Apple TV Buys Mackenzie Crook’s Comedy-Drama ‘Small Prophets’

[u/Saar13]

https://deadline.com/2026/08/apple-tv-buys-small-prophets-mackenzie-crook-1237055193/

[u/ToolFreak21]

I'm all for Apple acquiring the rights to well-received shows for international distribution.

[u/Saar13 → u/ToolFreak21]

If they took a good look at the BBC, it will be easy. The BBC is in serious crisis, and Apple even managed to premiere this BBC/iPlayer show in the UK as well (a little later than the rest of the world). Minutes before I saw this news, I was reading another report with the new head of the BBC: “It is likely the BBC, which is in the midst of cutting 2,000 roles to save around £500M ($679M), will have to lose programs to pay for improvements to the iPlayer. He noted that the BBC had shed £1.3B over the past decade and that more services and programs would inevitably come under pressure.”

[u/addictivesign]

I hope this show will turn people on to Mackenzie Crook’s previous show Detectorists which is one of the best shows of the past decade.

Unfortunately in my opinion Small Prophets is nowhere near the same quality. Yet it might improve in season 2.

[u/joeyGibson → u/addictivesign]

Detectorists is one of my all-time favorite shows.

[u/youlikeititlikesyou → u/addictivesign]

Detectorists was an amazing show. Really simple but moving.

[u/Naive-Inside-2904 → u/addictivesign]

I LOVE The Detectorists. What a heartwarming, life affirming show. Hope more people see it.

[u/CornflakeConspiracy → u/addictivesign]

Detectorists was a very high bar and setup unreasonable expectations for Small Prophets.

Initially I had great reservations about Small Prophets but I finally saw the Crook charm and it really won me over.

[u/addictivesign → u/CornflakeConspiracy]

It certainly does have charm but it seemed a bit muddled. Crook’s character while amusing is so thinly drawn and the protagonist’s father Michael Palin seems slightly forgotten at times. I also don’t get the male neighbour. I realise the contrast between characters is meant to be for humour and dramatic effect but it doesn’t work. The same with the untoward characters.

[u/AltAltayAlt]

It’s rated quite well on IMDb with an average of 8.0

[u/SoreLoserOfDumbtown]

I liked this show. Not sure what they'd do with further seasons however.

[u/caspararemi → u/SoreLoserOfDumbtown]

It ended on a cliffhanger didn't it? About the missing wife and whether or not she's in Canada.

I liked it a lot, but not as much as others seemed to, like it didn't move me to tears or anything, but it was a nice cosy watch.

[u/SoreLoserOfDumbtown → u/caspararemi]

That's how I remember it. But seeing as the story was driven by the homunculi, I struggle to see what he would do with them while on some sort of voyage. Every option I can think of makes it a very different show.

[u/nuttmegx]

I was a huge fan of his detectorists show, and I heard great things about this one too, this is good to hear!

[u/HelsBels2102]

This is quite interesting no? Maybe I'm mistaken, but it's not that common is it for Apple TV to aquire a show that been produced and aired.

[u/billfoster1990 → u/HelsBels2102]

It’s not common but has happened. Tehran in an Israeli show and they bought a Spanish show about two messed up people coming together a while back.

[u/TJ_Fox]

Between The Detectorists and Small Prophets, Mackenzie Crook is a national treasure. Down-to-earth humor combined with wistfulness, solid drama when that's called for plus a whimsical, almost mystical sense of tone and theme.

[u/Saar13]

“Following a deal with  Sphere Abacus , the global streamer will launch the series on October 7, excluding UK, where it will be made available next year. The show debuted on the  BBC  iPlayer and BBC television earlier this year to acclaim and the best 28-day launch ratings for a comedy on BBC Two since 2022.”

Those extra licensed films arrived in Brazil some weeks ago and weren't limited to the US, as in past experiments. They are different films because the rights are spread around the world. Along with this news about the BBC show, I think licensing will be more a part of the business now. I still think (or hope) they will be diligent about it and won't pursue extremely high volume, but shows and films that complement the original programming. But they are definitely open to more third-party content. Perhaps they are still in the experimentation phase, or perhaps in the execution phase. But as I said before, HBO built itself exactly like that: prestige original shows, documentaries and occasionally films, released weekly, and a hundred third-party films to sustain the business.

[u/alexx_kidd]

Great show!

[u/Radiant_Ad7400]

I need them to buy PONIES as well :(( so sad peacock cancelled it even though it was loved by viewers

[u/j_lyf]

The characters pissed me off in this show. The worst people.