Six-episode BBC series 'Small Prophets' debuts on Apple TV
The new series, written and directed by Mackenzie Crook, blends fantasy with workplace comedy in a six-part run.
By Leah Thompson ·
Mackenzie Crook’s new television series, Small Prophets, arrived on Apple TV this week. The show consists of six thirty-minute episodes and adapts a BBC hit for the streaming platform.
The series centers on Michael Sleep, a character played by Pearce Quigley. Quigley portrays a man in his fifties with long hair and a white beard. He lives alone in a suburban house with an overgrown lawn. His partner, Clea, disappeared seven years ago, and he remains in the home hoping she will return.
Michael splits his time between a job at the Tool Box, a large hardware store, and visits to his father, Brian. Michael Palin plays Brian, an inventive and scattered man living in a retirement home. Brian tells Michael about a friend in Egypt who summoned homunculi. These miniature humanoid beings live in glass jars and answer questions with absolute truth.
Brian provides the recipe for creating the homunculi. The process requires old coins and a truckload of manure. Although skeptical, Michael begins the procedure in his shed.
Other characters enter Michael’s life during this period. Paul Kaye plays Roy, Clea’s brother, who arrives broke and demands the house. Michael’s neighbors, Clive and Bev, also become involved. Clive is annoyed by Michael’s messy yard, while Bev finds him interesting.
Michael befriends Kacey, a coworker played by Lauren Patel. Both men dislike their boss, Gordon. Crook plays Gordon, a manager described as an officious incompetent with a greasy ponytail. Crook also serves as the writer and director for the series.
Crook is known for creating tender, offbeat comedies. His previous work includes Detectorists, a series about a metal detecting club. In Small Prophets, he focuses on loners and misfits in unsatisfying jobs. The show portrays these characters with care, revealing hidden vulnerability beneath their quirks.
The series mixes humor with melancholy. Michael jokes with customers at the store, and the production includes poetic visual elements. These include a falling star and an oil spill shaped like a rabbit. When the homunculi finally appear, they are fragile creatures that mirror the isolation of the human characters.
Quigley’s performance defines the tone of the show. He plays Michael as a resolutely uncynical man who accepts the wonder of life. The series ends with the homunculi trapped in their bottles, reflecting the solitude of the cast. The full six-episode series is available for streaming on Apple TV.
