Small Prophets

Small Prophets is a six-episode comedy created, written and directed by Mackenzie Crook. Pearce Quigley plays Michael Sleep, a DIY-store employee whose girlfriend Clea has been missing for seven years. Michael's father Brian, played by Sir Michael Palin, gives him a recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and alchemy. Michael begins making homunculi in his shed: tiny magical spirits that can predict the future. He hopes they can help him find an answer about Clea.

Michael's experiment takes place alongside the rest of his everyday life. At work he becomes friends with Kacey, played by Lauren Patel, partly through their shared dislike of manager Gordon, played by Crook. Jon Pointing plays Clive, Sophie Willan plays Bev and Paul Kaye also appears. Nosy neighbors become interested in what Michael is doing in the shed. The show is set and was filmed around Manchester.

Crook executive produces with Lisa Thomas, Christine Gernon and Emma Strain. Treasure Trove Productions and Blue House Productions made the series, and Sphere Abacus handles international distribution. The show's comedy combines familiar family, workplace and neighborhood situations with Michael's unlikely attempt to use alchemy to find someone he loves.

The first season aired on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in the UK earlier in 2026. Apple TV launches the season October 7, 2026, outside the UK, including the United States; the U.S. catalog currently describes it as coming soon and labels it TV-MA. Apple TV availability for UK subscribers begins in 2027, with no specific date announced in the Apple release. The October 7 date is therefore the Apple TV international launch, not the show's original UK premiere.