Ben Miller's ITV crime drama Professor T returns for its fourth season, which picks up six months after the death of detective Lisa Donckers.
"Jasper is still in torment, unable to face police work," reads the synopsis. "His therapist, Helena, is sad to see all his progress has been undone".
Elsewhere, "Dan is desperately throwing himself into work, refusing to let his mind spiral into grief and finding Jasper’s absence frustrating". But when a young woman disappears from a luxury yacht, "Jasper is forced to get involved against his better judgment. Dan and Jasper are made to work together leading to tensions between the two men growing".
Running alongside that, "Adelaide has left to travel the world and Jasper's Aunt Zelda has come to look after Adelaide’s home and dog, Kafka".
The synopsis continues: "Jasper and the Dean are surprised by Zelda’s reappearance, especially as Zelda is an old flame of the Dean... Maiya meanwhile hires a new recruit, the overexcitable DC Chloe Highsmith."
Find out more about the characters and where you've seen the cast before below.
- Ben Miller as Professor Tempest
- as DS Dan Winters
- Frances de la Tour as Adelaide Tempest
- Juliet Stevenson as Dr Helena Goldberg
- Sunetra Sarker as DCI Maiya Goswami
- as The Dean
- Sarah Woodward as Ingrid Snares
Read on for more information about the characters and actors in season 4 of Professor T.
Ben Miller plays Professor T
Who is Professor T? An enigmatic criminology lecturer (aka Jasper Tempest) who has OCD. He's drawn into the world of real-life crime solving when a former pupil of his, DI Lisa Donckers, reaches out and takes a chance on him.
Sadly, she died in season 3, which has a damaging impact on Jasper, as detailed by Miller.
"He’s almost gone back to square one in terms of his OCD," said the actor. "We’ve previously seen him trying to take the gloves off, literally and metaphorically, but he ended up pulling them back on after Lisa’s death. For whatever reason, he didn't comfort her as she was dying. The darker side of his nature took over, and he's carrying a lot of guilt from letting her die like that.
"He wanted to change before, but he's really determined to change now. He can't let that happen again."
Where have I seen Ben Miller before? He recently played Lord Featherington in the Netflix smash-hit period drama, Bridgerton, and briefly reprised his role as DI Richard Poole in Death in Paradise. He's also known for his comedy partnership in The Armstrong and Miller Show, and roles in the likes of I Want My Wife Back, Paddington 2, and Johnny English Strikes Again.
Barney White plays Dan Winters
Who is DS Dan Winters? "He’s a changed person, which was really interesting to play, because he was light relief for a lot of the third series, and that's why Lisa loved him," said White of where we find the detective in season 4, following the death of his work and life partner.
"He was a nice, jovial presence, and she was the intense one, the work-focused one. At the beginning of the fourth series, he's taken up her mantle in that respect. His Jack-the-lad and happy-go-lucky outlook has been replaced by this intensity."
Where have I seen Barney White? He's starred in the likes of Holby City, King Gary and Miss Marx.
Frances de la Tour plays Adelaide
Who is Adelaide? The professor's scene-stealing, overbearing mother. Jasper Tempest experienced a childhood trauma when he was younger, which is often hinted at during scenes featuring Adelaide. In season 4, she's left to travel the world.
Where have I seen Frances de la Tour before? The actress is known for roles in the likes of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, The History Boys, and Rising Damp (as Miss Ruth Jones). Other projects have included Into The Woods (as Giant), Vicious, Outlander, and recently in the first Enola Holmes film (as the Dowager).
Juliet Stevenson plays Dr Helena Goldberg
Who is Dr Helena Goldberg? Helena is Professor T's therapist and more than a match for his intellect.
"Dr Goldberg's a woman with a past," said Stevenson. "In this series we learn that her marriage has broken down, and we see one short scene where her husband is removing his belongings from their home. She makes reference to the fact it's been a non-marriage for quite a while, and she has no children.
"We don't know a lot about her history, but in my mind she's been lonely for many years. A marriage that's gone dead a long time ago means she hasn't had any intimacy, hasn’t had a beloved in her life."
Where have I seen Juliet Stevenson before? Stevenson has previously appeared in series such as Riviera, The Man Who Fell to Earth and The Village, while her film roles include Bend it Like Beckham, Nicholas Nickleby and 1996's Emma.
Sunetra Sarker plays DCI Maiya Goswami
Who is DCI Maiya Goswami? Jasper's boss. Her management style is described as "abrasive and direct".
"What I like, and this is a real testament to female bosses out there, is that there’s an inclination when you’re the boss to want to become friends with everybody," said Sarker. "A woman tends to be warm and she wants to be approachable, but when you're the boss in a very structured environment, like the police, there's a fear of becoming too friendly with your team, so you have to find the balance.
"Maiya is really great with those boundaries. There’s fear in the team because they don’t want to mess up, but there’s also a feeling that they can go to her with any problem, and she’ll be on their side. Her attitude is, “I have your back, but don't push the boundaries.'"
Where have I seen Sunetra Sarker before? She's best known for Casualty and Ackley Bridge.
Zoë Wanamaker plays Zelda Radclyffe
Who is Zelda Radclyffe? Jasper's aunt. "Zelda is an intricate and colourful character – her personal life is somewhat ungrounded due to her professional life as a photographer," said Wanamaker.
"I based her on a wonderful photojournalist called Eve Arnold, who took fantastic photographs of both war zones and iconic celebrities like Marilyn Monroe. She's fiercely independent, loves to travel and is always ready for her next adventure - however that might present itself.
"She only returns because Adelaide [Jasper's mother] asks that she look after Jasper, and the dog, because she leaves for Australia."
Where have I seen Zoë Wanamaker before? You probably know her from My Family, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and Agatha Christie’s Poirot.
Who is DC Chloe Highsmith? Dan's "overexcitable" new colleague.
"There’s a certain mirroring of Dan and Lisa’s relationship in Dan and Chloe, although it’s not at all romantic with Chloe," said White.
"Chloe’s keen and enthusiastic, but she makes mistakes. She's not cynical; she doesn't have the world-weariness of her colleagues. And although it's not a romantic relationship, it's got a nice sibling quality to it – they bicker, they get on each other's nerves, but it's underscored by genuine warmth."
What else has Rhian Blundell been in? She's best known for Vampire Academy.
Douglas Reith plays The Dean
Who is The Dean? A Cambridge Dean and Adelaide's confidante.
Where have I seen Douglas Reith before? He's probably best known as Isobel Crawley's love interest, Lord Merton, in Downton Abbey. He also starred in the likes of The Queen, The Prince and the Pauper, and Outlander.
Sarah Woodward plays Ingrid Snares
Who is Ingrid Snares? Professor T's acid-tongued personal assistant. Ingrid is a gossip who is "easily taken for an ultra-conservative, but beneath the twin-set and pearls there lurks a true subversive who likes nothing better than knocking back absinthe and ogling body-building magazines".
Where have I seen Sarah Woodward before? She's known for roles in the likes of Poirot, Queens of Mystery, The Pale Horse, Supernova, Quiz, Endeavour, and The Politician's Husband.
- Angus Yellowlees as JC Lewis
- Mia Gill as Ramona Stubbs
- CJ Beckford as Byram Stafford
- Phoebe Sparrow as Vicky Stafford
- Loveday Smith as Margo McQueen
- Nicholas Jones as Peter Snares
- Helena Barlow as Ophelia McQueen
- Madelief Sannen as Marie Bryant
- Mika Simmons as Kate Bryant
- Rebecca Night as Julie Norman
- Aude Ruyter as Abbey Sommers
- James Anderson as Bruno Sommers
- Sam Michiels as Poppy Sommers
- Jobst Schnibbe as Alaric Goldberg
- Robert Portal as Dennis Baines
- John O'Toole as Eddy Baines
- Martin Turner as Lucien Hailsham
Professor T season 4 premieres on ITV1 on Wednesday 19 August at 9pm.
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