Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for The Institute

The Institute

Seen it?

2025 | 2 seasons | 58 min | Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It's still drawing plenty of interest, though it had a short run with a modest audience. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing and sci-fi fans. If you loved Mr. Mercedes or The Terror, start here.
The mood
Tense and unsettling.
The pace
2 seasons: a few weeks of evenings, hour-long episodes, about 15 hours in all.
What might put you off
Rated TV-MA: meant for adults.

When 14 year old genius Luke Ellis is kidnapped, he awakens at The Institute, a facility full of children who all got there the same way he did, and who are all possessed of unusual abilities. In a nearby town, haunted former police officer Tim Jamieson has come looking to start a new life, but the peace and quiet won’t last, as his story and Luke’s are destined to collide.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsSolid

    64% on Rotten Tomatoes, 52 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.5 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Ran for 2 seasons and reached a modest audience

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 327K people sought it out in the past year

Season by season

The show overall is a Sunday Safe Bet. Here's how each season stacks up; Season 1 is the high point.

  1. Saturday Special
    Season 12025 · 8 episodes · 7.9 out of 10
    Saturday
  2. Season 22026 · 8 episodes
    Not rated yet

Trailer

More like this

Cast & crew

Created by Benjamin Cavell