7 best Hulu shows you’re (probably) not watching
Hulu has always been a destination for great TV shows, including many of its own originals like Only Murders in the Building and Normal People. But the service is also home to many other worthy series that you may have missed, including classics from its deep library.
To help you out, I've rounded up some of my favorite Hulu shows that you’re (probably) not watching — some because of timing and some because you haven’t even heard of them! They run the gamut from a post-apocalyptic sitcom to a period romance to a true crime retelling.
Check out our list and get streaming!
ER
One of the best dramas of all time, ER was also one of the most-watched — when it aired from 1994 to 2009. But perhaps you missed out on the capstone of NBC’s Must-See TV lineup, or maybe you’re too young to have caught it at the time.
For those who are unfamiliar with ER, the show follows the staff at the fictional County General Hospital in Chicago, including Dr. Doug Ross (George Clooney), Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards), nurse Carol Hathaway (Juliana Margulies) and medical student John Carter (Noah Wyle).
Critics and viewers loved the breakneck pace and almost documentary-like visual style. ER won 23 Emmys and at its peak, was watched by more than 30 million viewers. And it launched/blew up the careers of Clooney, Margulies, Wyle and others. ER was the television event of its time; now, you can see why.
Genre: Medical drama
Seasons: 15 (331 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85% (audience score)
Watch now on Hulu
The Last Man on Earth
Sitcoms with ambitious concepts often flame out quickly, but The Last Man on Earth creator/star Will Forte managed to spin humor out of the apocalypse for four seasons. After a cataclysm seemingly wipes out most of humanity, Phil Miller travels across the country searching for other survivors.
His endeavor finally pays off when he finds Carol (Kristen Schaal), who persuades him to marry her and have children to repopulate Earth. But soon, they discover they aren’t the only people who survived. As more people trickle into their circle, Phil realizes he might prefer being alone after all.
Genre: Comedy
Seasons: 4 (67 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 85%
Watch now on Hulu
Mrs. America
Television antiheroes don’t all look like Walter White or Tony Soprano. One takes the form of Cate Blanchett, who delivers a chilling and charismatic performance as conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly. This miniseries chronicles the 1970s movement to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the opposition led by Schlafly.
The cast is stacked with big names playing icons, including Rose Byrne as prominent feminist Gloria Steinem, Uzo Aduba as politician Shirley Chisholm, Elizabeth Banks as the Republican feminist Jill Ruckelshaus and Margo Martindale as congresswoman Bella Abzug. They’re all part of a cultural battle that forever changes American society.
Genre: Historical drama
Seasons: 1 (9 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Watch now on Hulu
PEN15
If you think adulting is a nightmare, remember teenagering? The daily cringe of adolescence for like … five or seven years straight?! PEN15 captures it so precisely that it’ll send you hurtling through a portal back to the year you were 13. Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle write the series, as well as star as fictionalized younger versions of themselves.
While some of the stories reflect the creators’ personal experiences, the painful awkwardness in them is universal. Who among us didn’t crush on someone in middle school — and get flatly rejected? Or feel self-conscious about braces, bad haircuts and uncool clothes? With the second season being its last, PEN15 will always remain a time capsule to those uncertain moments when kids both long for adulthood and quake in fear at growing up.
Genre: Comedy
Seasons: 2 (25 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Watch now on Hulu
Pride & Prejudice
This adaptation of Austen’s Regency-era novel stars Jennifer Ehle and a very dreamy Colin Firth as Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, literature’s ultimate hate-becomes-love relationship. Elizabeth is one of five daughters of a modest country gentleman. With no dowry or connections to speak of, she has few prospects for an advantageous marriage. Yet, the handsome, rich and eligible Mr. Darcy falls for her fine eyes and sparkling wit.
The problem is that Elizabeth thinks they mutually detest each other! Why would she not? After all, he insulted her at their first meeting, meddled in her sister’s promising courtship with Mr. Bingley and behaved dishonorably toward an old friend. But as they both learn, first impressions don’t always last.
Genre: Period romantic drama
Seasons: 1 (6 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 88%
Watch now on Hulu
Under the Banner of Heaven
Jon Krakauer’s 2003 book Under The Banner Of Heaven explores the blood-soaked, violent origins of the Mormon church as the context for the gruesome 1984 murders of Brenda Lafferty and her baby daughter at the hands of her fundamentalist brothers-in-law.
The limited series adaptation stars Andrew Garfield as Detective Jeb Pyre, who is assigned to the case. A devout Mormon himself, his faith is shaken as he uncovers disturbing truths about fundamentalist sects, the history of the church and the long-accepted darkness that resulted in Brenda and her baby’s deaths.
Genre: True crime drama
Seasons: 1 (7 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 86%
Watch now on Hulu
Up Here
Romance and music go hand in hand, as seen on screen so often in everything from Grease to Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The latest entry in this timeless genre is Up Here, a series based on the 2015 stage musical by Oscar winners Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez (Frozen) and starring two very charming leads in Mae Whitman and Carlos Valdes.
Set in the waning days of 1999, the story follows Lindsay, an aspiring writer who ditched her fiancé in Vermont, and Miguel, an investment banker who would rather design video games. As they meet and fall in love, they are both plagued by inner Greek choruses taking the form of doubting parents, friends and exes.
Genre: Musical romantic comedy
Seasons: 1 (8 episodes)
Rotten Tomatoes score: 67%
Watch now on Hulu
