Small Prophets

Mackenzie Crook's Small Prophets began on BBC Two in February 2026 across six half-hour episodes, the actor-writer-director's first long-form series since concluding Detectorists on the same channel in 2017 (and a 2022 special), and a clear continuation of that show's quiet, English-pastoral register. Crook writes and directs every episode and appears in a supporting role; the production is by Lookout Point in association with BBC Studios.

The series is led by Pearce Quigley (Detectorists, Brassic) as Michael Sleep, with Michael Palin (in his first regular drama role in over two decades) as his older brother Brian. Lauren Patel (Everybody's Talking About Jamie) plays Kacey, the curious teenager next door; Shola Adewusi, Paul Kaye, Riana Duce and Jon Pointing round out a deliberately small ensemble. Cinematography is by Christopher Sabogal; the score is by Crook's long-time collaborator The Unthanks, performed in the slow folk register that defined Detectorists.

British critics responded with the same affection they had reserved for Crook's earlier work, The Guardian placed Small Prophets among the year's standout BBC commissions and Virgin Media's editorial round-up named it the best British series of 2026 so far. The IMDb audience score sits among the highest currently logged for any 2026 BBC drama.