Although at heart it’s a satisfyingly cosy ITV crime drama, Professor T has a distinctly unusual edge. In part this is down to the central figure of Professor Jasper Tempest, played by Ben Miller of Bridgerton and Death in Paradise fame. With his background in comedy, Miller brings spirit and humour to this cross between Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock and Robbie Coltrane’s Cracker. A brilliant but deeply eccentric (and occasionally obnoxious) Cambridge University professor of Forensic Criminology, he ruffles the feathers of a likeable supporting cast of detectives that includes his former pupil Lisa Donckers (Emma Naomi).
Beyond this, though, is the atmosphere provided by the show’s continental origins. Based on a Belgian hit that has already spawned a German remake, it’s very much an Anglo-Belgian production, with director Dries Vos in particular adding touches of wry humour and the occasional surreal moment to the police-procedural realism that take this some way from Inspector Morse or Line of Duty.
Just as intriguing is the way the locations are equally split, with the quintessentially English setting of Cambridge represented not only by the dreaming spires of the real town but also by cleverly selected settings in the show’s country of origin, giving Professor T’s world a heightened feel all its own. Here’s our guide to some of the highlights, both home and abroad.
CAMBRIDGE
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