The BBC's 6-Part 'Addams Family Meets Alan Partridge' Fantasy Series Is Already Renewed For Season 2

Published Sep 11, 2026, 4:28 PM EDT Cathal Gunning has been writing about movies, television, culture, and politics online and in print since 2017. He worked as a Senior Editor in Adbusters Media Foundation from 2018-2019 and wrote for WhatCulture in early 2020. He has been a Senior Features Writer for ScreenRant since 2020. Although “The Addams Family meets I'm Alan Partridge” might sound like a bizarre premise for a fantasy sitcom, the BBC’s offbeat, heartwarming 2026 debut proves that this mix can work surprisingly well. It’s always tough to tell which high-concept ideas will sell when it comes to the world of TV sitcoms. After all, the oddest premises can sometimes prove incredibly popular. In the mid-2000s, a version of Seinfeld or Friends where the twist was that the main characters were all self-described nerds who loved comic books and physics would not necessarily have sounded like a potential blockbuster. However, The Big Bang Theory lasted 12 seasons and rivaled Game of Thrones as the biggest show on TV at the height of its popularity, eventually spawning the successful spinoff Young Sheldon, which was such a big hit that the prequel spawned a spinoff of its own. Clearly, when it comes to sitcoms, it’s not always about the concept, but rather the execution. This might go some way to explaining why the BBC dramedy Small Prophets proved such a success with critics despite its frankly bizarre, and somewhat maudlin, premise. Small Prophets focuses on Pearce Quigley’s Michael Sleep, a DIY store employee who is haunted by his girlfriend’s unsolved disappearance years earlier. After Michael discovers his father’s alchemical recipe for homunculi, Michael awakens some of these mythical creatures and uses their powers to try and solve his girlfriend’s disappearance. Small Prophets Is A Genre Mashup That Shouldn't Work But Does Small Prophets isn’t short on star power, with Monty Python’s Michael Palin playing Michael’s father Brian, while Game of Thrones actor Paul Kaye and Pirates of the Caribbean supporting star Mackenzie Crook show up in supporting roles. The emerging UK star Lauren Patel plays Micheal’s colleague Kacey, who joins him on his search for his missing girlfriend, while Bridgerton’s Kathryn Drysdale and Wonder Man’s Shola Adewusi round out the cast. However, none of this would really matter if the show’s utterly surreal premise didn’t work. After all, no amount of star power can overcome a plot whose self-aware weirdness is too off-putting, and this is where Small Prophets truly shines. Taking the eccentric, deadpan British humour of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and marrying it to a character study that is as quietly moving as it is funny, Small Prophets ends up feeling like a unique blend of Terry Pratchett and Richard Curtis. Small Prophets Carries A Dose Of The Office's Humor (& There's A Good Reason Why) It should come as no surprise to viewers that the show has garnered comparisons to earlier British comedy classics like I'm Alan Partridge and The Office, albeit with more homunculi than those markedly more grounded earlier shows. Not only does The Office supporting star Crook play a major role as Michael’s annoying boss Gordon, but he’s also the show’s creator, writer, and director. Fortunately, Small Prophets makes one major change from The Office’s successful formula. Just like the Cheers spinoff Frasier was more reserved and less bawdy than its franchise predecessor, Small Prophets is warmer and more hopeful than the acerbic satire of The Office. Where David Brent’s antics were often tough to watch, Small Prophets makes Michael’s story strange, occasionally frustrating, and always unpredictable, but ultimately endearing, life-affirming, and uplifting. This, combined with the killer cast outlined above, makes Small Prophets a must-watch for fans of British TV comedy. While Diane Morgan’s Ann Droid is another 2026 debut that deserves attention from international viewers and the upcoming reboot of The Inbetweeners is likely to be a major hit on both sides of the Atlantic, the daring decision to mix The Addams Family with I'm Alan Partridge turned Small Prophets into an unmissable fantasy comedy curio that is mandatory viewers for fans of British humor and homunculi alike. Release Date February 9, 2026 Network BBC Two Directors Mackenzie Crook Cast Michael Palin Brian Sleep Pearce Quigley Michael Sleep