Small Prophets is a British television sitcom created, written and directed by Mackenzie Crook. Set in and around Manchester, it stars Pearce Quigley as a man who turns to alchemy and homunculi in an attempt to learn what happened after his girlfriend disappeared, with the cast also including Crook, Michael Palin, Lauren Patel, Sophie Willan and Jon Pointing. The series premiered on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on 9 February 2026. == Premise == Set in Manchester, Michael Sleep is still struggling after his girlfriend, Clea, vanished seven years earlier. After receiving an alchemical recipe to create homunculi, he uses their prophecies to search for answers about whether he will ever see her again. As he pursues this, he is helped by a colleague, hindered by their unpopular boss, and drawn into conflict with nosy neighbours who become suspicious of what he is doing in his shed. == Cast and characters == Pearce Quigley as Michael Sleep Mackenzie Crook as Gordon, Michael's boss Michael Palin as Brian, Michael's father Paul Kaye as Roy, Clea's brother Lauren Patel as Kacey, Michael's colleague Sophie Willan as Bev, Michael's neighbour and Clive's wife Jon Pointing as Clive, Michael's neighbour and Bev's husband Ed Kear as Brigham, Michael's co-worker Charlotte Mills as Hilary, an employee at Brian's care home Adam Wright as Elliot Shola Adewusi as Olive, Michael's neighbour Howard Gossington as Bob Kathryn Drysdale as Bea == Episodes == == Production == In May 2025, the BBC commissioned the six-part sitcom Small Prophets, created, written and directed by Mackenzie Crook. The series is produced by Treasure Trove, Blue House and Hot Olives Productions, with Gill Isles as producer, and Crook serving as an executive producer alongside Lisa Thomas, Christine Gernon, and Emma Strain. Crook has said his idea for the series part-came from a footnote in a book about Swiss alchemist Paracelsus. The theme tune The Wise Man's Song is written by musician Cinder Well exclusively for the series. The series includes animation by Ainslie Henderson and Will Anderson. It was filmed in and around Manchester. == Release == The series premiered on BBC Two on 9 February 2026, with new episodes airing weekly. All episodes were released on BBC iPlayer the same day. == Reception == The series received five stars in The Guardian, where it was described as a "show full of gorgeous surprises" and "pure, pure pleasure". The series was given four stars in The Daily Telegraph, where it was described as "eccentric, funny, sweet, and sad – often all at once" with praise for the performances of Quigley and Palin. The series also received five stars in The Times with Crook praised for his "joyous storytelling" that "can make you feel strangely and intensely alive". == References == == External links == Small Prophets at BBC Online Small Prophets at IMDb Small Prophets at British Comedy Guide Official trailer on YouTube