Professor T

I love Ben Miller as an actor, in the series "death in paradise", he is splendid, but, compared to the Belgian version, in which a Koen De Bouw absolutely shines, you really think he has that disorder, the second you see him in scene, you know that something is not going well, he knows perfectly how to move between reality and madness, he is also supported by enormous secondary actors such as the actress Goele Derick who plays his secretary, the actor Carry Goossens his college colleague or the actor Herwig Ilegems who acts as a police officer.

I can only say that after seeing the sublime Belgian version, the British version is way behind.

Professor T is refreshingly good fun - the emphasis is on its quirky character development and detailing which is enhanced with glimpses into the main character's inner surreal world.

The weekly crime setups are good - but this show is more about the journey than the whodunit - with light comedic touches that make the whole thing more likeable.

This series is centred on Professor Jasper Tempest; a criminology lecturer at Cambridge. After a request from police officer, and former student Lisa Donkers, he starts helping the local constabulary with their investigations. He isn't easy to work with; he is obsessed with cleanliness and will say exactly what he thinks which makes him seem rude and insensitive.

I really enjoyed the Belgian original so went into this with some trepidation. It isn't bad but I must say I didn't enjoy it as much as the original. Since the cases are basically the same this might be considered redundant but not everybody likes subtitles and the stories, characters and cases feel right for a light ITV crime drama. The cast does a fine job; Ben Miller is fun in the lead role and Frances de la Tour impresses as his mother. The rest of the cast, playing more 'normal' characters are good too. The cases are interesting and should keep the viewer guessing to the end without being too convoluted. Overall I'd recommend watching the Belgian original but if it is unavailable where you are or you don't like subtitles this is a decent substitute. If more episodes are made I'll tune in.

I have seen all 3 series, Belgian, German and this from England. The original Belgian is my favorite and this a close second. It retains the fanciful mostly comical hallucinations that were missing in the German series. And the quirky departmental secretary is an absolute hoot in both Belgian and English series. Ben Miller's portrayal of the professor is slightly warmer than the original, which makes the character very appealing.

I loved the original Belgian series (which ended too soon, IMO), so I was curious to see how it would transpose into English. I'm delighted that they have stuck close to the source material, retaining the quirkiness and eccentricities of the main character.

Ben Miller has already proven his ability to play an uptight English detective in "Death in Paradise", so Jasper Tempest is right in his wheelhouse. Frances de la Tour plays his flamboyant and annoyingly intrusive mother very well.

Unfortunately, Donckers is lacking some of the passion and playfulness of her Belgian counterpart, which is rather disappointing. There is more emphasis on her relationship with her partner than with the Professor, which is a shame.

This is a decent effort, nonetheless, and certainly worth watching. I'll be interested to see if this is picked up for a second series.