Apple TV Just Picked Up a “Masterpiece” Fantasy With a Perfect Rotten Tomatoes Score

Published Aug 30, 2026, 11:53 AM EDT Giovana Gelhoren is a High-Trending Topics Writer at Collider, covering the most-talked-about stars, movies, and TV shows. Before joining Collider, she was a Digital News Writer at People Magazine and served as Associate Editor at SheKnows, where she honed her expertise in celebrity coverage and entertainment journalism. A proud Latina from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Giovana graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism and International Studies. She has interviewed countless celebrities, including Anne Hathaway, Halle Berry, Pamela Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Brenda Song, and is known for her encyclopedic knowledge of film, TV, and pop culture. When looking at Apple TV's latest hits, they've come from many different types of genres. From the sci-fi thriller Silo, to the heartwarming comedy Ted Lasso, which just returned after a years-long hiatus, the streaming platform has become home to many different shows, and catered to a variety of different viewers. And, in just a few weeks, a new show will be landing on the platform that has a bit of everything: emotional family drama, British humor, and a touch of unexpected fantasy. On October 7, 2026, Apple TV will be the new home of Small Prophets, an acclaimed six-episode comedy from BAFTA Award-winning creator, writer and director Mackenzie Crook. The series first premiered earlier this year on February 9, 2026, and will finally be on a global platform for the world to tune in. With a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and a synopsis that feels as original as it seems endearing and compelling, the series will be the platform's newest must-watch, and potentially its next big streaming hit too. What Is 'Small Prophets' About? Small Prophets follows the story of Michael Sleep (Pearce Quigley), an eccentric man who works at a DIY store and longs for the return of his darling Cleo, who suddenly disappeared seven years ago. One day, his dad, Brian (Sir Michael Palin), shares an old recipe involving rainwater, horse manure and more than a little alchemy that supposedly create homunculi, magical spirits that can predict the future. With the recipe in hand, Michael becomes determined to DIY his own homunculi in the hope they have the answer to his burning question, “Will I ever see Clea again?” Along the way, Michael develops a sweet and unlikely friendship with his young coworker Kacey (Lauren Patel), partly through their dislike of store manager Gordon (Crook), while alarming their nosy neighbors who become obsessed with finding out what's going on in the garden shed. The series, which incorporates animation into the live-action, also stars Sophie Willan, Jon Pointing and Paul Kaye. 'Small Prophets' Was Beloved By Critics The first season of Small Prophets, which premiered on February 9, 2026, on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two in the U.K., was beloved by critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Currently, the series holds a flawless 100% on the review aggregator, as well as 94% among viewers on the Popcorn meter. Among the reviews are critics raving about the series' quiet yet ambitious plot, one that brings excitement and fantasy to one man's ordinary and otherwise melancholic life. "A gentle, jewel-like, unhurried masterpiece that is funny, profound and manages to break and mend your heart in equal measures," wrote one review. "Small Prophets is richly steeped in Crook’s glorious brand of gentleness, his ability to imbue the ordinary with extraordinariness," wrote another. Plenty of critics also compare the series to Detectorists, a three-season series also written and starring Crook that also had Quigley in the cast. The series, which first premiered in 2014, followed the "lives of two eccentric metal detectorists, who spend their days plodding along plowed tracks and open fields, hoping to disturb the tedium." "As in Detectorists, the result has a winning blend of mild melancholy, calm acceptance of the way these people are and something approaching defiance about their right to be so. It is, in short, completely lovely," wrote one review comparing both series. "For those of us who loved Detectorists – and we are many – Small Prophets is compulsory viewing," stated another. All that said, whether or not you've already tuned in to watch Detectorists, it seems Small Prophets will be the new show to watch on Apple TV after it lands on the platform in October. With a plot that incorporates fantasy as a form of escapism from dull, ordinary life, while still injecting the story with humor and heart, the series blends several genres all into one and creates something entirely original. Release Date February 9, 2026 Network BBC Two Directors Mackenzie Crook Cast Pearce Quigley Michael Sleep