Mackenzie Crook reunites with Detectorists co-star for new BBC comedy – featuring Monty Python legend
The series has been dubbed "British comedy at its finest".
A new comedy is coming to the BBC from the mind of BAFTA-winning Mackenzie Crook.
The six-part series, Small Prophets, tells a comedic tale of Michael Sleep (Detectorists' Pearce Quigley) who, since his darling Clea disappeared seven years ago, has lived a very ordinary life. That is until his dad Brian (Sir Michael Palin) shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy.
With the recipe, Michael sets out to create Homunculi – magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future – in the hope they can answer his question: Will he ever see Clea again?
Filmed and set in and around Manchester, the series tells a story of friendships and hope, the magical and the mundane, and where secrets and lies lurk in a suburban cul-de-sac, as per the log line.
The synopsis continues: "Michael gets help from young work mate Kacey (Lauren Patel), an unlikely friendship that blossoms partly (but not wholly) through their mutual dislike of store manager Gordon (Crook).
"Their friendship adds to the frustration and intrigue of his nosy neighbours (Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing) who are obsessed with trying to find out what the hell is going on in the garden shed."
Mackenzie Crook said in a statement: "Like all my best ideas, this one has been percolating for nearly a decade and is finally ready to see the light of day. It's wonderful to be working again with my friends Gill Isles and Pearce Quigley and to realise a long-term ambition of collaborating with animators Ainslie Henderson and Will Anderson."
Meanwhile, Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, added: "BBC viewers are in for a treat with BAFTA winner Mackenzie Crook’s Small Prophets. This magical comedy series brims with wit and wonder-from Mackenzie himself and Sir Michael Palin to Sophie Willan, Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel and Jon Pointing – and is backed by a top-tier creative team and stunning animation. It’s British comedy at its finest."
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Authors
Katelyn Mensah is the Senior Entertainment Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
