Scripted series · MGM+
The Institute
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Ben Barnes
Tim Jamieson
8 eps
Joe Freeman
Luke Ellis
8 eps
Simone Miller
Kalisha
8 eps
Fionn Laird
Nick Wilholm
8 eps
Hannah Galway
Wendy Gullickson
8 eps
Julian Richings
Stackhouse
8 eps
Robert Joy
Hendricks
8 eps
Martin Roach
Chief Ashworth
8 eps
Mary-Louise Parker
Ms. Sigsby
8 eps
Mary Walsh
Annie
3 eps
Birva Pandya
Iris
5 eps
Arlen So
George Iles
7 eps
Jason Díaz
Tony
8 eps
Dan Beirne
Drew Reynolds
4 eps
Jane Luk
Maureen
7 eps
Jordan Alexander
Kate
3 eps
Rebecca Wolfe
Proctor
1 eps
Malcolm Roberts
Boy
1 eps
Phoebe Rex
Girl #1
1 eps
Emily Lux
Girl #2
1 eps
Bo Hong Fu
Rolf
1 eps
Micha Cromwell
Flight Attendant
1 eps
Lindsay Watters
Angry Passenger #1
1 eps
John Lindsay-Botten
Angry Passenger #2
1 eps
Mitch Landry
Angry Passenger #3
1 eps
Aviva Armour-Ostroff
Woman
1 eps
Michelle Monteith
Eileen Ellis
1 eps
Tyler Murree
Herb Ellis
1 eps
Elise Bauman
Michelle
1 eps
Tylan Bailey
Teammate
1 eps
Matthew McCarthy
Librarian
1 eps
Xander Martel
Burly Guard
4 eps
Max Emerson Taylor
Gate Guard #2
4 eps
Eric Mendes
Gate Guard #1
3 eps
Bob Mann
Will
1 eps
Joanne Broderick
Heather
1 eps
Beverly Smith
Lady on the Stairs
1 eps
Brendan Beiser
Norbert Hollister
5 eps
Alexander Abriel
Bartender
2 eps
Laura Peterson
Waitress
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Institute actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Institute reads strongest on Bingeability, World Building and Character Depth.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
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.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E06
Run
As Tim's investigation pays off in ways he never imagined and Sigsby scrambles to avert disaster, Luke must finally decide who he can trust.
- Directed by Jeff Renfroe
S01E03
Graduation
Luke begins to plan his escape while Sigsby is distracted trying to expose Stackhouse's disloyalty. Meanwhile, Tim loses a friend.
- Directed by Brad Turner
S01E05
Back Half
Sigsby tricks Luke into confirming he's TP, forcing him to move up his escape attempt; Tim's suspicions put him on the Institute's radar.
- Directed by Jeff Renfroe
S01E02
Shots for Dots
Luke bonds with the other Front Half residents, begins plotting his escape. Meanwhile, Ms. Sigsby manages the fallout from a security breach. In town, Tim begins to look into The Institute, only to find himself caught up in a high-stakes standoff.
- Directed by Jack Bender
S01E04
The Box
As Luke's tests intensify, a new arrival causes problems for Sigsby; Tim isn't buying the official story about what happened to Annie.
- Directed by Brad Turner
S01E08
Fight
Our characters come together for a final confrontation with unimaginable consequences.
- Directed by Jack Bender
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Shane ElrodExecutive Producer
- Benjamin CavellExecutive Producer
- Jack BenderExecutive Producer
Direction
- Brad TurnerDirector
- Jeff RenfroeDirector
- Jack BenderDirector
Music
- Mark KorvenOriginal Music Composer
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- fuboTVStreaming
- MGM+ Amazon ChannelStreaming
- PhiloStreaming
- MGM Plus Roku Premium ChannelStreaming
- YouTube TVStreaming
- MGM PlusStreaming
- Spectrum On DemandStreaming
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