Small Prophets Will Return for Season 2 on BBC One

Small Prophets has earned a second season and a bigger BBC platform. The broadcaster confirmed that Mackenzie Crook’s fantasy comedy will return in 2027, moving from BBC Two to BBC One for another six-part run.

Crook will again write and direct the series, which follows an ordinary Manchester shop worker drawn into a strange experiment involving homemade prophetic spirits. Gill Isles returns as producer for Treasure Trove Productions and Channel X North.

Small Prophets season 2 follows a ratings breakthrough

The renewal comes after the first season averaged 6.3 million viewers over 28 days, according to the BBC. The broadcaster said 5.2 million of those viewers watched through iPlayer, representing 82 percent of the audience. The premiere has since reached 9.2 million viewers, making the show the BBC’s biggest new comedy of 2026 so far.

Those figures help explain the move to BBC One. The promotion gives the unusual series a broader linear home while preserving the creative leadership that shaped its first run. A premiere date beyond the 2027 window has not been announced.

Mackenzie Crook’s magical Manchester story continues

Pearce Quigley stars as Michael Sleep, whose partner Clea disappeared seven years earlier. After Michael’s father Brian, played by Michael Palin, shares an old recipe, Michael and colleague Kacey attempt to create Homunculi: magical beings that can predict the future.

Lauren Patel plays Kacey, while Crook appears as store manager Gordon. Sophie Willan and Jon Pointing play the neighbors increasingly curious about the unexplained activity in Michael’s garden shed.

Crook said the new episodes will tell the second half of the story, suggesting the renewal is designed to advance the central mystery rather than simply repeat the first season’s setup. The same production companies and key creative team will remain in place.

Deadline also reported that Apple TV acquired worldwide rights to the first season, extending the show’s reach beyond the United Kingdom. For BBC viewers, however, the headline change is domestic: a cult-leaning magical comedy is moving onto the broadcaster’s flagship channel after a notably strong debut.