20 Best Drama TV Shows on Hulu 2026
Explore 20 Hulu drama picks, from The X-Files and The Bear to Furious and The Shards, with crime, mystery, thriller, and adventure favorites.
If you’re searching for gripping TV with strong characters, tense twists, and a mix of crime, mystery, drama, thriller, and adventure, this list is built to help. We pulled together 20 Hulu picks that range from newer buzzed-about series like Furious, The Shards, and The Beauty to long-running favorites such as The X-Files, The Mentalist, and Gilmore Girls. You’ll also find standout genre blends like The Bear and Over the Garden Wall, which keep the page from feeling one-note. Whether you want a dark case-of-the-week watch, a sharp family story, or something stranger and more atmospheric, these are some of the best drama TV shows on Hulu worth adding to your queue.
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01
American Horror Story
Won 17 Emmys 101 nominations
drama · horror · sci-fi · thriller
An anthology horror drama series centering on different characters and locations, including a house with a murderous past, an asylum, a witch coven, a freak show, a hotel, a farmhouse in Roanoke, a cult, the apocalypse and a summer camp.
Directed by Bradley Buecker, Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Jennifer Lynch, John J. Gray, Michael UppendahlCast Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Denis O'Hare, Emma Roberts, Jessica LangeAmazon Prime VideoHuluMore details on IMDb → -
02
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Won 6 Emmys Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series (2006) · 25 nominations
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
In the criminal justice system, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. In New York City, the dedicated detectives who investigate these vicious felonies are members of an elite squad known as the Special Victims Unit. These are their stories.
Directed by Jean de Segonzac, David Platt, Peter Leto, Juan José Campanella, Norberto BarbaCast Mariska Hargitay, Ice-T, Dann Florek, Richard Belzer, Kelli GiddishHuluPeacock PremiumMore details on IMDb → -
03
Law & Order
Won 6 Emmys Outstanding Drama Series (1997) · 52 nominations
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
In cases ripped from the headlines, police investigate serious and often deadly crimes, weighing the evidence and questioning the suspects until someone is taken into custody. The district attorney's office then builds a case to convict the perpetrator by proving the person guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Working together, these expert teams navigate all sides of the complex criminal justice system to make New York a safer place.
Directed by Constantine Makris, Edwin Sherin, Jace Alexander, David Platt, Richard DobbsCast Sam Waterston, S. Epatha Merkerson, Jerry Orbach, Steven Hill, Jesse L. MartinNetflixHuluPeacock PremiumMore details on IMDb → -
04
Best Medicine
comedy · drama
A brilliant surgeon leaves Boston to become a small-town doctor where he spent childhood summers. Despite his medical skills, his rude manner alienates locals as he battles hidden phobias and struggles with personal connections.
Directed by Jaime Eliezer Karas, Jamie Babbit, Todd Holland, Jaffar Mahmood, Jason WinerCast Josh Charles, Abigail Spencer, Josh Segarra, Cree, Annie PottsNetflixHuluMore details on IMDb → -
05
Over the Garden Wall
Won 2 Emmys
animation · short · adventure · comedy · drama · family · fantasy · horror · mystery
Two brothers, Wirt and Greg, find themselves lost in the Unknown; a strange forest adrift in time. With the help of a wise old Woodsman and a foul-tempered bluebird named Beatrice, Wirt and Greg must travel across this strange land, in hope of finding their way home. Join them as they encounter surprises and obstacles on their journey through the wood.
Directed by Nate CashCast Elijah Wood, Collin Dean, Melanie Lynskey, Christopher Lloyd, Samuel RameyAmazon Prime VideoHuluDisney PlusMore details on IMDb →
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06
Furious
crime · drama · thriller
FBI agent Alice Black is on the hunt for a mysterious and calculating female serial killer. Both walk their own paths toward justice, and as their lives start to intertwine, the line between right and wrong begins to blur.
Directed by Destiny Ekaragha, Karena Evans, Brian KirkCast Emmy Rossum, Lola Petticrew, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Scoot McNairy, Jake LacyHuluMore details on IMDb → -
07
The Americans
Won 4 Emmys Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (2018) · 18 nominations
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
Set during the Cold War period in the 1980s, The Americans is the story of Elizabeth and Philip Jennings, two Soviet KGB officers posing as an American married couple in the suburbs of Washington D.C. and their neighbor, Stan Beeman, an FBI Counterintelligence agent.
Directed by Chris Long, Daniel Sackheim, Thomas Schlamme, Daniel Attias, Stefan SchwartzCast Keri Russell, Matthew Rhys, Keidrich Sellati, Holly Taylor, Noah EmmerichHuluMore details on IMDb → -
08
Doc
drama
Dr. Amy Larsen must navigate an unfamiliar world after a brain injury erases the last eight years of her life. She can rely only on her estranged 17-year-old daughter, whom she remembers as a 9-year-old, and a handful of devoted friends, as she struggles to continue practicing medicine, despite having lost nearly a decade of knowledge and experience.
Directed by Russell Lee Fine, Marisol Adler, Jono Oliver, Nicole Rubio, Rebecca ThomasCast Molly Parker, Omar Metwally, Jon-Michael Ecker, Amirah Vann, Anya BanerjeeNetflixHuluMore details on IMDb → -
09
The X-Files
Won 16 Emmys Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (1996) · 62 nominations
adventure · crime · drama · mystery · sci-fi · thriller
The exploits of FBI Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully who investigate X-Files: marginalized, unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena. Mulder believes in the existence of aliens and the paranormal while Scully, a skeptic, is assigned to make scientific analyses of Mulder's discoveries that debunk Mulder's work and thus return him to mainstream cases.
Directed by Kim Manners, Rob Bowman, David Nutter, Chris Carter, R.W. GoodwinCast Gillian Anderson, David Duchovny, Mitch Pileggi, William B. Davis, Robert PatrickHuluMore details on IMDb → -
10
Gilmore Girls
Won 1 Emmy
comedy · drama
Set in the charming town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, the series follows the captivating lives of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, a mother/daughter pair who have a relationship most people only dream of.
Directed by Jamie Babbit, Amy Sherman-Palladino, Chris Long, Lee Shallat Chemel, Kenny OrtegaCast Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Melissa McCarthy, Scott Patterson, Yanic TruesdaleAmazon Prime VideoHuluMore details on IMDb → -
11
The Bear
Won 22 Emmys 2x Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series · 57 nominations
comedy · drama
Carmy, a young fine-dining chef, comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop. As he fights to transform the shop and himself, he works alongside a rough-around-the-edges crew that ultimately reveal themselves as his chosen family.
Directed by Christopher Storer, Joanna Calo, Duccio Fabbri, Ramy Youssef, Ayo EdebiriCast Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-ZayasHuluDisney PlusMore details on IMDb → -
12
Mr Inbetween
comedy · crime · drama
Ray Shoesmith is a father, ex-husband, boyfriend and best friend: tough roles to juggle in the modern age. Even harder when you’re a criminal for hire.
Directed by Nash EdgertonCast Scott Ryan, Chika Yasumura, Justin Rosniak, Damon Herriman, Brooke SatchwellHuluMore details on IMDb → -
13
The Apothecary Diaries
animation · drama · history · mystery · romance
Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she's sold as a lowly servant to the emperor's palace. But she wasn't meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she's making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!
Directed by Norihiro Naganuma, Akinori Fudesaka, Jun Ôwada, Wataru Nakagawa, Akira KoremotoCast Aoi Yûki, Emi Lo, Takeo Otsuka, Katsuyuki Konishi, Kaiji TangNetflixHuluMore details on IMDb → -
14
The Mentalist
1 Emmy nomination Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series (2009)
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
Patrick Jane, a former celebrity psychic medium, uses his razor sharp skills of observation and expertise at "reading" people to solve serious crimes with the California Bureau of Investigation.
Directed by Chris Long, Eric Laneuville, John F. Showalter, Charles Beeson, Randy ZiskCast Simon Baker, Robin Tunney, Tim Kang, Owain Yeoman, Amanda RighettiHuluMore details on IMDb → -
15
Fargo
Won 7 Emmys 70 nominations
crime · drama · thriller
A close-knit anthology series dealing with stories involving malice, violence and murder based in and around Minnesota.
Directed by Noah Hawley, Michael Uppendahl, Dana Gonzales, Keith Gordon, Dearbhla WalshCast Allison Tolman, Billy Bob Thornton, Colin Hanks, Jason Schwartzman, Martin FreemanHuluMore details on IMDb → -
16
Criminal Minds
3 Emmy nominations
crime · drama · mystery · thriller
An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases.
Directed by Glenn Kershaw, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Rob Bailey, Edward Allen Bernero, Matthew Gray GublerCast Kirsten Vangsness, A.J. Cook, Matthew Gray Gubler, Joe Mantegna, Thomas GibsonAmazon Prime VideoHuluParamount PlusMore details on IMDb → -
17
The Lowdown
biography · drama · history
A determined bookstore owner in Tulsa moonlights as an investigative journalist, digging into local corruption. When his reporting uncovers sinister connections, he must protect both his family and the truth.
Directed by Sterlin Harjo, Macon Blair, Danis GouletCast Ethan Hawke, Keith David, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Kyle MacLachlanHuluMore details on IMDb → -
18
Sleepy Hollow
1 Emmy nomination
action · adventure · crime · drama · fantasy · horror · mystery · thriller
Ichabod Crane is resurrected and pulled two and a half centuries through time to unravel a mystery that dates all the way back to the founding fathers.
Directed by Russell Lee Fine, Paul A. Edwards, Doug Aarniokoski, Ken Olin, Marc RoskinCast Tom Mison, Lyndie Greenwood, Nicole Beharie, Orlando Jones, Katia WinterAmazon Prime VideoHuluMore details on IMDb → -
19
Paradise
Won 1 Emmy 2x Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series · 11 nominations
action · drama · thriller
The tranquility in a serene, wealthy community inhabited by some of the world's most prominent individuals explodes when a shocking murder occurs and a high stakes investigation unfolds.
Directed by Glenn Ficarra, John Requa, Hanelle M. Culpepper, Gandja Monteiro, Liza JohnsonCast Sterling K. Brown, Sarah Shahi, Nicole Brydon Bloom, Julianne Nicholson, Aliyah MastinHuluMore details on IMDb → -
20
Modern Family
Won 22 Emmys 3x Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series · 85 nominations
comedy · drama · romance
The Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan is a wonderfully large and blended family. They give us an honest and often hilarious look into the sometimes warm, sometimes twisted, embrace of the modern family.
Directed by Gail Mancuso, Steven Levitan, Beth McCarthy-Miller, Michael Spiller, Jason WinerCast Ed O'Neill, Sofía Vergara, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Jesse Tyler FergusonHuluPeacock PremiumMore details on IMDb →
Wrapping Up
From sleek crime stories to emotionally charged character pieces, this lineup shows how much variety Hulu can offer when you want a show that really pulls you in. Titles like The X-Files, The Bear, and Gilmore Girls prove that drama can be tense, funny, eerie, or deeply personal without losing momentum. If you’re building a watchlist, bookmark this page and come back when you want a fresh recommendation. We update it regularly so the latest standout series can sit alongside the classics and the newest arrivals.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often is this list updated?
We refresh this list regularly as titles are added or removed from streaming catalogs, so rankings and availability stay current.
Do I need a Hulu subscription to watch these?
Yes — every title on this list is currently available on Hulu. Availability can change, so we recommend checking the streaming link on each title before you start watching.
How are these drama shows ranked?
We rank by a combination of audience rating and current popularity, so you're seeing the drama titles people are actually watching right now, not just an old fixed list.