''Van der Valk'' is a

British television Regular television broadcasts in the United Kingdom started in 1936 as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection ...

crime drama Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...

series produced for the

ITV network ITV is a British free-to-air public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television network. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition to BBC Television (established in 1936). ITV is the ol ...

. The first series ran from 1972 to 1992; followed by a remake in 2020. Created by

Nicolas Freeling Nicolas Freeling (born Nicolas Davidson; 3 March 1927 – 20 July 2003), was a British crime novelist, best known as the author of the "Van der Valk" series of detective novels. A television series based on the character was produced for the Brit ...

and based on his novels about a detective in Amsterdam, Barry Foster played the titular character, Simon "Piet" van der Valk, in the original series. The updated version was created and written by Chris Murray, with Marc Warren reviving the van der Valk role. The first three series were produced between 1972 and 1977, with two more being commissioned in 1991 and 1992. The 2020 remake was again produced for ITV. The new series debuted in the United Kingdom on 26 April 2020, and the second series began airing in the UK on 7 August 2022. The third series has completed filming and is due for release in 2023.

Cast and characters

1972–1992

* Barry Foster as Commissaris Simon "Piet" van der Valk *

Michael Latimer Michael James Latimer (6 September 1941 – 25 June 2011) was a British television stage and film actor who later in his career turned to writing, directing and producing. Early life Latimer was born in Calcutta, where his father had a busines ...

as Inspecteur Johnny Kroon (Series 1–2) * Susan Travers as Arlette van der Valk (Series 1–2) * Joanna Dunham as Arlette van der Valk (Series 3) * Meg Davies as Arlette van der Valk (Series 4–5) *

Martin Wyldeck Martin Wyldeck (11 January 1914 – 29 April 1988) was an English actor who played a wide range of parts over many years on stage, screen and TV. He also appeared in the first episode of the TV series '' Fawlty Towers'', as Sir Richard Morri ...

as Hoofd-commissaris Samson (Series 1) * Nigel Stock as Hoofd-commissaris Samson (Series 3) * Ronald Hines as Hoofd-commissaris Samson (Series 4–5) * Sydney Tafler as Hoofd-commissaris Halsbeek (Series 2) * Richard Huw as Wim van der Valk (Series 4–5) * Dave Carter as Brigadier Stribos (Series 1–2) *

Natasha Pyne Natasha Pyne (born 9 July 1946) is an English actress who starred in ''The Taming of the Shrew'' (1967 film), ''The Breaking of Bumbo'' (1970) and ''Father, Dear Father'' (1973). Early life Pyne was born in Crawley, Sussex on 9 July 1946. She i ...

as Janet (Series 4–5) *

Alan Haines Alan Haines (6 June 1924 – 17 April 2011) was a British actor and playwright who spent four years in the Royal Navy during World War II — including at D-Day on his 20th birthday and appeared in many West End shows and touring production ...

as Brigadier Mertens (Series 1)

2020–present

* Marc Warren as Commissaris Piet van der Valk *

Maimie McCoy Mary McCoy, professionally known as Maimie McCoy is an English actress. She portrayed Milady de Winter in ''The Musketeers'' (2014–2016), and is the female lead in the ITV reboot series ''Van der Valk'' (2020–). Early life McCoy was born in ...

as Inspecteur Lucienne Hassell *

Luke Allen-Gale Luke Allen-Gale is a British actor who has had roles in the apocalyptic series ''Dominion'' and in the ITV television show '' Monroe''. Career Born in Dorset, he trained at the Drama Centre London and made his acting debut in 2008 on '' Walland ...

as Brigadier (Sergeant) Brad de Vries * Elliot Barnes-Worrell as Job Cloovers * Darrell D'Silva as Hendrik Davie, a police forensic pathologist *

Emma Fielding Emma Georgina Annalies Fielding (born 07 October 1964 in Catterick, North Riding of Yorkshire) is an English actress. Biography The daughter of a British Army officer, Colonel Johnny Fielding, and Sheila Fielding, she was raised Catholic and ...

as Hoofdcommissaris Julia Dahlman * Mike Libanon as Cliff Palache

Background and production

The original series were all produced by

Thames Television Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992. Thames Television broa ...

for the ITV network. The first and second series were recorded on

2" quadruplex videotape 2-inch quadruplex videotape (also called 2″ quad video tape or quadraplex) was the first practical and commercially successful analog recording video tape format. It was developed and released for the broadcast television industry in 1956 by A ...

at Thames'

Teddington Studios Teddington Studios was a large British television studio in Teddington, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, providing studio facilities for programmes airing on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky1 and others. The complex also prov ...

in London, with location scenes shot in Amsterdam on

16mm 16 mm film is a historically popular and economical gauge of film. 16 mm refers to the width of the film (about inch); other common film gauges include 8 and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, edu ...

film. The third series was generally made on location, entirely on 16mm film, by Thames's subsidiary Euston Films. The fourth series was recorded on

Panasonic formerly between 1935 and 2008 and the first incarnation of between 2008 and 2022, is a major Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka. It was founded by Kōnosuke Matsushita in 1918 as a lightbulb ...

MII videotape, with location shooting on 35mm film. Series five was similarly shot, but with the studio recording on D-3 videotape. The final two series were transmitted in stereo sound using the NICAM system. Network released all five series on Region 2 DVD on 22 October 2007.

Setting and characters

The television series was based on the characters and atmosphere, but not the plots, of the original novels. The stories mostly take place in and around

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

, where Commissaris van der Valk is a cynical yet intuitive detective. Drugs, sex and murder are among the gritty themes of the casework, presented in contrast to the picturesque locations and the upbeat theme music (see below). In the opening credits of the first series, Van der Valk is standing inside the tower of the Westerkerk. Van der Valk contrasts with his naïve assistant, Inspecteur Johnny Kroon, played by

(only in the first two series), and his superior, Hoofd-commissaris Samson, who deals with the political fallout of the cases. Samson was played by three actors over the course of the show:

for two episodes in 1972, Nigel Stock for 12 episodes in 1977, and Ronald Hines for the revival in 1991–92. Van der Valk's French wife Arlette was played by three actresses over the course of the show's twenty-year run: initially by Susan Travers, Joanna Dunham for the third series, and finally Meg Davies for the revival in 1991–92. Other actors in the series included

, who played Brig Mertens, and Richard Huw, who played Van der Valk's son Wim, also a police detective, in the revival.

Locations: 1972–1992

Series 1 and 2 are set at the

art nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

Politiebureau no. 14 at

Leidseplein Leidseplein (English: Leiden Square) is a square in central Amsterdam, Netherlands. It lies in the Weteringschans neighborhood ( Centrum borough), immediately northeast of the Singelgracht. It is located on the crossroads of the Weteringschans, ...

15, while series 3 to 5 show the Amsterdam police headquarters at Marnixstraat 260-264. *S01 E01 "One Herring's Not Enough": Schiller Hotel (

Rembrandtplein Rembrandtplein (English: Rembrandt Square) is a major square in central Amsterdam, Netherlands, named after Rembrandt van Rijn who owned a house nearby from 1639 to 1656. History The square has its origins in the defensive walls constructed in t ...

) *S01 E02 "Destroying Angel":

Stadsschouwburg The Stadsschouwburg (; Dutch: ''Municipal Theatre'') of Amsterdam is the name of a theatre building at the Leidseplein in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The building is in the neo-Renaissance style dating back to 1894, and is the former home of the N ...

, Apollo Hotel,

Aerdenhout Aerdenhout () is a village in the municipality of Bloemendaal, Netherlands. Located in the dunes between Haarlem and the beach town of Zandvoort, it ranks as the wealthiest town in the Netherlands. The name "Aerdenhout" means ''Andere hout'', Dutc ...

Zandvoort Zandvoort () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach. It is bordered by coastal dunes of Zuid-Kennemerland National Park and the Amsterdam ...

beach *S01 E06 "The Adventurer": Westerkerk, d’Vijff Vlieghen (

Spuistraat The Spuistraat in downtown Amsterdam connects the Hekelveld to the Spui. It runs roughly north to south, parallel to the Singel and the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal. At the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, the Spuistraat crosses the Raadhuisstraat and ...

294), Apollo Hotel *S02 E01 "A Death by the Sea": Bonebakker jeweller's ( Rokin 88-99) *S02 E02 "A Man of No Importance": Demka-spoorbrug over the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal,

Magere Brug The Magere Brug (English: Skinny Bridge) is a bridge over the river Amstel in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It connects the banks of the river at Kerkstraat, between the Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. The central section of the Magere Brug is a basc ...

, Waterlooplein market,

Mozes en Aäronkerk The Moses and Aaron Church ( nl, Mozes en Aäronkerk, ), in the Waterlooplein neighborhood of Amsterdam, is officially the Roman Catholic Church of St. Anthony of Padua ( nl, Sint-Anthoniuskerk). Originally a clandestine church, it was operated ...

, Centraal station, De Oude Prins, Amstelzijde 37 (now Loetje aan de Amstel) and ‘Antiek O.V. Kemeling’, Amstelzijde 33,

Ouderkerk Ouderkerk () is a former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Since 2015 it has been a part of the municipality of Krimpenerwaard. The former municipality covered an area of of which was water. It was forme ...

*S02 E03 "A Rose from Mr Reinhardt": Beatrixpark,

, De Wallen *S02 E04 "A Dangerous Point of View":

Albert Cuyp Market The Albert Cuyp Market is a street market in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on the Albert Cuypstraat between Ferdinand Bolstraat and Van Woustraat, in the De Pijp area of the Oud-Zuid district of the city. The street and market are named for Al ...

, Taanplaats ( Spaarndam) *S02 E05 "Season for Love": Schiphol, De Krijtberg church, shop at Singel 419 and café at Singel 415 *S03 E01 "Enemy": Car chase along Oostenburgergracht, :nl:Dageraadsbrug (nl), De Gooyer, Funenkade, Zeeburgerpad, Panamalaan, Nieuwe Entrepotdokschutsluis, :nl:Brug 352 (nl), Cruquiusweg loading ramp, Pakhuis Koning Willem I *S03 E05 "Man of Iron": Paradiso,

Entrepotdok The Entrepotdok (Warehouse Dock), formerly Nieuwe Rapenburgergracht, is a canal in Amsterdam, and a street and row of former warehouses with the same name along the northeast side of the canal. They were constructed between 1708 and 1829, used f ...

*S03 E03 "The Runt": Montelbaanstoren, Zuider IJdijk, Syphonsluis bij het :nl:Gemaal Zeeburg, Amsterdamse Brug, Kalkmarkt 5 *S03 E04 "Wolf": Lijnbaansgracht 11, Leidsestraat, :nl:Reynders (café),

, Vondelpark, Dam *S03 E06 "Everybody Does It": Victoria Hotel,

NDSM NDSM is a neighborhood in Amsterdam, Netherlands located on the former terrain of the Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij (NDSM) shipbuilding company. It is located in the Amsterdam-Noord borough along the IJ river and can be reached ...

National Monument A national monument is a monument constructed in order to commemorate something of importance to national heritage, such as a country's founding, independence, war, or the life and death of a historical figure. The term may also refer to a spe ...

(Dam Square) *S03 E07 "Face Value": Schiphol,

Okura Hotel Okura may refer to: * Okura Hotels, an international chain headquartered in Japan * Okura River in New Zealand * Okura, New Zealand, a village * Ōkura school of traditional Japanese comic theater * Okura, Yamagata, a village in Japan * the Ja ...

( Ferdinand Bolstraat), Prinz Snackbar-Restaurant (Ceintuurbaan 350) and chase across Ceintuurbaan-

Sarphatipark The Sarphatipark is a public urban park located in the ''stadsdeel'' Amsterdam Oud-Zuid in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The park is named after Samuel Sarphati. In 1942, the park was renamed "Bollandpark" after G.J.P.J. Bolland, because Samuel Sarph ...

junction *S03 E08 "Dead on Arrival":

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport (), called ''London Airport'' until 1966 and now known as London Heathrow , is a major international airport in London, England. It is the largest of the six international airports in the London airport system (the others be ...

Victoria Embankment Victoria Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment, a road and river-walk along the north bank of the River Thames in London. It runs from the Palace of Westminster to Blackfriars Bridge in the City of London, and acts as a major thoroughfar ...

, London *S03 E09 "The Professor": American Hotel, Oudemanhuispoort, Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum *S03 E11 "Gold Plated Delinquents": Kadijksplein *S03 E12 "Diane": Paulus Potterstraat, Reguliersbreestraat 44 (then Café Otten, now Burgerfabriek) *S04 E02 "Dangerous Games": Houthaven car ferry, Silodam, Oude Kerk, Multatuli statue (Torensluis), De Ruijterkade, Loods 6 (KNSM-Laan) *S04 E03 "A Sudden Silence": Kurhaus, Scheveningen, Sloterdijk station *S04 E04 "The Little Rascals": Prinsensluis, Silodam,

Spui A single-point urban interchange (SPUI, or ), also called a single-point interchange (SPI) or single-point diamond interchange (SPDI), is a type of highway interchange. The design was created in order to help move large volumes of traffic thro ...

, Oudemanhuispoort book market *S05 E01 "The Ties that Bind":

Hilton Hotel Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton. The original company was founded by Conrad Hilton. As ...

(Apollolaan) *S05 E02 "Proof of Life": Waterlooplein market, metro to Centraal, Muiderpoortstation *S05 E03 "Still Waters": landing stage on Snoekjesgracht, Kromboomsloot, Stopera *''The Four Oaks Mystery'': Ambassade Hotel (

Herengracht The Herengracht () is the second of four Amsterdam canals belonging to the canal belt and lies between the Singel and the Keizersgracht. The Gouden Bocht (Golden Bend) in particular is known for its large and beautiful canal houses. History ...

229), Nijlpaardenbrug (

)

Soundtrack

The signature theme, " Eye Level", was composed by

Jack Trombey Jan Stoeckart (3 November 1927 – 13 January 2017) was a Dutch composer, conductor, trombonist and former radio producer, who often worked under various pseudonyms such as Willy Faust, Peter Milray, Julius Steffaro and Jack Trombey. In the UK ...

(a pseudonym of Dutch composer Jan Stoeckart) and was performed by the

Simon Park Orchestra The Simon Park Orchestra is a group which is most notable for producing the instrumental "Eye Level", the theme tune for the television series ''Van der Valk'' composed by Jan Stoeckart which spent four weeks at the number one position in the ...

. It reached number one on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

in 1973. Also that year, Matt Monro charted with a vocal version titled "And You Smiled". In the final TV series, the theme was played at a slightly faster tempo than previously.

2020 remake

''Van der Valk'' returned to ITV as an updated new series in 2020, with Marc Warren playing the title role. Created and written by Chris Murray, continuity with the original series is not preserved in the remake, with revised and new characters, as well as new storylines, introduced. In the reboot, Piet is unmarried and his sidekick Lucienne Hassell is

lesbian A lesbian is a Homosexuality, homosexual woman.Zimmerman, p. 453. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate n ...

. A key riff from the original series' distinctive theme music ("Eye Level"), however, is echoed in the new theme music. The remake is produced by

Company Pictures Company Pictures is an independent British television production company which has produced drama programming for many broadcasters. It was set up in 1998 by Charles Pattinson and George Faber, colleagues at BBC Films. Their first film was ''Mo ...

, NL Film, ARD Degeto, and PBS, with All3Media as international distributor. In May 2020, Warren confirmed that the show would return for a second series, although production might be delayed due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. Nevertheless, with actors, crew, and logistics established, filming on season 2 began with safety measures in place on 3 June 2021. A third series was commissioned on 11 April 2022. Filming on Series 3 was completed in August 2022.

Locations: 2020–

Season 1 was filmed entirely in Amsterdam. Locations include the American Hotel, the

Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the ...

Achtergracht The Achtergracht () is a short canal in Amsterdam, located between Frederiksplein and the Amstel, parallel to the Prinsengracht. The Achtergracht is located in the eastern part of the Grachtengordel (canal belt). History The original Achtergra ...

, the Tommy Hilfiger HQ on Danzigerkade on the

Houthaven Houthaven is a neighbourhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands situated in the West borough. Literally meaning "lumber port", Houthaven is a port situated along the IJ in Amsterdam's western port. It is bordered by a dam in the IJ river to the north and ...

and REM Eiland. Season 2 was filmed in Amsterdam,

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...

, and

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital o ...

. Locations include Scheveningen Pier, the Muziekgebouw, A'DAM Tower, and Café Scheltema.

Release

Broadcast

2020 remake

The 2020 remake premiered in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 April 2020, with season 1 consisting of three 90-minute episodes. In the Netherlands, ''Van der Valk'' debut on

NPO 1 NPO 1 (''NPO een'', formerly Nederland 1 until 2014) is the first national television station in the Netherlands. It launched on 2 October 1951. It provides public broadcasting and currently exists next to sister channels NPO 2 and NPO 3. Severa ...

on 1 January 2020. In Germany, the series premiered on ARD. In the United States, it debut on PBS on 13 September 2020. In Australia, it premiered on ABC. In New Zealand, on Vibe on 25 May 2020. In Belgium, it debut on VRT. The second series debut in the UK on 7 August 2022. In the U.S., on 25 September 2022.

Home media

1972–1992

''Van der Valk'' Season 1 was released on DVD in Region 2 in 2002. The remaining seasons were not released until "The Complete Series"

box set A box set or (its original name) boxed set is a set of items (for example, a compilation of books, musical recordings, films or television programs) traditionally packaged in a box and offered for sale as a single unit. Music Artists and bands ...

on 22 October 2007. The box set was re-released by Network on 20 August 2018. In Region 4, Shock Entertainment released "The Complete Collection" box set on 18 September 2013, and was re-released by Via Vision Entertainment on 2 June 2021.

2020–present

Season 1 was released on DVD in Region 2 by Dazzler Media on 11 May 2020, and in Region 4 by ABC on 20 May 2020. It was released in Region 1 by PBS on 13 October 2020. Season 2 was released first in Region 4 on 13 April 2022, followed by Region 2 on 22 August 2022, and Region 1 on 11 October 2022.

Episodes (1972–1992)

Series 1 (1972)

Series 2 (1973)

Series 3 (1977)

Series 4 (1991)

Series 5 (1992)

Episodes (2020–)

Series 1 (2020)

Locations E02 "Only in Amsterdam": Het Veem (

), Laagte Kadijk, Scharrebiersluis,

Plantage Plantage is a neighbourhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands located in its Centrum borough. It is bordered by the Entrepotdok to the north, Plantage Muidergracht to the east and south and Nieuwe Herengracht to the west. In the centre of the neighbour ...

Parklaan, Nieuwe Teertuinen, ( Prinseneilandsgracht)

Series 2 (2022)

References

External links

* * * *{{epguides, VanDerValk_2020, Van der Valk 2020–present
''Van der Valk''
at

''Van der Valk''
at PBS
''Van der Valk''
at NL Film 1972 British television series debuts 1992 British television series endings 2020 British television series debuts 1970s British drama television series 1990s British drama television series 1970s British crime television series 1990s British crime television series 2020s British crime television series 2020s British mystery television series 2020s British LGBT-related drama television series British crime television series British detective television series British mystery television series Detective television series English-language television shows Fictional police detectives Lesbian-related television shows Television shows based on British novels Television shows set in the Netherlands Television series by Euston Films Television series by Fremantle (company) Television shows produced by Thames Television Television shows shot at Teddington Studios ITV television dramas

Cast and characters

1972–1992

2020–present

Background and production

Setting and characters

Locations: 1972–1992

Soundtrack

2020 remake

Locations: 2020–

Release

Broadcast

2020 remake

Home media

1972–1992

2020–present

Episodes (1972–1992)

Series 1 (1972)

Series 2 (1973)

Series 3 (1977)

Series 4 (1991)

Series 5 (1992)

Episodes (2020–)

Series 1 (2020)

Series 2 (2022)

References

Further reading

External links