapping plot in the mid-’90s is what you’re looking for. Each episode jumps between the years 1993, 1994, and 1995, showing a cast of characters at very different points in their lives–and slowly revealing clues about what really happened.
Mayans MC
Drama, 3 seasons
The Sons of Anarchy spin-off follows a different motorcycle gang on the border between the United States and Mexico. Like the original series, Mayans is stuffed with the kind of violence and anarchy you expect from this biker-fueled universe. However, it also tells timely and relevant stories, exploring topics like the opiate crisis, the Latinx experience, and homophobia.
American Horror Story
Horror, 9 seasons
Ryan Murphy’s horror anthology is an iconic show, with each season taking on a new story and cast of characters. From Murder House and Asylum to Roanoke and 1984, AHS takes horror influences from through the genre, telling different types of scary stories, meaning there’s something for just about any type of horror fan–including whatever Freakshow was.
Watch American Horror Story on Hulu
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Comedy, 14 seasons
Who could have predicted that television’s longest-running live-action comedy would be a depraved sitcom portraying the usually-illegal hijinks of a pack of psychopathic narcissists who own a disgusting, rundown dive bar in Philadelphia? Yet here we are, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is one of the best and most consistent TV comedies ever, period.
Watch Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Hulu
Pen15
Comedy, 2 seasons
Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle play 14-year-old versions of themselves. Everything about this show is unbelievably awkward, including the main performances–but that’s the point. Was eighth grade not the absolute worst for you? No show has ever captured that more effectively than Pen15.
Atlanta
Comedy-Drama, 2 seasons
It’s now three years since the most recent episode of Donald Glover’s acclaimed Atlanta, but while we wait for Season 3 later this year, the first two seasons are available on Hulu. This story of three friends trying to make it in the Atlanta rap scene mixes surreal comedy, biting satire, and heartfelt drama, and the amazing cast also includes Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz.
Rick and Morty
Animated, 4 seasons
What needs to be said about Rick and Morty? There’s a reason this adult cartoon is so unbelievably popular. Hilarious, meta writing and twisty sci-fi plots send the titular characters–both voiced by Justin Roiland–down increasingly outlandish and unbelievable rabbit holes. If you haven’t watched it, watch it.
Bob's Burgers
Animated, 11 seasons
Over the last decade, Bob’s Burgers has become one of the most beloved animated comedies of all time. The Belcher family may be more than a little off-beat, but their weird, wholesome antics will keep you coming back episode after episode.
Letterkenny
Comedy, 9 seasons
Fast-talking, idiomatic Canadian sitcom-meets-sketch show Letterkenny really must be seen to be understood at all. It takes some getting used to, especially when it comes to all the slang–be prepared to learn some things about hockey if you’re not already a fan–but it’s worth it, we promise.
Attack on Titan
Anime, 4 seasons
The manga Attack on Titan is one of the biggest selling titles of all time, and the anime adaptation has rightly become one of the most acclaimed in recent years. The tale of the gigantic man-eating Titans and Eren Yeager is both horrifying and thrilling, and brings something genuinely new to the post-apocalyptic sub-genre.
Castle Rock
Horror, 2 seasons
Based on the works of Stephen King, Castle Rock is a unique horror anthology show that remixes familiar characters and concepts into entirely new storylines and ideas. It also had a cast full of actors you’d recognize from Stephen King movies, like Sissy Spacek, Scott Glen, and Bill Skarsgard, playing entirely new roles.
Freaks and Geeks
Comedy-drama, 1 season
Freaks and Geeks may have been short-lived, lasting only one season, but the retro-flavored dramedy has earned a spot in the pop culture pantheon of TV sleeper hits. Featuring a star-studded cast of pre-breakout big names like James Franco, Seth Rogen, and Linda Cardellini, this is a quick watch that’s well worth your time.
Watch Freaks and Geeks on Hulu
The Twilight Zone
Sci-fi, 5 seasons
Rod Serling’s classic sci-fi series the Twilight Zone has earned its place in the pop culture pantheon as one of the most instantly recognizable and iconic TV shows of all time. From fan-favorite moments like William Shatner watching a monster on the wing of an airplane to genuinely terrifying episodes about talking dolls who murder people, there’s something here for everyone.
Watch The Twilight Zone on Hulu
Hannibal
Horror, 3 seasons
Cult-classic horror series Hannibal reimagines the story of Red Dragon in a brand new light. Created by Bryan Fuller and starring Mads Mikkelson and Hugh Dancy, this show is a stylish, trippy, gruesome art piece that still finds new fans even now, years after its finale.
Devs
Sci-fi, 1 season
Created by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation), Devs is an unforgettable sci-fi miniseries that centers around one incredibly complex philosophical question: Is it possible to use an algorithm to compute not only the past, but the future as well?
Legion
Drama, 3 seasons
In the crowded landscape of superhero shows and movies, Legion stood totally apart from the pack. A surrealistic, art-house adaptation of an already off-beat X-Men character, this show developed by Noah Hawley was unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and with all three seasons available to stream, it shouldn’t be missed.
The X-Files
Sci-fi, 11 seasons
It would be difficult to find a more iconic sci-fi TV show than The X-Files. All 11 seasons of Mulder and Scully’s endlessly rewatchable adventures against aliens, ghosts, cryptids, and sprawling government conspiracies are here and ready to be revisited again and again.
What We Do In The Shadows
Horror-comedy, 2 seasons
Spinning out of the 2014 mockumentary film of the same name, FX’s What We Do In The Shadows TV show introduces a new group of vampires and their human familiar, Guillermo, as they try (and mostly fail) to navigate life in modern New York City.
Watch What We Do In The Shadows on Hulu
The Great North
Animated, 1 season
Created by Bob’s Burgers alums the Molyneux sisters, The Great North is a big-hearted animated sitcom about a family living in a tiny, isolated Alaskan town. Also, there’s a giant, spectral Alanis Morrisette.
Frasier
Comedy, 11 seasons
This classic sitcom launched both Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce to stardom as they played psychiatrist brothers Niles and Frasier Crane. The series spun out of the classic show, Cheers, but don’t worry, this isn’t a multiverse situation and you don’t need to be up on your Cheers continuity to enjoy the show.
One-Punch Man
Anime, 2 seasons
The anime series One-Punch Man tells the story of Saitama, a superpowered man who can defeat his opponents with–you guessed it–a single punch. While a change of animation studios resulted in a very disappointing second season, the inventive and funny Season 1 is highly recommended.
Fargo
Thriller, 4 seasons
Noah Hawley’s anthology crime series took its initial inspiration from the classic Coen brothers movie of the same title, but has since gone its own dark and gripping direction. Each season is a twisted gem, with an incredible mix of actors that includes Ewan McGregor, Chris Rock, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemmons, Martin Freeman, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Billy Bob Thornton.
Arrested Development
Comedy, 3 seasons
While Netflix’s Arrested Development revival wasn’t very good, the original series remains one of the best comedies of the past decade. With unforgettably odd characters, completely unpredictable storylines, and Ron Howard’s now iconic voiceover narration, the hilarious misadventures of the Bluth family remains a joy to watch.
