It's been eight months since Small Prophets, a brand-new BBC comedy written, directed by and starring Mackenzie Crook, was first announced, and since then fans have been on tenterhooks waiting to see the series.
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Now, finally, it appears we're getting to close to the show's release, with the series set to launch on BBC Two and iPlayer in early February 2026.
Small Prophets will be the first series created by Mackenzie since the end of Detectorists, the BBC comedy which ran from 2014 to 2022 and in which he starred opposite Toby Jones.
The six-part series, which also stars Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel, Sir Michael Palin, Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing and Paul Kaye, follows Quigley's character Michael Sleep, an eccentric widower who works in a DIY store.
Pearce Quigley as Michael Sleep and Lauren Patel as Kacey in Small Prophets. Matt Squire/BBC
The synopsis for the series says: "One day Brian shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy. With recipe in hand, Sleep sets out (albeit with some scepticism) to create Homunculi – magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future.
"The series incorporates visually stunning animation elements throughout as we tell a story of friendships and hope, the magical and the mundane, and where secrets and lies lurk in a suburban cul-de-sac."
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 [producer] Gill Isles and Pearce Quigley and to realise a long-term ambition of collaborating with animators Ainslie Henderson and Will Anderson."
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Meanwhile, Isles added: "I’m absolute thrilled to be working with Mackenzie again on such a funny, beautiful and unique show."
Jon Petrie, BBC Director of Comedy, said: "BBC Two 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."
Small Prophets will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer in February 2026.
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
