A still from Small Prophets, BBC Two. Image: Matt Squire.

Small Prophets

A six-part comedy by Mackenzie Crook. A quiet man, an old recipe, and the small prophets he grows in the garden shed.

★★★★★

"A pure, pure pleasure."

The Guardian

A comic tale of eccentric Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley) who, since his darling Clea disappeared seven years ago, has lived a very ordinary life. He eats Shreddies, works in a DIY store, visits dad Brian (Sir Michael Palin) and hopes for Clea to return.

That is just the way it is, until one day dad Brian shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy. With recipe in hand, Michael sets out — albeit with some scepticism — to create Homunculi, magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future, in the hope they have the answer to his burning question: will I ever see Clea again?

Michael gets help from young workmate Kacey (Lauren Patel), an unlikely friendship that blossoms partly through their mutual dislike of store manager Gordon (Mackenzie Crook). Their friendship adds to the frustration and intrigue of nosy neighbours (Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing) who are obsessed with trying to find out what the hell is going on in the garden shed.

★★★★★

"The loveliest British comedy since Detectorists."

The Times

Sir Michael Palin in Small Prophets, BBC Two.
Sir Michael Palin as Brian.Image: Matt Squire
Created, written and directed by
Mackenzie Crook
Produced by
Gill Isles
Executive producers
Mackenzie Crook and Lisa Thomas for Treasure Trove
Christine Gernon and Emma Strain for Blue House
Animation
Ainslie Henderson and Will Anderson
Cast
Pearce Quigley, Sir Michael Palin, Lauren Patel, Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing, Paul Kaye, Mackenzie Crook
Commissioned by
Emma Lawson, Commissioning Editor
Jon Petrie, Director of Comedy, BBC
International distribution
Sphere Abacus
Filmed in and around
Manchester

A Treasure Trove and Blue House production for the BBC.

★★★★

"Small Prophets brings large returns."

The Independent

Mackenzie Crook as Gordon in Small Prophets, BBC Two.
Mackenzie Crook as Gordon.Image: Matt Squire

"The biggest new scripted launch of the year."

7.7M Episode-one viewers — 28-day figure.
5.9M Of those came from iPlayer — the biggest comedy launch on iPlayer since at least 2022.
4M Had completed the series on iPlayer at the time of release.
10 yrs Biggest BBC Two comedy episode of the last decade.

Source: BBC Press, March 2026

A man and a young woman in navy shop uniforms stand in front of a stack of blue mop buckets. She holds a cardboard box.
Pearce Quigley and Lauren Patel.Image: Matt Squire
★★★★

"Eccentric, funny, sweet, and sad — often all at once."

The Telegraph

All six episodes are on iPlayer now.

Watch on BBC iPlayer
A bearded man holds something above a glass jar in a darkened room — the homunculi shed scene from Small Prophets.
The homunculi shed.Image: Matt Squire

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