Hulu isn't the first name in video streaming. Netflix, Amazon Prime Instant Video and HBO Go all have more clout with TV lovers than Hulu, but for all its faults and derision there's actually a slew of great content exclusive to the green and white website.
But before we dive into which shows are worth minute-and-a-half commercial breaks and which shows aren't worth the data they're streamed over, let's talk about what Hulu is and how to get it.
Hulu comes in two forms: a free-to-watch version with a limited library of content, and a $7.99/month version called Hulu Plus that unlocks full seasons of shows and more premium movies. Both have advertisements that play periodically throughout the show or movie, and, unlike HBO Go or Netflix, Hulu Plus is limited by to viewing one show at a time - you can never be logged on in two different locations watching different content.
We've highlighted the newest Hulu content below, as well as our picks for the best show and movies on the service today.
New Hulu TV shows and movies (May 2015)
While spring is known as a time of rebirth, it's also a time for conclusions. There's no better example of this than the myriad series finales coming to Hulu this month. The Last Man on Earth, Gotham, New Girl, The Originals, Jane the Virgin, American Idol, Vampire Diaries, The Blacklist, The Voice, The Flash, Grimm, Family Guy, The Simpsons, Law and Order: SVU and Supernatural are all wrapping up this month. On the flip side,American Ninja Warrior, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?, 500 Questions and a new season of The Bachelorette are all set to debut.
Six movies are also coming this month - Antitrust, Barbershop, Beauty Shop, The Birdcage, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Death at a Funeral.
May 1
Backstrom: Season 1 Finale (FOX)
Antitrust (2001)
Barbershop (2002)
Beauty Shop (2005)
The Birdcage (1996)
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Death at a Funeral (2007)
Bleach (English Dub): Season 22
May 2
Mistresses: Season 2 (ABC)
Auction Hunters: Season 6 Premiere (Spike)
May 4
The Last Man on Earth: Season 1 Finale (FOX)
May 5
Gotham: Season 1 Finale (FOX)
May 6
New Girl: Season 4 Finale (FOX)
Weird Loners: Season 1 Finale (FOX)
May 12
The Originals: Season 2 Finale (CW)
Jane the Virgin: Season 2 Finale (CW)
May 13
American Idol: Season 14 Finale (FOX)
One Big Happy: Season 1 Finale (NBC)
May 14
Arrow: Season 3 Finale (CW)
May 15
Wayward Pines: Series Premiere (FOX)
Reign: Season 2 Finale (CW)
Vampire Diaries: Season 6 Finale (CW)
The Blacklist: Season 2 Finale (NBC)
May 16
Grimm: Season 4 Finale (NBC)
May 17
Tyrant: Season 1 (FX)
May 18
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Season 2 Finale (FOX)
Family Guy: Season 13 Finale (FOX)
The Simpsons: Season 26 Finale (FOX)
May 19
The Bachelorette: Season 11 Premiere (ABC)
Lo Imperdonable: Series Premiere (Univision)
The Following: Season 3 Finale (FOX)
May 20
The Voice: Season 8 Finale (NBC)
The Flash: Season 1 Finale (CW)
Chicago Fire: Season 3 Finale (NBC)
May 21
500 Questions: Series Premiere (ABC)
Celebrity Wife Swap: Season 4 Premiere (ABC)
The Mysteries of Laura: Season 1 Finale (NBC)
Supernatural: Season 10 Finale (CW)
Law & Order: SVU: Season 16 Finale (NBC)
May 26
The Island: Series Premiere (NBC)
American Ninja Warrior: Season 7 Premiere (NBC)
The Night Shift: Season 2 Finale (NBC)
May 27
Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader: Series Premiere (FOX)
America's Got Talent: Season 10 Premiere (NBC)
I Can Do That: Series Premiere (NBC)
Extreme Weight Loss: Season 5 Premiere (ABC)
Undateable: Season 2 Finale (NBC)
May 28
Bullseye: Series Premiere (FOX)
May 29
Aquarius: Series Premiere (NBC)
May 31
Chicago P.D.: Season 2 Finale (NBC)
Best TV shows on Hulu
Because Hulu has a repository of shows from NBC, FOX, Disney, Cartoon Network and ABC, there's no shortage of great TV to watch for those of us without a cable tuner.
Here are the shows we think are worth enduring the advertisements for:
The Simpsons (Hulu)
Twenty-six seasons and counting, The Simpsons is the longest running cartoon family of all-time.
The Colbert Report (Hulu)
We're suckers for incredible reporting and in-depth politics disguised as ironic, dry humor, and no one did that better than Stephen Colbert.
Arrow (Hulu Plus)
Say what you will about Agents of Shield, but it wasn't until DC made shows like Arrow, The Flash and Gotham that we all started caring about serialized super-human dramas.
Community (Hulu Plus)
Community, like Parks and Recreation and The Office before it, is one of those comedies with a tender heart. A tale of misfits banding together to become the coolest not-so-cool people on campus.
Best movies on Hulu
If you're a lover of classic cinema, there's no better streaming service than Hulu. With access to the entirety of The Criterion Collection, there's an insane amount of amazing cinematography at your fingertips: La Dolce Vita, Seven Samurai, The Last Temptation of Christ … the list is a mile long.
Instead of highlighting the best of those films and starting a culture war, we've decided instead to list the films we think are worth watching that aren't necessarily cinematic masterpieces.
Supersize Me (Hulu Plus)
We know fast food isn't good for our bodies, yet everyday millions of us eat food that's literally killing us from the inside. Supersize Me is a true life horror story of what happens when one man makes it his mission to eat at McDonald's every day for one month.
Memento (Hulu Plus)
Memento might be the best movie you've never seen. Told in a unique way from end to beginning, Memento follows mentally damaged protagonist Leonard (Guy Pearce) in his hunt to track down the person who raped and murdered his wife.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Hulu Plus)
Kung Fu movies are a dime a dozen. But in the sea of kitschy classics, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the pinnacle of the genre. A perfect blend of cinematography and choreography, director Ang Lee masterfully weaves a yarn of love, life and death in Far East Asia.
Want even more streaming shows? Check out our list of the best online video streaming services, best tv shows on Netflix and best tv shows on Amazon Instant Video.
