''Van der Valk'' is a

British television Television broadcasts in the United Kingdom began in 1932, however, regular broadcasts would only begin four years later. Television began as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transm ...

crime drama series produced for the

ITV network ITV, legally known as Channel 3, is a British free-to-air public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television network. It is branded as ITV1 in most of the UK except for central and northern Scotland, where it is b ...

by Thames Television. It ran from 13 September 1972 to 19 February 1992, with the first three series produced between 1972 and 1977, and two more being commissioned in 1991 and 1992. The series was created by Nicolas Freeling, based on his novels about a detective in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

. It starred Barry Foster in the role of titular character Simon "Piet" van der Valk.

Cast and characters

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

Michael Latimer Michael James Latimer (6 September 1941 – 25 June 2011) was a British people, 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 fath ...

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 Morris. Se ...

as Hoofd-commissaris Samson (Series 1) * Nigel Stock as Hoofd-commissaris Samson (Series 3) *

Ronald Hines Ronald Charles Andrew Hines (20 June 1929 – 28 March 2017) was a British television actor. He had a lengthy career, but possibly his most prominent roles were as Henry Corner in three of the four series of '' Not in Front of the Children' ...

as Hoofd-commissaris Samson (Series 4–5) *

Sydney Tafler Sydney Tafler (31 July 1916 – 8 November 1979) was an English actor who after having started his career on stage, was best remembered for numerous appearances in films and television from the 1940s to the 1970s. Personal life Tafler was bor ...

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 ...

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)

Background and production

The show was 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 two series were produced in 1971 and 1972, followed by a third in 1977, with two more being commissioned in 1991 and 1992. The first and second series, of 6 and 7 one-hour episodes respectively, 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. The format uses magnetic tape and was developed and released for the broadcast t ...

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, Sky One 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 mm and 35 mm. It is generally used for non-theatrical (e.g., industrial, ...

film. The third series of 12 episodes, again of one hour in length, was generally made on location, entirely on 16mm film, by Thames's subsidiary

Euston Films Euston Films is a British film and television production company. It was originally a subsidiary of Thames Television, and operated from 1971 to 1994, producing various series for Thames, which were screened nationally on the ITV network. Euston ...

. The fourth series and fifth series, of four and three two-hour episodes, were produced by Elmgate Productions, and also entirely shot on 35mm film. They were also entirely shot on location in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and were transmitted in stereo sound using the

NICAM Near Instantaneous Companded Audio Multiplex (NICAM) is an early form of lossy compression for digital audio. It was originally developed in the early 1970s for point-to-point links within broadcasting networks.Croll, M.G., Osborne, D.W. and Spi ...

system.

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

, 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. In the opening credits of the first series, Van der Valk is standing inside the tower of the

Westerkerk The Westerkerk (; ) is a Calvinism, Reformed church within Protestant Church in the Netherlands, Dutch Protestant Calvinism in central Amsterdam, Netherlands. It lies in the most western part of the Grachtengordel (Amsterdam), Grachtengordel nei ...

. In the first two series Van der Valk contrasts with his naïve assistant, Inspecteur Johnny Kroon, played by

, and his superior, Hoofd-commissaris Samson, who deals with the political fallout of the cases. The fourth series and fifth series portrayed a more senior Van der Valk and introduced a son, Wim, also an Amsterdam detective. 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

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 included

, as Hoofd-commissaris Halsbeek, and

and Dave Carter, who played uniformed officers Mertens and Stribos. In the revival Richard Huw, played Van der Valk's son Wim, and

his secretary, Janet.

Locations

Series 1 and 2 are set at the

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

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 Marnixstraat is a main street in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, on the western border of the Jordaan in the Amsterdam-Centrum. The street is located between Haarlemmerplein and Leidseplein, parallel to Lijnbaansgracht. History Marnixstraat is a ma ...

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, Apollo Hotel, Aerdenhout,

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":

, d’Vijff Vlieghen ( Spuistraat 294), Apollo Hotel *S02 E01 "A Death by the Sea": Bonebakker jeweller's (

Rokin The Rokin is a canal and major street in the centre of Amsterdam. The street runs from Muntplein, Amsterdam, Muntplein square to Dam Square, Dam square. The Rokin canal used to run from Muntplein square to Dam Square, but in 1936, the part between ...

88-99) *S02 E02 "A Man of No Importance": Demka-spoorbrug over the Amsterdam-Rijnkanaal, Magere Brug,

Waterlooplein Waterlooplein (Waterloo Square) is a square in the centre of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The square near the Amstel river is named after the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Prominent buildings on the square are the Stopera city hall and opera bu ...

market, Mozes en Aäronkerk, Centraal station, De Oude Prins, Amstelzijde 37 (now Loetje aan de Amstel) and ‘Antiek O.V. Kemeling’, Amstelzijde 33, Ouderkerk *S02 E03 "A Rose from Mr Reinhardt": Beatrixpark,

, De Wallen *S02 E04 "A Dangerous Point of View": university courtyard, Albert Cuyp Market, Taanplaats (

Spaarndam Spaarndam () is a village in the province of North Holland, the Netherlands, on the Spaarne river and the IJ lake. The oldest part of the village, on the western side of the Spaarne, belongs to the municipality of Haarlem; the newer part on t ...

), Slokop windmill (Spaarndam) *S02 E05 "Season for Love":

Schiphol Amsterdam Airport Schiphol , known informally as Schiphol Airport (, ), is the main international airport of the Netherlands, and is one of the major hubs for the SkyTeam airline alliance. It is located southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipal ...

, De Krijtberg church, shop at

Singel The Singel () is one of the canals of Amsterdam. The Singel encircled Amsterdam in the Middle Ages, serving as a moat around the city until 1585, when Amsterdam expanded beyond the Singel. The canal runs from the IJ bay, near the Central St ...

419 and café at Singel 415 *S02 E06 "Rich Man, Poor Man": Sloterdijkerbrug, Galgenstraat & Prinseneiland 22 *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, Weteringschans 6, Entrepotdok *S03 E03 "The Runt":

Montelbaanstoren The Montelbaanstoren is a tower on the bank of the Oudeschans – a canal in Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It ha ...

, Zuider IJdijk, Syphonsluis bij het :nl:Gemaal Zeeburg, Amsterdamse Brug, Kalkmarkt 5 *S03 E04 "Wolf":

Lijnbaansgracht Lijnbaansgracht () is a partly filled-in canal in Amsterdam which bends beyond the boundary of the center, Amsterdam-Centrum. The canal runs parallel to the Singelgracht, between the Brouwersgracht and the Reguliersgracht. History The Lijnbaa ...

11, Leidsestraat, :nl:Reynders (café), Magere Brug,

Vondelpark The Vondelpark () is a public urban park of 47 hectares (120 acres) in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is part of the borough of Amsterdam-Zuid and situated west from the Leidseplein and the Museumplein. The park was opened in 1865 and originally na ...

Dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

*S03 E06 "Everybody Does It": Victoria Hotel, Werfmolern De Kat (

Zaanse Schans Zaanse Schans () is a neighbourhood of Zaandam, near Zaandijk, Netherlands. It is best known for its collection of historic windmills and wooden houses that were relocated here from the wider region north of Amsterdam for preservation. From 1961 t ...

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 sp ...

(Dam Square) *S03 E07 "Face Value": Schiphol, Okura Hotel ( Ferdinand Bolstraat), De Derde Bocht (Durgerdammerdijk), Prinz Snackbar-Restaurant (Ceintuurbaan 350) and chase across Ceintuurbaan- Sarphatipark junction, Prinsengracht 180 (H Keijzer koffie- en theehadnel), 172 (Dian) & 168 (De Eike Boom gallery) *S03 E08 "Dead on Arrival":

Heathrow Airport Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdo ...

Victoria Embankment Victoria Embankment is part of the Thames Embankment (the other section is the Chelsea Embankment), a road and river-walk along the north bank of the River Thames in London, England. Built in the 1860s, it runs from the Palace of Westminster to ...

, London *S03 E09 "The Professor": American Hotel, Sportshop Roelvink (Amsterdamseweg 506, Amstelveen), university quad, Oudemanhuispoort, Molen de Dikkert (Amsterdamseweg 104a, Amstelveen), Kortjewantsbrug and underpass,

Nederlands Scheepvaartmuseum The Maritime Museum (, ) is a maritime museum in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The museum had 419,060 visitors in 2012. It ranked as 11th most visited museum in the Netherlands in 2013. The museum had 300,000 visitors in 2015. In 2017 the mus ...

(Postgebouw in background) *S03 E10 "In Hazard": Houthaven,

*S03 E11 "Gold Plated Delinquents": Kadijksplein, Pontsteiger-Distelweg car ferry *S03 E12 "Diane": De Oude Smidse (Oudekerk), Rembrandt statue by Riekermolen, Paulus Potterstraat, Museumplein highway (in place 1953-1997), Reguliersbreestraat 44 (then Café Otten, now Burgerfabriek) *S04 E02 Dangerous Games: Houthaven car ferry, Silodam,

Durgerdam Durgerdam is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Amsterdam, and lies about 7 km east of the city centre, along the dyke of the IJmeer. Durgerdam is a part of the ''deelgemeente'' (sub-munici ...

Multatuli Eduard Douwes Dekker (2 March 182019 February 1887), better known by his pen name Multatuli (from Latin ''multa tulī'', "I have suffered much"), was a Dutch writer best known for his satirical novel ''Max Havelaar'' (1860), which denounced the a ...

statue (Torensluis), Artis, Groote Zeesluis (

Muiden Muiden () is a city and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It lies at the mouth of the Vecht (Utrecht), Vecht and is in an area called the Vechtstreek. Since 2016, Muiden has been part of the new municipality ...

), Muidersloot, Oude Kerk, De Ruijterkade, Loods 6 ( KNSM Island) *S04 E03 "A Sudden Silence": Kurhaus (Scheveningen),

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 S ...

Binnenhof The Binnenhof (; ) is a complex of buildings in the city centre of The Hague, Netherlands, next to the Hofvijver (Court Pond). It houses the meeting place of both houses of the States General of the Netherlands, as well as the Ministry of Gener ...

, Kamer van Koophandel, Sloterdijk station, Jaagpad/Punterspad (Nieuwe Meer), Hoogte Kadijk/Matrozenhof *S04 E04 "The Little Rascals":

Noorderkerk The Noorderkerk (Dutch language, Dutch for "northern church") is a 17th-century Protestant church in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The Noorderkerk is located along Prinsengracht canal, on Noordermarkt square. The church is used for Dutch Reformed Ch ...

, Prinsensluis, Silodam, Haarlemmer Houttuinen, Ketelmakerstraat cycle bridge – llogical route– Petermayersbrug, Zandhoek 9-1, Spui, Oudemanhuispoort book market, Radhuisstraat *S05 E01 "The Ties that Bind": roof of Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky (

Dam Square Dam Square or the Dam () is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital and most populated city of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the best-known and most important locations in the city and the country. ...

), Restaurant Luden ( Spuistraat 108), roof of Spuistraat 281,

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 Worldwide. The original company was founded by Conrad Hi ...

(Apollolaan),

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 Th ...

541 *S05 E02 "Proof of Life": Laagte Kadijk,

market, metro to Centraal, Muiderpoortstation, Oude Kerk *S05 E03 "Still Waters": landing stage on Snoekjesgracht, Kromboomsloot,

Stopera The Stopera is a building complex in Amsterdam, Netherlands, housing both the city hall of Amsterdam and the Dutch National Opera and Ballet (formerly Het Muziektheater), the principal opera house in Amsterdam that is home of Dutch National Ope ...

, under Oostertoegangsspoorbrug, Toetsenbordweg (Western Harbour) *'' The Four Oaks Mystery'': Ambassade Hotel (

229), Nijlpaardenbrug ( Entrepotdok)

Series overview

Episodes

Series 1 (1972)

Series 2 (1973)

Series 3 (1977)

Series 4 (1991)

Series 5 (1992)

Other media

Soundtrack

The signature theme, "

Eye Level "Eye Level" is a 1972 single by the Simon Park Orchestra. It was produced originally for the De Wolfe Music Library and selected by Thames Television to be the theme tune for their Netherlands-based detective series ''Van der Valk (1972 TV series) ...

", 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. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart in 1973. Also that year,

Matt Monro Matt Monro (born Terence Edward Parsons; 1 December 1930 – 7 February 1985) was an English singer. Known as "The Man with the Golden Voice", he performed internationally during his 30-year career and sold a reported 23 million records. AllMus ...

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.

Home media

''Van der Valk'' Season 1 was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for digital video disc or digital versatile disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any ki ...

in Region 2 in 2002.Part 3 & Part 4 on dvd Have been mislabeled by Clear Vision as Series 1 but are actually Series 2. The remaining seasons 3-5 were not released until "The Complete Series"

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

by Network on 22 October 2007. Network re-released the box set 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.

References

External links

* *{{epguides, VanDerValk, Van der Valk 1972–1992 1972 British television series debuts 1992 British television series endings 1970s British drama television series 1990s British drama television series 1970s British crime television series 1990s British crime television series 1970s British mystery television series 1990s British mystery television series British detective television series British English-language television shows Fictional Dutch detectives Television shows based on British novels Television shows set in Amsterdam 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