Hulu’s slate of originals goes well beyond “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

The 15 best Hulu original series you can binge right now

Hulu’s slate of originals goes well beyond “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

September 15, 2026 6:00 p.m. ET

Leave a Comment

‘Only Murders in the Building,’ ‘Furious,’ and ‘Unprisoned’. Credit:

Patrick Harbron/Disney; Sarah Shatz/Disney; Kelsey McNeal/Hulu

There’s no question that Hulu has become a must-visit destination for original programming, particularly since the streaming service incorporated the wonderful world of FX into its ever-expanding roster of series.

To slim down the options a bit and provide a more Hulu-specific rundown, ** has set aside the shows affiliated with FX and curated a list devoted exclusively to non-FX Hulu originals.

In addition, while there are a significant number of great miniseries in the mix, it seemed only fair to exclude those from this particular selection, thinning the herd a bit more while still maintaining a list of the utmost quality.

With all those caveats established, here are the 15 best Hulu original series you can stream now.

Castle Rock (2018–2019)

Annie Wilkes (Lizzy Caplan) just doing some innocent shoveling.

Dana Starbard/Hulu

You’ve heard of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Well, *Castle Rock* is basically the Stephen King equivalent, taking the small Maine town from so many King stories and forging a shared history and mythology for them all. The premiere is easy enough to grasp, as the horror maestro has connected his disparate novels and stories for decades — sometimes explicitly, sometimes with just an Easter egg.

The execution here is clever and lovingly indulgent. Among other characters, it features Scott Glenn as Sheriff Alan Pangborn, from *Needful Things* and *The Dark Half*, Jane Levy as the niece of *The Shining*’s Jack Torrance, and Lizzy Caplan as a young Annie Wilkes. And yes, Shawshank State Penitentiary plays a key role. It’s two seasons of good, creepy fun with an all-star cast.

**EW grade**: A- (read the review)

**Cast**: André Holland, Melanie Lynskey, Bill Skarsgard, Lizzy Caplan, Paul Sparks, Barkhad Abdi, Jane Levy, Yusra Warsama, Tim Robbins, Sissy Spacek

Extraordinary (2023–2024)

Believe it or not, two dudes with superpowers.

Natalie Seery/Disney+

This British superhero comedy is set in a world where virtually everyone develops some sort of superpower when they turn 18. As such, the series’ lead character, Jen (Máiréad Tyers), stands out: She’s 25, works in a costume shop, and still finds herself without any special ability at all. Jen struggles to either find her power or find her place in a world that has ostensibly told her she doesn’t have one.

The show is a neat inversion of the genre — rather than one special in a world of ordinaries, it’s the other way around. *Extraordinary *takes advantage of those built-in ironies, but it also has endless fun coming up with an array of highly specific superpowers, some of which are… well, not particularly useful.

**Cast**: Máiréad Tyers, Sofia Oxenham, Bilal Hasna, Luke Rollason, Siobhan McSweeney, Abraham Popoola, Shaun Mason

Furious (2026–present)

Emmy Rossum, following in Debra Winger’s footsteps in ‘Furious’.

Disney/Sarah Shatz

As true-crime docs and procedurals frequently remind us, female serial killers are far, *far* harder to find than their male counterparts, so this series is already starting from a road less traveled. Loosely adapted from Bob Rafelson’s *Black Widow* (1987), featuring Debra Winger and Theresa Russell, *Furious* stars Emmy Rossum as FBI Agent Alice Black. She’s on the trail of Catherine Grace (Lola Petticrew), who has a nasty habit of offing rich men and then moving on to another alias and another target.

“I think it’s interesting to have a crime thriller where the two female superpowers in the dual lead roles are actually more similar than they are different,” Rossum told EW. “Of course, Alice and Catherine will start to realize this over the course of the story.”

**Cast**: Emmy Rossum, Lola Petticrew, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Scoot McNairy, Jake Lacy, Rob Yang, Hope Davis

The Great (2020–2023)

Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult in between savage barbs. Christopher Raphael/Hulu

When is a historical drama not a historical drama? When it’s *The Great*, a hilariously irreverent series inspired by Catherine the Great’s rise to power, but which should absolutely not be used to study for a test on Russian history. Which is to say, this is more a barbed comedy of manners than a proper, elegant period piece. Elle Fanning stars as a wickedly mischievous Catherine, with Nicholas Hoult in the dual role of her husband, the petulant manchild Emperor Peter III, and his body double, Yemelyan Pugachev.

Seeing 18th-century history through this gleefully absurd prism makes this not just a palace drama, but an unblinking glimpse at human behavior itself.

**Cast**: Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Charity Wakefield, Gwilym Lee, Adam Godley, Douglas Hodge, Belinda Bromilow

***Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our ******EW Dispatch newsletter******.***

The Handmaid’s Tale (2017–2025)

Elisabeth Moss in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’.

George Kraychyk/Hulu

Based on Margaret Atwood’s classic 1985 novel, this series has gotten so much coverage and critical acclaim since its 2017 debut that it hardly needs re-summarizing. For those who haven’t tuned in, it’s set in a dystopian future in the authoritarian Republic of Gilead, which has replaced much of the United States and stripped women of their rights and autonomy. Fertile women known as Handmaids are forced into reproductive servitude.

Elisabeth Moss plays Atwood’s heroine, Offred, a name signifying that she has been assigned to Commander Fred Waterford, though her real name is June. As the seasons turn, quickly moving beyond the events of Atwood’s novel, June becomes an increasingly prominent figure in the resistance against Gilead. It’s a harrowing vision, but a journey worth following to the end.

**EW grade**: A (read the review)

**Cast**: Elisabeth Moss, Joseph Fiennes, Yvonne Strahovski, Ann Dowd, Madeline Brewer, O-T Fagbenle, Max Minghella, Samira Wiley

High Fidelity (2020)

Zoe Kravitz thinking of her top five David Bowie albums, her top five tattoos, and her top five breakups.

Phillip Caruso/Hulu

Yes, Nick Hornby’s novel *High Fidelity* was adapted into Stephen Frears’ terrific John Cusack-led rom-com in 2000, but one good adaptation deserves another. This Hulu series turns the premise slightly on its ear with a gender flip and another location swap. This time, Rob (short for Robyn) is played by Zoe Kravitz (daughter of Lisa Bonet, one of the standout characters from the movie). She still owns Championship Vinyl, but it’s now located in Brooklyn rather than Chicago. (Hornby’s novel was set in London.)

But ultimately the song remains the same (complimentary): Rob is still joined by a pair of eccentric employees — Cherise (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) and Simon (David H. Holmes) — and she has a back catalog of failed relationships with which she’s still obsessed.

**Cast**: Zoe Kravitz, Jake Lacy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, David H. Holmes, Kingsley Ben-Adir

Only Murders in the Building (2021–present)

You’re never gonna believe this, but these three have stumbled upon another murder.

Craig Blankenhorn/Hulu

The title itself provides the comedic premise: The characters are amateur detectives, of a sort, but their purview is limited to homicides that take place in and around their Upper West Side luxury apartment building. A trio of true-crime podcast aficionados — a faded TV actor (Steve Martin), a down-on-his-luck Broadway director (Martin Short), and a young woman (Selena Gomez) who otherwise has little in common with her two older neighbors — happen to stumble upon a juicy, podcast-worthy mystery right in their own backyard. And… well, that just keeps happening, season after season, murder after murder, even as their investigations eventually take them beyond the Arconia. That’s part of the absurd satirical fun, but it’s the chemistry between the three leads that really makes it all work.

**EW grade**: B (read the review)

**Cast**: Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez, Michael Cyril Creighton, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Jackie Hoffman, Amy Ryan

Paradise (2025–present)

Sterling K. Brown tries to make sense of the timeline in ‘Paradise.’ He’s coming up with some wild fan theories. Let’s compare, Sterling.

Disney/Brian Roedel

What starts out as a mystery surrounding the murder of the U.S. president quickly transforms into something much more dramatic, believe it or not, following Secret Service agent Xavier Collins (Sterling K. Brown) through an adventure that involves a doomsday event, an underground bunker, and so much more. The show spent its first season finding its footing, but the second season hit the ground running.

*This Is Us* mastermind Dan Fogelman has long been known for twists and rug-pulls and big swings, and as *Paradise *goes along, he lives up to his reputation — while teasing some rather mind-scrambling possibilities. He envisioned a three-season arc for the show; given the way season 2 ended, its third and final season should provide a bonkers follow-through.

**Cast**: Sterling K. Brown, Julianne Nicholson, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, James Marsden, Aliyah Mastin

Pen15 (2019–2021)

Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle as basically their teenage selves in ‘Pen15’.

Alex Lombardi/Hulu

A funny, quirky, and frequently poignant comedy, *PEN15* officially billed itself as “middle school as it really happened.” Seeing creator-stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, both in their early 30s, play versions of themselves as 13-year-olds should give you a sense of what that means. Indeed, the anachronistic awkwardness is sort of the point. Everyone in middle school felt like they were a weird physical contradiction. Here, touchstone coming-of-age experiences get an absurdist touch that manages to give them their own strange authenticity.

EW’s critic praised the show’s “casual whimsy,” but emphasized how the two stars capture something very real: “Growing up is exciting and maddening [and] Maya and Anna can’t figure out everything — or anything, really — but at least they’re confused together.”

**EW grade**: A (read the review)

**Cast**: Maya Erskine, Anna Konkle, Mutsuko Erskine, Taylor Nichols, Melora Walters, Taj Cross

Ramy (2019–2022)

Ramy as Ramy in ‘Ramy’.

Paul Schiraldi/Hulu

Sometimes a show comes around that makes you say, “Boy, the world would be a much better place if everyone would watch this,” and then you sigh because the people who would benefit the most from watching it will, in fact, never do so. Such is the case with *Ramy*, in which Ramy Youssef plays Ramy Hassan, a millennial American Muslim in New Jersey who struggles to find the balance between his faith, heritage, and day-to-day life as, well, a millennial American.

This is a comedy, to be sure, but it doesn’t shy away from thorny material. It’s willing to get uncomfortable. As such, it has more insights into its characters — and contemporary life as a whole — than any hour-long drama.

**EW grade**: A- (read the review)

**Cast**: Ramy Youssef, May Calamawy, Mohammad Amer, Hiam Abbass, Dave Merheje, Amr Waked, Laith Nakli

Reasonable Doubt (2022–present)

Emayatzy Corinealdi makes her case in ‘Reasonable Doubt’.

Disney/Parrish Lewis

Hulu has covered just about every genre in its original programming, so you know the powers that be wouldn’t pass up the chance to find a signature legal drama. That would be *Reasonable Doubt*. Emayatzy Corinealdi plays Jax Stewart, a Los Angeles defense attorney who manages to take on difficult cases while raising two kids and dealing with a complicated personal life.

“I always feel like white characters or male characters get to be very complex, and a lot of times either female characters or characters of color — or both — don’t really get to have that,” creator Raamla Mohammad told EW in 2022. “We either are extreme villains or heroes. This woman Jax, she’s perfect at her job, but her love life is crazy.”

**EW grade**: B+ (read the review)

**Cast**: Emayatzy Corinealdi, McKinley Freeman, Tim Jo, Angela Grovey, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Aderinsola Olabode, Tiffany Yvonne Cox

Reboot (2022)

A fake sitcom that looks pretty close to a real sitcom in ‘Reboot’.

Michael Desmond/Hulu

The phrase “inside baseball” is used to describe something that requires preexisting knowledge of a milieu to really understand the show/movie/book in question. While that’s definitely the right description for *Reboot*, it’s in the best possible way. The premise involves — you guessed it — a reboot, specifically of the (fictional) early 2000s sitcom *Step Right Up*, which starred Reed Starling (Keegan-Michael Key), Clay Barber (Johnny Knoxville), Bree Marie Jensen (Judy Greer), and Zack Jackson (Calum Worthy). Problems arise when the up-and-coming writer behind the reboot (Rachel Bloom) butts heads with the original creator (Paul Reiser).

Yes, it helps to know about the process of making a TV series, but *Reboot *is easy to appreciate regardless. Unjustly canceled after one season, it’s well worth reviving.

**Cast**: Keegan-Michael Key, Johnny Knoxville, Rachel Bloom, Calum Worthy, Krista Marie Yu, Judy Greer, Paul Reiser

Shoresy (2022–present)

Shoresy saying something we simply cannot print in this publication.

Gerry Kingsley/Hulu

Of all the characters on *Letterkenny* one might’ve expected to have spinoff potential, few would’ve selected Shoresy, mostly because the hockey player’s face was never actually seen on the show. But darned if *Shoresy *hasn’t proven to be a delight.

The series follows Shoresy (Jared Keeso) as he joins the sad-sack Sudbury Bulldogs and tries to save them from folding completely. It’s the classic underdog sports setup, but filtered through Keeso’s very particular attitude and sense of humor. Between Shoresy himself, the fellas on the ice, and the residents of Sudbury, it’s easy to fall in love with the whole show.

**Cast**: Jared Keeso, Tasya Teles, Ryan McDonell, Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat, Blair Lamora, Keilani Elizabeth Rose, Jacob Smith

The 25 best movies to watch on Hulu

‘Furious’ creator breaks down season 1 finale and teases what’s next for Alice

Tell Me Lies (2022–2026)

Jackson White and Grace Van Patten, telling each other lies probably.

Disney/Ian Watson

If there’s one thing that’s certain about *Tell Me Lies*, it’s that it can serve as a guide for what *not* to do in a relationship. The series follows the relationship between Lucy (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen (Jackson White) over the course of several years — starting in college and extending into their adult lives — as they inflict more than a little emotional trauma, not only on each other but pretty much everyone within their friend group. Indeed, it probably also causes trauma for those who recognize themselves in the characters, but that’s the risk taken when TV veers so close to reality.

**Cast**: Grace Van Patten, Jackson White, Catherine Missal, Spencer House, Sonia Mena, Branden Cook, Alicia Crowder

Unprisoned (2023–2024)

Delroy Lindo and Kerry Washington in ‘Unprisoned’. Kelsey McNeal/Hulu

Kerry Washington plays Paige, a marriage and family therapist whose life is upturned when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo), gets out of prison after 17 years and wants to reconcile and rebuild his life. Their relationship is understandably fraught, given his history, but he’s steadfast in his conviction that he won’t be returning to prison this time. It’s the now-Oscar-nominated actor’s performance that not only makes viewers *want* him to succeed but convinces them that he will.

“Delroy Lindo is so good it should be illegal,” EW’s critic wrote, correctly. He’s the beating heart of this stellar family dramedy. Alas, not enough people got the memo, but the two seasons we got from this show are well worth the investment.

**EW grade**: B+ (read the review)

**Cast**: Kerry Washington, Delroy Lindo, Marque Richardson, Faly Rakotohavana, Jee Young Han, Jordyn McIntosh

- TV Reviews & Recommendations

Original Article on Source

Source: “EW TV”