Professor T season 3: release date, cast, plot and everything we know

 A key art shot from Professor T season 3 showing Professor Jasper Tempest (Ben Miller) in a grey prison overall standing against a charcoal-coloured backdrop. He is holding a folded prison-issue grey woollen blanket in his arms, and on top of that is a small folded black towel and a large white mug. His expression is blank, but slightly startled.
A key art shot from Professor T season 3 showing Professor Jasper Tempest (Ben Miller) in a grey prison overall standing against a charcoal-coloured backdrop. He is holding a folded prison-issue grey woollen blanket in his arms, and on top of that is a small folded black towel and a large white mug. His expression is blank, but slightly startled.

Professor T season 3 is almost here, as the the prickly professor returns to ITV.

Fans of the show were left with a cliffhanger at the end of the second season after DCI Christina Brand (Juliet Aubrey) confronted her corrupt cop boyfriend Simon Lanesborough (Alastair Mackenzie) in her office with a gun — and when Simon overpowered her and tried to escape, the Professor (Ben Miller) distracted him by firing a rifle into the ceiling.

Although nobody was hurt, the Professor was arrested for discharging an illegal firearm in a police station, and DS Lisa Donckers (Emma Naomi) regretfully informed him that such a serious charge could mean it would be a while before he would make bail.

Talking about how Jasper is coping with prison, Ben says: "It's the worts place for him. He likes his very ordered world in his ivory tower, and to be ripped out of that and thrown into a cell that he's got to share with another human being is not his favorite thing. There's shocking hygine, terrible food — it's a real struggle. Except, of course, for the silver lining that he's fascinated by the criminals that he finds himself surrounded by!"

Here's everything we know about Professor T season 3...

Professor T season 3 release date

The six-part third season of Professor T will begin on Wednesday March 27 on ITV1 at 9pm. The full series will be available as a box set on ITVX from the launch date.

Professor T season 3 cast

Ben Miller is back as the eponymous Professor, along with Emma Naomi (Bridgerton) as the newly-promoted DI Lisa Donckers, and Barney White (Ellie & Natasia) as DS Dan Winters. Juliet Aubrey (Primeval) is also back as DCI Brand, as is Andy Gathergood (Andor) as DI Paul Rabbit.

Frances de la Tour (Vicious) returns as the Professor's mother Adelaide Tempest, and Juliet Stevenson (Wolf) reprises her role as the Professor's therapist, Dr Helena Goldberg.

Sunetra Sarker (Casualty) is also set to join the show in season three as a new character, DCI Maiya Goswami.

Professor Jasper Tempest (Ben Miller) and his mother Adelaide (Frances de la Tour) stand in front of a mahogany panelled wall. He is wearing a suit and white plastic gloves, and standing upright. She is wearing a large fur coat and a leopard-print wide-brimmed hat accessorised with orange leather gloves, and is leaning forward with her chin resting on her right hand.

Professor T season 3 plot

The official synopsis for season three states that "Professor T finds himself in unfamiliar surroundings, banged up in prison after the explosive finale to season 2 saw Jasper trying to defend his old flame DCI Christina Brand. In this season, both their careers are on the line, and both have momentous decisions to make."

Is there a trailer for Professor T season 3?

Yes, there's now one in...