Hulu is well known for housing some of the best recent TV shows on the streaming service, and many of them have near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores. These TV shows deserve their masterpiece status because they capture the audience’s attention through the visual style, writing, and compelling performances of the lead cast. Each of these series is worth diving into, or revisiting if you haven’t seen them in a while.
Alien: Earth (2025–Present)
95% Critic Score
Though critics and audiences are somewhat divided on Alien: Earth, there’s little question that the new sci-fi series is making waves and is a worthy addition to the Alien franchise. Starring Sydney Chandler as Wendy, Alien: Earth is about much more than the terror of the Xenomorphs; it’s about the very nature of humanity and our desire to evolve.
Alien: Earth is one of the best sci-fi TV shows of the year, and with half of its premiere season still to come, there’s still time for viewers to get in on the action of the series. Created by Noah Hawley, Alien: Earth benefits from the style and atmosphere that the writer and showrunner brings to all of his work, making it a sci-fi show everyone will love.
Such Brave Girls (2023–Present)
100% Critic Score
One of the best and most underrated comedy TV shows airing on Hulu today, Such Brave Girls is much more than a family dramedy, as its searing sense of humor and flawed characters will make you laugh and cry. Such Brave Girls pulls no punches, as cruel and ruthless with its characters as it is with the audience, and this is what makes the series so fresh and original.
Fans of Sherlock will recognize Louise Brealey, who plays the dysfunctional matriarch of the show, Deb, and completely disappears into the complex and narcissistic character. However, it’s the entire leading trio, with Kat Sadler and Lizzie Davidson, who make Such Brave Girls so incredible to watch, as their combative chemistry further highlights the best parts of the writing and themes.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005–Present)
94% Critic Score
Watching It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia season 1 today might make it hard to believe that this long-running series is considered a genius-level comedy show, but this couldn’t be truer. Airing since 2005, It’s Always Sunny has been able to thrive and earn such great reviews for decades because it’s stayed true to the hilariously awful and unforgettable characters at the heart of the story.
Many contemporary sitcoms owe a lot to the legacy and influence of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, which helped popularize the format of having a show revolve around a group of irredeemable characters. There are some cringeworthy moments in the show, but this is what makes it so fun to watch, as the series has remained one of the most timely comedies of its time.
Fargo (2014–Present)
93% Critic Score
It’s almost impossible to pick the best season of the anthology TV show Fargo, as the series evolves and pushes itself to explore new territory in every installment. Fargo is a thriller TV show masterpiece, using its anthology format to introduce a fantastic cast of new characters and build a twisting original mystery that will leave you shocked.
Inspired by the 1996 movie of the same name, Fargo quickly moved beyond its influences and established itself as one of the most original crime shows on television. The tension and violence inherent to each season of Fargo are balanced by the absurdist humor and darkly comic edge that the writers and creators infuse into every moment of the story.
Dying For Sex (2025)
98% Critic Score
Michelle Williams was already a star, but her performance in the recent Hulu miniseries, Dying for Sex, cements her as an actress who can easily balance the most dramatic and comedic moments with ease. While playing Molly, Williams grapples with the intensity of discovering the character’s terminal cancer diagnosis with her newfound reclaimation of her sexuality and her agency as a person.
Dying for Sex is well aware that sometimes the only way to handle tragedy is to laugh and set yourself free. Molly is a great character whom the audience will love spending time with, even in her darkest moments of despair. It’s not always easy to watch Dying for Sex, but the series will give you a new perspective on both life and death.
Shōgun (2024–Present)
99% Critic Score
Though Hulu’s series wasn’t the first screen adaptation of James Clavell’s 1975 novel of the same name, the most recent take on Shōgun was one of the best new shows of 2024. Taking some liberties with the text to update and modernize some aspects of the story, and engage with the very real history it’s based on, Shōgun was a smash hit almost as soon as it was released.
Each actor brings their all to Shōgun, but Anna Sawai stands out as Toda Mariko, one of the most complex and compelling characters in the series. Full of action, adventure, romance, and some of the most heartbreaking emotional moments seen on television in the 2020s, even audiences who don’t typically like period dramas won’t be able to get enough of Shōgun.
Snowfall (2017–2023)
92% Critic Score
Before he captured our hearts in F1, Damson Idris led the cast of Snowfall as Franklin Saint, a young, up-and-coming drug kingpin navigating the drug trade in 1980s Los Angeles. Snowfall is still one of the most underrated TV shows available to watch on Hulu, as the series only gets better with each season and is anchored by fantastic performances from Idris and the expansive cast.
Touching upon real historical events and the legacy and tropes of crime and drug dramas, Snowfall manages to subvert expectations and keep the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the series. It’s clear that Snowfall pays tribute to its influences, but that doesn’t stop the series from crafting entirely original characters you’ll fall in love with.
Only Murders In The Building (2021–Present)
97% Critic Score
If the star-studded cast isn’t enough to convince you to watch Only Murders in the Building, then the critical reception and accolades that have been showered on the show should be an indicator that this series is something special. Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez take center stage in this hilarious and suspenseful show in conversation with the cultural obsession with true crime.
As the show has continued, it’s been able to evolve and expand its premise to fit the new characters and narrative developments that have maintained the series’ quality. As Only Murders in the Building season 5 approaches, it’s exciting to predict where the story might be going next and how the show will top last season’s excitement.
Abbott Elementary (2021–Present)
99% Critic Score
It’s not a reach to say that Abbott Elementary is one of the TV shows currently reviving the sitcom genre on network television. One of the most popular series of the 2020s, and a refreshingly funny yet heartfelt expansion of the workplace comedy, the series is helmed by Quinta Brunson, who stars in and created the series.
It’s not hard to see why Abbott Elementary is so highly acclaimed by both critics and audiences alike, as the series is smart, funny, and features a great cast of characters who have only gotten more complex as the series has progressed. Though it’s easy to start watching Abbott Elementary and get lost in the story’s world, don’t be shocked if the story sparks some deep feelings.
The Great (2020–2023)
96% Critic Score
There are a lot of reasons why The Great is considered one of the best period dramedies in recent years, and the chemistry between Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult is a large part of this. The anachronisms, gore, sexual content, and hilarious plot twists of The Great all add to the series’ atmosphere and tone, making it impossible to stop watching.
Just three seasons long, The Great could’ve run for many additional seasons, exploring Catherine’s reign as Empress of Russia and her many landmark achievements. However, there’s something fitting about the tightly packed and brilliantly paced episodes of The Great that we do have. Anyone who hasn’t watched The Great should check out the Hulu show now.
