Mackenzie Crook who rose to fame for his work in The Office and Detectorists is back with his latest comedy series.

His new series Small Prophets will premiere on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on February 9, 2026 with new episodes airing each Monday night.

The six-part series created by and starring Crook also features Pearce Quigley, Lauren Patel, Sir Michael Palin, Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing, and Paul Kaye.

The story follows Brian (Palin) who teaches his son Michael to create Homunculi, magical prophesying spirits that predict the future.

Chaos ensues when Michael and his workmate Kacey (Patel) try to navigate their manager Gordon’s (Crook) strict rules and Willan’s nosy neighbour.

A first-look trailer shows a small hand emerging from a jar hinting that Brian’s magical recipe works blending animation with live-action to tell a story of friendship, hope, and secrets in a suburban cul-de-sac.

Crook said of the project “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 Gill Isles and Pearce Quigley and to realise a long-term ambition of collaborating with animators Ainslie Henderson and Will Anderson,” he added.

BBC Director of Comedy Jon Petrie praised the series: “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.”

Fans can watch Small Prophets starting February 9 on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer marking Crook’s first major comedy project since Detectorists.