Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 7/10
Cast: Ben Miller, Emma Naomi, Barney White, Sarah Woodward, Juliet Aubrey, Frances de la Tour, Andy Gathergood, Douglas Reith, Martin Swabey, Rupert Turnbull, Ben Onwukwe, Lizzie Back, Barbara Verbergt, Keith Dunphy, Lucy Anna Richardson, Robert Cavanah, Kammy Darweish.
The detective with a unique quirk is nothing new to the overwhelming amount of television programmes dedicated to the genre; even those who assist the police have their own routines and ways which can, if written with care, make them stand out in such a way that the public takes to them, and watch them become, if not national treasures, then at least interesting enough to warrant their inclusion in the television watchers weekly habitual intake.
From Frost to Morse, from Vera to Jessica Fletcher and onto the extremes of Adrian Monk, they all have their moments in which the quirk, the idiosyncrasy of their existence shows through, and it is one that is perhaps eagerly looked forward to by the viewer as it affirms their faith in human nature and the reputation of repetition.
A quirk though can be consuming, and it can detract from the overall fluidity of the investigation. That being said, it is a fine balance between over furnished peculiarity and understated realism, and it takes an actor of note, of one who has trodden the same path before to capture the details of the foible without making it obvious they are making it a habit.
Based upon the original Belgian series which bears its name, Professor T sees the inspired Ben Miller inhabit the role of Criminologist Professor Jasper Tempest and bring the city of Cambridge, perhaps the last remaining city in the U.K. aside from St. Davids to not have its own skyline imprinted upon the viewers mind, into sharp focus as he is recruited by the local police force to solve a case in which several young women have been brutally assaulted by persons unknown.
The six part series, although refreshing, and bringing a great cast which includes Juliet Aubrey, Emma Naomi and Frances de la Tour together, does suffer from the short length of time it is screen for, a forty minute to an hour in all honesty is rarely long enough to capture the spirit of the investigation, and from the amount of strands it is being asked to pull, the sideways glances from other threads of storylines which at times feel as though they are detracting from the investigation, more in keeping with a weekly soap opera than being asked to add to the drama of detective procedure.
Ben Miller though does capture the essence of the man exceedingly well and given a longer appreciation of his talents could see him emerge as one of the go to character actors in the future.
Professor T might take time to get used to, but with fortune and a change of pace, it should rank highly in the viewer’s perception of criminal behaviour; it just needs a little attention placed in its corner.
Ian D. Hall