This Thanksgiving, how are you going to spend your time at home with friends and family? Dinners can only go on for so long, and at some point, wouldn’t you rather just watch something on TV? If so, Hulu should be one of your top streaming destinations this holiday weekend because it’s got a fantastic lineup of TV shows from the past and present.
To narrow things down, we’ve selected five great Hulu shows to watch on Thanksgiving. Three of them are different variations of mystery series, which are rounded out by a medical drama and an action show. But if you’re looking for comedy, there’s plenty of laughs in these picks as well.
Need more Thanksgiving recommendations? Then try 10 great movies to watch on Thanksgiving, the 5 great Netflix thrillers to watch on Thanksgiving, the 10 great Amazon Prime Video movies to watch on Thanksgiving, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024: all confirmed performers.
Doctor Odyssey (2024-present)
Just when you think that medical dramas have mapped out all possible ideas, a show like Doctor Odyssey comes along to kind of reinvent the wheel… at least in terms of settings. Instead of being trapped in the confines of a hospital, this show takes place on a luxury cruise liner called the Odyssey that recently lost its doctor. That’s where Dr. Max Bankman (Joshua Jackson) comes in as the latest addition to the crew.
There’s always some kind of medical emergency to deal with, and Max has already developed a love triangle with his nurse practitioner, Avery Morgan (Phillipa Soo), even though he already knew that his other nurse, Tristan Silva (Sean Teale), was already in love with her. It just wouldn’t be a medical drama without some soap opera elements as well.
Watch Doctor Odyssey on Hulu.
The Old Man (2022-present)
Jeff Bridges gets to go full action hero in The Old Man, even though his character’s best days may be behind him. Former CIA operative Dan Chase (Bridges) managed to stay in hiding for three decades before his cover was blown. As far as his retirement goes, consider it off the table. Dan knows too many secrets to be allowed to live, so his former colleague, FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Harold Harper (John Lithgow), is coming after him.
It’s not enough for Harold to capture Dan. He’s hired Julian Carson (Gbenga Akinnagbe) to kill his old friend in order to prevent Dan’s secrets from blowing back on Harold himself. This forces Dan to go on the run with Zoe McDonald (Amy Brenneman), a woman whom he rented a room from. Zoe doesn’t belong in Dan’s world, but it’s too late to turn back now.
Watch The Old Man on Hulu.
Sherlock (2010-2017)
There have been a handful of Sherlock Holmes stories that brought Arthur Conan Doyle’s great detective to the present. But few have captured the imagination like BBC’s Sherlock. Patrick Melrose‘s Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman both emerged from this series as movie stars with separate Marvel deals.
Freeman plays Dr. John Watson, a war veteran who needs a roommate. What he gets is Sherlock Holmes (Cumberbatch), an incredibly brilliant detective who lacks social graces. John is so impressed by Sherlock’s deductive abilities that he agrees to assist him on his cases. However, Sherlock is a hard guy to get along with in the long term. In the short term, Sherlock has made a few enemies who are going to make his life and John’s a living hell.
Watch Sherlock on Hulu.
Castle (2009-2016)
Castle had some serious moments in its long eight-season run, but it was mostly a charming crime comedy/romance between writer Richard Castle (Superman‘s Nathan Fillion) and NYPD Detective Kate Beckett (Stana Katic). In Beckett, Castle finally has the inspiration to write his next great crime novel. For her part, Beckett is initially put off by Castle’s presence in her life. But his ability to put connections together makes him a valuable asset during homicide investigations.
Over time, Beckett and Castle develop some serious romantic sparks between them. There’s also an overarching mystery across most of the seasons about who killed Beckett’s mother decades earlier and why. Those answers will come back to haunt both Castle and Beckett.
Watch Castle on Hulu.
Moonlighting (1985-1989)
Everything that Castle did just over a decade ago was done even earlier by Moonlighting, one of the most seminal shows of the ’80s. Until earlier this year, Moonlighting didn’t even have a streaming home until Hulu finally made a deal for the series.
Moonlighting was the comeback project for Cybill Shepherd, who portrayed a fallen super model named Madolyn “Maddie” Hayes. After losing all of her money to a crooked accountant, the last thing that Maddie owns is a detective agency run by David Addison, as played by future Die Hard star Bruce Willis. The romantic tension between Maddie and David was the stuff of legend, and this show had a unique balance of comedy, romance, mystery, and drama that no other series has been able to re-create. It’s simply one of a kind.
Watch Moonlighting on Hulu.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the best new shows to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, the best shows on Hulu, the best shows on Amazon Prime Video, the best shows on Max, and the best shows on Disney+.
