What is Mackenzie Crook's new show 'Small Prophets' about?

'Small Prophets' is a six-part BBC Two comedy series that explores themes of middle age, loneliness, and the surreal, featuring a man who learns to create homunculi to uncover truths.

Who plays the main character in 'Small Prophets'?

Pearce Quigley plays Michael, the central character in 'Small Prophets,' who is a hoarder and twitcher dealing with past tragedy.

What are homunculi in the context of 'Small Prophets'?

Homunculi in 'Small Prophets' are described as miniature, fully formed humans that can be asked any question and must tell the truth, created using a secret recipe.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Mackenzie Crook's New Show: Magic, Melancholy, and Middle Age

Mackenzie Crook's New Show: Magic, Melancholy, and Middle Age

30 Jan

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Summary

Mackenzie Crook stars in 'Small Prophets,' a new BBC Two comedy series.
The show explores themes of middle age and the unexpected.
A central plot involves creating miniature humans called homunculi.

Mackenzie Crook's New Show: Magic, Melancholy, and Middle Age

Mackenzie Crook's latest venture, the six-part BBC Two series 'Small Prophets,' delves into the intricacies of middle age and the surreal. Crook, known for his nuanced performances, plays Gordon, a store manager in the show. The narrative, however, primarily follows Michael, a fifty-year-old twitcher and hoarder haunted by the seven-year disappearance of his girlfriend, Clea.

Michael's life takes a fantastical turn when his father reveals a secret method for creating homunculi—miniature, fully formed humans capable of revealing truths. Prompted to use this unusual skill to uncover what happened to Clea, Michael embarks on a journey that blends magic realism with the mundane.

Crook describes his fascination with stories of lonely individuals and ordinary lives disrupted by extraordinary circumstances. This new series echoes the sensibility of his previous work, 'Detectorists,' but incorporates more pronounced surreal and magic realism elements, making it a more expensive production.