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Maybe I’m overthinking, but do you ever feel like Netflix gets all the streaming glory? It’s time to give Hulu shows a bit of the spotlight. Netflix isn’t the only platform out there with an endless parade of choices (even though it’s easy to think that you don’t have any other options). As we descend deeper into social distancing, I’m here to tell you: Hulu has some excellent offerings as well, especially when it comes to their original programming.
Below, you’ll find 11 Hulu originals to consider watching this weekend (or whenever you feel like it). You’ll also notice that Hulu’s most well-known original offering is conspicuously absent. Look, A Handmaid’s Tale is definitely worth your time, but I left it off because I figured your pandemic dreams are weird enough without watching that dystopian future play out onscreen. So, with that in mind, I’ve picked a few Hulu originals to keep you occupied without giving you nightmares.
1. PEN15
If you were an American teen during the late ’90s or early aughts, you probably realize that Pen15 is a clever way of spelling the word penis. (If that has blown your mind, you’re welcome.) This cringe-worthy comedy is about two middle school girls (played by adult comedians Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle) as they navigate school as outcasts. There is only one season of Pen15 to dig into, which is actually kind of great because there’s a lot of awkwardness to digest. However, the nostalgia makes the cringe factor more than worth it, as does the fact that the adult actresses costar with actual teens, which makes the awkwardness even more hilarious.
2. Shrill
Watching Annie Easton (played by Aidy Bryant) navigate life as a struggling journalist who is trying to claim what she deserves from family, friendships, relationships, and her career can be such a refreshing escape from, well, your real life, where you might be struggling with the same things. There’s a strong chance you’ll laugh, cry, and cheer as Annie tries to figure out her life. There are two seasons of Shrill to enjoy, and the catharsis is real.
3. Ramy
Ramy (played by Ramy Youssef) is a 20-something Muslim American man who is grappling with his faith (as well as love, his career, and drugs) in suburban New Jersey. The show is charming and funny, and it’s also a refreshing look at how many of us strive to reconcile our faith with all of the other, sometimes contradictory, realities of life. There is only one season, but if you start watching now, you’ll be ready for season two (which arrives at the end of May).
4. High Fidelity
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In my humble opinion, anything with Zoë Kravitz is worth a try, and High Fidelity happens to be an excellent opportunity to watch the actress in a lead role. Kravitz plays Rob Brooks, a record-store owner who uses music and pop culture as a way of processing heartbreak. It’s basically about trying to get over an ex in gentrified Brooklyn (a pretty niche experience, to be fair). There’s fan controversy over how well the show stacks up against the original film, but overall it’s a light, nostalgic, rom-com. And with one season, it’s a perfect weekend binge.
5. Shut Eye
This might fall under the category of “so bad it’s good,” but it’s a funny drama about Charlie Haverford (played by Jeffrey Donovan), a pretend psychic (so, a scam artist) who actually starts to see and hear things after a blow to the head. The show is rife with violence and other things that don’t make it a family-friendly binge, but I’d wager that it’s light enough to enjoy on an otherwise uneventful weekend. Plus, Jeffrey Donovan and KaDee Strickland (who plays Haverford’s wife, Linda) make the show a compelling watch.
6. Dollface
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If you’ve ever been the friend who forgets about their besties when in a relationship (or if you’ve been ghosted by a friend like this), then you’ll appreciate Dollface. In the show, Jules Wiley (played by Kat Dennings) is reeling from a breakup and inadvertently discovers that she’s made her whole life about her ex. Now she has to do the work of rebuilding the friendships she left behind. Come for the relatable premise, but stay for two seasons of surreal moments where Jules’s imagination interrupts her reality.
7. Harlots
Is there anything more intriguing than a show set in an 18th-century London brothel? If that hasn’t convinced you, watch as a rivalry turns into an all-out war between brothel owners Margaret Wells (played by Samantha Morton) and her nemesis Lydia Quigley (played by Lesley Manville). There are three seasons to keep you more than entertained.
8. Difficult People
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In Difficult People, aspiring comedians Julie and Billy (played by Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner) are desperately trying to find their big break in New York City. But, as the title implies, they’re kind of difficult people. Actually, they’re sort of terrible people in the most mundane ways. As a result, the two characters sabotage themselves and constantly stumble into super-awkward situations. Still, you root for them over the course of three seasons because, even though they’re terrible, it’s pretty easy to see the best (and worst) of yourself in the duo.
9. Letterkenny
This is a show set in rural Canada, and it focuses on the lives of a small community called, you guessed it: Letterkenny. The show revolves around siblings Wayne and Katy (played by Jared Keeso and Michelle Mylett) and the produce farm they own. But the main tension comes from the warring factions within Letterkenny that include (but aren’t limited to) the farmers, the out-of-towners, the hockey fans, and other locals. The dialogue is quick-moving, which adds to the hilariousness, and there are five seasons to keep you company, so you might as well become a resident of Letterkenny.
10. The Mindy Project
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An oldie but goodie, The Mindy Project was a FOX series that found a second life on Hulu. The show revolves around Mindy Lahiri (played by Mindy Kaling) as she balances love and her career as an ob-gyn. There are six seasons to keep you busy, and the will-they-won’t-they tension between Lahiri and Danny Castellano (played by Chris Messina) is thrilling to watch.
11. Casual
When siblings Alex Cole (played by Tommy Dewey) and Valerie Meyers (played by Michaela Watkins) find themselves living together as adults, they have to learn how to coexist with each other while navigating their respective romantic lives. With Valerie’s daughter, Laura (played by Tara Lynne Barr), rounding out the cast, Casual is emotionally resonant and full of hilarious moments that keep the show light yet compelling as you watch the siblings navigate dating and adulthood over the course of four seasons.
