10 Best Hulu TV Shows Of 2023 (2024)

Hulu has always pushed the boundaries of quality TV in the streaming market, and the original shows that aired in 2023 are no exception. Whether they were recurring shows, new premieres, or limited series, Hulu's television lineup remained strong and gained notoriety over the year's season. Putting out original series can sometimes be a financial risk, but when the shows perform well, the reward is always worth it.

Overall, 2023 was an excellent year for television, and the race in the coming award season reflects that. Part of what makes a show stand out is a compelling story, intricate plotting, and great performances by the cast. Over the past few years, audiences have looked for series that reflect the values and diversity of the modern world, and that are unafraid to be critical of societal and historical problems. Shows that find success focus on both the small and large parts of life but always do so in a way that can be universally relatable.

10 Faraway Downs (2023 -)

Season 1

Faraway Downs is a new miniseries based on the story of Baz Luhrmann's film Australia (2008). Starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman in the film and the 2023 series, Faraway Downs was used as an opportunity to explore the story's world more deeply and use the medium of television to its fullest extent. The chemistry between Kidman and Jackman remains palpable, and Luhrmann's fast-paced style serves the dramatic tone of the show well but sometimes can be a bit over-the-top.

Faraway Downs doesn't feel like a simple remake of the movie but a successful reimagining of an engaging world. There are plenty of differences between Faraway Downs and Australia. As a series, it engages with the problematic history of the treatment of Indigenous People in Australia and attempts to give their stories a larger spotlight than the film did. While Faraway Downs does feel like its own show, some of its stories might have been better told by newer and more diverse voices in Australian cinema.

9 Solar Opposites (2020 -)

Season 4

Now in its fourth season, Solar Opposites had to reinvent itself in 2023 due to the controversy surrounding its creator, Justin Roiland. However, Solar Opposites bounced back and worked hard to reassert itself as a strong show that can work well without Roiland. The new voice actor, Dan Stevens, did a good job joining the ranks of the show, and Jesse (Mary Mack) gets further development, making her character all the more interesting.

Season 4 wrapped with a satisfying conclusion that leaves the door open for further episodes, but could also be an overall end for the series. At this point in the show, it does feel like the narrative has run its course. It was fun to spend time with these characters, but there's not much left to say. A solid finish for the series, but proof that another season is unlikely.

8 Justified: City Primeval (2023 -)

Season 1

Justified: City Primeval flashes forward in time to fifteen years after Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) stint serving as a U.S. Marshall in Kentucky. Givens is living in Miami but soon heads off to solve crimes in Detroit. While caring for his teenage daughter, Givens proves himself worthy of another series dedicated to his exploits. City Primeval avoids many of the pitfalls that can come with a reboot of a well-known series.

Olyphant's reprisal of his role is a large part of this success, as it's hard to imagine a Justified world without him. Additionally, the new series understood that to be relevant, the issues portrayed on the show must reflect the larger attitude of the world. The social and political corruption that Givens faces in Detroit is quite different from those in Kentucky, but he still manages to be a compelling protagonist. However, the problem with the new series is that Givens might not be the character the audiences want to hear these stories from.

7 The Other Black Girl (2023 -)

Season 1

The Other Black Girl gets its premise from the novel of the same name by Zakiya Dalila Harris and incorporates elements of dark comedy and horror. Nella (Sinclair Daniel) and Hazel (Ashleigh Murray) both work at a publishing house in New York, but tensions arise as Nella begins to suspect that Hazel is out to get her. The central themes of the show revolve around racism and bias in the corporate workplace.

Additionally, it explores how people in marginalized groups are often pitted against one another in spaces where they are not well represented. The Other Black Girl takes these realities and subverts them in the complex and thrilling plot. The only complaint of the show is that the metaphors can sometimes be a bit obvious.

6 Only Murders In The Building (2021 -)

Season 3

Only Murders In The Building continues on its streak of success with season 3. Boasting exciting guest stars like Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd, the show continues to expand its world in compelling ways. With Broadway and show business as a background, the series comes up with hilarious songs and set pieces that use the reputation of New York theater to its advantage. All the while, the main trio works to solve curious murders and leaves the audience on the edge of their seat for season 4. The series continues to reinvent itself to stay fresh, but it isn't breaking the boundaries that some of Hulu's other series are.

5 Tiny Beautiful Things (2023 -)

Season 1

Based on the book of the same name, Tiny Beautiful Things revolves around the life of Clare Kinkade (Kathryn Hahn) as she takes on the role of an anonymous advice columnist. The series flashes back between Clare's past and present, slowly revealing to the audience how her life became what it did, and the choices that led to it. What Tiny Beautiful Things does best is make the small, and seemingly insignificant, parts of life just as important as the shocking and dramatic parts. Hahn plays Clare with plenty of empathy and keeps the audience engaged with the struggles of Clare's life.

The ending of Tiny Beautiful Things encapsulates the themes of the series and delivers cathartic emotional payoffs for the audience. Additionally, the mother-daughter parallels between Clare, her mother, and her daughter are tied up and are a relatable addition to the genre of parent-child struggles. One problem with the series is that the dramatic story with a tortured female lead is ground that has been tread several times. There's nothing wrong with the series, it just feels like it's been done before.

4 A Murder At The End Of The World (2023 -)

Season 1

A Murder At The End Of The World stars Emma Corrin, best known for their work in The Crown, as Darby. Darby is a young hacker with an eye for clues who is roped into solving a murder. In a traditional whodunit format, the series follows Darby as she is invited to a remote location by a billionaire along with eight other guests. This sounds like a traditional mystery, but the series pushes the boundaries of the genre tropes and updates them for the modern era.

Part of what makes the story so compelling is Darby's perspective as a member of Gen Z. The imbalance of power between people of different ages and socioeconomic status is interrogated by the series. A Murder At The End Of The World looks to interrogate generational differences and tell a tight story. Unfortunately, it does fall victim to leaning into the tropes and stereotypes of Gen Z which can be a turnoff for younger audiences.

3 Fargo (2014 -)

Season 5

As an anthology series, it's hard to know what the next season of Fargo will bring, but season 5 pushes forward with a momentum that can't be turned away from. The new season introduces Jon Hamm and Juno Temple as two sides of a cat-and-mouse game that grows in intrigue and subterfuge. Season 5 of Fargo indicates a positive trajectory for the show and includes fun references to the original film of the same name. Throughout its run, Fargo has proved itself as a consistent hitter for Hulu and the most recent season lives up to this reputation.

2 Reservation Dogs (2021 - 2023)

Season 3

Saying goodbye to Reservation Dogs was one of the hardest parts of television in 2023. The third and final season premiered this year to rave reviews and took risks in terms of storytelling and format, which paid off beautifully. Reservation Dogs gives justified conclusions for each of the core four teens, while also leaving the possibilities for their lives limitless. Elora (K. Devery Jacobs) and Bear (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai) continue to look outwards, while Cheese (Lane Factor) and Willie Jack (Paulina Alexis) feel the pull to remain at home, but this no longer divides the friends as it once did. They have grown up, and it was a privilege watching them.

1 The Bear (2022 -)

Season 2

If there's one show that Hulu can count on, it's The Bear. Season 2 makes good on the promise of season 1, and delivers even more drama, growth, and amazing food that made the series as bingeable as ever. More of Carmy's (Jeremy Allen White) and Natalie's (Abby Elliott) past with their family is revealed, and season 2 takes care to give each character an episode where they can shine. Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) and Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) particularly come into their own and find new confidence this season.

While season 1 was a fight to preserve something that was dying, season 2 was about the struggle to build something new from the ground up. Now that the decisions are all up to Syd and Carmy, that's a completely different type of pressure. Every character attempts to find a balance between their past and future, and this is no easy task. The end of the season only makes the wait for the answers to questions for season 3 of The Bear more difficult.