Mackenzie Crook Finally Returns to TV as First Look Teases Epic Team-Up With Screen Legend in New BBC Series

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Mackenzie Crook is doing the full hat-trick again — writing, directing, and starring — and the first-look images for his new BBC comedy 'Small Prophets' just landed. It is a six-parter, it is set in and around Manchester, and the premise is delightfully odd in a way that feels very Crook.
The setup
Crook plays Gordon, the manager of a DIY store. The show actually centers on Michael Sleep, played by Pearce Quigley, an eccentric store employee whose partner, Clea, vanished seven years ago. Michael has been stuck in a quiet routine ever since — cereal, shifts at the shop, visits to his dad — still hoping Clea walks back in one day.
Then Michael’s father, Brian (yes, that Michael Palin), digs out an old recipe that mixes rainwater, horse manure, and a bit of backyard alchemy. The idea: brew up homunculi and get answers about the future. As you do.
"magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future"
Michael teams up with his younger colleague Kacey (Lauren Patel) to try it, and the two bond — partly because they both cannot stand Gordon. Their strange new hobby immediately becomes the obsession of the nosy neighbors (Sophie Willan and Jon Pointing), who are fixated on whatever is happening out in Michael’s garden shed. Meanwhile, Roy (Paul Kaye) — Clea’s brother — has hit the skids and shows up determined to reclaim the family home, convinced Clea is never coming back.
Who is playing who
- Mackenzie Crook as Gordon, the DIY store manager
- Pearce Quigley as Michael Sleep, the eccentric lead
- Lauren Patel as Kacey, Michael’s workmate and unlikely ally
- Sir Michael Palin as Brian, Michael’s dad with the questionable recipe
- Sophie Willan and Jon Pointing as the prying neighbors
- Paul Kaye as Roy, Clea’s brother with designs on the house
When and where to watch
'Small Prophets' is set to launch on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in early 2026.
The series was filmed in and around Manchester, and it weaves animation throughout — we have not seen what that looks like yet, which is intriguing given the whole kitchen-sink-meets-alchemy vibe. If you are a Detectorists fan, this is unmistakably in Crook’s wheelhouse: gentle oddities, small-town obsession, and comedy that does not shout to get your attention. Also, inside baseball: Crook has form with triple duty — he wrote and directed Detectorists while co-starring with Toby Jones — and he is doing it again here. Add Palin to the mix and, yes, that is a very good get.