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The Best Shows on Hulu to Binge-Watch Now

(Clockwise From Top Left: Hulu/Warner Bros. Tv/Hulu/Universal Television)

Looking for something to stream while in quarantine? With more time on our hands than ever as we all stay in amid the coronavirus pandemic, there are hundreds of television shows that you'll now have time to start watching (or rewatching, in some cases).

Hulu is just one of the many streaming services offering worthy originals to check out, from Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington's Little Fires Everywhere to Zoe Kravitz's musical dramedy, High Fidelityto Veronica Mars (but let's talk about that controversial ending...). Then there are current hits like This Is Us, Grey's Anatomy and 9-1-1 that you have no excuse but to get caught up on. Or, if you're in a nostalgic mood, you can't go wrong revisiting classics like Friday Night Lights, Dawson's Creek and ER.

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So, while you're looking for things to binge-watch in the self-quarantine era, here is ET's guide to the best TV shows currently streaming on Hulu.

 

HULU ORIGINALS

 

High Fidelity
Seasons: 1

In a new series inspired by Nick Hornby's novel and the 2000 John Cusack film, Zoe Kravitz turns in a star performance with her gender-flipped take on Rob, a record store owner who is a pop culture nut and loves a good "Top 5" list. The half-hour romantic dramedy excels at depicting the highs and lows of love and heartbreak -- and the finale will leave you wanting another season. (Plus, surprising cameos from Debbie Harry and Jack Antonoff!)

Little Fires Everywhere
Seasons: 1

Reese Witherspoon. Kerry Washington. Those names alone should be enough to make you press play on this addictive limited series, adapted from Celeste Ng's best-selling novel. Sure, the comparisons to Big Little Lies will be there (if only because both have "little" in the title) but as the eight-part series evolves, it transforms into a twisty tale about race, class, money and motherhood -- and the lengths you'd go to protect your own.

Pen15
Seasons: 1

Everyone has those awkward teen years they can't wait to block out for the rest of their lives. Creators and stars Maya Erksine and Anna Konkle take up the brave task of reliving their middle school misery in this gem of a series, where they de-age their 30-something selves to play 13 year olds in 2000. Seriously, get ready to cringe a lot, but in a good way!

Shrill
Seasons: 2

Saturday Night Live's Aidy Bryant shows another side to her comedic genius in this smart series that centers on Annie, a young woman juggling ambitious career goals with all the drama in her personal life, from terrible boyfriends to family tragedies to body image issues.  

Other worthy shows to check out: Patricia Arquette and Joey King get a little nutty in The Act; Ramy Youssef brilliantly explores Muslim American identity in the millennial generation in Ramy; and a diverse group of teen superheroes face off with their criminal parents in Marvel's Runaways.

Sign up for Hulu here.

TO BE YOUNG AGAIN...

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Seasons: 7

If there was ever a perfect moment to jump on the Buffy bandwagon, now is the time to see what made Sarah Michelle Gellar a teen icon and a household name in the '90s and '00s. And, if you're feeling uber-ambitious, all five seasons of the Angel spinoff are also streamable. (Good luck figuring out when to toggle back and forth for the Buffy-Angel crossover episodes!)

Dawson's Creek
Seasons: 6

Sometimes, you just need a moody teen drama to curl up with. If that's the case, Dawson's Creek -- which introduced us to the likes of Katie Holmes, James Van Der Beek, Joshua Jackson and Michelle Williams -- should be at the top of your list. Don't you want to know where the infamous "Dawson crying" meme came from? Or experience the saddest-ever TV death by ice cream cone? We thought so.

Friday Night Lights
Seasons: 5

Texas forever! Your tear ducts are about to get a workout. Coach Taylor and Tami Taylor are major #couplegoals and it's hard not to root for the kids of Dillion High (and later, East Dillon). And, if you've coined an inspirational motto half as good as the show's -- "Full eyes, clear hearts, can't lose" -- you've done something right.

Veronica Mars
Seasons:4, plus a movie

This is one P.I. you don't want to mess with. Veronica Mars follows Kristen Bell as she begins her amateur sleuthing while working alongside her pops, Keith Mars, at his agency, and trying to solve the mystery of her best friend, Lily Kane's (a young Amanda Seyfried!), death. As the series progresses, things get messier and more complicated for the heroine, whose journey continues in a 2014 fan-funded movie and a "final" fourth season on Hulu in 2019.

Other worthy shows to check out: Teenage angst, love triangles and family drama make One Tree Hill one emotional ride; best friends Jane, Sutton and Kat try to navigate life, love and work onThe Bold Type; the ballet-centric Bunheadswill make you miss Gilmore Girls that much more; the acerbic animated cartoon Daria is a splash of grungy '90s nostalgia; or spend a few hours everyday with the hot teen aliens of Roswell.

Sign up for Hulu here.

COMFORT TV

Community 
Seasons: 6

One of the most unique TV comedies in recent years, Community began with a simple premise: six unlikely strangers meet in a study group at community college. But it quickly became so much more than that, spinning brilliantly clever storylines from the mind of creator Dan Harmon and the talents of its star-studded cast. Only Community could spin a Ken Burns-style documentary out of a pillow fight and an epic action episode (actually directed by Justin Lin) from a campus-wide paintball game. Six seasons and (maybe) a movie!

Happy Endings 
Seasons: 3

There's a reason Happy Endings fans are constantly clamoring for a reboot or reunion. The criminally underrated sitcom only lasted three seasons on ABC, but combines a Friends-level ensemble cast you've loved in a million other roles with endless zany adventures and hilarious recurring jokes. In short, it's ah-mah-zing.

Superstore
Seasons:
5

Following in the footsteps of The Office, 30 Rock, and Parks and Recreation before it, Superstore is another of NBC's charming and hilarious workplace comedies. Starring America Ferrera, Ben Feldman, Mark McKinney, and a talented ensemble, the show explores the lives of the employees of a big box store, who often have way more to do at work than just their jobs. 

Younger
Seasons: 6

Ever wished you could reinvent yourself? In Younger, Sutton Foster's Liza does just that, falsely claiming to be a 20-something in order to get an entry-level job in publishing and a new lease on life. The complexities of managing that secret, however, lead to both hilarious cover-up hijinks and heartfelt emotional moments as she struggles with knowing who to trust and feeling like a fraud.

Other worthy shows to check out: For heartfelt family drama, there's This Is Us, Brothers & Sisters and Parenthoodto sink your teeth into something soapier, try RevengeDesperate Housewives or UnREAL; and then, of course, there's the seemingly never-ending medical and interpersonal drama of Grey's Anatomy.

Sign up for Hulu here.

ALL THE ACTION!

9-1-1
Seasons: 3

Strap up, because the 118 is at your service! 9-1-1 has a way of bringing together the personal and the professional in unique and entertaining ways, through its relationships, weird (but often real-life inspired) cases and life-changing, near-death moments. 

9-1-1: Lone Star
Seasons: 1

Sometimes we all need a little bit of mindless fun and the Texas-set 9-1-1: Lone Star, led by Rob Lowe, is the perfect candidate for easy, action-packed viewing. Chock-full of unusual emergencies, just like its flagship series, the drama hits the ground running. In 10 episodes, you learn a lot about Lowe's Owen Strand, his troubled son, T.K., and Firehouse 126.

Killing Eve 
Seasons:3

Sandra Oh and Jodie Comer are an unlikely duo in this unusual spy drama from Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge, which follows a MI-5 investigator who becomes unhealthily obsessed with a cold-blooded assassin. As you can imagine, things go deadly awry in the most delicious ways. 

Timeless
Seasons: 2

With schools closed for the foreseeable future, Timeless is the perfect gateway to learning about American history in an entertaining way. Follow Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus as they time-travel back to important eras -- and maybe, just maybe, change the course of history.

Other worthy shows to check out: Lean into the adrenaline rush of24, Blindspot, Chicago Fire and Prison Break.

Sign up for Hulu here.

THE CLASSICS

Beverly Hills, 90210 
Seasons: 10

Welcome to the Peach Pit! If you have all the time in the world, Beverly Hills, 90210 is prime viewing, with nearly 300 episodes to binge your way through. But, if you only can spare time for a few seasons, the high school years are classic BH90210. And don't forget the spinoff, Melrose Place, which has seven seasons worth of soapy drama.

ER
Seasons: 15

Though Grey's Anatomy has since surpassed it as the longest-running medical drama on primetime television, you can't forget the first -- and ER, which introduced the world to stars like George Clooney and Noah Wyle, is well worth digging into. From the first few seasons alone, there are dozens of iconic episodes, from Dr. Mark Greene's devastating mistake in "Love's Labour Lost" in season 1 to Dr. Susan Lewis' abrupt goodbye (the first major cast exit) in season 3. And we're just scratching the surface.

Lost
Seasons: 6

Sure, the series finale was a bit controversial, but there's a reason why J.J. Abrams' high-concept drama about a plane full of strangers who crash land on a mysterious island has been widely considered one of modern television's groundbreaking series. There's polar bears, a hatch and a smoke monster -- what more could you want?

The X-Files 
Seasons: 11, plus two movies

Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, need we say more?

Other worthy shows to check out: With Star Trek: Picard recently ended over at CBS All Access, why not delve into the original Star Trek TV franchise?

Sign up for Hulu here.

REALITY GEMS

Love Island (U.K.)
Seasons: 6

New dating shows are dropping every day, but if you're in the market for a tried-and-true reality series, look no further than the U.K.'s impeccably-produced Love Island. (You can watch the newly-launched U.S. version on CBS All Access!) Narrated by Iain Stirling and hosted by the late Caroline Flack, Love Island has everything you want in a reality dating show: good-looking men and women with eight-pack abs looking to hook up (and maybe find true love in the process) in a spacious villa. Oh, and there's that £50,000 prize. 

Top Chef 
Seasons: 17

Quarantine cooking is becoming everyone's favorite hobby, so why not press play on this Bravo staple for ambitious food inspiration? 

The Wine Show
Seasons: 2

Besties Matthew Rhys and Matthew Goode take their beginner wine knowledge to this hilarious unscripted series, where they basically spend each hour drinking a ton of European wine while trying to learn a thing or two. If anything, it's a great excuse to watch two famous BFFs knock back a few and make fools of themselves in the most endearing way. (Season 2 welcomes close pal James Purefoy into the fray.)

Other worthy shows to check out: Watch L.C. and her friends take Los Angeles in The Hills; the Kardashians rehash all their drama on Keeping Up With the Kardashians; and the most outrageous spur-of-the-moment engagements on 90 Day Fiance.

Meredith B. Kile contributed to this story.

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