The beautiful thing about Hulu that sets it apart from almost every other streaming service is its gargantuan library of awesome original TV shows (and even great movies, too). That being said, a selection of TV comedies as vast and versatile as what comes available with a Hulu subscription can be quite overwhelming. How do you even begin your search?!
Step One: calm the heck down. Step Two: take a gander at our recommendations for some of the funniest TV shows you can find on Hulu. Step Three: sit back and have a good laugh with these hilarious programs from the past and present.
Only Murders In The Building (2021-Present)
No TV show has captured the modern world’s obsession with true crime better, and in a funnier way, than this Hulu exclusive about a mismatched trio whose podcast about deadly crimes in their famed Manhattan apartment complex makes them a sensation, but also puts them in harm’s way. Co-creator Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez make a magnificent team as the leads of the Only Murders in the Building cast, who are returning for an upcoming third season, premiering in August 2023.
Stream Only Murders in the Building on Hulu.
It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005-Present)
If I were to give a name to this generation’s equivalent to Seinfeld, it would very likely be It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, despite the long-running (16 seasons and counting) FX original’s propensity to be a bit stranger and much, much darker than Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David’s classic ever proved to be. The cult favorite – featuring Danny DeVito in the hilarious main cast – follows the misadventures of a group of best friends who own an Irish pub in South Philadelphia and often trip over their own incredibly narcissistic and borderline sociopathic tendencies.
Stream It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia on Hulu.
New Girl (2011-2018)
Zooey Deschanel brought her signature, quirky charm to the small screen as the lead of the New Girl cast in the role of Jessica Day – a recently heartbroken LA teacher who moves in with three male strangers. However, it is her chemistry with Jake Johnson as Nick, Lamorne Morris as Winston, Max Greenfield as Schmidt, and Hannah Simone as Cece that makes creator Elizabeth Meriwether’s sitcom so irresistibly funny.
What We Do In The Shadows (2019-Present)
What do you get when you cross the mockumentary-style humor of The Office or Modern Family with the lore pioneered by Dracula author Bram Stoker? You get one of the funniest horror TV shows available on Hulu, What We Do in the Shadows – a series adaptation of Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s horror-comedy movie classic of the same name in which a camera crew follows the daily routine of a group of vampires.
Stream What We Do in the Shadows on Hulu.
Archer (2009-2023)
While there have already been countless parodies of great spy movies and TV shows for decades, no one has poked fun at espionage quite like creator Adam Reed’s Archer, and not just because it’s animated. Perhaps it is Bob’s Burgers star H. Jon Benjamin's performance as the title character, who is, somehow, the top agent at the already dysfunctional International Secret Intelligence Service despite his reputation as a selfish, absent-minded jerk.
Cheers (1982-1993)
In a time when family sitcoms were all the rage, this iconic favorite redefined the sitcom family as the people you see every day when you stop for a drink on your way home from work. The long-running, multi-Emmy Award-winning hit Cheers – which Frasier was spun-off from – also had an extremely talented ensemble that included The Good Place’s Ted Danson, Shelley Long, and Oscar nominee Woody Harrleson.
Futurama (1999-2023)
The present day looks funnier when shown through the lens of a futuristic society. Proof of this claim lies in the best episodes of Futurama, which – like co-creator Matt Groening’s other most famous creation, The Simpsons (which this series also referenced often) – pokes fun at pop culture mercilessly, but makes it even more fun with sci-fi elements.
How I Met Your Mother (2005-2014)
Kids, in 2005, CBS debuted a sitcom that had a lot of interesting things to say about modern romance and surviving adulthood from the perspective of a man telling his children his own love story… consisting mostly of anecdotes about his friends. Created by Carter Bays and Craig Thomas and featuring a now-A-list cast, How I Met Your Mother became a widely beloved pop culture staple that went on to inspire a Hulu-exclusive, gender-swapped spin-off, How I Met Your Father, featuring cameos by HIMYM characters like Barney Stinson and Robin Sherbtasky.
Stream How I Met Your Mother on Hulu.
Scrubs (2001-2010)
Fans of great TV medical dramas and quirky sitcoms looking for a series that combines the styles of both should look no further than Scrubs. Starring Zach Braff, Sarah Chalke, and more in its top-notch cast, creator Bill Lawrence’s long-running hit comedy is just as surrealistically funny as it can be heartwarming and even heartbreaking at times.
The Great (2020-Present)
A wonderful example of how effectively people can learn through humor is this retelling of the rise of Catherine the Great (Elle Fanning) as the governess of Russia that often likes to stretch the truth. However, by being a bit loose with the facts, The Great also succeeds in being an amusing and thought-provoking reflection of modern day society, but with more old-fashioned production design and lavish costumes.
Abbott Elementary (2021-Present)
The documentary-style sitcom is nothing new – and even became common enough to inspire parody on WandaVision – but what star and creator Quinta Brunson does with it on Abbott Elementary is refreshing. Following the eccentric, diverse faculty of a Philadelphia elementary school with a low reputation, the three-time Emmy-winning hit is one of the most talked about comedies on TV right now for its irreverent, high-brow sense of humor.
Stream Abbott Elementary on Hulu.
Schitt’s Creek (2015-2020)
No one has ever told a “riches-to-rags” story that managed to be as uplifting, influential, and absolutely hilarious than the more common, opposite, approach to the theme than co-creators Eugene and Dan Levy. The real-life father and son also star in the stellar Schitt’s Creek cast as the father and son of a wealthy family forced to live in the titular rural community, which becomes their sole asset after losing everything else.
Stream Schitt’s Creek on Hulu.
Community (2009-2015)
A key element to a successful series can often be the ambition to reinvent itself every season or two, but the key to Community’s storied run was how those behind the series reinvented it every few episodes. As a result, fans still relish in the invigorating creativity of Dan Harmon’s tale about a group of underdogs (brought to life by a brilliant, diverse ensemble) who come together while attending community college.
Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009)
As one of the most prolific and intuitive comedic talents working today, you might wonder how Chris Rock developed his sense of humor. The comedian would reveal all by co-creating and narrating Everybody Hates Chris – an autobiographical twist on the family sitcom set in the 1980s and starring Tyler James Williams as Rock’s younger onscreen counterpart.
Stream Everybody Hates Chris on Hulu.
Modern Family (2009-2020)
A documentary crew follows an aging divorcee (Ed O’Neill), his new, younger Colombian wife (Sofia Vergara), his daughter (Julie Bowen) and her childish spouse (Ty Burell), her younger brother (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) and his husband (Eric Stonestreet), and their respective children. From creators Christopher Lloyd (not that one) and Steve Levitan, this sweet, Emmy-winning mockumentary-style ABC sitcom authentically, and tastefully, defines what it means to be a Modern Family.
The Golden Girls (1985-1992)
A quartet of single women – including the down-to-earth Dorothy (Bea Arthur), her outspoken mother, Sophia (Estelle Getty), the dim but endearing Rose (Betty White), and romantically active Blanche (Rue McClanahan) – learn to survive each other as roommates in Miami. As the title of The Golden Girls suggests, our central characters prove that, despite having entered their golden years, they have not yet lost their biting sense of humor.
Stream The Golden Girls on Hulu.
Rick And Morty (2013-Present)
An alcoholic mad scientist drags his meek, teenage grandson on dangerous, often life-changing adventures to different worlds. While it is essentially an animated parody of Doc and Marty McFly’s relationship in Back to the Future, Rick and Morty (co-created by Community mastermind Dan Harmon) has become one of the most acclaimed science-fiction TV shows in recent memory.
Stream Rick and Morty on Hulu.
Atlanta (2016-2022)
I might be cheating by including this Emmy-winning FX original because Atlanta – starring creator Donald Glover as a penniless college dropout who takes on the responsibility of managing his rapper cousin (Brian Tyree Henry) – is more than just a comedy. As seen in many of its best episodes, it is almost a dystopia of surrealist mundanity that can make you laugh, cry, frighten you, or leave you ultimately bewildered by its stunning creativity and brutal honesty.
Letterkenny (2016-2023)
You will never think of the Great White North in the same way again when you see it through the eyes of the diverse, eccentric characters in the Letterkenny cast. This Hulu exclusive based on star and creator Jared Keeso’s Twitter account and set in the titular fictional town from rural Canada will teach you a whole new vocabulary, give you a fresh perspective on a wide variety of topics (including classic pop culture moments), and have you howling with laughter, if you can keep up with the rapid-fire dialogue.
Bob’s Burgers (2011-Present)
Bob Belcher (H. Jon Benjamin) struggles to keep his restaurant – aptly named Bob’s Burgers – in business and his sanity intact as he and his eccentric family endure a series of unusual, yet oddly relatable, mishaps. This animated culinary comedy (easily the sweetest and most endearingly quirky of anything in Fox’s Animation Domination slot) has also inspired an acclaimed feature-length spin-off released in 2022 and an actual cookbook, too.
Key & Peele (2012-2015)
Before they were battling Predators or writing and directing Oscar-winning satirical thrillers, Keegan-Michael Key and Jordan Peele were a couple of talented comedians who first met as cast members on Fox’s MADtv. They would eventually take the world by storm with their own self-titled sketch series, Key & Peele, on Comedy Central, that cemented them as one of the most brilliant and irreverent duos in comedy, with segments that range from a name pronunciation-challenged substitute teacher to a man hired to translate President Barack Obama’s words into furious rants.
These TV shows, old or new, are just what a Hulu subscriber needs to keep them laughing until they cry.
