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| Best Shows Like Small Prophets. |
Small Prophets is exactly the sort of odd little British series that can leave viewers wondering what on earth they should watch next. Its mix of grief, suburban life, magical realism, strange friendships and quietly ridiculous humour gives it a personality that is difficult to match directly, but there are plenty of shows that share parts of its DNA. From supernatural stories hiding inside ordinary neighbourhoods to melancholy comedies about lonely people trying to make sense of life, these 21 series should fill the gap nicely.
The six-part Small Prophets follows Michael Sleep, a lonely DIY-store worker whose life has barely moved forward since his partner Clea disappeared seven years earlier. Everything changes when his father Brian gives him an old alchemical recipe said to create tiny humanoid spirits capable of revealing hidden truths and predicting the future.
Michael turns his garden shed into an unlikely laboratory, with Kacey, his new colleague, becoming an unexpected accomplice. The result is a comedy-drama where grief and everyday Manchester life collide with jars, strange ingredients and the sort of experiment that would probably concern the neighbours.
Shows Like Small Prophets
1. Detectorists (2014)
If the appeal of Small Prophets is its gentle British humour, eccentric characters and ability to make an ordinary hobby feel strangely profound, Detectorists is an obvious place to start.
It follows two friends who spend their days searching the Essex countryside for buried treasure with metal detectors, while dealing with relationships, work and the general disappointment of being alive. Like Small Prophets, it finds comedy in small communities rather than forcing every scene to become a punchline. There is also that same affection for people who are just a little bit odd but never treated as jokes.
2. The Change (2023)
The Change combines a familiar British setting with an increasingly surreal outlook. Bridget decides to escape the pressures of her old life and moves to a remote rural community, where everyday problems begin rubbing against stranger, more mystical elements. Its mixture of melancholy, comedy and quietly unusual encounters makes it a strong companion to Small Prophets. Both shows understand that a person can be completely lost while still having to worry about neighbours, jobs and what to have for dinner.
3. Flowers (2016)
If the darker emotional side of Small Prophets appealed to you, Flowers deserves attention. The series follows the eccentric Flowers family as they deal with relationships, mental wellbeing, secrets and the general messiness of family life.
It is funny, uncomfortable and deeply human without turning its characters into polished television stereotypes. Like Small Prophets, it can place sadness right next to absurdity and somehow make both work in the same scene. Nobody here is having an especially straightforward Tuesday.
4. The Detectorists Christmas Special (2015)
Yes, technically it is part of Detectorists, but its cosy, low-key storytelling makes it worth mentioning separately for anyone chasing the particular atmosphere of Small Prophets. The appeal lies in ordinary people, modest ambitions and humour that never needs to shout. Small Prophets similarly turns everyday spaces into something more emotionally meaningful, proving that you do not need explosions or enormous fantasy kingdoms to make a story feel unusual.
5. Ghosts (2019)
Ghosts takes the idea of ordinary British life and throws a large supernatural inconvenience directly into it. A young couple inherit a country house populated by a collection of dead residents who refuse to leave.
While Small Prophets keeps its magical elements relatively intimate, Ghosts goes much further with the supernatural comedy. The connection is in the contrast: normal domestic problems are placed beside things that absolutely should not be happening in a normal home.
6. The Outlaws (2021)
A group of strangers forced to complete community service is hardly the most obvious setup for a story about magical creatures, but The Outlaws shares Small Prophets' interest in unlikely friendships.
Its characters come from wildly different backgrounds and gradually discover that their assumptions about one another are often wrong. Like Michael and Kacey, they form an unexpected alliance while dealing with circumstances that are considerably more complicated than they first appear.
7. Good Omens (2019)
For viewers who enjoyed the fantasy side of Small Prophets, Good Omens offers a much bigger dose of supernatural nonsense. An angel and demon attempt to prevent the apocalypse after becoming rather fond of life on Earth. The scale is obviously different, but both series understand that fantasy works especially well when ridiculous supernatural situations are treated with a straight face. There is also a similar British instinct to make the extraordinary feel oddly mundane.
8. Ghosts (US) (2021)
The American version of Ghosts takes the same basic supernatural-comedy concept and builds a warmer, more sitcom-focused world around it. A couple inherits a country estate and discovers that the property is already occupied by ghosts from different eras.
Its strongest connection to Small Prophets is the way supernatural characters become part of ordinary routines. Laundry, repairs and household arguments remain important even when the dead are wandering around the building.
9. Ludwig (2024)
Ludwig is a good choice for viewers who enjoy mysteries built around ordinary people who accidentally find themselves in increasingly strange circumstances. The series follows a puzzle writer whose life becomes tangled with a real investigation, creating an entertaining blend of mystery and comedy. Like Small Prophets, it puts an unconventional central character at the heart of a story where curiosity becomes increasingly difficult to control.
10. The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin (2024)
This one is considerably louder than Small Prophets, but the British comic sensibility makes it a worthwhile follow-up. The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin turns the legendary highwayman into the leader of an unusually chaotic gang. Its historical setting is completely different, yet both series embrace eccentric characters, absurd situations and humour that is more interested in personality than spectacle.
11. Wellington Paranormal (2018)
For a stronger supernatural angle, Wellington Paranormal delivers. The New Zealand comedy follows police officers dealing with paranormal incidents that are treated with the weary professionalism of people who really should have chosen a quieter career. Like Small Prophets, it gets plenty of mileage from placing bizarre supernatural events inside familiar everyday surroundings. The difference is that Michael has a shed full of experiments, while these officers have paperwork. Neither situation sounds particularly restful.
12. What We Do in the Shadows (2019)
What We Do in the Shadows turns supernatural creatures into deeply dysfunctional housemates. Its vampires spend their nights dealing with ancient grudges, domestic arguments and increasingly ridiculous problems. The series shares Small Prophets' ability to mix fantasy with mundane life, although it is far more openly comedic. If the idea of supernatural beings behaving like ordinary people appealed to you, this is an easy recommendation.
13. Mammals (2022)
Mammals takes a more dramatic route, following a chef whose discovery about his marriage sends his life in an increasingly complicated direction. The series balances relationship drama with darker humour and unusual storytelling. It is less whimsical than Small Prophets, but both are interested in loneliness, emotional uncertainty and characters whose seemingly stable lives are gradually revealed to be anything but stable.
14. The Baby (2022)
The Baby takes an ordinary domestic situation and pushes it into genuinely strange territory. When Natasha unexpectedly becomes responsible for a mysterious baby, her life rapidly becomes a supernatural nightmare disguised as a parenting problem. Its blend of dark comedy, fantasy and emotional themes makes it a strong choice for Small Prophets viewers who enjoyed the idea of something impossible appearing in an otherwise recognisable world.
15. Am I Being Unreasonable? (2022)
Daisy May Cooper's Am I Being Unreasonable? is much more grounded, but it shares Small Prophets' interest in people carrying secrets beneath apparently ordinary lives. The series follows a woman whose friendship with a new arrival becomes increasingly complicated as her private life begins to unravel. It balances humour with emotional tension and proves that suburban life can become surprisingly strange without requiring a single magical jar.
16. Detectorists (US-adjacent spirit: Joe Pera Talks With You) (2018)
Joe Pera Talks With You is an especially good match for viewers who loved the quiet, peculiar charm of Small Prophets. Joe Pera plays a fictionalised version of himself, a gentle teacher navigating ordinary life with an almost comically sincere fascination with small things. There is no alchemy laboratory or magical homunculus here, but there is the same appreciation for overlooked people, modest routines and the strange beauty of everyday life.
17. The Curse (2023)
The Curse is considerably more uncomfortable and satirical, following a couple attempting to create an eco-conscious housing project while their ambitions collide with personal and social complications.
It is not a cosy substitute for Small Prophets, but both series explore people trying to control situations that become increasingly unpredictable. The major difference is that Small Prophets invites you to smile at the chaos, while The Curse occasionally makes you wonder why you are watching this person make another terrible decision.
18. Deadloch (2023)
Deadloch combines murder mystery with a distinctly offbeat comic tone. Two very different detectives investigate a series of crimes in a Tasmanian town, while the local community provides plenty of distractions. Like Small Prophets, it uses an eccentric setting and unconventional characters to create humour around serious circumstances. It is much more crime-focused, but the same fondness for oddballs and community dynamics makes the pairing work.
19. Wilfred (2011)
Wilfred is for viewers who want the weirdness turned up significantly. The series follows a man who sees his neighbour's dog as a foul-mouthed human in a dog costume, creating a bizarre relationship that sits somewhere between comedy, fantasy and psychological drama. Small Prophets is considerably gentler, but both shows blur the line between what is real and what might be happening inside a character's head.
20. The Good Place (2016)
The Good Place starts with a simple supernatural premise and gradually turns it into a thoughtful comedy about morality, identity and what makes people better. Its fantasy world is far more elaborate than Small Prophets' garden shed, but the emotional connection is strong. Both stories use strange circumstances to explore very human questions about regret, relationships and whether people can change when life has already gone badly wrong.
21. Reservation Dogs (2021)
Reservation Dogs is perhaps the strongest recommendation for viewers who connected with the emotional warmth beneath Small Prophets' eccentric humour. The series follows four Indigenous teenagers in Oklahoma dealing with friendship, family, loss and growing up, while the story occasionally slips into spiritual and surreal territory. Its tone moves effortlessly between comedy and melancholy, much like Small Prophets. The supernatural elements are never simply decoration; they help the characters process feelings that ordinary conversations cannot quite reach.
The reason Small Prophets works so well is that it does not treat its magical premise as an excuse to abandon everyday life. Michael still has his awkward job, irritating neighbours and family worries even after he starts growing mysterious little beings in glass jars. That balance is what makes these recommendations useful rather than simply throwing 21 random fantasy shows into a bucket and calling it research. Detectorists, Flowers, Ghosts, The Good Place and Reservation Dogs are particularly strong picks depending on whether you want more gentle humour, emotional depth or supernatural weirdness. And honestly, if you had to choose just one after Small Prophets, which would it be? Tell us your pick and the series you think deserves a place on the next list.