Check out the trailer for the new Apple TV series Small Prophets (2026). Directed by Mackenzie Crook, this gentle, whimsical British comedy-drama looks to have a similar feel to his previous series Detectorists.
The premise: Pearce Quigley plays Michael Sleep, a man whose life stalled when his partner Clea vanished seven years earlier. He splits his days between a DIY shop and visits to his father Brian (Michael Palin) in a care home. Brian produces an alchemical recipe from an old journal, and Michael uses it to grow homunculi, tiny prophesying spirits he hopes can tell him what happened to Clea.
This one has a few good things going for it. If you’re a fan of Mackenzie Crook’s Detectorists, it looks to have a similar look and feel, which is encouraging. Then you have Michael Palin. Wow. It just feels good to see him show up in anything. And finally the little creatures look to be stop-motion rather than CGI, which is also a good indication that the makers are headed in the right direction.
Definitely going to give this one a watch. Small Prophets premieres on Apple TV on October 7, 2026.
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