New to the character, zero expectations, thought Warren created a great character, never lost interest, liked the finale, do not understand the negative reviews.
169 Reviews
Good solid procedural crime drama
lornagwater14 September 2020
Entertaining drama
film_member5 January 2020
I quite enjoyed this first episode. It's entertaining, well made and quite funny at times. As an Amsterdam citizen, I was a bit suprised by the english speaking police at first. But in the end it didn't put me off at all. Political plot was interesting as well.
Good acting and definitely a step up compared to recent dutch drama series on television.
Looking forward to coming episodes.
Dutch police
johngammon566 May 2020
For those here who are wondering why there are so many British actors in a show about Dutch police, could I point out: a) I'd be quite happy to watch a subtitled Van der Valk series made by Dutch TV, but there's no such thing; and b) Nicolas Freeling, who wrote the original books, was a Londoner. By the way, if you're in the UK and want to see the original series, at time of writing they're showing it on the mighty Talking Pictures TV channel.
Never saw the original series, so not comparing
Avidviewer-028474 May 2020
I watched all three episodes of this 2020 Van Der Valk and I enjoyed them. I like good police procedurals and it's a treat when I can watch one filmed in one of Europe's beautiful cities or the countryside.
Of the actors on Commissioner Van Der Valk's team, Elliot Barners-Worrell as Lt Cloovers and Luke Allen-Gale as Sgt de Vries were especially good. Warren and McCoy were good but not as strong as the above two actors.
It's a challenge to maintain viewers attention span over 90 minutes, especially so with a who-done-it and a number of characters with foreign names. Please be kinder to viewers - poor sound levels, strong regional British accents and other actors whose first language is not English, makes listening difficult. And lighting could have been better on interiors in dark old buildings and in long boats.
I'm not a big fan of flashbacks, but in this series it would have helped explain Van Der Valk's mercurial personality if we knew about his wife in Episode 1 not in Episode 3. Same with the Chief Commissioner.
I'd watch a series 2, it's good.
________________________________
I'm watching series 2 and enjoying it. The writing, the key to any successful series is very good. I also went back and re-watched series 1 and I scored it higher, the plots are very good.
Van Der Valk the commissioner, Hassell the inspector, de Vries the sergeant, Cloovers the lieutenant, Dahlman the chief commissioner and Davie the pathologist are very different personalities. There is some minor personal things but basically the characters are focused on solving the complicated crimes.
________________________________
Sadly Season 3 isn't that good, Brad de Vries (Luke Allen-Gale) and Job Cloovers (Elliot Bares-Worrell) have been replaced by two less experienced actors. Episode 2 is the best of the 3 episodes. And there is more of Emma Fielding (Julia Dahlman) and Darrell D'Silva (Henrik Davie). Luke Allen-Gale and Elliot Barnes-Worrell brought humor and acting skills their replacements ae stiff. In police dramas the top officers and pathologists come and go, New writers, this was probably farmed out by ITV, cliched episodes.. Chris Murray the creator is off writing his new series "Cannes Confidential". I dropped the rating, Season 1 & 2 were very good, Season 3 is poor.
Of the actors on Commissioner Van Der Valk's team, Elliot Barners-Worrell as Lt Cloovers and Luke Allen-Gale as Sgt de Vries were especially good. Warren and McCoy were good but not as strong as the above two actors.
It's a challenge to maintain viewers attention span over 90 minutes, especially so with a who-done-it and a number of characters with foreign names. Please be kinder to viewers - poor sound levels, strong regional British accents and other actors whose first language is not English, makes listening difficult. And lighting could have been better on interiors in dark old buildings and in long boats.
I'm not a big fan of flashbacks, but in this series it would have helped explain Van Der Valk's mercurial personality if we knew about his wife in Episode 1 not in Episode 3. Same with the Chief Commissioner.
I'd watch a series 2, it's good.
________________________________
I'm watching series 2 and enjoying it. The writing, the key to any successful series is very good. I also went back and re-watched series 1 and I scored it higher, the plots are very good.
Van Der Valk the commissioner, Hassell the inspector, de Vries the sergeant, Cloovers the lieutenant, Dahlman the chief commissioner and Davie the pathologist are very different personalities. There is some minor personal things but basically the characters are focused on solving the complicated crimes.
________________________________
Sadly Season 3 isn't that good, Brad de Vries (Luke Allen-Gale) and Job Cloovers (Elliot Bares-Worrell) have been replaced by two less experienced actors. Episode 2 is the best of the 3 episodes. And there is more of Emma Fielding (Julia Dahlman) and Darrell D'Silva (Henrik Davie). Luke Allen-Gale and Elliot Barnes-Worrell brought humor and acting skills their replacements ae stiff. In police dramas the top officers and pathologists come and go, New writers, this was probably farmed out by ITV, cliched episodes.. Chris Murray the creator is off writing his new series "Cannes Confidential". I dropped the rating, Season 1 & 2 were very good, Season 3 is poor.
A lot to desire left
Ismaninb1 January 2020
The biggest problem with episode 1.1, Love in Amsterdam, is that it doesn't do justice to politics in Amsterdam. Only two candidates are presented, while the local government body entirely consists of leftists and the city council sees no less than 12 political parties. The biggest party and the mayor belong to Green Left, while the second party, Democrats 1966, are comparable with the British Liberal Democrats. So no, De Klerk would not be the main rival of Paul Oosterhuis. Also especially the Amsterdam electorate is not very interested in the sex lives of its politicians. This all hardly makes the political aspect of the plot credible.
The final scene, with Van der Valk and Hassell sailing a tjalk on the IJ, quite a busy channel with several harbours, is simply ridiculous. Dutch police officers would have had such a chat in a local pub - like the one Van der Valk uses as his briefing room.
Granted, better than almost all Dutch productions, but that doesn't set the bar high. Like fionacluck already pointed out, there's quite a lot left to desire. At the other hand I was quite entertained, so six stars it will be.
Don't compare to older version.
dklecan14 January 2022
I don't think there would be any complaints if this series had any other title but van der valk. Never saw the original, but this detective series is just as good as anything out there now. Amsterdam makes for a great backdrop, plus the series has your typical grumpy, main protagonist, good chemistry with the beautiful sidekick, and the secondary characters include the genius, the ladies man, and the oddball coroner. Plus any show that has a dog in it has my vote. So how is this detective show any different from Midsomer Murders? So stop complaining. Plus, my god, the previous version was a billion years ago.
VAN DER VALK: SEASON 2
robbiscargill6 July 2023
I watched Season 1 quite a while ago, and I quite enjoyed it, but I found Season 2, which I only watched this week, to be a good deal less enjoyable.
I am not sure how the writers and producers of the show wanted the series to be classified, but I felt it was extremely lightweight, and to be taken with a very small pinch of salt.
It was entertaining enough, and I certainly wasn't bored, although Mark Warren really doesn't bring much to his portrayal of Van Der Valk, and the supporting cast were nothing special either. Whoever designed the outfits worn by Maimie McCoy needs sacking, and Maimie herself needs to decide on an accent to use and stick to it. It comes across as a combination of northern and southern, with a slight Dutch twang, and her clothes and accent provide a distraction.
In my opinion the stories in the three 90 minute episodes had quite a few holes, but as long as you suspend your belief, and don't expect very much from the series, it may be worth a few hours of your time.
I am not sure how the writers and producers of the show wanted the series to be classified, but I felt it was extremely lightweight, and to be taken with a very small pinch of salt.
It was entertaining enough, and I certainly wasn't bored, although Mark Warren really doesn't bring much to his portrayal of Van Der Valk, and the supporting cast were nothing special either. Whoever designed the outfits worn by Maimie McCoy needs sacking, and Maimie herself needs to decide on an accent to use and stick to it. It comes across as a combination of northern and southern, with a slight Dutch twang, and her clothes and accent provide a distraction.
In my opinion the stories in the three 90 minute episodes had quite a few holes, but as long as you suspend your belief, and don't expect very much from the series, it may be worth a few hours of your time.
A solid rebooted detective series
Tweekums11 May 2020
This ITV series is centred on Commissaris Piet Van der Valk, a cynical detective in the Amsterdam police. Each two hour episode features a separate murder inquiry in the sort of setting that is typical of the genre; those with an interest in mediaeval erotica and the art world... in other words people not like most viewers.
I vaguely recall seeing episodes of the original version of Van der Valk but not well enough to let memories of that spoil my enjoyment of this new series. I was concerned that having an English speaking cast playing Dutch characters may seem strange in an era when subtitled continental programmes are so common... thankfully I soon forgot all about that. The cases are interesting enough with plenty of suspects and motives and the central characters are pretty good. Marc Warren is solid as our eponymous protagonist and is ably supported by a good supporting cast. For the most part the stories are self-contained but there is character development through the series and one or two questions that remain unanswered at the end of the third episode... presumably the makers are hoping further series will be commissioned. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of the murder mystery genre; it might not be the best example but it is far from the worst.
I vaguely recall seeing episodes of the original version of Van der Valk but not well enough to let memories of that spoil my enjoyment of this new series. I was concerned that having an English speaking cast playing Dutch characters may seem strange in an era when subtitled continental programmes are so common... thankfully I soon forgot all about that. The cases are interesting enough with plenty of suspects and motives and the central characters are pretty good. Marc Warren is solid as our eponymous protagonist and is ably supported by a good supporting cast. For the most part the stories are self-contained but there is character development through the series and one or two questions that remain unanswered at the end of the third episode... presumably the makers are hoping further series will be commissioned. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of the murder mystery genre; it might not be the best example but it is far from the worst.
Pretty good.
Sleepin_Dragon27 April 2020
First thing to address, the theme tune, that's the biggest disappointment, it was the main thing everyone remembers, a pity they couldn't have used a take on it.
That's the only comparison I'll make to Barry Foster's version.
Good stories, gorgeous location work, Amsterdam looks amazing, and I'd say it's well acted. They made great use of the visuals, the Canal and architecture looked wonderful. Very well acted.
I would say I'm unsure about Marc Warren, I'm a huge fan of his, he's a brilliant actor, time will tell if he's right for the part. I thought he made a good start, his character could lighten up a little. Why on Earth do some have Dutch accents, and some have English ones, it's so irritating.
There is so much material out there, the works of Francis Durbridge for example, I wish commissioners would look at the work of someone like him.
I was expecting to dislike it, I thought it was good, 7/10.
That's the only comparison I'll make to Barry Foster's version.
Good stories, gorgeous location work, Amsterdam looks amazing, and I'd say it's well acted. They made great use of the visuals, the Canal and architecture looked wonderful. Very well acted.
I would say I'm unsure about Marc Warren, I'm a huge fan of his, he's a brilliant actor, time will tell if he's right for the part. I thought he made a good start, his character could lighten up a little. Why on Earth do some have Dutch accents, and some have English ones, it's so irritating.
There is so much material out there, the works of Francis Durbridge for example, I wish commissioners would look at the work of someone like him.
I was expecting to dislike it, I thought it was good, 7/10.
If you live in Amsterdam this is absolutely hilarious
fionakluck1 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
It is well produced and the story is set in Amsterdam. But as a local I can tell you this is not even close to the real Amsterdam. The location's are how Amsterdam looks but without crowds of people who are normally strolling down the street. The characters are unbelievable - the female student is ofcourse earning her money as a sex worker. The party's are unrealistic and people are smoking in bars. And the koffieshop employe is unrealistic and the fling with the detective is unprofessional. The most stupid thing is the place where the first body is found - when the detective said "this is no place for a student", wel actually it is there are studentsapartments just around the corner and it is a big party area. The whole series gives an stereotypical view of how brittish tourists see Amsterdam. It is a pity
A exciting police drama
tilokaudaman28 September 2020
I'm shocked how many people dislike this show. I found it entertaining and well acted with interesting storylines - not to mention beautiful Amsterdam as a backdrop. For me Marc Waerren was perfectly casted as the tough and complex Van der Volk. I'd like to see much more of him in in the future.
1972 version vs 2019 version
cazbet11 April 2020
As I haven't seen the 1972-1992 series, I can't compare the two, but I am a huge fan of Marc Warren and watch anything he is in. That said, I had difficulty keeping up with all the characters in the current series.
To user billcarr31, who didn't know who Barry Foster was, he played the Van Der Valk character in the 1972-1992 series, which is played by Marc Warren in the 2019 series.
Unlikeable
nakedwalker3 May 2020
An audience needs to connect with at least one of the main characters. There is neither respect nor cohesion between the investigating team and Van der Valk exudes nothing but arrogance. Plot lines aren't bad and location makes the show more interesting. Nothing like the original though.
it is not great but still worth watching.
ib011f9545i3 May 2020
I am old enough to have liked the original series.
I think it is pointless to compare both series.
I hope this series get recommissioned and if it does can I suggest it tries to be a bit more Dutch in its plots?
Apart from the backgrounds there is little in this that makes me think the location is adding much to the plots.
I have been to Amsterdam 4 or 5 times,it has been described as the most liberal place in the world.
Given the city's liberal culture I have to laugh at people on here complaining how PC the drama is.
I liked the Rowan Atkinson Maigret,it was very French.
Good
GB6515 May 2020
Update. I've lowered my rating because I think I'd prefer this with just VdV and maybe his boss and the doc. I find the other three detectives unbelievable characters and barely satisfactory actors. I do like the stories though.
Yes it's different to the iconic 70s show and yes there's a different vibe but I've enjoyed the episodes and I like Marc Warren's take on it. And today I decided to take a journey back in time and watch the original: my my, we do have rose-tinted spectacles. It's was drab and boring. It's why they needed a great theme tune.
Yes it's different to the iconic 70s show and yes there's a different vibe but I've enjoyed the episodes and I like Marc Warren's take on it. And today I decided to take a journey back in time and watch the original: my my, we do have rose-tinted spectacles. It's was drab and boring. It's why they needed a great theme tune.
Great and moody
cj_fenric-9569012 May 2020
I loved this show, was never into the original it couldn't hold my attention. this on the other hand did. great cast, well acted.
To address criticism in other reviews, if you listen carefully you will hear parts of the original theme tune in the opening music, as for the accents is that really an issue. i thinks its good that they actors are a mix of British and European. i look forward to a second series
An interesting series
parsifal-1717330 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Warren is 53 and looks 53 despite effotrs to make him look younger. Of all the young actors apparently auditioned by the producers, Warren being chosen is a curious choice. One wonders what the real reason was. The series is filmed in Amsterdam, and most of it looks less tacky than I remember it. But considering the many series filmed in the UK, it's a welcome change of pace. I haven't seen any of the earlier series; I don't recall them on US television so this series is interesting. The supporting cast is very good, especially the pathologist. There is supposed to be a second series.
Excellent pilot and excellent Amsterdam
tonys_aussie5 April 2020
People Are Recalling The Original With a Rose Tinted Memory
dgjones-6225818 June 2023
This show has taken the American formula for police procedurals and transplanted it into Europe.
Every actor looks like they came straight from a modelling agency and have no idea what drama school is.
The dialogue they have to speak doesn't help the actors either. It sounds like it was written by an intelligent teenager who has limited experience of how adults actually speak.
In its favour and unlike CSI and the like, it is two hours (with adverts in the UK) so the detective work is passable.
The production values are high with good direction and cinematography.
Comparing Van Der Valk to Morse or Lewis might be unfair, but it's okay for Sunday night viewing.
Every actor looks like they came straight from a modelling agency and have no idea what drama school is.
The dialogue they have to speak doesn't help the actors either. It sounds like it was written by an intelligent teenager who has limited experience of how adults actually speak.
In its favour and unlike CSI and the like, it is two hours (with adverts in the UK) so the detective work is passable.
The production values are high with good direction and cinematography.
Comparing Van Der Valk to Morse or Lewis might be unfair, but it's okay for Sunday night viewing.
Sophomoric, predictable and pretentious as all get out.
cygilnik14 September 2020
I was really looking forward to the introduction of a crime series set in Amsterdam. There is so much material to play on given the location. I was astonished at how cliched every character was. Also, why cast British actors in a series set in Amsterdam? The writing was laughable, and none of the characters were at all interesting. I am American, so I can watch this drivel any time on U.S. networks. Loved the travelogue, but that is all this series is.
Excellent time drama
stu-4984023 October 2022
I am mystified by the awful reviews of this show. Unlike many reviewers, I watched the original series. This version is very different, but every bit as good. The team of actors playing the crime fighters led by Marc Warren do a fine job, and their various characters are well developed. The scripts are sharp and keep the action moving well, and I thought the plots were intriguing and definitely a cut above the ordinary. The episodes are well-directed, with well staged action. The personal Ives of the characters provided useful background without intruding to much, and the City of Amsterdam is used effectively as a back drop.
I hope they do a third series.
I hope they do a third series.
Stylish
iannikkibanks25 April 2020
This is a well worn path. Bosch .Endevour Morse. Now Van der Volk. Brilliant but rude and difficult cops that are barely tolerated except they solve every murder. Not as good as the other 2 but more compact and veru visual. Worth the watch
Volslagen Onzin
sendaiadmacc18 April 2020
Man alive this is bad... When the show came up in my TV listings I was excited having been a fan of Barry Foster's VdV. Within twenty minutes of the start of Marc Warren's version, my head was swimming with the sheer wretchedness of it all. Awful, clunky dialogue that thinks it's fast paced and witty but falls flat every time, creakingly wooden supporting actors for whom even am-dram would appear to be a bridge too far (especially Luke Allen-Gale and Darrell D'Silva as the boringly inevitable laconic pathologist), and a dullard, wannabe hip plot that spends too much time stating it's social awareness credentials but precious little engaging the viewer on any level whatsoever. Unutterable nonsense.
Oh dear
jaccapstick26 April 2020
This would have been better had it not been called Van der Valk. This new series bares no resemblance to either Barry Foster's series or the Dutch series. The Dutch detective had a daughter who was also a police officer and a grandson. Good enough first episode, lovely Amsterdam and Marc Warren is always good but Van der Valk it is not.
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