Q.E.D. was a 1982 short-lived adventure series set in Edwardian

Edwardian period

The Edwardian era or Edwardian period in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of King Edward VII, 1901 to 1910.The death of Queen Victoria in January 1901 and the succession of her son Edward marked the end of the Victorian era...

 England, starring Sam Waterston

Sam Waterston

Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy...

 as Professor Quentin Everett Deverill (the series title is the character's initials). The Professor was a scientific detective in the mold of Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...

, and the series had a smattering of what would later be known as steampunk

Steampunk

Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction, fantasy, alternate history, and speculative fiction that came into prominence during the 1980s and early 1990s. Steampunk involves a setting where steam power is still widely used—usually Victorian era Britain or "Wild West"-era United...

. In the show, the lead character was known primarily by his initials, Q.E.D.
Notably, this acronym usually stands for Quod Erat Demonstrandum

Q.E.D.

Q.E.D. is an initialism of the Latin phrase , which translates as "which was to be demonstrated". The phrase is traditionally placed in its abbreviated form at the end of a mathematical proof or philosophical argument when what was specified in the enunciation — and in the setting-out —...

. It aired on the CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 network in the United States.

Coincidentally, many of the actors who played villains in the series (Julian Glover

Julian Glover

Julian Wyatt Glover is a British actor best known for such roles as General Maximilian Veers in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, the Bond villain Aristotle Kristatos in For Your Eyes Only, and Walter Donovan in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.-Personal life:Glover was born in...

, Ronald Lacey

Ronald Lacey

Ronald Lacey was an English actor. He made numerous television and film appearances over a 30 year period and is perhaps best remembered for his villainous roles in Hollywood films, most famously Major Arnold Toht in Raiders of the Lost Ark.-Career:Lacey attended Harrow Weald Grammar School and...

 and Paul Freeman) also played villains in the Indiana Jones

Indiana Jones

Colonel Henry Walton "Indiana" Jones, Jr., Ph.D. is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Indiana Jones franchise. George Lucas and Steven Spielberg created the character in homage to the action heroes of 1930s film serials...

 series of movies. Glover in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade is a 1989 American adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, from a story co-written by executive producer George Lucas. It is the third film in the Indiana Jones franchise. Harrison Ford reprises the title role and Sean Connery plays Indiana's father, Henry...

 and Lacey and Freeman in Raiders of the Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Raiders of the Lost Ark is a 1981 American action-adventure film directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by George Lucas, and starring Harrison Ford. It is the first film in the Indiana Jones franchise...

. In the opening episode, a technician eavesdropping via concealed microphone on Deverill and his companion was played by Wolf Kahler, who portrayed Colonel Deitrich in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Cast

• Prof. Quentin E. Deverill - Sam Waterston
  Sam Waterston
  Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy...
  
  
• Phipps - George Innes
  George Innes
  George Innes is an English actor.-Stage career:He began his career on the stage with the National Theatre of Great Britain under Laurence Olivier. Before that, he trained at Toynbee Hall and evening classes at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art , where he was awarded the Shakespeare Cup...
  
  
• Dr. Stefan Kilkiss - Julian Glover
  Julian Glover
  Julian Wyatt Glover is a British actor best known for such roles as General Maximilian Veers in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, the Bond villain Aristotle Kristatos in For Your Eyes Only, and Walter Donovan in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.-Personal life:Glover was born in...
  
  
• Charlie Andrews - A.C. Weary
• Jenny Martin - Caroline Langrishe
  Caroline Langrishe
  Caroline Langrishe is an English actress.In 1976, Langrishe appeared in the BBC production of The Glittering Prizes. In 1977 she played the role of Kitty in a BBC adaptation of Anna Karenina. Her first big part was in the 1978 British adaption of Les Misérables...
  
  

Episodes

1. Target: London (1982-03-23)
2. The Great Motor Race (1982-03-30)
3. Infernal Device (1982-04-06)
4. The 4:10 to Zurich (1982-04-13)
5. To Catch a Ghost (1982-04-20)
6. The Limehouse Connection (1982-04-27)

External links

• Reviewed on the Mystery*File blog