Professor T, series 3, ITV1, review: Ben Miller's awkward detective makes for uncomfortable viewing

The television show, Professor T on ITV1, centers around an unusual character. Surprisingly, it has been renewed for a third season, suggesting that it has garnered a sizable audience. Perhaps those who enjoyed Ben Miller's performance in Death in Paradise have turned to this show for their entertainment fix.

The personality of Prof Jasper Tempest is captivating, at least on written material: a specialist in crime investigation who deals with obsessive compulsive disorder, and whose psychological state causes uneasiness while also being advantageous in his profession. Moreover, he is within the autism spectrum. However, all of these aspects seem off-putting - just like the Prof himself - when it comes to a typical detective series.

The new series begins with the Prof getting taken to jail for using a shotgun that didn't have a license in a police station. This is tricky for someone who suffers from OCD in the form of a fear of germs and bacteria. His friend sends him a care package that includes gloves, wipes, soap, and antibacterial spray, as well as some food items like shiitake mushrooms, macadamia nuts, and lapsang souchong.

At a certain moment, he was physically attacked and had a knife pointed at him while in his cell. However, his response was not to become scared or worried. Instead, he calmly stated that if he were to be killed, the unpleasantness would simply come to an end. On the other hand, if he were to survive, he would have a captivating story to add to his future memoir. Later, when offered a transfer to the vulnerable prisoners unit, Professor T rejected the offer. As a criminologist, he saw this as a special chance to study and observe criminal behavior up close. Therefore, he decided to stay exactly where he was, in the "belly of the beast."

During his stay, he manages to crack a case related to the death of an individual over questionable automobile components. However, the story regarding his imprisonment consumes most of the plot, leaving limited opportunities to delve into the investigation. Despite this, he determines that the accused individual is innocent since he is a boxer, and based on his reasoning, boxers do not engage in violent outbursts since they conserve energy.

I suppose there may be actual examples that contradict that specific idea, but let's disregard that. The professor guesses the true culprit by watching him during the prison visitation room and conveys this understanding in his peculiar manner: "According to my hippocampus..."

The junior police detectives on the show are not very memorable and require assistance from the Prof. Tempest's mother, played by Frances de la Tour, is a prominent character, but the script does not fully utilize her and she only appears randomly. The show also includes flashbacks of Tempest's traumatic childhood, making it feel disjointed. This drama originated in Belgium and seems to have lost some of its essence during the translation process.

Tonight, the third series of Professor T is airing on ITV1 at 9pm. If you're eager to catch all the episodes, you can also watch them on ITVX.