The story
After a second American civil war, a theocratic regime called Gilead has seized power and stripped women of their rights. With birth rates collapsing, fertile women are pressed into service as 'Handmaids', made to bear children for the ruling elite. Separated from her husband and young daughter and renamed Offred, June is placed in a powerful commander's household, where she clings to memories of her old life and watches for any chance to resist.
Why it matters
This was Hulu's prestige breakthrough: in 2017 it became the first streaming series to win the Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series, part of an eight-Emmy haul for its first season. That win signalled that streaming originals could beat cable and network drama at their own game, and its red handmaid costume has since been adopted by protesters around the world.
Notable facts
- It was the first show produced by Hulu to win a major award. (source)
- Its first season won eight Primetime Emmy Awards from 13 nominations. (source)
- In the UK it premiered on Channel 4 on 28 May 2017. (source)
- In 2021 it received 21 Emmy nominations without a single win, a record for Emmy losses. (source)