5 Hulu TV Shows Way Better Than The Bear

As of June 25, 2026, the Hulu series "The Bear" is over; in restaurant terms, Christopher Storer's kitchen dramedy is "86ed." With Jeremy Allen White at the helm of this five-season series as high-end chef Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto, who returns to his hometown of Chicago after the death of his brother Mikey (Jon Bernthal) to try and save the family's failing sandwich shop, "The Bear" brings together a motley crew — sous chef Sydney Adamu (Ayo Edebiri), Mikey's former best friend Richie Jerimovitch (Ebon Moss-Bacharach), Mikey and Carmy's sister Natalie (Abby Elliott), committed line cook Tina Marrero (Liza Colón-Zayas), and Berzatto family friend Neil Fak (Matty Matheson), just to name a few — as they attempt to turn The Original Beef of Chicagoland into a fine-dining emporium called, of course, "The Bear."

After introducing restaurant industry phrases like "Yes, chef" and "Hands" into the lexicon of people working non-service jobs, "The Bear" stunned audiences with its tense episodes, careful editing (especially that one-take episode in Season 1), excellent performances, and needle drops. For its effort, "The Bear" won a ton of Emmys, including statues for White, Edebiri, and Moss-Bacharach as well as one for outstanding comedy series in 2023. So could anything possible top "The Bear?"

Yes. In fact, there are at least five other Hulu shows — many of which straddle the line between comedy and drama much more effectively than "The Bear" — that are better than Storer's buzzy series. If you just finished binging "The Bear" and need something to add to your watchlist, try one of these five Hulu shows — all of which, sorry, are better than "The Bear."

Created by stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle (alongside Sam Zvibleman) and produced by the comedy group The Lonely Island, "PEN15" is one of weirdest comedy shows in recent memory ... and we absolutely mean that as a compliment. Erskine and Konkle make the wonderfully deranged and absolutely perfect choice to play themselves as dorky, socially awkward seventh graders — Maya Ishii-Peters and Anna Kone, respectively — who get through all of their pre-teen trials and tribulations together as best friends, and anyone who grew up during the early 2000s will feel like they've been transported back in time as soon as they hit "play." (Among other things, the props on this show, especially the cutesy home phones beloved by teen girls in this era, are perfectly on point.)

In the hands of lesser writers and actors, something like "PEN15" would simply be a stupid gimmick. Armed with fake braces, bad haircuts, and middle school-appropriate outfits, though, Erskine and Konkle cut right to the core of what it's like to feel as if you don't fit in, especially during a time in your life where you're just inevitably awkward, gangly, and weird. From bizarre "kissing" scenes (that replace actually age-appropriate actors with adult ones at the last second, leading to some truly hysterical editing) to inappropriate learning experiences for both Maya and Anna, "PEN15" will transport you right back to your childhood, and it's both painful and wonderful to witness.

Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, "Reservation Dogs" is a landmark series for a handful of reasons — but most importantly, the entire cast is made up of Native American actors, and the vast majority of the directors and crew also hail from Native American tribes and lands. This is so important for a show like "Reservation Dogs" because this is a story that can only be told by someone who has authentically lived it — specifically, a story about a group of teenagers who want to embrace their heritage while also living outside of the Oklahoma reservation they feel has confined their lifes thus far.

"Reservation Dogs" focuses on a group of four Native American teenagers — the responsible and upright Elora Danan Postoak (Devery Jacobs), fatherless Bear Smallhill (D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai), mischievous Chester "Cheese" Williams (Lane Factor), and Two-spirited Wilhelmina Jacqueline "Willie Jack" Sampson (Paulina Alexis) — but also features a massive ensemble cast that includes Native American actors Zahn McClarnon, Dallas Goldtooth, and Elva Guerra. (The guest cast of this series also boasts incredible names like Lily Gladstone, Amber Midthunder, and even Megan Mullally, just to name a few.) Across just three seasons, "Reservation Dogs" brings you into the lives of these four teenagers and lets you experience all of their trials and tribulations ... and it's genuinely amazing from beginning to end.

From 2015 to 2017, Hulu was the exclusive home to two of the worst people in the history of streaming ... and they were just delightful to watch. Created by star Julie Klausner, "Difficult People," an acidic and straight-up bitter comedy produced by Amy Poehler, introduces audiences to Billy Epstein (Billy Eichner) and Julie Kessler (Klausner), two best friends who wander around New York City, get into shenanigans, and utter tons of unprompted, out-of-context, and hysterically mean evaluations of pop culture. (At one point, the two are attending a show and Julie says, out of nowhere, "Isn't it funny how Jimmy Fallon slowly turned The Tonight Show into a children's birthday party?" This never comes up again, but it's unbelievably funny.) 

With comedy legends like Andrea Martin on hand as Julie's controlling mother Marilyn, then-newcomers like Cole Escola providing insane one-liners during all of their scenes as one of Billy's restaurant coworkers (years before Escola won a well-deserved Tony for originating the role of Mary Todd Lincoln in their original farce "Oh Mary!"), and character actor and Swiss army knife of a performer James Urbaniak as Julie's boyfriend, the main cast of "Difficult People" is stacked. That's to say nothing of supporting players like Gabourey Sidibe, Shannon DeVido, and Derrick Baskin and guest stars like Seth Meyers, Nathan Lane, Kate McKinnon, and John Mulaney, just to name a few. If you've never watched "Difficult People," this underrated gem is uncomfortable but amazing ... and a lot funnier than "The Bear."

Yes, there are two Sterlin Harjo shows on this list — but you know what? Not only does he work with Hulu a lot, this guy is just really good at making television. After "Reservation Dogs" ended in 2023, Harjo returned to the streamer with "The Lowdown" in 2025, bringing Oscar nominee Ethan Hawke to the small screen in a story that's very loosely inspired by the wonderful misadventures of writer and historian Lee Roy Chapman.

Hawke stars as Lee Raybon, a man in Tulsa, Oklahoma who works as a book seller and amateur historian (he calls himself a "truthstorian") who takes a huge risk by publishing a big exposé on a local powerful family called the Washburgs. When the patriarch, Dale Washburg (Tim Blake Nelson), dies under strange circumstances, Lee finds himself drawn into a mystery bigger than he ever dreamed alongside his friend, private investigator Marty Brunner (Keith David), who's working for the Washburgs and trying to uncover the truth.

Hawke is endlessly charming as the endlessly curious, impulsive, and hilarious Lee, and he and David are joined by fellow industry veterans and legends like Jeanne Tripplehorn, Tracy Letts, and Michael Hitchcock. (Plus, for "Reservation Dogs" fans, some of those performers show up in guest roles ... as does four-time Emmy winner and "Game of Thrones" alum Peter Dinklage.) "The Lowdown" is fresh, funny, and gripping, and it blends comedy and drama in a way that "The Bear" could never manage.

Ramy Youssef is one of Hollywood's most promising performers, having proven himself as a phenomenal stand-up comedian and actor throughout the years — and if you haven't seen his eponymous Hulu show "Ramy," you're in for a treat. Created by Youssef alongside his collaborators Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch, "Ramy" takes place in New Jersey and stars Youssef as, you guessed it, a guy named Ramy Hassan ... but more specifically, it focuses on Ramy's life as a first-generation Muslim-American living in a neighborhood and world split by strict political lines. Ramy frequently seeks advice and counsel from his sister Dena ("Moon Knight" star May Calamawy) and bristles against the strict rules set by his parents, Egyptian immigrants Farouk and Maysa (Amr Waked and "Succession" player Hiam Abbess). 

As Ramy struggles with dating, American social norms that clash with those of his family, and the rediscovery of his own personal faith, the larger series takes a searing look at how welcoming and unwelcoming America can be to anyone deemed "different" — and how first-generation "kids" like Ramy have to carefully figure out the best way to assimilate that will keep their families and society at large happy. "Ramy," like many of the other shows on this list, strikes a perfect balance between comedy and drama ... which is, again, something "The Bear" struggled with for its entire run.

All of these shows, including "The Bear," are streaming on Hulu now.