Hulu offers some great streaming TV series in virtually every genre, from quirky dark comedies to award-winning historical dramas. While Hulu will merge with Disney+ in 2026, it still offers some of the best television series to stream.
It is not easy to create a TV show in which every episode is a perfect 10/10, especially for longer stories. Hulu has aired flawless miniseries, but even some of their longer-running shows are virtually perfect. Several of the top-rated Hulu shows with near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes scores are surprisingly long, making their quality even more impressive.
The Bear
The comedy drama The Bear is often praised for its realistic and hilarious look into the life of a chef working in a commercial kitchen, including the long days, messy relationships, and commitment to the visual presentation of the food. Carmy, a chef used to the world of fine dining, returns to Chicago to help with his brother’s sandwich shop.
The Bear‘s four seasons remained extremely consistent, earning the show a 93% positive critics’ rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers praising its powerful story. While many comedies surprise viewers with their emotional punches, The Bear puts the drama first, which is then offset by its funny moments. Some viewers may have found the seasons’ pacing uneven, but every episode of the show is perfect.
Out of all 38 episodes of The Bear, the standout is arguably season 2’s “Fishes,” which explores Carmy’s family’s backstory while featuring some of the best drama actors on TV, including Bob Odenkirk and Sarah Paulson. That said, the show nailed its pilot episode, which introduces Carmy and his mental state as well as the frenetic and fast-paced world of the kitchen.
Fargo
Fargo is based on The Coen Brothers’ movie of the same name, and has earned an impressive 93% positive critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is just one point lower than the original movie. The show is set in the same universe as the movie and occasionally overlaps, but each season of Fargo tells its own self-contained story and never has a dull moment.
The series blends quirky and absurd comedy with extremely graphic and shocking violence, sharing the tone of the movie, and the first season impressed the Coens so much that they joined the team as executive producers. Fargo‘s anthology format allows the show to introduce new characters and situations, including guest stars like Jon Hamm, Kirsten Dunst, and David Thewlis.
Each of Fargo‘s 51 episodes is perfect in a different way. The show’s blend of genres could have made it feel disjointed or uneven, but while some episodes were darker than others and the finales generally contained the most suspense in each series, the show’s core identity remained consistent. Fargo won seven Primetime Emmy Awards out of 70 nominations.
Shōgun
Hulu’s Shōgun is the second TV adaptation of James Clavell’s original novel, and it has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 99%. The remake arguably outdoes the first TV series significantly, even though the original Shōgun miniseries was game-changing. The story follows the English navigator, John Blackthorne, and the samurai warlord, Lord Yoshii Toranaga, in feudal Japan.
Hulu’s Shōgun focuses on the Japanese characters rather than just Blackthorne, offering an updated approach. The show won four Primetime Emmy Awards, and as Shōgun was the second non-English language series to be nominated for Outstanding Drama Series after Squid Game, it is likely to have a lasting legacy.
The series is visually stunning, and the best scenes in Shōgun keep this beauty, even during the more violent moments. Rather than just documenting Blackthorne’s journey from an outsider to a respected community member, Shōgun shows this change by combining intimate close-ups with wider action-packed moments.This makes every episode a masterpiece for its aesthetic storytelling.
Only Murders In The Building
Only Murders in the Building is not the average murder mystery show, and the fact that each episode is 10/10 is a great achievement, considering the fact that there are 50. Only Murders in the Building blends comedy with crime, focusing on three strangers who listen to true-crime podcasts. When a murder takes place in their own building, the three start their own podcast.
Every season of Only Murders in the Building has received rave reviews, and the show has a 95% positive Rotten Tomatoes score, with the first season reaching 100%. Not only does the show include the best parts of the crime genre, including building suspense and introducing clues, but it also skewers podcast culture in some of the funniest scenes in the show.
Something that sets Only Murders in the Building apart is the creative team’s willingness to take risks, and these generally pay off. The show’s iconic season 3, which has a musical theater theme, gives us some excellent songs but also features a casting choice that speaks to the quality of the show. The screen legend Meryl Streep plays a key role in the season.
Abbott Elementary
Abbott Elementary is a great show for fans of The Office and Parks and Recreation to watch, as it follows a similar mockumentary format, but introduces a new tone and location. Abbott Elementary is set in a fictional Philadelphia public school, and follows a group of teachers whose commitment to making the school a better place is contagious.
The show is hilarious and generally optimistic, and while much of the focus is on the main characters and relationships, one aspect sets it apart from similarly lighthearted series. Every episode of the show is a comedic masterpiece, but season 2’s “Sick Day” is a standout.
In “Sick Day,” Ava takes over the class when Janine is off sick. While the episode is funny, it elevates Ava from being the comic relief for much of the show into a much more relatable character. Abbott Elementary really excels at this, highlighting the importance of every teacher and child in the school by giving each character a moment to prove themselves.
The Great
The Great is titled onscreen as “an occasionally true story,” sparking intrigue even before each episode begins. Elle Fanning plays Catherine the Great in this drama, which might be loosely based on historical events, but it puts an entirely new spin on the life of the character. Still, The Great is sometimes historically accurate, even when the events seem too strange to be true.
The show has some spectacular costumes and settings, but unlike other cinematic period dramas, The Great has as much substance as style. The series takes a period of history that is rarely covered in a historical drama and makes it both playful and fun, while being unafraid to change the story and admitting to doing so, avoiding the same criticisms as shows like The Crown.
While each episode of The Great is a 10/10, season 2’s finale episode, “The Wedding,” is one of the most memorable. While the episode may not have included as much death as Game of Thrones‘ legendary Red Wedding, it introduces shock after shock, ending with a twist that many viewers could not have seen coming.
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