These days, streaming services are at an all-time high when it comes to popularity and demand. Steaming services have expanded their horizons from hosting other television shows and movies from other platforms to creating their own, which was a smart move. Viewers have their favorite streaming services and one of the most popular to date is Hulu. Hulu took note of other streaming services that were producing their own content and started using their platform for original movies and television shows that gained traction fairly quickly.
As of 2020, there are plenty of television shows to pick from on Hulu, but there are obviously fan favorites, and it’s shown on online databases such as IMDb. The fans have watched and they have spoken; below are 10 of the best Hulu Original television shows released in 2020.
A Teacher – 7.2
First off, A Teacher isn’t a highly-rated show because it has a great storyline, but it does have a great lesson to show and tell. Teacher/student relationships are forbidden, and creator Hannah Fidell wanted to release this show as a platform for signs, and triggers that come along with the grooming and victimhood of these relationships. Starring Kate Mara and Nick Robinson, Kate stars as Claire, a high school teacher who is married to her high school sweetheart and is desperate for a new connection. She starts tutoring a high school senior named Eric, who is charming, popular, and wanting to get into college.
Their relationship pushes the boundaries of what normal interactions between a teacher and student should be while portraying warning signs of abuse and inappropriate relationships. Hannah Fidell and the cast took a risk by bringing this sensitive subject to television screens, but they did it with respect for actual victims and showing how gender roles can be reversed.
High Fidelity – 7.6
Based on Nick Hornby’s novel High Fidelity, and the movie starring John Cusack in 2000, creators Sarah Kucserka and Veronica West have re-booted this story into a television show starring Zoe Kravitz, and Jake Lacy. Robyn Brooks, played by Kravitz, runs a local record store in her hometown and is a huge fan of pop culture, music, and Top Five lists.
From the romances, music, friendships, and the storyline, High Fidelity takes an already great story and turns it into a very well-done reboot. Zoe Kravitz plays her character perfectly and if she hasn’t proved herself as a well-established actress that can play versatile roles, High Fidelity provided that for her.
Little Fires Everywhere – 7.7
Lately, mini-series are all the rage, and when creator Liz Tigelaar adapted Celeste Ng’s bestseller, Little Fires Everywhere, it was magic. Starring A-listers Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, the series follows the lives of the picture-perfect Richardson family and a mother and daughter named Mia and Pearl. Their lives become intertwined, and the series peeks behind the blinders of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious mentality of motherhood.
Little Fires Everywhere is a dark drama that deals with situations that are happening in society today, which makes it captivating and binge-worthy. While Little Fires Everywhere was nominated for the amazing performances throughout the series, they didn’t get the recognition they deserved.
Devs – 7.7
Devs is an American sci-fi thriller mini-series that was created, written, and directed by Alex Garland. It follows a woman named Lily Chan, played by Sonoya Mizuno, a software engineer for Amaya, a quantum computing company run by a man named Forest, played by Nick Offerman. After his first day of work, Lily’s boyfriend dies under mysterious circumstances, and she quickly suspects his new employer has something to do with it.
It’s then when Lily becomes obsessed with uncovering the secrets behind his death and to prove this company was involved in his death. The show also explores storylines involving free will, determinism, and Silicon Valley. This show blossoms under Alex Garland’s writing and direction, and is quickly becoming a show to follow.
No Man’s Land – 7.8
No Man’s Land is a war drama that is an eight-part series that offers an outsider’s perspective on the Syrian civil war, and a male’s perspective on the female fighting unit known as YPJ. It eases into the story of a family grieving the death of their daughter in a suicide bombing, but not everyone believes she is actually dead.
Her brother suspects she is still alive after he captures a glimpse of her on a news report, which sets his sights on the Middle East to find her and bring her back from death. The casting is excellent while making viewers love and hate them at the same time.
Mrs. America – 7.9
Based on conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly’s fight against the Equal Rights Amendment movement in the 1970s, Mrs. America is another great mini-series by FX for Hulu that has received ten nominations so far. Starring Cate Blanchett as Phyllis, this show is extremely well-researched, the acting is spot on and it shows every angle of the ERA movement, which shaped the American political landscape.
Other excellent acting came from Rose Byrne as Gloria Steinem, Uzo Abuba as Shirley Chisholm, and Elizabeth Banks as Jill Ruckelshaus, and along with many other roles Blanchett has played, her role in Mrs. America is definitely one of the best in her career so far.
Solar Opposites – 8.0
Taking a break from realistic television shows on Hulu, Solar Opposites give adults a chance to enjoy a well-done cartoon series about a family of aliens. Created by Mike McMahan and Justin Roiland, the creators and writers of Rick and Morty, they bring to life a group of aliens who take refuge in middle America, after escaping the destruction of their planet Shlorp and crashing on Earth.
Throughout the first season, they try to maintain a normal life, while wondering if this move to this planet was for the good or the bad. Solar Opposites is crude, binge-worthy, and it may not make much sense, but it’s a great break from the stresses of life.
Love, Victor – 8.1
Set in the world of Love, Simon, Victor Salazar, played by Michael Cimino, is a new student at Creekwood High School in Atlanta, GA and is like any typical teenager; Victor is on a self-journey to navigate through teenagehood, getting along with family members at home, and struggling with his sexual orientation.
When everything seems to be too much to handle, Victor reaches out to Simon for guidance on how to deal with it all. Love, Victor is a television show that is real, relatable, and an essential show to watch for anyone struggling with their own journey. Michael Cimino isn’t new to Hollywood, but Love, Victor is proof that he’s one to keep on the radar and know more about.
The Great – 8.1
Catherine, a royal woman living in rural Russia during the 18th century, is forced to choose between her newly wedded husband, the Emperor, or her own personal happiness and the future of Russia. Elle Fanning plays Catherine the Great perfectly, while Nicholas Hoult plays Peter, the Emperor. The Great is witty, funny, and loosely based on historical events that actually happened.
Everything from the soundtrack, the costuming, and the script is nearly perfect and screaming for a second season immediately. In fact, The Great is among 2020’s best British shows because of this.
Normal People – 8.5
To round out some of the best Hulu shows in 2020 is Normal People. This show follows the characters Marianne and Connell, two young individuals that are from different backgrounds but live in the same small town in Ireland. The series follows their complex relationship from secondary school to being undergraduates at the same college.
While Marianne is a bit of an oddball with impressive academic achievements, Connell is a popular athlete who cares too much about what his friends think. While there is obviously a rare attraction between the two, things get complicated when Connell and Marianne’s only relationship is in secret. While they try to work through their murky relationship, other aspects of their lives intermingle as well.
