It's a story of loves lost and friendships found as our hero Michael Sleep discovers the ancient secrets of the strange and powerful creatures. But do they have the answers to all of Michael's questions?
The six-part series is a comic tale of eccentric Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley, The Way Back, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, Hereafter) who, since his darling wife Clea disappeared seven years ago, has lived a very ordinary life. He eats Shreddies, works in a DIY store, visits dad Brian (Sir Michael Palin, Monty Python, Time Bandits, A Fish Called Wanda) and hopes for Clea to return.
That is just the way it is, until one day dad Brian shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy. With recipe in hand, Michael sets out (albeit with some scepticism) to create Homunculi - magical prophesying spirits that can predict the future - in the hope they have the answer to his burning question, ‘will I ever see Clea again?’.
Michael gets help from young work mate Kacey (Lauren Patel, Everyone's Talking About Jamie, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl, Waterloo Road), an unlikely friendship that blossoms partly (but not wholly) through their mutual dislike of store manager Gordon (Mackenzie Crook, The Office, Pirates of the Caribbean, Detectorists). Their friendship adds to the frustration and intrigue of his nosy neighbours (Sophie Willan, Alma's Not Normal, Ludwig and Jon Pointing, Big Boys, Sweetpea) who are obsessed with trying to find out what the hell is going on in the garden shed.
Small Prophets (w/t) is set in and around Manchester. The series incorporates visually stunning animation elements throughout as we tell a story of friendships and hope, the magical and the mundane, and where secrets and lies lurk in a suburban cul-de-sac.