In this article, we look at the 25 best TV shows to watch on Hulu in 2023. In order to skip our detailed ranking and jump directly to the top shows on Hulu currently, go to 10 Best TV Shows on Hulu in 2023.
Over the last few decades, television (TV) has changed from being a luxury to a standard feature in households. In 2022, the total global revenue attributed to the television industry amounted to $93.76 billion. While TV remains a key feature in our daily lives, rapid technological changes are taking place in the industry as well with multiple new technologies capturing the market, specifically in the digital space. Cable TV is experiencing stagnation, and the subscription-based, video-on-demand model is growing in popularity.
Subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) is a model in which users pay a monthly or annual fee in exchange for receiving service streaming access for that time to an online library of movies, TV shows, and other content. Projections onStatista indicate that the number of subscription video-on-demand model subscribers will rise above 1.6 billion in 2027.
It stood at 1.2 billion in 2021. SVOD revenue in the United States is likely to cross $95 billion in 2023, whereas it is estimated to reach around $160 billionworldwide in the same year. This revenue is expected to further grow globally at an annual rate of 9.71%, which is projected to raise the market volume to $230 billion by 2027.
The SVOD industry continues to remain competitive. Major players in the market include Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX), Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, YouTube Premium, Hotstar, and HBO to name a few.
The focus of this article is on the 25 best TV shows on Hulu in 2023. Hulu, which was launched in October 2007, is an American subscription-based streaming service. It is owned by The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), with Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA) holding a minority stake through NBCUniversal.
It started off as a joint venture initially between New Corporation and NBC Universal, and later The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS). That helped the platform gain access to television series of all these broadcasting companies. Hulu’s subscription service started in 2010 with the launch of Hulu Plus. It featured un-delayed access to television series of different partner companies.
Hulu currently has over 48 million subscribers who have access to Hulu’s library, offering them to watch a wide range of movies and television series produced by Hulu’s original programming, as well as companies such as 20th Century Studios, ABC, and Disney Television Studios (NYSE:DIS). In 2016, Hulu announced to devote itself entirely to the subscription model and discontinue its on-demand video service by syndicating it to Yahoo! Screen. In 2017, Hulu inaugurated an over-the-top live TV service.
2023 has been a promising year for Hulu in terms of numbers and recognition. In the first quarter of the fiscal year, the company had an average revenue per user (ARPU) of $92.32. It wasnominated for 10 awards at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards, winning three. Several new TV shows have been released this year and existing shows are being renewed for a new season.
At the same time, there are shows that were released decades ago but remain popular among the viewers, such as General Hospital (1963), M*A*S*H (1972), Full House (1987), Rugrats (1991), The X-Files (1993), Pride and Prejudice (1995), Futurama (1999), Freaks and Geeks (1999), and others.
Below is the list of trending shows on Hulu which you should not miss out on this year.
Consensus method has been used to rank the 25 best TV shows to watch on Hulu in 2023. Top 100 popular Hulu shows on IMDb, Reelgood, and Rotten Tomatoes were analyzed. Rating scores for each show on each of these three websites were studied. Weights were assigned to each score. For example, a show rated 100 out of 100 received a weight of 1, whereas a score of 95 was weighed at 0.95.
Weights of a TV show on all three websites were summed together to determine their final score. The maximum aggregated score a show could achieve was 3. In case scores of two or more shows matched, their ranking was decided depending on the year of their release. A show released before the other was ranked higher because it managed to retain a higher rating for a longer period.
25. Snowfall
Score: 2.57 out of 3
Year: 2017 - 2023
We start the list with Snowfall on 25th. The show is a crime drama series with the main character Damson Idris playing the role of a drug dealer who sells cocaine in Los Angeles during the 1980s crack epidemic. The first season was released in 2017 and concluded with its sixth and final season in April 2023.
24. The Handmaid’s Tale
Score: 2.58 out of 3
Year: 2017 - Present
Next on the list on the 24th is the dystopian TV series, The Handmaid’s Tale, which is based on a novel authored by Margaret Atwood in 1985. The plot is set in the times following the Second American Civil War and shows a theocratic and totalitarian society subjecting fertile women to child-bearing slavery. The show first premiered in 2017 and has had five seasons so far. It has been renewed for a sixth and final season.
23. How I Met Your Mother
Score: 2.60 out of 3
Year: 2005 - 2014
American sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, is ranked 23rd on our list. The show aired from 2005 through 2014. The main character is played by Ted Mosby who recounts to his son and daughter the events that led him to meet their mother. There have been 9 seasons of this show with over 200 episodes. How I Met Your Mother was nominated for 72 awards, winning 18. The show which was taken off from Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) in 2022 is available to watch on Hulu.
22. Lost
Score: 2.61 out of 3
Year: 2004 – 2010
Science fiction series, Lost, is next on 22nd. The show is based on survivors of a flight traveling from Sydney to Los Angeles crashing on a mysterious island. Lost was released in 2010 and was aired for six seasons until 2010. The TV show’s popularity can be judged from the fact that, on average, 11 million viewers watched every episode of its sixth season. Lost also won the Best American Import Award at the 2005 British American Television Awards.
21. Chainsaw Man
Score: 2.62 out of 3
Year: 2022 – Present
Japanese manga series Chainsaw Man is 22nd on the list. The show originally ran from 2018 but has been on Hulu since 2022. It has over 24 million copies in circulation as of April 2023, making it one of the best manga series ever. This was reiterated at the Harvey Awards in 2021 and 2022, where Chainsaw Man won the Best Manga awards in both years.
20. Abbot Elementary
Score: 2.63 out of 3
Year: 2021 – Present
Abbot Elementary is next on 20th. Released in 2021, it is a sitcom series starring Janine Teagues, who plays the role of a teacher at a predominantly Black public school. It shows the teacher determined to help students despite poor facilities at the school. The TV series has had 2 seasons so far consisting of 35 episodes. It has been renewed for a third season. It has received a rating of 99 out of 100 on Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA)'s rating website Rotten Tomatoes.
19. Modern Family
Score: 2.63 out of 3
Year: 2009 – 2020
Modern Family has been one of the most successful sitcom television series to run on Hulu. It aired for 11 seasons from 2009 till 2020 and has 250 episodes. The plot is based on three diverse families living in Los Angeles, who are interrelated through a common patriarch. In 2011, Modern Family won the Golden Globe Award for the Best TV Series. Forbes in 2012 listed the show as one of thebiggest TV money-makers, earning $2.13 million per episode.
18. Frasier
Score: 2.64 out of 3
Year: 1993 – 2004
On 18th, is another sitcom, Frasier, that premiered in 1993 and ran all the way through till 2004. The show is available on Hulu and has over 260 episodes spread across 11 seasons. Frasier has won 37 Primetime Emmy Awards, including winning the award on Outstanding Comedy for five successive years. Its revival sequel is set to be released in 2023.
17. Mr Inbetween
Score: 2.65 out of 3
Year: 2018 – 2021
Australian TV show Mr Inbetween is 17th on the list. The black crime-comedy series is based on the 2005 film, The Magician. The series first premiered in September 2008 and was aired for three seasons, spanning 26 episodes. The series concluded in 2021. Mr Inbetween received a score of 8.6/10 on IMDb, 84/100 on Reelgood, and 95/100 on Rotten Tomatoes. The show won the Drama Series Production of the Year award in the 2022 Screen Producers Australia Awards.
16. Community
Score: 2.65 out of 3
Year: 2009 – 2014
Community is an American sitcom show that ran from 2009 through 2014. It had 110 episodes spread across six seasons. The plot is based on a community college, and the show uses pop-culture references to pay homage to the film and television tropes. Community has received multiple international awards in what can be seen a wide approval of the show.
15. The Bear
Score: 2.66 out of 3
Year: 2022 – Present
Comedy series The Bear is 15th on the list. The TV show has been widely appreciated for its direction and the roles played by its characters. The first season premiered in June 2022, and it has been renewed for a second season which is set to be released in June 2023. Lead actor Jeremy White won the Best Actor in a Comedy Role at the Critics’ Choice Television Awards. The Bear received a solid 100/100 rating from Rotten Tomatoes.
14. Only Murders In The Building
Score: 2.67 out of 3
Year: 2021 – Present
Only Murders In The Building premiered in 2021 on Hulu. It is a comedy mystery drama series that is based on three people who are passionate about true crime podcasts. A person dies in the building they live in, leading them to team up to investigate the murder. The show has been renewed for a third season which will be released in August 2023. There are 10 episodes each in the earlier two seasons.
13. Steven Universe
Score: 2.68 out of 3
Year: 2013 – 2019
American animated TV series Steven Universe is ranked 13th. Created for Cartoon Network and now available on Hulu, it showcases the story of a young boy who lives with aliens in a fictional city. The first episode premiered in 2013 and the show ran until 2019. There are five seasons and a total of 160 episodes. Steven Universe scored a solid 100 out of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes, the film and TV shows rating website owned by Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCSA).
12. The Americans
Score: 2.69 out of 3Year: 2013 – 2018
Spy thriller The Americans is 12th on our list. The series, which premiered between 2013 and 2018, is focused on two Soviet intelligence offers posted in Virginia during the Cold War era. The series starts with Ronald Reagan’s inauguration in 1981 and ends in 1987 upon signing of a treaty between the United States and Soviet Union. The series has six seasons made up of 75 episodes. The show is rated 96 out of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes.
11. Atlanta
Score: 2.70 out of 3
Year: 2016 – 2022
Created by Donald Glover, Atlanta is a comedy series based on the life of a college dropout who struggles to redeem himself in the eyes of his parents and his girlfriend. The show has been regarded as one of thebest series of the decade by IndieWire. There has been a total of four seasons, running between 2016 and 2022. Atlanta has won multiple international awards which can be deemed universal acclaim for how good the show is. The show is available on both Hulu and Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX).
