Ben Miller, the actor who played Death in Paradise's first lead detective DI Richard Poole, returned to television on Wednesday night (August 19) as Professor Jasper Tempest in ITV's Professor T.
Almost a year after season four premiered in America, UK viewers can now watch the latest episodes, which begin with Jasper facing several challenges after a heartbreaking death.
Plot Details for Season Four Premiere
The synopsis for the premiere reads: "Jasper is in torment after a recent death and unable to face police work, while his therapist Helena is sad to see that all his progress has been undone. Dan is desperately throwing himself into work, refusing to let his mind spiral into grief, and finding Jasper's absence frustrating."
It continues: "Maiya hires a new recruit, the overexcitable DC Chloe Highsmith. She, Dan and Maiya struggle to tackle a tricky case involving the disapparance of a young woman on a luxury yacht."
Miller on His Character's Struggles
Speaking about where his character is at the start of season four, Miller said: "He's almost gone back to square one in terms of his OCD. 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."
He added: "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 determine to change now. He can't let that happen again."
Fan Reactions to the Return
Viewers shared their verdict after watching the premiere of season four. One X user wrote: "B***** love this program! So glad it's back, been a long wait!" Another added: "A good episode in the new series of #ProfessorT."
Others shared their excitement on Instagram, with one fan commenting: "Love this programme, so amazing." Someone else wrote: "Love Professor T almost as much as Richard Poole."
"The best series," another viewer shared, while a fourth said: "Yay, Professor T is back."
This comes months after Miller confirmed that another series of Professor T was in development. Speaking on The One Show, he said: "We've got season five that will hopefully be coming out [in the US] in the autumn. I mean, spoiler alert, we're actually working on season six. It's a very exciting situation to be in."
Death in Paradise fans were thrilled by the update. One person wrote on social media: "My favourite detective is back on screens." Another added: "I was so sad when you died in Death in Paradise," while a third said: "Wonderful show!!! You and the rest of the cast are superb, Mr Miller!!! We watch you on PBS channel 13 in NYC."
Professor T is available to stream on ITVX.
