25 Binge-Worthy TV Dramas on Hulu

Time for a binge? Looking for something to watch on Hulu that you can just devour in large chunks? Or a smaller binge that you can get through in a day?

In the age of multiple streaming platforms, sometimes it’s hard to know where to look for the next great series. So we’ve done some of the work for you by compiling a list of 25 great TV dramas you can binge on Hulu.

Some of these shows are procedurals with compelling characters that will keep you interested, and others have complex narratives that will demand your attention from the moment you start.

Whatever your taste, here are 25 binge-worthy TV dramas you can start watching today.

1. CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

Total Episode Count: 337

Take crime, take Vegas, put it together with some science and you have CSI. The show follows the forensic scientists who work the graveyard shift at the Las Vegas Crime Lab as they investigate murders, robberies, kidnappings, and a whole host of crimes that Sin City has to offer

While the cases-of-the-week tend to be the focus of many episodes, there’s still a fair amount of interpersonal relationships going on between the characters and some mythology to keep viewers interested.

2. Lost

Total Episode Count: 122

Lost was a revolutionary story when it first aired and continues to be a captivating tale to watch. Following the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 on a mysterious island, Lost documents the castaways struggle to survive while also dealing with the mysteries that the island holds.

Viewers who love non-linear storytelling and flashbacks will appreciate how the writers and creators wove in pre-crash narratives and made use of multiple timelines to make the story of the castaways and the island more dynamic.

3. Timeless

Total Episode Count: 28

Sit down and meet the show that was canceled and then uncanceled not once, but twice.

Lucy Preston is a historian who just found out time travel is real and that there’s an organization called Rittenhouse trying to rewrite history. With the help of Wyatt Logan and Rufus Carlin, Lucy goes back and time and attempts to preserve history and save it from the version Rittenhouse wants.

Timeless defied the odds in getting its second season but further defied it in getting its movie. Even though there were only 28 episodes, the series never wavered from its mission of telling some of the lesser-known historical tales, and for that, it’s worth a watch.

4. The Handmaid’s Tale

Total Episode Count: 36

Welcome to Gilead, where all fertile women have been turned into handmaid’s and forced to procreate for the well-being of the wealthy few.

The Handmaid’s Tale follows Offred, formerly known as June, a handmaid in the Waterford house as she attempts to navigate her life in this dystopia. With a stunning cast and impeccable writing, this drama is as captivating as it is unsettling to watch.

5. Blindspot

Total Episode Count: 89

From the first scene on Blindspot viewers know that they are in for an epic tale of identity.

One day, a bag is found in Times Square. As the bomb squad is called in the bag starts moving, and out comes a naked woman covered in tattoos. Jane Doe (Jaimie Alexander) has no memory of who she is or how she got into the bag, but one of her tattoos points to the FBI.

Kurt Weller and his team need to help Jane figure out who she is and where she came from, and, more importantly, what all the tattoos on her body mean, especially since they seem to detail events that haven’t happened yet.

6. Law & Order: SVU

Total Episode Count: 456

Law & Order: SVU is setting records. Not only has it scored a three-season renewal that will certainly put it into the record books for the longest-running TV series (sorry Bonanza), but it also outlasted the original mothership series.

You’ve probably heard the opening voiceover for this series:

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.

Law & Order SVU follows the work of the detectives in this elite unit as they pursue justice for victims of sex crimes. Episodes cover everything from rape on college campuses to human trafficking to child molestation and any variation that may, or may not, have made headlines.

7. Damages

Total Episode Count: 59

Before This is Us made non-linear storytelling cool, there was Damages. This FX series starring Rose Byrne and Glenn Close deploys the narrative device of multiple timelines in such a way that will have you devouring the plot like your favorite candy.

Damages sets up the story of Ellen Parsons, a newly minted law school graduate weighing offers from top law firms.

She accepts an offer at Hewes & Associates where she gets enveloped into the world of class-action law. Soon, however, she realizes that her new job may not be as straight-and-narrow as it seems and wonders if she should have heeded an early warning from another firm.

8. Revenge

Total Episode Count: 89

Loosely based on The Count of Monte Cristo, Revenge follows Amanda Clarke as she embarks on a path of revenge against the Grayson family, who wrongfully accused her father of treason.

Amanda adopts the identity of Emily Thorne and returns to the Hamptons where she begins to deploying a calculated series of traps that will destroy the lives of all those around the Graysons, and she works her way to her target: matriarch Victoria Grayson.

As she gets closer and closer to her goal, Emily needs to confront her past while carrying out her plan.

Fortunately, she has one ally in the form of tech guru Nolan Ross, who wants nothing more than to see his mentor avenged. She’s gonna need it too because things won’t be so easy.

9. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Total Episode Count: 144

Who doesn’t love a story of a girl who can kick some ass? On Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Buffy Summers has just moved to Sunnydale, California where they have a lot of vampires.

That’s not a problem for Buffy, who is “The Slayer,” destined to fight off vampires, demons, and the hoards of evil.

None of this is helped by the fact that Sunnydale is sitting on a Hellmouth, meaning there is a lot more paranormal activity than any other small town, and she still has to be a normal high schooler.

10. Killing Eve

Total Episode Count: 16

The expert storytelling on Killing Eve spins a tale of obsession that is both enticing and lethal.

Killing Eve tells a cat and mouse story of an assassin and an MI-6 officer who is in charge of finding her. Of course, things get more complicated than that, as the assassin, Villanelle (Jodie Comer), becomes infatuated with Eve Polastri (Sandra Oh).

The series tells a tale of obsession and seduction, that never relents and keeps viewers guessing. Impressive performances also make this series enjoyable.

11. Bones

Total Episode Count: 246

Love Scully and Mulder and desperately want a similar dynamic? Look no further than Bones.

Bones follows forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who has struck up a deal with FBI Agent Seeley Booth to be let out into the field.

The series follows the pair and the teams at the Jeffersonian Institute and FBI as they solve crimes and in many cases, give a voice to those who have been forgotten.

12. Rizzoli and Isles

Total Episode Count: 105

Rizzoli and Isles is a procedural for anyone who loves a story about women working together. Detective Jane Rizzoli works in the Boston police department as a homicide detective, and her best friend, Dr. Maura Isles, is the medical examiner.

Not only is their working relationship interesting, but Jane and Maura have a deep personal connection that causes them to get up to many fun and lighthearted antics when they’re not solving crimes.

Of course, let’s not forget that this is a crime show, so it’s not all laughs.

13. Preacher

Total Episode Count: 43

Preacher is a dark comedy about finding god in a world inhabited by holy and hellish forces.

Jesse Custer returns home to West Texas to fulfill a promise to his deceased father. While this former outlaw intends to take over the church, his mission gets bungled when he’s possessed by a cryptic force that unleashes a highly unconventional power within him.

Accompanied by his ex-girlfriend Tulip and Irish vagabond Cassidy, these characters get into tales of delightful debauchery as Jesse attempts to fulfill his promise.

14. The L Word

Total Episode Count: 70

The L Word is part of the LGBT television canon. The series created by Ilene Chaikin tells the stories of a group of lesbian and bisexual characters living in California in a melodramatic, glamorous fashion. 

This series marked one of the first times that lesbian, bisexual, and trans characters were prominently featured on television, and for its representation, the series earned instant critical acclaim and popularity. 

The long-running series sees them get into committed relationships, hook up, consider having families, break up, question their sexuality, stay in the closet, come out of the closet, sleep around, and sometimes all of the above.

15. Veronica Mars

Total Episode Count: 72

If you missed this series the first time around, you may want to give it a second look.

Originally released in 2004, Veronica Mars tells the story of a high school student who used to be popular with cool friends and a jock boyfriend. Then a series of personal and family dramas turns her into Neptune High’s sarcastic and snarky outcast.

Over three seasons, Veronica progresses from high school to college under the tutelage of her private investigator father.

The original series ended in 2007, but love for the series didn’t die.

Following cancellation, the creator announced that he had written a feature-length film and started a Kickstarter when the studio wouldn’t fund it. The film was released in 2014 and an eight-part fourth season was released in 2019.

16. Sons of Anarchy

Total Episode Count: 92

This is for those out there that love crime dramas.

Sons of Anarchy follows Jackson “Jax” Teller, the vice president of an outlaw motorcycle club called SAMCRO, in the fictional town of Charming. While SAMCRO protects the town and keeps drug dealers away, its activities include a thriving illegal arms business.

Teller soon begins to question that club and himself as the series explores themes of brotherhood, loyalty, betrayal, and redemption alongside things like vigilantism, government corruption, and racism.

17. Marvel’s Runaways

Total Episode Count: 33

What teenager hasn’t thought that their parents were evil? Six Los Angeles teenagers on Marvel’s Runaways discover that their parents have been lying to them for their entire lives.

The teens band together to start their investigation to find out what their guardians are after, and the adults wonder if the children are keeping secrets of their own.

Together, these teens have to stop their parents before its too late.

18. Burn Notice

Total Episode Count: 111

Ever wonder what a spy would do without all their spy gear? Well, they’d probably end up a lot like Michael Weston on Burn Notice. The series starts with Michael getting the news that he’s been given the spy version of a pink slip.

Dumped in his hometown of Miami, Michael sets out to find who burned him while doing whatever work comes his way.

As he attempts to fly under the radar, he is joined by his good friend Sam, who is also a former spy, and his ex-girlfriend Fiona, another former IRA spy. Oh, and to add some more levity to this ensemble, there’s also Madeline, Michael’s hypochondriac mom, who tries to help her son.

19. American Horror Story

Total Episode Count: 103

If you’re not sure you’re into the horror drama, you can’t go wrong with watching a season or two of American Horror Story.

This horror drama is an anthology series, so every season exists as a self-contained miniseries with its own beginning, middle, and end. Plot elements can be inspired by true events, and many actors return to the series over several seasons but often playing different characters.

20. Homeland

Total Episode Count: 92

Homeland is an addictive drama following CIA Agent Carrie Mathison.

When Marine Sgt. Nicholas Brody returns home after being held captive for eight years, Mathison is put in charge of investigating whether or not he’s connected to a terror plot to be carried out on American soil.

The two engage in a game of cat and mouse that could put America’s national security at risk.

21. The X-Files

Total Episode Count: 218

You can’t really go wrong with the OG Scully and Mulder. The X-Files is a series that was drenched in mystery and supernatural lore and even has a dose of humor.

The series follows Special Agent Fox Mulder who has been put in charge of his pet project, the X-Files. Concerned about his fascination with these cases, the FBI sends in Special Agent Dana Scully to try to debunk his cases. Along the way, they explore things like alien abduction, spontaneous human combustion, and ghosts.

If you really get into this series, there are two movies you can check out in addition to the 218 episodes.

22. ER

Total Episode Count: 331

ER is one of those shows you may have missed. The medical drama debuted in 1994 and aired its final episode in 2009 just as streaming was coming into its own.

Fortunately, all fifteen seasons are now on Hulu.

Set in Chicago, the series follows the doctors at Cook County General as they solve cases from the extremely unusual to the mundane, all the while presenting the doctors with odd personal dilemmas.

Watching ER also gives you the chance to see some actors you may have caught on other shows early in their career. People like: George Clooney, Julianna Marguiles, Goran Visnjic, Maura Tierney, Noah Wyle, Alex Kingston, Ming-Na Wen.

23. Castle Rock

Total Episode Count: 20

Fans of Stephen King’s horror will delight in the world of Castle Rock. The Hulu original series focuses on Stephen King’s psychological horror, drawing on mythology from the beloved and classic King novels for a multiverse tale that weaves together darkness and light in a small town of woodland Maine.

Castle Rock is an anthology series that focuses on a different part of the town. Season 1 focuses primarily on the prison and brings in characters from Shawshank Redemption while Season 2 focuses on the hospital and Annie Wilkes from Stephen King’s Misery.

24. 11.22.63

Total Episode Count: 8

If you don’t want to invest in a long binge, then take a look at this Hulu original. Based on the Stephen King book of the same name, 11.22.63 stars James Franco as Jake Epping, an ordinary high school teacher who is given the chance to change history by a longtime friend.

His mission: stopping the assassination of John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963. Jake soon learns that the past does not want to be changed, and his attempts to divert the course of history backfire and turn dangerous.

25. Desperate Housewives

Total Episode Count: 180

Wisteria Lane is a picture-perfect subdivision, but it’s anything but idyllic. Desperate Housewives follows the lives of these four women via the lens of the dearly departed Mary Alice.

Over eight seasons the show spans thirteen years in these women’s lives as they work through both domestic struggles and family life and a plethora of secrets, lies, and mysteries that paint suburbia as a not-so-perfect oasis.

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What are your favorite dramas on Hulu? Let us know in the comments below.

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