What to Watch November 8: ‘The Gilded Age,’ ‘The Institute’ & ‘The Simpsons’

Sunday television is bringing wealthy family drama, Stephen King horror and a full evening of animated comedy. HBO's The Gilded Age continues its fourth season as Bertha Russell faces another round of family complications, while MGM+'s The Institute returns for Season 2. FOX has fresh episodes of The Simpsons, Animal Control and more.

Football fans also have a packed schedule, including an international NFL matchup in Madrid and a Sunday night showdown between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears. Meanwhile, CBS is taking a break from its usual Marshals and Tracker lineup, replacing it with Cupertino. Apparently, even television's busiest investigators get an occasional Sunday off.

TV Cave Top Pick: The Gilded Age

The Gilded Age continues Season 4 with Episode 2, “You Won't Hear Me Beg,” and the Russell household is hardly enjoying a peaceful return to society. Bertha finds herself facing a chilly reception at home, while Peggy's professional ambitions create new complications among Newport's wealthy social circles.

Bertha has spent years maneuvering her way into New York's most exclusive rooms, but controlling society is considerably easier than controlling her own family. After the emotional events surrounding Gladys in the season premiere, the Russells have plenty of personal business to sort through, and Bertha's determination to keep moving forward may not be appreciated by everyone under her roof.

Peggy's storyline is also worth watching as she continues building her career while navigating a world that doesn't always welcome her ambitions. Between the family tensions, social maneuvering and gorgeous costumes, The Gilded Age remains one of television's most entertaining reminders that having money doesn't mean having your life together.

Sunday, November 8 TV Schedule

Time (ET)	Show	Network/Streaming	Tonight
Streaming	City of God: The Fight Rages On	HBO Max	Season 2 Premiere
9:30 AM	NFL: Bengals vs. Falcons	NFL Network	Madrid International Game
12:30 PM	NWSL: Gotham FC vs. Seattle Reign	ABC	Playoff Quarterfinal
1:00 PM	NFL Football	CBS / FOX	Week 9 Regional Games
3:00 PM	NWSL: Washington Spirit vs. Portland Thorns	ABC	Playoff Quarterfinal
4:05 PM	NFL: Texans vs. Chargers	CBS	Week 9 Matchup
4:25 PM	NFL Football	FOX	Week 9 Late Games
7:00 PM	America's Funniest Home Videos	ABC	New Episode
7:00 PM	60 Minutes	CBS	New Episode
8:00 PM	Animal Control	FOX	New — “Baked Chickens and Rat Dogs”
8:00 PM	Cupertino	CBS	New — “Harper”
8:30 PM	The Simpsons	FOX	New — “The Kosmic Kruiser”
8:20 PM	Sunday Night Football	NBC / Peacock	Buccaneers vs. Bears
9:00 PM	The Gilded Age	HBO / HBO Max	⭐ Top Pick — Season 4, Episode 2
9:00 PM	The Institute	MGM+	Season 2 Premiere
9:00 PM	Universal Basic Guys	FOX	New — “Princess Tammy”
9:30 PM	Grimsburg	FOX	New — “Flutey Friday”
11:00 PM	Last Week Tonight With John Oliver	HBO / HBO Max	New Episode

All times Eastern. Streaming releases are available on demand unless otherwise noted. NFL broadcasts vary by region, and live sports may affect subsequent programming.

‘The Institute’ Returns for More Stephen King Horror

MGM+ brings back The Institute for its second season, continuing the unsettling world inspired by Stephen King's novel. The series follows gifted children trapped inside a secretive facility where their unusual abilities make them valuable to people who have little interest in treating them like actual human beings.

The first season established a disturbing premise built around exploitation, control and children forced to confront dangers far beyond their years. Season 2 has the opportunity to expand that mythology, and with King's work, there's usually a good reason to be suspicious of any institution claiming to know what's best for everybody.

‘The Simpsons,’ ‘Animal Control’ and ‘Cupertino’

FOX is keeping its Sunday comedy lineup intact with Animal Control kicking things off at 8 PM. Emily and Shred attempt to host their first party as a couple, which sounds like a perfectly reasonable plan until you remember the people they work with. The Simpsons follows with Bart and Lisa sneaking into one of Krustyland's most infamous failed attractions, because those two have never encountered a terrible idea they couldn't make worse.

Universal Basic Guys sends the Hoagies to Story World, while Grimsburg gets into body-swapping territory with Flute and Stan. Over on CBS, Cupertino moves into the 8 PM slot with a case involving a patient denied a transplant after an algorithm changes the waiting list. It's a particularly unsettling reminder that technology making decisions about people's lives can have consequences far beyond an inconvenient software glitch.

NFL Football and Sunday’s Other Highlights

The NFL gets an early start with Cincinnati facing Atlanta in Madrid at 9:30 AM ET. The afternoon includes the New York Giants visiting the Philadelphia Eagles, while the evening's featured matchup sends Tampa Bay to Chicago for Sunday Night Football. Between the international game, divisional rivalries and primetime action, football fans have more than enough to keep them occupied.

ABC also has two NWSL playoff quarterfinals, while 60 Minutes returns on CBS at 7 PM. Later, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver closes out the HBO evening with another look at the week's headlines.

Our Top Pick goes to The Gilded Age, where Bertha Russell's social victories continue coming with a rather expensive personal price tag. With The Institute bringing the horror and FOX delivering the laughs, Sunday's lineup offers plenty beyond the football field.