Van der Valk


Van der Valk is a British television crime drama series about a detective in Amsterdam, based on the novels of Nicolas Freeling. The main character, Simon "Piet" Van der Valk, was played by Barry Foster from 1972 to 1992 and by Marc Warren in 2020.
The original five series were produced for the ITV network from 1972–1992. It was remade in April 2020 with a new series starring Marc Warren in the title role, again produced for ITV. Adaptations of the original stories have also been made for film and radio.

Original series (1972–1992)

Cast

The television series was based on the characters and atmosphere, but not the plots, of the original novels. The stories are mostly based in and around Amsterdam, where Commissaris van der Valk is a cynical yet intuitive detective. Drugs, sex and murder are among the gritty themes of the casework, contrasted against picturesque Amsterdam locations. In the opening credits of the first series van der Valk is standing on the tower of the Westerkerk.
Van der Valk also contrasts with his naïve assistant, Inspecteur Johnny Kroon, played by Michael Latimer, and his superior, Hoofd-commissaris Samson, who deals with the political fallout of the cases. 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 1991-92 revival. Other actors in the series included Alan Haines who played Brig Mertens, and Richard Huw who played Van Der Valk's son Wim, also a police detective, in the revival.

Theme music

The signature tune, Eye Level, composed by Jack Trombey and performed by the Simon Park Orchestra, reached number one in the UK singles charts 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.

Production details

The original series were all produced by Thames Television for ITV. The first and second series were recorded on 2" quadruplex videotape at Thames' Teddington Studios in London, with location scenes shot in Amsterdam on 16mm 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 MII videotape, with location shooting shot 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.
The Network imprint released all five series on Region 2 DVD on 22 October 2007.

Episodes

Series 1 (1972)

Series 2 (1973)

Series 3 (1977)

Series 4 (1991)

Series 5 (1992)

Four Oaks Mystery

Van der Valk also appears in the second and final parts of The Four Oaks Mystery, part of the 1992 ITV Telethon. In it, four fictional detectives - Sherlock Holmes, Van der Valk, Taggart and Inspector Wexford - take turns in solving the story of a buried hoard of Roman jewels. The four mini-episodes, each about ten minutes long, were broadcast at two episodes a night across the weekend of 18-19 July.

Locations

Series 1 to 3 are set at the art nouveau Politiebureau no. 14 at Leidseplein 15, while series 4 and 5 show the :nl:Elandsgracht 117|Amsterdam police headquarters at Marnixstraat 260-264.
A series of three 90-minute episodes, with Marc Warren in the title role, was released in 2020. It was broadcast in the United Kingdom on ITV, in Australia on ABC-TV, in the United States by PBS Masterpiece, in New Zealand on Vibe, in the Netherlands by KRO/NCRV on NPO 1. in Germany by ARD Degeto. The series was produced by Company Pictures with Masterpiece, ARD Degeto, NL Film, and All3Media. Locations include the American Hotel, the Rijksmuseum, Achtergracht, NDSM, the Tommy Hilfiger HQ on Danzigerkade on the Houthaven and REM Eiland.

Cast

Locations

E02 "Only in Amsterdam": Het Veem, Laagte Kadijk, :nl:Scharrebiersluis |Scharrebiersluis, Plantage Parklaan, Nieuwe Teertuinen,

Other adaptations

Film
Radio'