Mackenzie Crook (Gordon). Credit: Vishal Sharma
New photos have just been released for Small Prophets, the upcoming BBC comedy created, written and directed by Mackenzie Crook.
Best known for Detectorists, Crook is back with a six-part series blending everyday life with oddball magic.
The cast is stacked with familiar faces, including Sir Michael Palin, Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel, Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing, Paul Kaye, and Crook himself.
The story follows Michael Sleep (played by Quigley), a quiet man whose partner Clea vanished seven years ago.
Since then, he’s been living a simple life—working in a DIY store, eating cereal, and occasionally visiting his dad Brian (Palin).
Everything changes when Brian hands him an old recipe involving rainwater, manure and some light alchemy.
With help from his curious co-worker Kacey (Patel), Michael sets out to create Homunculi—tiny magical creatures that can apparently predict the future.
As Michael and Kacey grow closer, their strange behaviour starts to catch the attention of their nosey neighbours (played by Willan and Pointing) who are obsessed with what’s going on in the garden shed.
Meanwhile, Clea’s brother Roy (Kaye), down on his luck, turns up convinced she’s not coming back—and wants his family home back from Michael.
Filmed in and around Manchester and featuring animated elements, Small Prophets is set to launch on BBC Two and iPlayer in early 2026.
