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With Its WWE Deal, the Netflix Pivot Is Complete

With Its WWE Deal, the Netflix Pivot Is Complete

A few years ago, Netflix fine-tuned its formula for success: original content, no live TV, no ads, and an unrivaled library of movies and series that it can air across the globe. As recently as last year, it mostly stuck to that plan. But as the streaming wars have evolved, the company has increasingly welcomed other peoples’ movies and shows onto its platform. And after dabbling in livestreaming with a Chris Rock special, a new deal with WWE to stream Monday Night Raw for the next 10 years shows just how thoroughly Netflix has rewritten its own rulebook.

Today, Netflix announced it will be the new home of Raw beginning in 2025. The deal will reportedly cost Netflix $5 billion over its lifetime. Coupled with a recent increase in the number of shows its licensing from sometimes-competitors, and its recent introduction of ad-supported tiers, the move demonstrates that Netflix’s new recipe looks more like: original content, old episodes of Suits, and even sports—or at least, the “sports entertainment” that WWE specializes in.

Netflix’s play here is very on trend. For months now streaming services have been vying to stock up on live sports offerings. Amazon bet big—like $1 billion per year for 11 years big—on the NFL’s Thursday Night Football games. Apple TV+ is all in on Major League Soccer. Hulu, because it shares a parent with ESPN, has been offering sports via Hulu + Live TV. Last fall, Max announced a partnership with Bleacher Report to offer a sports add-on that allows users to watch the games Warner Bros. Discovery offers through its TBS and TNT network (read: NBA and NHL games). This year’s Super Bowl will be streamed on Paramount+. The list is long.

Sports, however, are just part of the about-face Netflix is pulling—and it’s not the only one. In the early years of streaming, Netflix grew its subscriber numbers with help from content it licensed from other studios: The Office, Friends. In response to those studios forming their own streaming services—and to get around global licensing issues—Netflix went full-throttle on originals.

Last year, that tide turned back. Warner Bros. Discovery licensed HBO shows like Insecure and Six Feet Under to Netflix. Disney licensed some shows to the streamer too. And Netflix needed them. Netflix spends roughly $17 billion on content, both original and licensed, per year, but a great deal of the hours spent watching are still spent on licensed properties. Netflix originals have gained ground in recent years, comprising 53 percent of total series viewing time on the platform in 2022, up from 22 percent in 2017. But original content is more of a gamble than a known quantity like Suits, and Netflix-produced movies in particular have had a mixed record of success.

Going into 2024, it looks as though licensing is “in vogue again,” as Warner Bros. Discovery content sales head David Decker told The New York Times. Studios got money for their shows, Netflix got those shows in front of viewers. John Mass, president of investment fund Content Partners, told The Los Angeles Times in December that the streaming wars were over, “and Netflix has come out on top.”

The 30 Best Shows on Amazon Prime Right Now

The 30 Best Shows on Amazon Prime Right Now

While Netflix is busy pumping out more shows than any one person could watch (probably), Amazon Prime Video has remained the place to go for a few of the best shows around. Trouble is, navigating the service’s labyrinthine menus can make finding the right series a pain. We’re here to help. Below are our favorite Amazon series—all included with your Prime subscription.

For more viewing picks, read WIRED’s guide to the best movies on Amazon Prime, the best movies on HBO’s Max, and the best movies on Netflix.

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Reacher

Amazon has a way with action thrillers focused on military tough guys who answer to “Jack R”—see Jack Ryan, also making this guide—and this sharp adaptation of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher novels continues the trend. Alan Ritchson (Titans, Fast X) stars as Reacher, a former military policeman now drifting from town to town, trying to live a quiet life but unable to avoid conflict. Season one finds him accused of a murder he didn’t commit, while the newly arrived second sees Reacher drawn into a vast conspiracy when someone starts picking off the members of his old army unit of special investigators. It’s pulpy at times, but bombastic action and surprisingly sharp dialogue help this punch above its weight.

Invincible

When Mark Grayson inherits the incredible powers and abilities of his father, Omni-Man, he sets out to follow in his footsteps as new costumed superhero Invincible. Things do not go according to plan. After a shocking twist left the first season on a major cliffhanger—save for for the rather brilliant Invincible: Atom Eve one-shot plugging the gap and revealing the origins of a key character—this long-awaited return finds Mark’s world upended. Now, he’s trying to escape his father’s shadow rather than live up to his legacy. Luckily, he’s not on his own, with a new generation of heroes rising to help guard the globe. A brilliantly animated adaptation of the hit Image comic book by writer Robert Kirkman and artists Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley, Invincible’s more mature take on superheroes allows it to do something Marvel’s and DC’s characters rarely do: grow up.

The Wheel of Time

Based on Robert Jordan’s sprawling novel series—one so vast it makes Game of Thrones look concise—this is one of Amazon’s most ambitious, and expensive, series to date. The eight-episode first season follows Moiraine (Rosamund Pike), a powerful weaver of an ancient form of magic, as she gathers five unassuming young people, one of whom is destined to either save the world—or destroy it. The recently released second season ups the stakes, with ancient evils returning and new terrors rising—right as the only ones who can stop them are scattered around the world. A visually stunning series that blends sumptuous location shoots with cinematic effects work, this is an epic fantasy that’s improving with every episode.

The Greatest Show Never Made

Back in 2002, it seemed everyone wanted to achieve the kind of celebrity that only comes from a breakout role on a reality TV show. It was the kind of social obsession that was all too easy for unscrupulous producers to abuse, as a host of young British fame-seekers found out when they threw their lives away for a show that was apparently never real. They quit jobs, abandoned homes, and severed relationships in pursuit of a promised cash prize. Decades later, this three-part documentary follows the people who were drawn into the web of “producer” Nikita Russian (an obvious pseudonym that should have been their first clue something was off) to explore what went wrong. Created with a mix of archive footage and bizarrely shot recreations, there’s an air of unreality to the whole affair, proving once more that nothing is as strange as “reality” TV.

Gen V

Spinning out of Amazon’s hit The Boys, Gen V follows the next generation of supes, training their abilities at the Godolkin University School of Crimefighting. In keeping with its twisted parent show, this educational establishment is less Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters and more The Hunger Games with superpowers, as students battle for glory and a chance to join premier super-team The Seven. Lead Jaz Sinclair (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) impresses as freshman Marie Moreau, a haemokinetic with lofty ambitions who uncovers dark secrets at the college that challenge her entire world view. Factor in all the poor life choices college students are famed for and some extremely creative (if often disgusting) superpowers, then allow for The Boys’ trademark ultraviolence, and one thing’s for sure—the kids of Gen V are most definitely not alright.

Jack Ryan

There’s no shortage of screen adaptations of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan books, but John Krasinski’s turn as the CIA desk jockey turned field agent gets far more room to breathe than its predecessors. The prestige political thriller charts Ryan’s rise from analyst to operative—and beyond—over four perfectly crafted seasons. The recently released final season caps Ryan’s career with his biggest challenge yet, investigating the convergence of a drug cartel and a terrorist organization set to create an unstoppable criminal enterprise, all while juggling the CIA’s possible involvement in a political assassination in Nigeria. While the show hasn’t been without controversies—season two attracted condemnation from Venezuela’s government for supposedly condoning a US invasion of the country; big yikes there—its sharp writing, incredible performances, and cinematic action make it compelling viewing.

I’m a Virgo

A surrealist comedy with the sharp political and social edge viewers have come to expect from creator and director Boots Riley (Sorry to Bother You), I’m a Virgo follows Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), a regular 19-year-old who just happens to be 13 feet tall. Raised in secrecy by Aunt Lafrancine (Carmen Ejogo) and Uncle Martisse (Mike Epps), Cootie is thrust into the limelight when his larger-than-life existence is inevitably discovered. Experiencing friendships and the outside world for the first time, gentle giant Cootie has to navigate everything from romance to the public’s reaction to a giant Black man wandering around Oakland. Oh, and did we mention Cootie’s idol, The Hero, a real-life superhero with an authoritarian streak that would put some of the worst offenders on The Boys to shame? Told you this was surreal. Do yourself a favor and watch the behind-the-scenes episodes too, tucked under Prime Video’s “Explore” tab, for Riley’s insight into each episode.

Carnival Row

There’s an element of “what might have been” about Carnival Row. Its strong first season showed huge potential, framing deeper themes of class, immigration, and race within a fantasy world where dominant humans and refugee fae live in uneasy lockstep. Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic massively delayed its second—and ultimately final—season. But there’s still a neat package of 18 beautifully produced episodes to enjoy for a relatively concise binge. The first season introduces human police inspector Rycroft “Philo” Philostrate (Orlando Bloom) and his former lover, fae Vignette “Vini” Stonemoss (Cara Delevingne), as a string of murders rocks the gaslit city of The Burgue. In the second, tensions erupt as the oppressed fae make a stand for their freedom—putting Philo and Vini on opposing sides. With its quasi-Victoriana aesthetic and a preference for ornate character makeup and prosthetics, Carnival Row is also one of the most distinctive-looking series in recent years—just make sure your TV can handle deep, dark contrast levels, as it’s also one of the most literally dark shows.

The Power

You know how it is with teenagers. They feel a tingle, then suddenly sparks are flying—but this isn’t about first loves or misdirected crushes, but a rather more literal electricity, as young women around the world awaken to the power to generate and discharge lightning. Soon, it proves to be a gender-wide ability, with women old and young gaining The Power, a shift that soon changes social dynamics and power structures on a global scale. With a powerhouse cast fronted by Toni Collette as Seattle mayor Margot Cleary-Lopez, and Ted Lasso’s Toheeb Jimoh as Tunde Ojo, a photojournalist documenting the situation as it unfolds, The Power explores the seismic shift of such a change playing out everywhere from the US to Nigeria.

Daisy Jones & the Six

Spanning a decade, Daisy Jones & the Six follows the formation, stratospheric success, and crushing breakup of the greatest band the 1970s never saw. In the late ’60s, talented but listless ingenue Daisy (Riley Keough) meets aspiring rocker Billy Dunne (Sam Claflin) and his group, eventually joining the band herself. Soon, her soulful vocals and insightful songwriting help propel The Six to the top of the charts—but at the height of their careers, everything comes tumbling down, undone by years of wandering hearts, illicit sex, battles with sobriety, and the rigors of rock ‘n’ roll. If it all sounds a bit Fleetwood Mac, that should come as no surprise—the author of the book the series is based on, Taylor Jenkins Reid, has said the legendary folk-rock band was an inspiration. Yet with its fantastic cast, period-perfect tone, and phenomenal soundtrack—released as the album Aurora by the series’ eponymous band—Daisy Jones & the Six takes on a life of its own.

The Legend of Vox Machina

Bawdy, gory, and absolutely not for kids, The Legend of Vox Machina began life as the hit Critical Role, in which a group of the biggest English-language voice actors in animation and gaming livestreamed their Dungeons & Dragons sessions before it evolved into its own beast. In the first season of this exquisitely animated fantasy, the show follows the eponymous Vox Machina guild—a motley crew of usually drunk adventurers consisting of gunslingers, druids, and the requisite horny bard—as they battle to reclaim the city of Whitestone from the monstrous Lord and Lady Briarwood. The recently added second season ups the ante with “the worst team ever assembled” fighting four apocalyptically powerful dragons. Fully accessible to long-time fans of the source material and newcomers alike, this series manages to be a love letter to D&D while poking plenty of fun at the classic RPG and transcending its origins to become one of the most original adult animated shows on Amazon.

The Rig

Supernatural thriller The Rig doesn’t even aspire to subtlety when it comes to ecological metaphors. In fact, they’re often downright clumsy, as when one character says “if you keep punching holes in the earth, eventually the earth’s going to punch back.” But if you can look past such clunkiness, this is an engaging piece of television. When the crew of the isolated Kinloch Bravo oil rig is cut off from civilization by a strange fog, the inexplicable deaths and equipment failures soon make it clear that this is no mere weather pattern. And as the tension and fear mount, being trapped in a glorified tin can in the North Sea drives the survivors to paranoid extremes. It’s all brilliantly shot to make use of both the claustrophobic setting and the terrifying expanse of ocean around it, and the material is elevated by a phenomenal cast of Game of Thrones and Line of Duty veterans, making The Rig more than the guilty pleasure it might otherwise be.

Tales From the Loop

Despite being a couple of years old, Tales From the Loop remains one of the most mesmerizing shows on Prime Video. Loosely based on the work of Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, the series blurs the line between ongoing narrative and anthology as it follows the residents of Mercer, Ohio, exploring how their intersecting lives are impacted by “the Loop,” an underground facility exploring experimental physics and making the impossible possible. Expect tales of frozen time, traded lives, and parallel worlds, all brought to life by a fantastic cast and directors—including Andrew Stanton and Jodie Foster. But it’s the visuals that really elevate this show, which captures the sublime aesthetic of Stålenhag’s work and juxtaposes neofuturism and rural communities for a world that looks and feels like almost nothing else. At only eight episodes, a visit to Mercer is brief but unforgettable.

The Devil’s Hour

When Peter Capaldi, here playing mysterious criminal Gideon Shepherd, says “my perception of time is better than anyone’s,” it’s clear that The Devil’s Hour creator Tom Moran is having a little fourth-wall-breaking fun with his former Time Lord leading man. That’s about as close as this gritty six-part drama gets to Doctor Who, though. Instead, this is a mix of murder mystery and thriller, topped off with a dash of the supernatural. The focus is on Lucy (Jessica Raine), an over-burdened social worker with an increasingly distant and troubled young son. Lucy wakes at exactly 3:33 am every morning, plagued by horrific visions, and her nightmares draw her into the orbit of police detective Ravi Dhillon’s (Nikesh Patel) investigations of a bloody murder and a child’s abduction. As she tries to figure out how the two are entangled, Lucy comes face to face with Shepherd. Raine is a phenomenally commanding lead throughout, while Capaldi’s sinister performance is one of the most chilling you’ll see on screen.

Them

This horror anthology series, created by Little Marvin and executive-produced by Queen & Slim’s Lena Waithe, sets its first season in 1950s Los Angeles and follows the Emory family as they move into an all-white neighborhood. It all goes about as well as you might expect, with Livia (Deborah Ayorinde) soon penned into their new home by the Stepford-like housewives of the area who make her life a living hell, led by ringleader Betty (Alison Pill). Outside the home, husband Henry (Ashley Thomas) faces physical assaults and harassment at work. Ayorinde and Thomas are phenomenal throughout, brilliantly portraying the mental, physical, and emotional turmoil of living under relentless threat. While the show’s portrayal of the period is tense and horrifying in its own right, the layering of some truly unsettling supernatural threats make this a frequently terrifying watch.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

Tapping into The Lord of the Rings creator J. R. R. Tolkien’s sprawling history of Middle-earth, The Rings of Power is set millennia before the events of the core books (or films, which is really where the visual language of this adaptation comes from), detailing the major events of Tolkien’s Second Age. Much of the focus is on Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) as she searches for Sauron, servant of Morgoth, but this ambitious fantasy series explores a range of events and themes, such as the fall of the island of Númenor; the fractious politics between man, elves, and dwarves; and the forging of those perilous rings. While there’s been no shortage of debate around Rings of Power, there’s also no denying that Amazon got what it paid for with the most expensive TV show ever made—this is one of the most beautiful series you’ll ever lay eyes on. Whether the ongoing story nails the landing remains to be seen, but for sheer high fantasy spectacle, there’s nothing better at the moment.

The Boys

Superheroes are meant to represent hope and optimism—the best of us, given outsize form. In The Boys, adapted from the darkly satirical comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, they’re a reflection of humanity’s worst—greed and unrestrained power marketed to a gullible public by vested corporate interests, operating without restraint and leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. Enter Billy Butcher and his “associates,” gleefully dispatching “Supes” who’ve gone too far, often in extraordinarily violent ways. In the newly dropped third season, the team is forced to go legit and work for the US government while struggling to topple the sadistic, psychotic Homelander, leader of The Seven—the world’s premier superheroes, brought to you by Vought International. To complicate matters, Butcher is wrestling with becoming the thing he hates most: a Supe. Possibly Amazon’s goriest show, The Boys stands as a pertinent examination of the abuses of power, all wrapped in superhero drag.

The Underground Railroad

Based on the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel by Colson Whitehead, this limited series from Moonlight director Barry Jenkins sticks pretty closely to the premise of the book. It’s a work of historical fiction that takes the idea of the Underground Railroad—the network of smugglers who helped escaped slaves flee the South—and reimagines it as an actual subway system with trains and secretive station agents.

Fleabag

You’re not supposed to like Fleabag. She’s selfish, self-destructive, and morally bankrupt. Her family is loathsome, her lifestyle is ridiculous, and her job is a joke. Yet after watching this 12-episode series, we defy you not to love her a little. This magnificent sitcom about a Londoner (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) grappling with the death of her best friend has no filter: You’ll hear her thoughts on feminism, familial tension, love, and sodomy. The first time Waller-Bridge interrupts her own dialog to shoot a disarming, conspiratorial glance to the screen, you’re hooked. Season one is a smutty yet wonderful crescendo of self-destruction driven by a cast of characters that includes Fleabag’s intensely awkward sister Claire (Sian Clifford), her selfish and pretentious stepmother (Olivia Colman), and her clueless father (Bill Paterson). The second season cheerfully bounds into blasphemy as she grapples with inappropriate (and reciprocated) feelings for a Catholic priest (Andrew Scott). It’s shocking and immensely watchable—and one of the rare cases when a series truly is as good as people say.

The Man in the High Castle

This adaptation of sci-fi master Philip K. Dick’s novel about a world in which the Nazis won the Second World War was one of Amazon’s first forays into original content. The world-building is stunningly done—a divided, alternate-reality 1960s America never seemed so plausible—but be warned: There might be just a touch too much present-day resonance for some viewers.

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel

What is a New York lady to do when she finds out her husband is having an affair with his dim-witted secretary? If Mrs. Maisel is anything to go by, the answer is to head to a dingy watering hole in your nightgown, do a little standup comedy, and get hauled away by the police after flashing the entire audience. Set in the 1950s, this fast-talking fashionista hides her new life as a comedian from her family and ex while battling sexism, bad crowds, and big competition. Rachel Brosnahan stars as Midge Maisel in this subtle nod to Joan Rivers’ career. With four seasons and a host of awards and nominations to its name, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel is one of Amazon’s sharpest comedies.

The Expanse

Humanity now lives among the stars—well, the rest of the solar system, at least. A group of antiheroes are linked by the disappearance of a wealthy political activist, and between them they must unravel what happened to her. Adding to the complexity are the political tensions between Earth, Mars, and the Belt, a group of loosely affiliated colonies between the two planets. That’s just season one—there are six available on Prime, and each is packed with enough daring missions, space fights, and Martian politics to keep fans of hard science fiction hooked.

Good Omens

Feeling battered and emotionally bruised by bleak TV dystopias and even bleaker world news? Good Omens is your shelter in the storm, and inside it’s cozy, camp, and kind. Neil Gaiman has adapted his own 1990 book, cowritten with Terry Pratchett, which follows an angel (Michael Sheen) and a demon (David Tennant) as they try to stop Armageddon. The six-part event series gives fans exactly what they dreamed of from such a team. Silly stuff with Cold War overtones, extreme whimsy, and gruff British wit.

Good Omens 2

Four years is a long wait between seasons, but the dynamic between angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) in 2019’s original Good Omens (also on this list) was so perfectly charming that barely a day has gone by without fans clamoring for more. Thankfully, the hotly anticipated second season doesn’t disappoint, with the dastardly divine odd couple weaving their magic once again as they attempt to stave off yet another apocalypse. When the archangel Gabriel (Jon Hamm) goes missing from Heaven, only to show up amnesiac (and naked) at Aziraphale’s homely bookshop in London, it kicks off a battle between “upstairs” and “downstairs.” But while Gabriel’s half-remembered warnings of something terrible looming frame the season, it’s the exploration of the central duo’s past that really delights. With plenty of flashbacks showing more of Aziraphale and Crowley’s history—and more than a bit of fanservice playing to the nature of their millennia-long relationship—Sheen and Tennant’s chemistry gets to shine so bright it dazzles. An overdue but incredibly welcome return.

Forever

You’ll know within the first episode whether you’re into this slow, a stylized miniseries from Parks & Recreation and Master of None alums Alan Yang and Matt Hubbard. It’s part high-concept TV and part uncomfortable marriage drama, with a side helping of shtick from the two outrageously talented leads, Maya Rudolph and Fred Armisen. It might make you impatient at times, but Forever will stick with you if you hang on until the finale.

Sneaky Pete

Just released from prison, Marius (Giovanni Ribisi) steals the identity of former cellmate Pete Murphy in order to hide from the dangers of his old life. On the run from a vicious debtor played by Bryan Cranston (who also jointly created the show), Marius nestles in with Pete’s motley crew of estranged family, who are delighted to be reunited with their long-lost relative–and enters waters just as shark-infested as those from which he’s come. Over the course of three seasons, Sneaky Pete proves itself one of the finest dramas Amazon has produced yet.

Mozart in the Jungle

A comedy-drama documenting the world of professional orchestra musicians in New York, Mozart in the Jungle is a strange beast. The series follows Hailey Rutledge (Lola Kirke), an aspiring oboist trying to build a career with the New York Symphony, and her conflicted relationship with eccentric conductor Rodrigo De Souza (Gael García Bernal). With a strong creative team and real-world source material in the form of professional oboist Blair Tindall’s memoir Sex, Drugs, and Classical Music, the compelling and frequently hilarious show has picked up Golden Globes and Emmy Awards and proven itself one of Amazon’s best exclusives.

Red Oaks

In the mid-’80s, college student and struggling filmmaker David Myers (Craig Roberts) wants one last, great summer before facing adulthood. Unfortunately, he’s stuck working at a pretentious country club and struggling to gain momentum in his life. Big dreams of making it in the film industry meet crushing reality as David navigates the demands of the club’s eccentric guests—from taking awkward wedding shoots to filming sex tapes for swingers clubs—while also struggling to maintain his relationship with girlfriend Skye. All three seasons of this delightful period comedy are available now.

Vikings

Inspired by the real-life Viking hero and ruler Ragnar Lodbrok, Vikings is a family saga exploring the lives, epic adventures, and cultural politics of the raiders and explorers of the Dark Ages. Six seasons of the historically inspired action series are available on Amazon Prime Video, with WWE wrestler Adam “Edge” Copeland joining the cast in season five as the story expands to a civil war in Norway, battles in England against the Nordic invaders, and exploration of northern Africa.

Lore

Entertaining well past Halloween, this anthology series presents “the frightening and often disturbing tales based on real people and events that have led to our modern-day myths and legends.” Based on the award-winning podcast of the same name, it offers two six-episode seasons of real-world horror stories guaranteed to chill your bones.

The Best TV Shows You Missed in 2023—and Where to Watch Them

The Best TV Shows You Missed in 2023—and Where to Watch Them

Even if you believe, as some do, that the world has moved from Peak TV to Trough TV, there are still more shows released in any given year than any one person could consume (trust us, we tried). Between major networks, cable television channels, and streaming services, there’s just too much to watch. You’re bound to miss your new favorite binge-watch. We’re here to help. Below are our picks for the best TV shows you might have missed in 2023.

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A Spy Among Friends

In the midst of the Cold War, MI6 intelligence officer Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis) is shocked to learn that his longtime friend and colleague Kim Philby (Guy Pearce) has been secretly working for the KGB for the past 30 years. When Philby defects to the Soviet Union, suspicion falls on Elliott and how much he might have known. Ultimately, it’s left to Elliott to solicit a confession from Philby about what he has done, and shared, with his Russian cohorts. Lewis and Pearce make for formidable foes and friends in this smart spy thriller, based on Ben Macintyre’s 2014 book about two very real men.

The Big Door Prize

It’s one thing to know what you want to do with your life; it’s another thing to be told where your destiny lies. A tiny town is sent into an upheaval when a mysterious “Morpho” box suddenly materializes in the Deerfield general store and promises to reveal residents’ true destiny. While everyone around him begins rearranging their lives—including quitting their jobs and leaving their spouses—to suit their Morpho predictions, local school teacher Dusty Hubbard (Chris O’Dowd) feels like the last sane man to not buy into the machine’s predictions. O’Dowd shines, as usual, in this charming series, which can have you laughing out loud one minute and thinking deeply about your own potential the next. Apple TV+ has ordered a second season, and it’s expected to arrive in mid-2024.

Class of ’07

After being publicly humiliated on a TV dating show, Zoe Miller (Emily Browning) decides to disconnect from the world for several months. When a bizarre weather event has her seeking higher ground, she heads to her old high school, where she discovers her 10-year reunion is in full swing. When a catastrophic weather event further isolates Zoe and her classmates from the rest of the world, they’re forced to find a way to survive—all while being reimmersed in the insecurities and (often petty) squabbles they thought they had left in the past. The Australia-set Class of ’07 (which should not be confused with Class of ’09) is a deeply layered apocalyptic comedy perfect for those moments when you’re feeling nostalgic.

Dead Ringers

Just because David Cronenberg’s creepy body-horror classic didn’t need an update doesn’t mean this gender-swapped miniseries wasn’t appreciated. Rachel Weisz is a force of nature while doing the dual role thing to play Beverly and Elliot Mantle, twin gynecologists who will stop at nothing to reinvent the way people do childbirth—medical ethics be damned! Weisz offers a master class in being totally unhinged, and clearly relishes every second of it. Her talent is equally matched behind the camera, with indie auteurs like Sean Durkin (Martha Marcy May Marlene) and Karyn Kusama (Jennifer’s Body) stepping in to direct.

Deadloch

It’s winter “feastival” time in the sleepy town of Deadloch, on Australia’s Tasmanian coast, when a man’s dead body is discovered on the beach. In order to work quickly to find the killer, two detectives with totally different approaches to the job—by-the-book senior sergeant Dulcie Collins (Kate Box) and unpredictable senior investigator Eddie Redcliffe (Madeleine Sami)—must find a way to work together to solve the case. Making police matters even more confusing (and funny) are the assists Dulcie and Eddie get from junior constable Abby (Nina Oyama) and noted slacker Sven (Tom Ballard).

Drops of God

Camille Léger (Fleur Geffrier) hasn’t seen her father, a noted wine expert and creator of the Léger Wine Guide, since she was just a child. But when she learns of his passing, she suddenly finds herself being flown to Tokyo for the reading of his will. While their relationship was strained, she’s still shocked to learn that in addition to leaving behind a more than $100 million wine collection, she must compete with Issei Tomine (Tomohisa Yamashita), her father’s protege, to claim the collection to inherit it. It’s a visually striking series that balances moments of humor with genuine sadness and anger, all leading up to a satisfying meal of a series.

The Gold

It’s been called the “crime of the century.” On November 26, 1983, a half-dozen men broke into the Brink’s-Mat warehouse near Heathrow Airport, where they inadvertently stumbled upon £26 million worth of gold bullion, which would be the equivalent of more than $130 million today. It remains one of the largest robberies in England’s history, and very little of the gold has been recovered to this day. On the 40th anniversary of the robbery, this six-episode series recounts the events of that monumental theft, with Downton Abbey’s Hugh Bonneville as DCI Brian Boyce, the detective tasked with getting to the bottom of the crime (which remains unsolved). In late November, the BBC ordered a second season of the series.

I’m a Virgo

If Sorry to Bother You taught viewers anything, it’s that rapper turned filmmaker Boots Riley is operating on a whole other level as a storyteller. He continues that tradition in I’m a Virgo, the story of Cootie (Jharrel Jerome), a 13-foot-tall teenager who has been sheltered by the outside world by the aunt and uncle who raised him in Oakland, California. But when he’s discovered by a group of young political activists, they offer Cootie the opportunity to experience the world as they know it, with all its ups and downs. The series features the voice talents of a brilliant cast of actors, including Elijah Wood, Joel Edgerton, Danny Glover, and Juliette Lewis. But it’s Walton Goggins who, as always, steals the show as The Hero—Cootie’s longtime idol.

Lucky Hank

On December 8, AMC announced that Lucky Hank would not be getting a second season. Following Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, this is now the first time in nearly 15 years that Bob Odenkirk doesn’t have a starring role on an AMC series. As we wait to hear what is next for the beloved comedian/actor, now’s the perfect time to consume all eight existing episodes of Lucky Hank. Based on Richard Russo’s semi-autobiographical novel Straight Man, it tells the story of Hank Devereaux Jr. (Odenkirk), a professor and the accidental English department chair at Pennsylvania’s financially-struggling Railton University. But nothing seems to be going right for Hank, who’s in the midst of a midlife crisis and seems dead set on burning his life down to the ground. It’s the charming curmudgeon role that only an actor like Odenkirk can pull off, and well worth your time.

Mrs. Davis

If you asked ChatGPT to spit out a plotline for a bonkers TV show, it might sound a lot like Mrs. Davis. Sister Simone (Betty Gilpin) is a nun who is hell-bent on destroying Mrs. Davis, an AI program that seemingly everybody (save Sister Simone) uses. In her attempt to destroy technology as we know it, Simone makes a deal with the faceless AI: If she can locate and retrieve the Holy Grail, Mrs. Davis will delete herself. Yes, it’s as wild as it sounds, but somehow it all works. Gilpin is the nun-hero you didn’t know you needed, and the series is action-packed with a compelling storyline that pits faith against technology. There are just eight episodes in season 1, which is likely all we’ll get, as the excellent finale does a great job wrapping everything up.

Primo

If you’ve ever wondered what Shea Serrano was like as a teenager, Primo is about as close a glimpse as you’ll get. The semi-autobiographical coming-of-age comedy, which Serrano created, follows the adventures of Rafa Gonzales (Ignacio Diaz-Silverio), a San Antonio teenager being raised by his mom (Christina Vidal) and five very opinionated uncles. Rafa deals with all the typical teen issues, including family, friendships, first loves, and worrying about the future—which includes very possibly becoming the first member of his family to attend college. It’s top-notch comfort TV at its finest: sweet but not maudlin, funny but not silly, and authentic through and through.

Rain Dogs

Dysfunctional family dramedies are hardly in short supply these days, but Rain Dogs practically makes Succession’s Roy family seem like the Brady Bunch. In part, that’s because the “family” at the center of this black comedy isn’t the blood-related kind. Costello Jones (Daisy May Cooper) is a single mom to daughter Iris (Fleur Tashjian), and just trying to keep a roof over their heads. This is where her wealthy best friend Selby (Jack Farthing), who is just finishing up a prison stint when the show begins, comes in—though their relationship comes with some strings. Namely, that Selby can be violent and abusive, even if he does love Costello and Iris. “It’s completely normal to hate the people you love,” he tells Costello at one point. Which may as well serve as a tagline for the series. It’s brilliantly constructed, beautifully acted, and painfully honest.

Silo

While it’s technically billed as a science-fiction series, Silo plays out more like a murder-mystery set in a dystopian future. In a giant bunker that extends hundreds of stories underground, approximately 10,000 people go about their daily lives while avoiding the toxic world outside their carefully constructed community, which they believe is for their own good. But when one resident starts to question the Silo’s many rules, he ends up dead. Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson), an engineer, is convinced it was murder and sets about investigating the matter—only to discover some shocking details about the lives of the Silo’s people.

The 37 Best Shows on Hulu Right Now

The 37 Best Shows on Hulu Right Now

While Netflix seemingly led the way for other streaming networks to create compelling original programming, Hulu actually beat them all to the punch. In 2011, a year before Netflix’s Lilyhammer and two years before the arrival of House of Cards, the burgeoning streamer premiered The Morning After, a pop-culture-focused news show that ran for 800 episodes over three years, plus A Day in the Life, a docuseries from Oscar-winner Morgan Spurlock.

Hulu has continued to make TV history in the dozen years since, most notably in 2017, when it became the first streamer to win an Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series with The Handmaid’s Tale. In fact, that was just one of eight Emmys the series took home in its inaugural season, and it has continued to rack up nominations and wins over the years.

While more competition has popped up since Hulu started gaining critical credibility, the network has continued to stand out for its carefully curated selection of original series and network partnerships that make it the home of FX series and more. Below are some of our favorite shows streaming on Hulu right now.

Not finding what you’re looking for? Head to WIRED’s guide to the best TV shows on Amazon Prime, the best TV shows on Disney+, and the best shows on Netflix. Have other suggestions for this list? Let us know in the comments.

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A Murder at the End of the World

Darby Hart (Emma Corrin) is a talented hacker and armchair detective who is one of eight guests invited to spend a few days at the stunning yet remote home of a mysterious billionaire (Clive Owen). When one of the guests ends up dead, Darby must work quickly to prove that it was murder—and who did it—before the bodies start piling up. Fans of twisty true crime will appreciate this limited series, which comes from the minds of Brit Marling (who costars) and Zal Batmanglij—cocreators of the equally mind-bending The OA.

Living for the Dead

“It’s all fun and games until someone gets possessed.” That’s tarot card reader Ken’s take on this twisty new reality series, which follows the paranormal adventures of a group of five queer ghost hunters. Kristen Stewart executive-produced the series, which has been described as gay Scooby-Doo but with better hair and laugh-out-loud observations, like being more terrified of the “horrific” bedspread than the clowns at Nevada’s infamous Clown Motel.

Moonlighting

While Die Hard turned Bruce Willis into one of Hollywood’s biggest action stars, he was far from producers’ first choice for the role of John McClane. That’s largely because he was seen as the funny guy from Moonlighting, the Emmy-winning ’80s dramedy that centers around the Blue Moon Detective Agency and its two often-bickering owners, David Addison (Willis) and Maddie Hayes (Cybill Shepherd). Over the course of its five seasons, the series racked up some serious critical acclaim and wasn’t afraid to experiment with the sitcom format.

Ash vs Evil Dead

The always-charming Bruce Campbell reprises his role as Ash Williams, the hero of The Evil Dead film series. Taking place 30 years after the events of the original films, Ash is now living a mundane existence alone (save for his pet lizard Eli), working as a stock boy at a local discount store, and attempting to prevent the Necronomicon from getting into the wrong person’s hands. Ultimately, Ash realizes that he’s ready to be a hero again.

The Other Black Girl

Sinclair Daniel shines as Nella Rogers, an up-and-coming book editor—and the only Black employee at the publishing house where she works. While Nella is initially thrilled when another young woman of color, Hazel-May McCall (Ashleigh Murray), is hired as an assistant, she can’t help but notice that a series of bizarre events seems to follow. As Nella tries to suss out exactly what is going on, she uncovers some pretty damn disturbing skeletons in her employer’s closet. While horror-comedies are an increasingly popular movie genre, we don’t see them on the small screen quite as often—which, if this clever series is any indication, is a real shame.

The Full Monty

Twenty-six years after a low-budget British comedy blew up at the box office, scored an Oscar, and introduced “the Full Monty” into the popular lexicon, the Regular Joes turned strippers from Sheffield are back to face largely the same issues they were lamenting in the original feature film. Much of the main cast reassembled for this follow-up to Peter Cattaneo’s hit 1997 movie. Stripping is involved, as are other inevitables in life, including breakups, reconciliations, and death. For fans of the original movie—or the Broadway musical and stage play that followed—it’s a fun check-in with the characters who bared it all.

The Office (UK)

Years before there was Jim and Pam and Dwight and Michael, there were Tim and Dawn and Gareth and David. For lovers of cringe, it’s hard to do better than Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s workplace comedy. David Brent (Gervais) is the original boss from hell, whose office antics will have you covering your eyes and laughing out loud at the same time. Like many British series, there are just two seasons—each consisting of a mere six episodes—plus a two-part Christmas special. Don’t be surprised if you sit down to watch a single episode and binge it all in one go.

Cheers

In the 1980s, NBC was the channel to watch on Thursday nights—in large part thanks to Cheers. The bar where everybody knows your name is where the action happens in this award-winning sitcom about a former Red Sox player (Ted Danson) and the lovable employees and patrons who treat his bar like a second home. If you can look past (or, even better, embrace) the questionable ‘80s fashion and sometimes-sexist storylines that wouldn’t necessarily fly on TV today, you’ll find what is arguably one of the smartest sitcoms ever written. More than 40 years after its original premiere, the jokes still stand up and the characters are some of television’s most memorable (and beloved) for a reason.

Fargo

Noah Hawley’s anthology series isn’t the first attempt to adapt the Coen brothers’ Oscar-winning crime-comedy to the small screen (Edie Falco starred in a previous version, which was a more straightforward adaptation of the movie), but his approach was clearly the smarter move. Fans of the Coens in general will find lots to love about the many nods to the filmmakers’ entire filmography, with each season covering a different crime and time period. Though the seasons do share connections, each one is a total one-off, and the show might boast the most talented group of actors ever assembled: Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Bob Odenkirk, Oliver Platt, Ted Danson, Patrick Wilson, Nick Offerman, Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons, Ewan McGregor, Michael Stuhlbarg, Carrie Coon, Scoot McNairy, Chris Rock, Jason Schwartzman, Timothy Olyphant, and Ben Whishaw are just a few of the names who’ve found a home in Fargo. The all-new fifth season—featuring Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Joe Keery—premiered on November 21, with new episodes arriving weekly.

Justified: City Primeval

Few reboots have generated as much enthusiasm as this one, in which Timothy Olyphant reprises his role as no-nonsense US marshal Raylan Givens. Fifteen years older than when we last saw him in Justified, Raylan is now living back in Miami, helping to raise his teenage daughter Willa (played here by Olyphant’s real-life daughter Vivian) and still rocking a Stetson like no other actor ever could. But life for Raylan never stays quiet for long, and this miniseries sees him making his way to Detroit and facing off against a violent criminal known as the Oklahoma Wildman (Boyd Holbrook). Guns are drawn and wise is cracked in this limited series, with all eight episodes currently available to stream.

Dopesick

Back in 2021, Hulu went where Netflix’s Painkiller is currently going: to the late ’90s and early 2000s, aka the beginning of America’s opioid crisis. Danny Strong created this retelling of the lengths to which Richard Sackler (played here by the always excellent Michael Stuhlbarg) and Purdue Pharma would go to sell doctors on the powers of OxyContin—all with the promise of no addiction. Michael Keaton won an Emmy for his portrayal of a widowed doctor in Appalachia who buys into the lies, and eventually becomes a victim of them.

Futurama

In case you haven’t heard—which would mean you’ve not been reading enough WIRED—Futurama is back. Following a decade-long hiatus, Matt Groening and David X. Cohen’s animated sci-fi comedy has been successfully updated for 2023, complete with gags about Twilight Zone and “Momazon” drone deliveries. Now is the perfect time to dive back in—or watch it all for the first time.

Reservation Dogs

Taika Waititi and Sterlin Harjo cocreated this Peabody Award–winning series, which made history as the first mainstream TV show created by, starring, and crewed by an almost entirely Indigenous American team. It tells the story of four bored teens who are desperate to escape their lives on a reservation in Oklahoma. They decide that California is where they want to be and commit to a life of mostly petty crimes in order to save up enough money to leave. The series’ third, and final, season concluded on September 27 with a brilliant sendoff—and the whole series is available to watch now.

What We Do in the Shadows

In 2014, Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi cowrote, codirected, and costarred in What We Do in the Shadows, a funny mockumentary featuring a group of vampires who share a home. This series, which premiered in 2019, moved the vampire action from New Zealand to Staten Island and brought in a whole new group of vampires—who struggle to even get up off the couch, let alone take over all of New York City (as they’ve been instructed to). In the show’s fifth season, which concluded in September, Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) recovers from a supernatural hex, energy vampire Colin (Mark Proksch) runs for office, and gentleman scientist Laszlo (Matt Berry) tries to figure out the secret behind the changes Guillermo (Harvey Guillén) is experiencing. If you haven’t been watching, now is the perfect time to tune in.

The Bear

Even if you’ve never seen The Bear, you’ve undoubtedly heard about it (and had at least one person recommend it to you). The electrifying series, which premiered in June 2022, was all anyone could talk about last summer—and for good reason. Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) is a superstar of the fine dining world who has returned to his hometown of Chicago to save his family’s struggling sandwich shop after the death by suicide of his brother. While Carmy initially struggles to acclimate himself to being home and to his inherited kitchen’s back-to-basics style, he eventually realizes that it’s not too late to change both himself and the restaurant. Anyone who has ever worked in a busy kitchen knows the stress that comes with it, and The Bear does an excellent job of making that tension palpable. While the plot sounds simple enough, much of Carmy’s previous life is a bit of a mystery, and it’s doled out in amuse-bouche-sized bits throughout the series. Now that The Bear’s highly anticipated second season—which features several A-list guest stars—is live on Hulu, it’s time to feast.

The Clearing

This twisty crime series—based on J.P. Pomare’s book—tells two parallel storylines: When a young girl is abducted, cult survivor Freya (Teresa Palmer) is forced to reckon with the traumas of her past. At the same time, we watch as a cult leader (Miranda Otto) perpetrates horrendous crimes against little girls. As you can probably guess, their stories eventually collide in surprising, and disturbing, ways.

Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi

“The gateway to another culture often happens first through food,” says Padma Lakshmi in the first season of Taste the Nation. That pretty much sums up this food show, made in the style of Parts Unknown and Bizarre Foods. Lakshmi makes for a compelling tour guide, and she doesn’t even need to leave the US to explore the cultures, and culinary delights, of Ukraine, Cambodia, Italy, and beyond.

Not Dead Yet

Nell Serrano (Jane the Virgin’s Gina Rodriguez) was a journalist living her best life in New York City until she put her career aside to follow a man to London. Five years later, she returns to NYC in the hopes of picking up where she left off—but finds herself having to start over. Struggles include being put on the obituary-writing beat, which leads to her seeing the dearly departed she’s writing about. Think of it as a funny The Sixth Sense.

Class of ’09

There are plenty of series about the FBI, including, erm, FBI. But Class of ’09 promises to be different. Set across three different timelines, it follows a series of bureau agents who “grapple with immense changes as the US criminal justice system is altered by artificial intelligence.” The Hulu-exclusive limited series features a stellar cast with some of the coolest-sounding character names to ever be introduced in a law-enforcement series: Brian Tyree Henry as “Tayo,” Kate Mara as “Poet,” and Sepideh Moafi as “Hour.” If you’ve been looking for an FBI series with a twist, your time has come.

The Great

Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult shine in this witty, fast-paced, comedic retelling (but not really) of Catherine the Great’s rise to power. Created by Tony McNamara, who earned an Oscar nomination for cowriting The FavouriteThe Great offers the same combination of lush costumes and scenery mixed with a biting commentary on the world, and a woman’s place in it. A story that rings as true today as it did in the 18th century, when Catherine the Great became empress of Russia and brought about the Age of Enlightenment, this show, which dropped its third—and final—season in May, chips away at notions of class, propriety, and monarchical rule in a way few others do. If it’s historical accuracy you’re after, look elsewhere; the series’ creators describe it as decidedly “anti-historical” (which is part of the fun).

Tiny Beautiful Things

The reason to watch this eight-part limited series can be summed up in two words: Kathryn Hahn. A comedic juggernaut, Hahn can switch from funny to dramatic in the same scene, if not the same sentence. This talent is on display in Tiny Beautiful Things, where she plays Claire, a writer who takes up an advice column and pours all the traumas of her life into responding to her readers. Based on Wild author Cheryl Strayed’s collection of “Dear Sugar” columns, the vignettes here may be a bit out of sorts, but Hahn pulls them together.

Dave

Dave Burd is a comedian and rapper who goes by the stage name Lil Dicky. In Dave, Burd plays a rapper who goes by the stage name Lil Dicky and is attempting to raise his profile and make a much bigger name for himself. If only his many neuroses didn’t keep getting in the way. While Dave could have easily turned into some mediocre experiment in meta storytelling, Burd—who cocreated the series, stars in it, and has written several episodes—grapples with some surprisingly touchy topics, including mental illness. And he does it all with a level of sensitivity and honesty that you might not expect from a guy named Lil Dicky.

Great Expectations

This latest adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel isn’t so much a modern retelling—Alfonso Cuarón’s 1998 film this is not—as it is a fresh one. Starring Olivia Colman in the iconic role of Miss Havisham, this six-part series transforms the story of Pip, a young boy with dreams of an upper-class life, into a gothic tale that examines the moral compromises one must make to ascend in the world. Filled with stunning performances and a sleek look (or “try-hard edginess,” depending who you ask), it’s the perfect miniseries for fans of the novel—or viewers encountering Dickens’ classic story for the first time.

History of the World, Part II

Forty years after Mel Brooks’ History of the World, Part I, the comedy legend has assembled a who’s who of funny people for a new installment. Nick Kroll, Ike Barinholtz, Wanda Skykes, Jason Mantzoukas, Hannah Einbinder, and Quinta Brunson are just a few of the names in this collection of sketches. From Sigmund Freud to Rasputin to Jesus Christ, everyone gets a sendup—and a laugh.

Abbott Elementary

Quinta Brunson created and stars in this hit series, which follows the daily lives—in and out of the classroom—of a group of teachers at what is widely considered one of the worst public schools in America. Despite a lack of funding for even basic educational necessities, and school district leaders who only care about the barest minimum standards, these educators are united by their drive to surpass expectations and encourage their students to do the same. The show, which is prepping its third season, has already received a massive number of awards, including three Emmys.

Atlanta

Donald Glover proved himself to be a quadruple threat of an actor, writer, musician, and comedian with this highly acclaimed FX series about Earnest “Earn” Marks (Glover), an aspiring music manager who is trying to help his cousin Alfred Miles, aka Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry), kick off his musical career. They’re surrounded by a supportive crew of friends, including Alfred’s BFF, Darius (LaKeith Stanfield), and Van (Zazie Beetz), Earn’s close friend and the mother of his child. This makes it all sound like a fairly straightforward buddy comedy, but Atlanta is so much more. Even better: It’s weird. Glover is not afraid to experiment with storytelling, which is part of what makes the show so compelling.

Baskets

Zach Galifianakis stars alongside Zach Galifianakis as twin brothers Chip and Dale Baskets in this unexpectedly moving family comedy about an aspiring clown (Chip) who fails to graduate from a fancy clowning school in Paris and is forced to return home to Bakersfield, California, where he lives with his mother (the late Louie Anderson) and is constantly belittled by his higher-achieving brother (Dale). Between the dual role for Galifianakis and Anderson as the mom, it may sound like a cheap bit of stunt casting that can’t sustain more than an episode, let alone multiple character arcs. But if you’re a fan of absurdist comedy, Baskets truly ranks among the best of them. And Anderson, who won his first and only Emmy for his role as Costco-loving Christine, is absolutely transcendent. While it received a fair amount of critical acclaim, Baskets could rightly be considered one of the most underseen and underappreciated series in recent memory.

The Dropout

Amanda Seyfried won a much deserved Outstanding Lead Actress Emmy for her portrayal of the notorious Stanford dropout turned health care technology maven Elizabeth Holmes, who tricked some of the world’s savviest business minds into investing in her company, Theranos. While Holmes’ goal was altruistic enough—making health care more accessible to the masses via a device that could detect any number of diseases with little more than a single finger prick of blood—the technology wasn’t able to catch up. Rather than admit defeat, she kept pushing, making business deals and promises she could never fulfill.

Fleishman Is in Trouble

Taffy Brodesser-Akner created this series, based on her bestselling novel of the same name, which manages to tell a very specific story that is also universally relatable. Toby Fleishman (Jesse Eisenberg) is a recently divorced fortysomething hepatologist living in New York City. Things are looking up for Fleishman when he’s considered for a promotion and begins dipping his toe into the dating waters via an app. But then his ex-wife, Rachel (Claire Danes), disappears, leaving him with their two children. With the help of two of his best friends (played by Lizzy Caplan and Adam Brody), Fleishman realizes that it will take an honest deconstruction of his marriage to understand what happened to Rachel, and where she might be.

The Handmaid’s Tale

When Margaret Atwood wrote The Handmaid’s Tale in 1985, little did she know that its television adaptation would revolutionize the still-nascent world of original streaming content. And she may not have anticipated just how many parallels her dystopian classic would share with the real world at the time it was adapted into an award-winning television series. It’s set in an unnamed time in what is presumably the very near future, when the United States has been taken over by a fundamentalist group known as Gilead, under whose regime women are considered property and stripped of any personal rights. The most valuable women are those who are fertile, as infertility has become an epidemic, and they are kept as handmaids who are forced to take part in sexual rituals with high-ranking couples in order to bear their children. Recognizing the power she wields, Offred, aka June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss), is not content to remain enslaved and sets about changing the rules as she seeks to reunite with her lost husband and daughter.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

If you thought the characters on Seinfeld were terrible people, wait until you meet the gang from Paddy’s Pub. For nearly 20 years, Dennis (Glenn Howerton), Mac (Robert McElhenney), Charlie (Charlie Day), Sweet Dee (Kaitlin Olson), and Frank (Danny DeVito) have unapologetically plotted against each other and total strangers in a series of completely self-centered schemes with absolutely no regard for the rules of civility. The show follows the “no hugging and no learning” rule Larry David established for Seinfeld, but elevates it to a new level of sociopathy. “Dennis and Dee Go on Welfare,” “Sweet Dee Has a Heart Attack,” “How Mac Got Fat,” “Dennis Looks Like a Registered Sex Offender,” “The Gang Turns Black,” and “The Gang Goes to a Water Park” are just some of the offbeat adventures awaiting viewers. In 2021, Sunny became the longest-running live-action sitcom in the history of television, and it shows no signs of slowing down—or taking it easy on its characters. It also happens to be one of the easiest shows to binge: Pop an episode on and, without even realizing it, you’ll be on to another season. Its 16th (!!) wrapped up in August—but there are at least two more on the way.

Letterkenny

What began as a web series is now a Hulu original that wrapped up its eleventh season in December. The show is a portrait of small-town Canada (the fictional Letterkenny of the title) and focuses on siblings Wayne (cocreator Jared Keeso) and Katy (Michelle Mylett), who run a produce stand with help from friends Daryl (Nathan Dales) and Squirrely Dan (K. Trevor Wilson). As is often the case in small-town series, many of the residents fall into specific categories—in Letterkenny, you could be a gym rat, a hick, a skid (their word for a drug addict), or a “native” (a member of the nearby First Nation reservation). But in contrast to many small-town series, these groups—and the individuals who comprise them—aren’t reduced to meaningless stereotypes.

Only Murders in the Building

Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez make for a delightful trio of true-crime-obsessed podcast fans who, in season 1 of this original Hulu series, decide to join forces and create their own podcast while attempting to solve the mysterious death of a fellow resident of their Manhattan apartment building. From the very beginning of their odd alliance, it’s been clear that all is not what it seems, and everyone is keeping secrets. Now they’ve upped the ante on guest stars, too; the third season sees Paul Rudd and Meryl Streep join in the fun.

Pam & Tommy

Lily James and Sebastian Stan are practically unrecognizable—and seem to be having the time of their lives—as they let their inner hedonists out to portray Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, one of the most famous couples (and tabloid staples) of the ’90s. What emerges is the portrait of two people who, like the rest of us, are simply doing their best to balance their personal and professional lives. Unlike the rest of us, this pair is forced to do that in the blinding light of paparazzi cameras tracking their every move. It’s nothing groundbreaking or revelatory, but for people who lived through the Pam and Tommy years, it’s a fun bit of nostalgia.

The Patient

Steve Carell plays against type—or is at least nothing like The Office’s Michael Scott—in this psychological thriller from Joel Fields and The Americans creator Joe Weisberg. Carell is Alan Strauss, a therapist being held captive by his patient (Domhnall Gleeson), who cops to being a serial killer and desperately wants Strauss to “cure” his desire to kill. The series plays out like one big-bottle episode; much of the action occurs in a single room, with Carell and Gleeson speaking only to each other—each trying to determine his best next move.

Pen15

Mining the awkwardness of one’s middle school years is hardly a new comedy concept. But being in your early thirties and playing yourself as a junior high school student and then surrounding yourself with age-appropriate actors who are actually going through that hellish rite of passage brings a whole new layer of cringe and humor. This is exactly what cocreators/stars Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle did for Pen15.

Under the Banner of Heaven

Murder and Mormonism collide in this true crime drama when detective Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield) is sent to investigate the murder of a woman (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her baby near Salt Lake City. While trying to solve the crime, Pyre learns some troubling information about the most devoted members of the LDS church that forces him to reckon with his faith.

The SAG Deal Sends a Clear Message About AI and Workers

The SAG Deal Sends a Clear Message About AI and Workers

On Monday, the leadership of the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists held a members-only webinar to discuss the contract the union tentatively agreed upon last week with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. If ratified, the contract will officially end the longest labor strike in the guild’s history.

For many in the industry, artificial intelligence was one of the strike’s most contentious, fear-inducing components. Over the weekend, SAG released details of its agreed AI terms, an expansive set of protections that require consent and compensation for all actors, regardless of status. With this agreement, SAG has gone substantially further than the Directors Guild of America or the Writers Guild of America, who preceded the group in coming to terms with the AMPTP. This isn’t to say that SAG succeeded where the other unions failed but that actors face more of an immediate, existential threat from machine-learning advances and other computer-generated technologies.

The SAG deal is similar to the DGA and WGA deals in that it demands protections for any instance where machine-learning tools are used to manipulate or exploit their work. All three unions have claimed their AI agreements are “historic” and “protective,” but whether one agrees with that or not, these deals function as important guideposts. AI doesn’t just posit a threat to writers and actors—it has ramifications for workers in all fields, creative or otherwise.

For those looking to Hollywood’s labor struggles as a blueprint for how to deal with AI in their own disputes, it’s important that these deals have the right protections, so I understand those who have questioned them or pushed them to be more stringent. I’m among them. But there is a point at which we are pushing for things that cannot be accomplished in this round of negotiations and may not need to be pushed for at all.

To better understand what the public generally calls AI and its perceived threat, I spent months during the strike meeting with many of the leading engineers and tech experts in machine-learning and legal scholars in both Big Tech and copyright law.

The essence of what I learned confirmed three key points: The first is that the gravest threats are not what we hear most spoken about in the news—most of the people whom machine-learning tools will negatively impact aren’t the privileged but low- and working-class laborers and marginalized and minority groups, due to the inherent biases within the technology. The second point is that the studios are as threatened by the rise and unregulated power of Big Tech as the creative workforce, something I wrote about in detail earlier in the strike here and that WIRED’s Angela Watercutter astutely expanded upon here.