Professor T start date and cast as new drama with Ben Miller comes to ITV

Upcoming crime drama Professor T has a confirmed start date on ITV.

Based on the hit Belgian series of the same name, Professor T is set against the stunning backdrop of one of the world’s most prestigious educational institutions, Cambridge University.

The new series will star Ben Miller in the titular role of Professor Jasper Tempest, an eccentric, but brilliant criminology professor who suffers with OCD and has a tortured past.

The six-part series will also star Frances de la Tour as Professor T’s colourful, but overbearing mother, Adelaide; Emma Naomi as Detective Inspector Lisa Donckers and Barney White as her police sidekick Dan Winters.

Also on the cast are Andy Gathergood (The Salisbury Poisonings), Sarah Woodward (Quiz, The Pale Horse), Ben Onwukwe (Safe, Marcella), Douglas Reith (Downton Abbey) and Juliet Aubrey (Van der Valk, Snatch).

Professor T will air on ITV from Sunday, 18 July at 9PM. The show is also available on BritBox.

Ben Miller said: “Professor T has it all: intriguing murders, dreaming spires, and a cast of unforgettable characters, each with their own fascinating secrets. You don’t have to be a professor of criminal psychology to know the ITV audience will love it.”

A teaser for the series revealed: “In the opening episode, our protagonist finds himself unwillingly caught up acting as an advisor to the police; his interest in crime is purely academic. Diana Tyson (Elizabeth Kate Back) was violently attacked on the university campus where Professor T has tenure.

“DI Lisa Donckers (Emma Naomi) suspects that the assault is very similar to one that occurred years beforehand, and, having been a previous student of Professor T’s, she thinks he can help.

“Although a valuable contributor to the police force, people that don’t know Jasper very well, struggle with his behaviour. Professor T’s relationship with the world often leads him to daydreams and fantasies about the people around him, and the viewer is privy to these wonderful and quirky sequences.”

Filming took place in Belgium and Cambridge following the latest industry safety guidelines.

Produced by Eagle Eye Drama, the series is directed by leading Belgian director Dries Vos.

Commented Executive Producer and CEO of Eagle Eye Drama Walter Iuzzolino: “Professor T is my all-time favourite detective – a tortured genius wrestling with a mystery childhood trauma.

“It’s a unique crime series with a core of wonderful warm characters at its heart and I am delighted to be working with our hand-picked European production team to make this for ITV and international audiences.”

Picture: ITV