You’ve Finally Got Hulu on Disney+. Now What?

The day has finally arrived.

Disney+ has adulted up its content by adding a Hulu tile. Obviously, you must be subscribed to Hulu to watch the programming.

Disney expects most of its customers to switch to the Disney Bundle at some point, though. So, the two streaming services are now tied together.

Presuming you’re new to Hulu or don’t watch it much, you’re probably wondering what’s worth your time.

Yup, you’ve got Hulu on Disney+. Now what? Here are a few titles I’d suggest.

The Bear

Let’s be blunt. A handful of Hulu titles sell the entire service. They’re that good.

At the moment, the headline grabber is The Bear, which I enjoy so much that I wrote this article about one of its subplots.

During its second season, The Bear offers a couple of unforgettable, absolutely ascendant moments that made me feel ten feet tall.

HOWEVER…

I want to stress to you that The Bear isn’t for everyone. In fact, we found the first season so intense that we couldn’t binge it.

Instead, we watched an episode every few days and then took a break. It is a staggeringly intense show about one of the world’s most gifted chefs.

This highly successful individual must give up his career and move home to run his family’s restaurant after his brother’s tragic death.

The Bear gets the family drama right, which isn’t always a good thing for the viewer. It’s shockingly traumatic at times.

There’s a Christmas episode in season two that is so crushing in nature that I provided friends with a trigger warning.

The Bear is a brilliant series and quite possibly the single best program on streaming today. But it is quite the ordeal to watch.

Crazy Rich Asians

Here’s one of the differences between Hulu vs. Disney+. Before Disney owned the majority of Hulu, it operated much differently.

Several of Hollywood’s television studios worked together to add content. And since they owned film divisions, those titles appeared on Hulu, too.

With Disney+, virtually all the content you watch comes straight from Disney. However, Hulu licenses content from others.

The most amusing current example is Crazy Rich Asians, one of my favorite films of the past decade. I’ve watched it a bunch, probably 20 times.

I’ve also read all the books, which tells you how early I was on the bandwagon. During the earliest days of the streaming service now called Max, Crazy Rich Asians was arguably its most popular film.

Warner Bros. Discovery is run by someone short-sighted, though. So, it has licensed out some of its best and most popular content to a direct competitor.

Yes, that’s ridiculous of them, but you’ll benefit.

You can watch a charming romantic comedy about a charming woman who happens to fall for one of the wealthiest people alive.

Thinking out loud, Crazy Rich Asians would work well as the perfect upbeat chaser after a couple of episodes of The Bear.

Futurama

Everyone on the planet has a favorite television series. Futurama is mine.

My wife and I can engage in entire conversations wherein we only quote Futurama episodes.

It’s deeply unsettling and the reason why people don’t want to double-date with us.

Futurama also stands out as one of the most resilient television programs ever, having aired four (!!!) series finales…and counting.

This series started in 1999, but it has only aired 11 seasons. Fans like me have agonized over every cancellation, as it’s such a hysterical series.

Futurama pokes fun at all the staples and conventions of pop culture, especially science-fiction television.

Along the way, the show has earned countless awards for its galaxy brain jokes, many of which have evolved into beloved memes like “Shut up and take my money!”

Hulu picked up the series for two new seasons, one of which is now available to binge.

I’d strongly recommend that you start from the beginning, though. The first four episodes of this series are as good as television gets.

The Handmaid’s Tale

Here’s the other challenging recommendation.

I couldn’t help but notice that when the Hulu tile appeared on Disney+, The Handmaid’s Tale wasn’t listed.

That’s probably because this dystopian series based on the writing of Margaret Atwood has become, as she acknowledges, too uncomfortably plausible.

Still, this series won eight Emmys for its first season alone (!) and has since claimed a Golden Globe. It’s the gold standard in streaming dramas.

You should watch the pilot and decide whether it’s for you and yours.

Only Murders in the Building

Here’s a recommendation I can warmly suggest for everyone because, honestly, who doesn’t love Steve Martin?

Only Murders in the Building reunites Martin with Martin Short from The Three Amigos.

The genius part of the casting is that Selena Gomez joins them as another resident in their posh building.

The three of them share a love of solving mysteries, which proves fortunate when other residents start dropping dead around them.

Only Murders in the Building recently finished its third season, and the best compliment I can pay the series is the simple one.

Meryl Streep and Paul Rudd appeared as characters this past season. If stars that big are begging to get on the show, you know it’s exceptional!

Ten Other TV Shows to Watch

Here are some other recommendations:

• Abbott Elementary
• Dragons The Nine Realms
• Family Guy
• Fargo
• The Great
• It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
• The Kardashians
• Letterkenny/Shoresy
• A Murder at the End of the World
• Tokyo Revengers

Abbott Elementary has almost single-handedly elevated network television, and the sitcom has dominated the Emmys accordingly.

Disney fans will enjoy the connection to Dragons The Nine Realms, which ties back to the How to Train Your Dragon franchise.

Technically, that’s an NBCUniversal offering, and they’re the enemy.

But Chris Sanders created How to Train Your Dragon…and Stitch! We love him in this household.

Family Guy and Fargo are decidedly adult in nature, but I’ve watched and enjoyed both, especially the Ted Danson season of Fargo.

The Great has Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult having great fun as an alternative historical version of Catherine the Great and her lover.

My wife raves about It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Disney clearly loves Rob McElhenney, as his reality series, Welcome to Wrexham, is also popular on Hulu.

I’m only vaguely aware of what a Kardashian is – and it’s a point of pride for me – but this show is wildly popular.

Letterkenny and Shoresy are quite possibly the most Canadian things ever invented, and you DO NOT want to watch them if any kids are around.

Fans of crisp dialogue can’t help but be amused by this small-town comedy.

A Murder at the End of the World is currently airing on Hulu right now, with the final episode dropping on December 19^th. It’s the buzziest show on the service at the moment.

Finally, Tokyo Revengers is but one of MANY MANY MANY anime titles you’ll find on the service.

Even if you’re not into anime for yourself, your kids most assuredly are.

Ten Other Movies to Watch

• Elf
• A Haunting in Venice
• National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
• Palm Springs
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show
• The Sandlot
• Support the Girls
• Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
• Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
• Vacation Friends

I nearly skipped this section, but then I decided it would work well to help you calibrate expectations.

When you’re looking for a movie, Disney+ will remain the safer bet, at least in terms of quality.

Sometimes, you’ll want something more adult, though. And Hulu offers thousands of thoroughly mediocre movies, along with a few gems.

Let’s start with the seasonal fare. You probably watch Elf every holiday season, and now you can do it on Disney+ via the Hulu tile.

Similarly, one of my favorite holiday movies, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, is also available.

Will Ferrell fans can watch Talladega Nights on Hulu as well, and since I just mentioned National Lampoon’s, I’ll throw in Rocky Horror.

More than anything, I’m amused that you can now watch titles like this on the Disney streaming service. The world is really changing, my friends.

Speaking of Disney, its September release, A Haunting in Venice is already available on Hulu. It is NOT available on Disney+ unless you subscribe to Hulu.

Palm Springs and Vacation Friends are the two most popular Hulu-exclusive releases to date.

I highly recommend Palm Springs, but I wouldn’t watch a John Cena movie if the fate of the free world depended on it.

Then, we have a legitimate classic kids’ movie, The Sandlot, which coined the ever-present phrase, “You’re killing me, Smalls!”

Finally, we have two of the hidden gems I referenced.

Tucker & Dale vs. Evil and Support the Girls aren’t for everyone, but they’re 85 and 91 percent fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. You’ll likely enjoy both.

Final Thoughts

I was kinda joking about Rocky Horror, but I’m also kinda not.

The mere thought of Letterkenny being available to watch on Disney+ breaks my brain, and I say that as a (casual) fan of the series.

This sort of content doesn’t seem like it meshes well with the conventional concept of Disney entertainment.

Disney executives have fought this battle for generations now. I mean, Walt Disney’s own son-in-law, Ron Miller, lost the title of Disney CEO in 1984.

What was his perceived crime? He started Touchstone Pictures, a Disney studio that catered to adults, not families. And they fired a Disney for it!

So, this issue has bubbled under the surface for half a century. As of this week, it has come to a conclusion.

Disney CEO Bob Iger has squarely pushed his company into the future by combining the adult fare of Hulu with the more familiar content on Disney+.

For some Disney fans, there will be an adjustment period. But you’ll quickly adapt as you recognize just how much this improves your overall Disney+ experience.

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Feature Photo: The New York Post