Professor T release date: Cast, plot and latest news about new ITV series

The broadcaster has announced that the series will debut exclusively on streaming service BritBox, with lead Ben Miller playing an eccentric criminologist, Professor Jasper Tempest.

Miller's recent cameo return to Death in Paradise must have reignited his love of crime drama, given his quirky new role in the upcoming police series.

Based on the hit Belgian crime programme of the same name, the show casts Miller as a brilliant but fastidious university lecturer, who becomes a reluctant detective, solving crimes in Cambridge and beyond.

Here's everything we know about Professor T so far.

When does Professor T air on ITV?

CONFIRMED: Professor T launches exclusively on BritBox on 3rd June 2021. It will air on ITV later this summer.

Filming for Professor T started in Belgium and Cambridge in the summer of 2020.

Professor T plot: What is Professor T about?

The six-part crime drama will focus on Professor Jasper Tempest, a genius Cambridge University criminologist with OCD, who unwittingly becomes an advisor to the police.

The opening episode will show the Professor begrudgingly caught up in a police investigation when Diana Tyson (Elizabeth Kate Back) is attacked on the university campus.

Noticing that the attack is very similar to one that occurred years beforehand, DI Lisa Donckers' suspicions are raised, and she reckons that the Professor is just the man to crack the case. Despite being a potentially valuable contributor to the police force, people who don’t know him very well struggle with his behaviour, and Donckers' idea to get him on board won't be universally popular.

Furthermore, with Professor T being prone to daydreaming, having no interest in crime outside of his studies and having an overbearing mother in tow, the journey to solving the mysteries will be far from simple.

Professor T cast: Who stars in it?

Ben Miller plays the titular Professor T. Seeing as he once gave up studying a PhD in Physics at Cambridge to pursue comedy, a return to the institution, albeit a fictional version, represents something of a full-circle moment.

Miller has spoken of how excited he is to portray the titular character in the Professor T cast, explaining in a statement: "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."

Frances de la Tour (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The History Boys, Rising Damp) portrays Adelaide, the Professor's mother, whose colourful presence in her son's life can be somewhat smothering.

Also part of the project is Emma Naomi (Blithe Spirit) as Detective Inspector Lisa Donckers as well as Barney White, who'll play her police sidekick Dan Winters.

Is there a trailer for Professor T?

There's no trailer available for Professor T yet, but as soon as there is you will see it on this page. In the meantime, check out the trailer for the original Belgian series (as shown by Channel 4's Walter Presents) below, for a taste of what's to come.

Professor T will be released later this year on ITV. While you're waiting, take a look at our other Drama coverage, or find out what else is on with our TV Guide.