AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
Mackenzie Crook had the idea for his latest show, "Small Prophets," about 10 years ago.
MACKENZIE CROOK: I first came across this strange story about these little creatures being generated in jars, and it was from a 16th century manuscripts about a Swiss alchemist called Paracelsus.
RASCOE: Those tiny creatures called Homunculi can answer any question you ask, and the show's protagonist, Michael Sleep, needs answers. Sleep, played by actor Pearce Quigley, is an eccentric hardware store worker in England whose partner, Clea, disappeared seven years ago.
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PEARCE QUIGLEY: (As Michael Sleep) She just didn't come home. They found her car on the Severn Bridge. I'd prepared this surprise for her. It was a trip back in time to her best-ever Christmas. For a week, she was banned from going in the lounge while I set it all up from a photo. Well, she didn't get to see it.
RASCOE: He's now growing six homunculi in his garden shed. When they grow big enough, he's going to ask, what happened to Clea? You may have seen Mackenzie Crook and the "Pirates Of The Caribbean" movies. But "Small Prophets" is much more gentle, and that's exactly what the director and writer wanted.
CROOK: On paper, it doesn't come across as an hilarious roller coaster ride of comedy. But, yeah - I don't know - I'm a big fan of - I don't know what the genre is - sad comedy or whatever. I did it in my previous TV show, "Detectorists." It's about everyday life, and it's about ordinary people. And I've always been fascinated by stories of ordinary people leading an ordinary life that something extraordinary then happens to and turns their world upside down.
RASCOE: You said something. You said a sad comedy. That seems to be an oxymoron. Like, what do you mean by that?
CROOK: I mean, I guess it's not so much a sad - there's a melancholia about it, but it's sort of seeing the humor in everyday life. I mean, it's a hopeful comedy. This guy that seems to be living this sad, mundane life, he still has hope, and he's hanging on to this hope that he will see his - the love of his life again someday, where everyone else is writing her off.
RASCOE: You know, it's a very unique idea. I have to ask you, like, if you had a homunculi, what would you ask it?
CROOK: Ooh, see, that would be - that's difficult because, I mean, when the character Michael grows these things, and he has then the answers at his disposal, suddenly, he becomes scared and suddenly he doesn't know if he really needs to know or wants to know the answer. You know, what if they tell him that his girlfriend is never coming back? So - I don't know - having a power like that is a dangerous thing.
RASCOE: Now, you do actually have a role in this series. Like, you play Gordon, who's a manager at this big-box hardware store in the show where Michael works. And it's a small part, but it's memorable perhaps for the wrong reasons.
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LIV TAYLOR: (As Trish) Can Kacey come to sealants and grouting with a mop and bucket?
CROOK: (As Gordon) Trish, it's Gordon. What's this mop for? Has something been spilled? Speak to me, Trish.
TAYLOR: (As Trish) Just a spillage in sealants and grouting.
CROOK: (As Gordon) Use the comms, please, Trish. What's been spilled?
TAYLOR: (As Trish) Just trying to find out.
CROOK: (As Gordon) Use the comms, Trish, not the Tannoy.
I think in a few interviews, I've claimed that he's based on, you know, an amalgam of a series of different bosses I've had. But I've got to admit this is one particular man.
RASCOE: (Laughter) OK.
CROOK: He was...
RASCOE: You were trying to be a little soft with, but it's actually one person (laughter).
CROOK: Yeah, I can - I think I can finally admit this. I won't give his name out, but he had nothing to do. And that was the - and all he could think of to do was ask people if they'd been on their break or when they were about to take their break.
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CROOK: (As Gordon) You on your break?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) Yep.
CROOK: (As Gordon) How long have you been on your break?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #1: (As character) About 10 minutes.
CROOK: (As Gordon) How long have you been on your break?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR #2: (As character) Two minutes. You literally just sent me on my break.
CROOK: Yeah, what a dismal life he seems to lead.
RASCOE: (Laughter).
CROOK: But the character of Gordon, I ended up being quite fond of him because he gets no respect, and all he wants is a bit of respect from his staff.
RASCOE: I've heard that you've got this kind of romantic draw to stories of loneliness. Why do you think that is?
CROOK: It's a mystery to me because, you know, I'm very lucky to have had a happy childhood and, you know, a happy life so far. But even as a kid, I was drawn to stories of lonely kids, and, you know, the Roald Dahl story "James And The Giant Peach" was about this little boy who had cruel stepparents and sort of escaped that loneliness and found good friends in strange places.
RASCOE: Now, regular listeners of the show know, Mackenzie, that I do not like birds. (Laughter) You know, but I think I'm right in saying that you do like birds and, in fact, you had an extraordinary relationship with a robin.
CROOK: Yes. This was one of the big privileges of my life. I guess I had sort of a period of about six months when I wasn't working much. So I was in my garden, and over the course of this six months, I coaxed this robin and gained its trust so that it would come and feed from my hand. And then it stuck around, and it visited me every single day for about seven years. And, yeah, he became my companion. It was a real magical thing for a good few years.
RASCOE: Oh, wow. And I understand you maybe even have, like, a tattoo of his little feet?
CROOK: Yeah, I do, on my hand, where he used to come and perch and then I'd feed him. I mean, you know, it's - he one day didn't turn up, and I don't know what happened to him. But, yeah, I miss him, and so I just had a little tattoo of his footprints on my hand, just to remind me.
RASCOE: As you said, you've been very blessed in life to not be lonely, but this does almost seem like something that somebody who was, like, raising people in a jar would also have a very close relationship with a robin. Does that make sense? Do you see it like that (laughter)?
CROOK: Yes. Yeah. I think I know what you mean. I mean, the shed that Michael - the character Michael has that grows these creatures in is very much based on the shed in the bottom of my garden, where I do all my writing. So, yeah, I think there's a bit of me in Michael. I've never actually tried to grow homunculi, though.
RASCOE: That's the writer and director of "Small Prophets," Mackenzie Crook. The show is now available on Apple TV. Thank you so much for joining us.
CROOK: Thank you, Ayesha.
(SOUNDBITE OF LA LOM'S "MARAVILLA") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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