History Series / ProfessorT

** The undercover agent in the two-parter "Zwanenzang" was killed by his wife, becuase she was suspecting him of having and affair with a prostitute. It turns out that he ended the affair to stay true to her.

''Professor T.''[[note]]initially named ''T.''[[/note]] was a comedic Flemish crime drama which ran for three seasons from 2015 to 2018, starring Koen de Bouw as the eponymous Professor Teerlinck. It aired on Eén in Flanders, RTL Crime in the Netherlands, Channel 4 in the UK and PBS in the US.

''Professor T.''[[note]]initially named ''T.''[[/note]] was a comedic Flemish crime drama which ran from 2015 to 2018, starring Koen de Bouw as the eponymous Professor Teerlinck. It aired on Eén in Flanders, RTL Crime in the Netherlands, Channel 4 in the UK and PBS in the US.

* A [[UsefulNotes/{{Germany}} German]] version aired on ZDF from 2017 to 2020. Matthias Matschke starred as Professor Jasper Thalheim.

* Since 2021, the [[UsefulNotes/{{UnitedKingdom}} UK]] network Creator/{{ITV}} has aired a version starring Creator/BenMiller as Professor Jasper Tempest. It has aired for two seasons, and has been renewed for a third.

The series itself is quite comparable to other crime dramas that involve academic advisors, such as ''Series/{{Perception}}'' and ''Series/NUMB3RS'', but adds quite a bit of humor as well. The series shows the clearest comparison with ''Series/{{Perception}}'', however, as Professor Teerlinck is prone to [[ImagineSpot seeing things that aren't real]], similar to Daniel Pierce. It ran for a total of three seasons and was immensely popular in Flanders. Moreover, several foreign adaptations of the series have been developed under the same name:

''Professor T.''[[note]]initially named ''T.''[[/note]] was a comedic Flemish crime drama which ran from 2015 to 2018, starring Koen de Bouw as the eponymous Professor Teerlinck.

The series itself is quite comparable to other crime dramas that involve academic advisors, such as ''Series/{{Perception}}'' and ''Series/NUMB3RS'', but adds quite a bit of humor as well. The series shows the clearest comparison with ''Series/{{Perception}}'', however, as Professor Teerlinck is prone to [[ImagineSpot seeing things that aren't real]], similar to Daniel Pierce. It ran for a total of three seasons and was immensely popular in Flanders. Moreover, several foreign adaptations of the series have been developed under the same name. It aired on Eén in Flanders, RTL Crime in the Netherlands, Channel 4 in the UK and PBS in the US.

* CainAndAbel: Several cases had this as a theme

** Ludo Govaerts from the episode "Het geluk van anderen" was a corrupt prison guard, who was universally hated in the prison he worked at. When professor Teerlinck interviewed [[spoiler: his fellow cell mates]] for their motive, the line spanned the entire cell block. In the end, [[spoiler: another guard]] did him in for selling drugs to [[spoiler: his son]].
* BadgesAndDogTags: John van Humbeek, who was part of the (former) gendarmerie, before joining the federal police. One of professor Teerlinck's [[ImagineSpot imagine spots]], when John is introduced to him, even points this out.

** One of Mrs. Sneyers colleagues, Connie, is this to miss Sneyers.

* DeadpanSnarker: Mrs. Sneyers provides her commentary on Professor Teerlinck and the dean in this manner.

** Ludo Govaerts, a dirty prison guard, was responsible for most of the drugs deals within his prison.

** Connie, Mrs. Sneyer's colleague, fits the trope as well, as she gets bossed around by miss Sneyers constantly without giving a peep.

* TheProfessor: Professor Teerlinck, ofcourse. He's bright, eloquent, reveals the outcome of every crime he helps solving and plays chess to boot.

** During the season 1 finale, professor Teerlinck awaits his own killer and does nothing when he (eventually) tries to murder him. This lapse of judgement drives the professor to his decision to willingly administer himself to a mental institution for six months.

Besides Annelies, the professor is supported in his investigations by Daan de Winter, Annelies's partner, Paul Rabet, the DCI who's in charge of Annelies and Daan (and who initially hates the professor's guts), and Christina Flamant, the team's commissioner and an old flame of the professor. Both Daan and Annelies eventually leave the team and are (respectively) replaced by John van Humbeek, former gendarmerie, and Saskia Vogels. On the academic side, Professor Teerlinck gets help from miss Ingrid Sneyers, the faculty's head secretary, and Walter de Paepe, the faculty's dean (and a bit of a father figure to Jasper). He furthermore gets regular visits from his mother, Adelinde van Marcke, who tends to be both overprotective and under-involved with her son.[[note]]as the professor so eloquently states[[/note]]

--> '''Professor Teerlinck''' ''[about miss Sneyers in the pilot episode]'': Miss Sneyers is invaluable for the proper functioning of the entire faculty of law. The only problem is that she's aware of that as well.

* ADayInTheLimelight: The episode "Residentie Zilverspar" was this for miss Sneyers, who becomes the professor's sidekick (or vice versa) throughout the episode.

* AlmightyJanitor: Miss Sneyers applies for this trope, as she keeps the faculty running despite the professor's antics, which allows her to get away with her DeadpanSnarker attitude as well.

** Nearly everyone who works with Professor Teerlinck falls victim to this from time to time: miss Sneyers, Annelies, Daan, John, the dean, etcetera. Even people who don't usually follow his, like DCI Rabet and Christina Flamant, occasionally give into the professor's demands, when the plot requires it.
** One of miss Sneyers colleagues, Connie, is this to miss Sneyers.

** Throughout most of the first season, professor Teerlinck's mere presence was one for DCI Rabet.

* BrutalHonesty: This is professor Teerlinck's trademark. He always speaks his mind, even to the judges who are preciding over his murder case in court.

** The second part of the two-parter "De troonopvolging" revolves around professor Teerlinck's attempt to clear one of his fellow prisoners of a murder charge.

* DeadpanSnarker: Miss Sneyers provides her commentary on Professor Teerlinck and the dean in this manner.

** Several culprits from season 1, such as Dany Vangenechten and Johan Vermarcke, return as supporting characters in season 3.

** Walter de Paepe, the dean of the faculty of law, falls within this category, as he's far too kind and patient to be professor Teerlinck's boss. This only becomes worse when he's around the professor, as he always tends to be overruled by him.

** Connie, miss Sneyer's colleague, fits the trope as well, as she gets bossed around by miss Sneyers constantly without giving a peep.

* FakeFabricFashionFauxPas: In the episode "Diamant", professor Teerlinck ends up at the hospital after slipping and breaking his leg at a local (indoor) swimming pool. He leaves the hospital shortly after, but has to leave behind his clothes in favor of an incredibly tacky (90's) tracksuit. He spends the remainder of the episode solving the case in that track suit.

* FormerTeenRebel: While they were in college at the time, (most of) the members of "the footsies" from the episode "Onvoltooid verleden" became this as they grew older. During their college, "the footsies" were an (anarchistic) hippie movement, who protested against the man. As they became older, most members became wealthy bussiness men (or influential citizens) themselves. The only exception was Max Reynders, who ended up stuck in his hippie ways. The trope is even lampshaded by the professor during the episode.
** This trope furthermore applies to professor Teerlinck and Christina Flamand, as they were both members of "the footsies" as well.

--> '''Miss Sneyers''' ''[to Professor Teerlinck]'': This is the part of every police series where the good cop and the bad cop grill the suspect

--> '''Miss Sneyers''': You can be the good cop, I will play the bad cop.

* HandshakeRefusal: Due to his germaphobia, the professor refuses to shake hands with anyone, even when he's wearing latex gloves.

* ImagineSpot: Used as a plot device in nearly every episode to convey either humor (Miss Sneyers playing a didgeridoo to bring a tired professor Teerlinck to sleep (and failing)) or drama (All of the heart-broken suspects in a case singing together to mourn the loss of a child).

* InsanityDefense: This is what gets professor Teerlinck exonerated for [[spoiler: the murder of DCI Lauwers]] throughout his trial. Both his defense attorney and Gijselbrechts claim that the professor was reliving a traumatic moment from his childhood and, therefore, had an irresistible impulse to [[spoiler: kill DCI Lauwers]].
* InsufferableGenius: Professor Teerlinck fits this trope perfectly, as he usually manages to piss someone off by merely speaking his mind

* MaliciousMisnaming: Professor Teerlinck does this to commissioner Mus in the episode Diamant, calling him every species of bird, except for the one he's named after.[[note]]Mus is the dutch word for sparrow.[[/note]] This seems to particularly bother Christina, who sees it as a way for the professor to get back at her.

* MyBelovedSmother: Adelinde van Marcke is one towards her son, professor Teerlinck

* SickEpisode: The episode "De maskermoorden" takes place while professor Teerlinck is in the hospital with a burst appendix. He initially hates it there (since he's extremely germophobic), but starts to feel at home there towards the end of the episode, thanks to miss Sneyers and one of the nurses.

** The second season finale reveals that [[spoiler: DCI Lauwers]] is a DetectiveMole. Moreover, [[spoiler: his girlfriend, commissioner Flamant]] finds out about his betrayal as well and plans to kill him in cold blood, which would end her career. Professor Teerlinck, who distrusted [[spoiler: Lauwers]] from the start, bites the bullet and shoots [[spoiler: Lauwers]] himself, which gets him imprisoned for murder.

* WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong: Said by miss Sneyers in the series finale, in response to dean de Paepe's worries about Jasper's investigation into his father's suicide. Things eventually almost do go awry, but as the series is more on the lighthearted side, miss Sneyers turns out to be correct after all.

--> '''miss Sneyers''': Everything will turn out fine. The man has spent time in a mental institution, as well as in prison. What could possibly happen that's worse than that?

As the series progresses, both Professor Teerlinck and the viewer find out more about the professor's eccentricities and their root cause, which lies with the death of his father. Furthermore, the professor seems to be affected mentally by the cases that he helps solve, much to his own distress. This eventually leads to his voluntary admission in a mental institution, for awaiting (and nearly undergoing) his own murder at the hands of a psychopath. After his release from the institution, Professor Teerlinck (rather unwillingly) continues to visit his psychiatrist, dr. Helena Gijselbrecht, who tries to work with him on conquering his phobias (his germophobia in particular). This all ends when Professor Teerlinck ends up shooting a (corrupt) DCI as a means to protect Christina, with all of the [[InPrisonWithTheRogues unpleasant consequences]]. Nevertheless, Professor Teerlinck continues to solve cases, even from his jail cell, and is eventually acquitted. After his release from jail, Jasper decides to face his demons once and for all and starts an investigation into his father's death, which lead to rather astonishing developments.

* IfICan'tHaveYou...: The reason the culprit killed the victim in the episode "Dode meisjes zingen niet".

[[caption-width-right:350:The modern day Hercule Poirot, although he doesn't like to call himself that.]]

* ItAlwaysRainsAtFunerals/ItsAlwaysSunnyAtFunerals: A strange combination of these two tropes occurs in the series finale. During the funeral of [[spoiler: Adelinde]], it's initially raining cats and dogs, to emphasize the sadness of the situation. However, right as the (official part of the) funeral ends, the rain stops and the sun breaks through, which not only shows contrast, but also emphasizes Jasper's new outlook on life.

* TheProfessor: Professor Teerlinck, ofcourse. He's bright, eloquent, tells the outcome of every crime he solves and plays chess to boot.

** The series finale reveals that the suicide of the professor's father was, in fact, murder. This radically alters the professor's world view, as he felt guilt for his father's death ever since he was a child. Figuring out who killed his father finally allows the professor to give his trauma a place, causing him to (slowly) revert to a somewhat ordinary, sociable person.