Friday, January 29, 2021

PROFESSOR T


Anyone who knows me or has read this blog for some time will tell you,  I watch barely any American television. I mostly stick to BBC and some of my Brit shows on PBS.  One shows that popped out, that I got hooked on,  and I recently binged, was a PBS show called Professor T. It's an extraordinary burst of mind. If  one could take Inspector Morse, with some Doc Martin, a pinch of DC Vera Stanhope, and mix them with the part from that show Monk...you'd get Professor T. It's an extremely quirky, Dutch show from Belgium with English subtitles, and ran from 2014 -2018. The eponymous central person is Professor Jasper Terrlinck,  a famous professor of criminology at the university in Antwerp. He is played by daddy in my head, the handsome Koen de Bouw. He sports a metrosexual buzzcut, sleek suits, and those black framed arty glasses that make him even hotter. And he plays the part with an almost expressionless face, and often struggles to even half smile, and he even moves like a robot. But his acting is such a magnetic performance... he conveys personal mystery and profound depth.

In the series,  a star student of his, has gone on to be a defective herself. DC Annelises Donkers ends up begging him to work with her and the police to solve weekly cases, usually very bizarre and creepy cases. He goes on to solve the cases, and the police, though most of them find him arrogant and crazed, grudgingly admire his unconventional sleuthing ability and talent at sussing out who's lying. If you hang in for three episode ...you'll be hooked.

 The detective stories we follow are smart, tightly knit whodunits in themselves...but as the series goes on, they often became the background noise to the riveting drama about the Professor. He always wear gloves, hates germs, and if anyone touches anything, or leaves his office, everything get a spray. As as the seasons go on, we learn just how, and why he ends up this way. And he suffers from not only germophobia, but anal retentiveness, and OCD, not to mention is in a terror of people getting to close to him. To soothe his soul, he listens to classical music. He often hires female escorts to his home, but it's never clear if he has sex with them or not, or just there for dinner partners, who mercifully punctuate his solitary existence.
Some in the professor's police and university circles loath him, but others, though flummoxed and frustrated by his eccentric behavior, feel a protective, tender way with him, like the Dean of the Faculty, and the faculty administrative secretary, Ingrid Sneyers, who he often has some hilarious banter with, and she often puts him in his place. The actress plays her brilliantly. There's also Christina Flamant, the police commissioner, and as we discover, the professor's ex-girlfriend, who after time, we see still has feelings for him. And then there's his omnipresent mother, Adeline VanMarcke, a oppressive, domineering battleax of a woman, played by the lovely, Viviane DeMuynck, in a wonderful grand performance.

What is cool are the quirky scenes, You sometimes don't know if something is happening or it's in the professors head, and we often see inside his head. His mind, without warning, suddenly slips from perceiving an ordinary person standing in front of him, to seeing a huge yellow feathered bird or a vulgar hooker. In this show, reality and dream merge, and  what's imagined is no more absurd,  then the quotidian world the Professor with his fragile sanity must somehow navigate.

And this hunk! Inspector Dann De Winter use to get me hot.
 He was DC Annelises Donkers partner till he left in the second season, but luckily she,  and we got another hottie who melted my boots...Inspector John Van Humbeeck

Professor T includes a list of memorable characters to long to list here, played by superb actors. But more so,  it brings to the fore, the biggest problems troubling the human race- how to balance emotions and intellect, either one of which, if out of proportion, will destroy a person, what it means to be fully human and what exactly, is truth, and why we uncover it at our peril. If you like different, quirky and chic visuals, I recommend it.

Now I'm all involved binging on the series Endeavour. Don't get me started on Shawn Evans!!!!!!  Just caught the holiday special of Call the Midwife. Excellent!!! I'm also watching All Creatures Great And Small. One of Diana Riggs last acting stints, and the britcom Upstart Crow. 

 What's can I say? I love Brit tv better.

36 comments:

  1. Interesting. I don't get PBS.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'll have to search this out. Sounds odd and quirky, which I love.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Seems like a fun show.... We get PBS but not BBC. Hey, maybe we'll give it a try. Reading subtitles isn't very easy for me right yet. Hugs

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh, my sister was telling me about this show. She likes it too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. At first I was like...meh, but then, I just got sucked in.

      Delete
  5. So much of British television is so much fun. I went through a period of tracking down everything French or Saunders ever appeared in (except Ab Fab, which left me cold). Some truly lovely stuff. And then just kept going - teen com-drams, the whole lot. And I never mind reading subtitles. I know that is an issue for some. It makes me concentrate on the show more. Thanks for sharing. Have a lovely.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I did enjoy Ab Fab though. I see myself in Patsy a lot. But I agree about French and Saunders. Have you seen Clatterford? That was pretty good, just ordered it on dvd. But I adore Dawn French. I'm enjoying her in The Trouble with Maggie Cole right now.

      your observation about reading subtitles is correct. I too get into the show more.

      Delete
    2. I had to look up "Clatterford" - over here it was called Jam and Jerusalem. As much as I love Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders, Sue Johnston, Maggie Steed, Pauline McLynn, Doreen Mantle and David Mitchell (great cast), I never got into it... Jx

      Delete
    3. Indeed it was Jon! I usually call it Clatterford, because when I talk of it by it's original title, people give me looks and never hear of it by that title.

      Delete
  6. Cool, never heard of it though. 🤷‍♂️

    I watch too many TV shows already... 😛

    ReplyDelete
  7. OOHHHH sounds awesome!
    And Koen is absolutely yummy. I'm going to have to hunt this down. I don't mind subtitles. There's so many awesome European procedurals that never make it to America... it's a pity. The premises may not be super fresh, but the production values are awesome.
    Thanks for the tip, Bae.

    XOXO

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think you'd probably enjoy it. It seems hard to find for many. And those who do watch don't get my getting hot over the Professor. But he melts my butter baby.

      Delete
  8. This household is a huge PBS household. I very much love Masterpiece, and the mucus concerts..and Call the Midwife...one of the best shows tv on in my opinion. I have caught this show...but always seem to forget when it's on. And I love my Brit Comedies on Saturday nights.

    I currently watch two American shows that it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OHHH Call the Midwife is brilliant! One of my favorites too. Ill be sad when it ends. The acting is just superb.

      Delete
  9. The daughter of one of the ladies in the village was responsible for sourcing the costumes for Endeavour. The mum came round the village coffee morning ladies (spoiler alert; I am one of them) and asked if we had any appropriate clothing she could nick for her daughter to use. Used to watch Morse and saw them film the first episode outside Oxford Police station which is over the road from Crown Court where I used to work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh how fun is that!!!!! I have thoroughly been enjoying the show. Shawn Evans has the mannerisms down from Morse pretty good. I too am a fan of Inspector Morse. I watch the reruns on Tuesday nights here. Now they just started airing the re-runs of Poirot, with David Suchet in the part. Pretty good, not bad. And Vera. I'm a hopeless DC at heart I think.

      Delete
  10. Shit, Subtitles tho', that would mean I'd have to Read {Ugh} while trying to watch what's going on and my Focus would be all over the damned place and I'd be too exhausted and distracted to stick with it. Usually with Non-English shows, I just watch and listen, even tho' I don't understand fully without Reading the translation, I can usually enjoy it better. Since the Visuals would intrigue me far more than what they're saying anyway. And... he is Hot.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's odd. I start out reading them but then as the show goes on I find Im not reading the subtitles and yet understand what's going on.

      Delete
  11. Thank you for promoting this excellent series, made by one of the best producers and actors in the Netherlands! It's nice to know that some are airing it in the US. I enjoyed it when it was on. Greetings! 😉

    ReplyDelete
  12. I find myself giving up on British (English?) t.v. shows. I enjoy Sherlock and I own the eighties Sherlock Holmes series with Jeremy Brett. I need subtitles to understand English, for crying out loud! I am at the age where I watch t.v. for the popcorn factor, not education. Reading subtitles is too much work for my feebling mind to handle these days. I turn on something mindless, sit down, and promptly go to sleep. I'm a disgraced couch potato.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh gurl......I love me some Sherlock!

      Delete
  13. A bizarre discovery, Maddie. I've never heard of it! No idea whether it was ever shown over here, but interestingly there is a British remake of the series apparently in production, starring Ben Miller and Frances de la Tour.

    I have concluded that you watch much, much more British television than I do! Jx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have heard of several remakes in several countries, here included. We shouldn't here even attempt it...they'd never do it justice here or Doc Martin. But you Brits could pull it off. I adore Frances de la Tour...she no doubt being after the part of the administrative secretary, Ingrid Sneyers...and she be excellent in the part.

      Delete
  14. Anonymous1/29/2021

    LOVE Professor T and have watched it repeatedly as I'm in middle of PBS 3 city triangle. de Boen is gorgeous but I keep asking myself why I'm attracted to quirky men! Inspector Morse, Endeavor, Vera, Doc Martin, Call the Midwife...love them all and watch reruns any time they're on. Set reminders for all of them through cable TV menu. I'm having trouble seeing Endeavor as the older Morse. Trying to imagine how such a slender guy could morph into older Morse but just have to look in the mirror to see how it's done...LOL. The Tunnel was freaky but I couldn't help but watch it. I even watch Graham Norton reruns when I choose and he puts American nighttime shows in second place for me. My entire family disdains my affinity for Brit & Australian crime shows but they make me happy. I've never met or spoken to anyone that's seen Professor T and glad to know I'm not the only one. Mrs. Sneyers is great and she has a knowing "relationship" with the prof.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for stopping in Anon!!! I was beginning to think I was the only one who'd heard of it. Nice to know there is another one, lol!!! Oh The Tunnel!!! I enjoyed the first season and made it half way through the second and then lost interest. But the others you mention...watch them all! I also enjoy Father Brown, Midsommer Murders, Miss Fisher, and Grantchester. Another good one I saw was one called Unforgotten. Excellent. My local station just started airing a drama called Cranford with Eileen Atkins and Judi Dench which seems promising. Nice to know I have a viewing partner to watch these shows...I'm right there with you friend.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous1/30/2021

      Sorry for the "anaon" but I rarely comment and didn't want to feel intrusive. Eileen Atkinson & Judi Dench...royalty! I'd seen Unforgotten star Nicola Walker in Last Tango in Halifax which was a bit tangled for me but I watched it. Think I've seen 3-4 times reruns of Midsommer Murders & Miss Fisher. My local PBS stations have only run Grantchester two times. Priestly change threw me but they both had enough baggage to keep it interesting. Having Robson Green as steady constant helped a lot. I had monthly subscription to AcornTV for a while but not enough new content to warrant expense.
      Sorry if I ramble but your friendliness was very welcome. Thank you for that. Leslie aka Anon

      Delete
    3. Feel free to comment anytime Leslie. I welcome all. No one here is intrusive. I too agree about The Last Tango completely, but a great cast. Im also glad to hear your feed back about Acorn Tv as i had been thinking to subscribe..but between the three public stations I get and BBC im happy with the amount of dramas britcoms and mysteries offered. The one station is bringing back two favorites tonight...Last of the Summer Wine and BallyKissAngel.

      Delete
  15. Never heard of it. Will see if I can find it here!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Now you know, I'm going to have to seek this out.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Mistress Maddie, we must have been separated at birth because I absolutely LOVE Endeavour too and my favourite show of all time is Professor T! I get such a kick out of how Jasper visualizes the true nature of people he encounters like that African parrot riding a tiny clown bike after any interaction with his replacement. Series 2 of the Belgian/Dutch production of Professor T just ended on PBS Detroit. I hope Series 3 will start soon. There's also a German production of Professor T, but the reviews are not as good as those for the Begian/Dutch production. I'd like to see more of Koen de Bouw's work... he's so handsome in spite of his 1940's Nazi haircut. ROWR!

    Have you watched the new PBS Masterpiece Mystery series called "Miss Scarlett and The Duke"? It's been very good so far. Jury's still out on the new remake of "All Creatures Great & Small", the actors are all well cast, but they haven't jelled yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Welcome Tundra Bunny so nice to see you. Professor T did end here too with the second season and can't wait for three...which sadly i hear will be it as they ended it in Belgium. But that seen with the Parrot did crack me up...and I will miss Anngelais Doneckers. And I often love the scenes with him and his mother. I just saw the first episode of Miss Scarlet and the Duke. I think it will warm on me and I am watching All Creatures...i generally feel very happy and warm when it's over...but its the only incarnation I've seen. We also have another new mystery show called The Malloca Files that looks promising.

      Delete
  18. So they are making a British version of this? It sounds excellent! I love that you are so enamoured with British TV!
    Sx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh I AM. The show's here are sometimes poorly acted...too much noise..and hold back to much. And yes a British incarnation. So far remakes I hear are not as good as the original Dutch show.

      Delete
  19. ...sounds like a show I should check out!!!...Monk, incidently has been a long time favorite of mine...

    ReplyDelete
  20. (Catching up here) To all your choices, I say: YES, YES, YES! We added Britbox and MHz Choice for international series with subtitles! Until elder lockdown is lifted, we're home and happy! xoxox

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I heard Britbox is excellent too. Since my three public stations air so many gems...I haven't subscribed yet.

      Delete

Go ahead darling, tell me something fabulous!