Hot Picks: Small Prophets

Fans of BBC hit Detectorists will welcome Mackenzie Crook’s latest TV creation, the dark comedy drama Small Prophets. With Crook very much in the driving seat as writer, executive producer and director, the series remains true to form, centring on a group of quirky and quintessentially British misfits.

Small Prophets follows a DIY store worker called Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley) whose father (Michael Palin) gives him a recipe for a potion that shows the future. This sets him on a mystical search to find out what happened to his wife, Clea, who disappeared years previously, supported by his unlikely friend and colleague Kacey (Lauren Patel). Crook plays dislikable store manager Gordon.

Jonathan Ford, managing director of distributor Sphere Abacus, says Crook has been honing the characterdriven story for the best part of two decades, and is billing it as a “soft British version of Stranger Things”. Rather unusually, the series incorporates animation to evoke elements of magic in a mundane suburban cul-de-sac.

“Set in the north of England – and staying very true to its setting – the series features characters who reflect all the weird and wonderful sides of British society. They are all unique, interesting and slightly strange,” Ford tells Broadcast International.

He also spotlights the way in which the series combines major names like Monty Python star Palin with young up-and-comers like Patel, who has previously appeared in Waterloo Road and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Jon Pointing (Big Boys) and Sophie Willan (Alma’s Not Normal) also feature.

“It is a great cast with a mixture of new and established names playing characters that the audience will feel engaged with and invested in, driving a storyline that is full of twists and turns. It is appealing across generations.”

Ford adds: “Mackenzie had very firm ideas on the type of casting he wanted for these roles, mixing some actors he has worked with previously, like Michael and Pearce, with younger actors in roles that can break them even further.”

While the show is quintessentially British in many ways, Ford says it will hold broad international appeal as well. “Buyers and viewers who enjoyed Detectorists will inevitably like this show,” he says.

“Throughout the process, while the BBC had creative control, Mackenzie was also having discussions with us about what aspects of the show would work best for the international market, to ensure it is accessible and satisfying for people from around the world.”

Ford anticipates huge interest in territories where Detectorists previously proved popular on public broadcasters, including Australia and Canada. Interest is also coming in from buyers in the Nordics and Benelux, as well as the US, where British shows are booming on platforms such as BritBox and Acorn.

And because the series is so “gentle and appealing” – without any need for censorship – there may also be interest in countries across Asia. “The plan is for this to be a returning title with inter-generational interest. Everyone at the BBC is excited by what they have seen so far,” he adds.