Van der Valk (TV series)
| Television series | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Van der Valk |
| Country of production | Great Britain |
| original language | English |
| length | 50 minutes |
| Episodes | 32 in 5 seasons |
| genre | Thriller |
| First broadcast | September 13, 1972 |
| occupation | |
| |
Van der Valk is a British television crime series from 1972 to 1977 and again in 1991/1992 with Barry Foster in the role of Piet van der Valk. Since 2020 another film series has been broadcasted under the title Inspector Van der Valk , in which Marc Warren can be seen in the title role.
action
Commissioner Piet Van der Valk lives and works in Amsterdam. Here he has to solve various criminal cases. His wife Arlette and his assistant Kroon are reliable allies in all investigations.
background
Like the series Kommissar Van der Valk created from 2019, the series is freely based on the Van der Valk crime novels by Nicolas Freeling . However, the television series with Barry Foster in the title role of the Dutch commissioner does not follow the storylines of the novels, nor does it do justice to the character Van der Valks described in the books.
The series ran from 1976 on television in the GDR and from 1979 on ZDF , where it was more successful on GDR television.
The theme song of the series is also very well known: Eye Level , played by the Simon Park Orchestra , was even a number one hit in Great Britain in 1973 . It is said to be borrowed from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro .
Episode list
season 1
| No. ( total ) |
No. ( St. ) |
German title | Original title | First broadcast VK | German language first broadcast (D) | Director | script |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Late confession / The double murder | One Herring's Not Enough | 13 Sep 1972 | Aug. 5, 1976 GDR 1 |
Dennis Vance | Michael Chapman |
| 2 | 2 | Deadly meal / poison | Destroying Angels | Sep 20 1972 | Sep 2 1976 GDR 1 |
Graham Evans | Michael Chapman |
| 3 | 3 | Anonymous letters | Blue notes | 27 Sep 1972 | May 23, 1979 ZDF |
Marc Millerl | Geoffrey Gilbert |
| 4th | 4th | Walls of silence | Elected silence | Oct. 4, 1972 | 26 Aug 1976 GDR 1 |
Douglas Camfield | Geoffrey Gilbert |
| 5 | 5 | Thicker than water | Thicker than water | Oct 11, 1972 | May 9, 1976 ZDF |
David Wickes | Geoffrey Gilbert |
| 6th | 6th | The adventurer | The Adventurer | Oct 18, 1972 | July 18, 1976 ZDF |
Peter Duguid | Michael Chapman |
season 2
| No. ( total ) |
No. ( St. ) |
German title | Original title | First broadcast VK | German language first broadcast (D) | Director | script |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7th | 1 | Death in the sea / the last bath | A Death by the Sea | Aug 29, 1972 | 12 Aug 1976 GDR 1 |
Don Leaver | Philip Broadley |
| 8th | 2 | The dead man in the barge | A Man of No Importance | 5th Sep 1973 | March 21, 1979 ZDF |
Douglas Camfield | Arden Winch |
| 9 | 3 | The girl with experience / a rose from Mr. Reinhard | A rose for Mr. Reinhart | Sep 12 1973 | 19 Aug 1976 GDR 1 |
Mike Vardy | Peter Yeldham |
| 10 | 4th | Deadly observation | A Dangerous Point of View | 19 Sep 1973 | April 4, 1979 ZDF |
Jim Goddard | Jeremy Paul |
| 11 | 5 | Love in amsterdam | Season for Love | 26 Sep 1973 | June 20, 1979 ZDF |
Mike Vardy | Philip Broadley |
| 12 | 6th | - | Rich Man, Poor Man | Oct 3, 1973 | - | Douglas Camfield | David Butler |
| 13 | 7th | The trail leads to the quay | The Rainbow Ends Here | Oct 10, 1973 | Sep 9 1976 GDR 1 |
Graham Evans | Philip Broadley |
season 3
| No. ( total ) |
No. ( St. ) |
German title | Original title | First broadcast VK | German language first broadcast (D) | Director | script |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14th | 1 | The mysterious enemy | Enemy | 5th Sep 1977 | Jan. 2, 1980 ZDF |
Mike Vardy | Paul Wheeler |
| 15th | 2 | - | Accidental | Sep 12 1977 | - | Tom Clegg | Ted Childs |
| 16 | 3 | The treasure diggers | The Runt | 19 Sep 1977 | 3rd Sep 1980 GDR 1 |
Mike Vardy | Leslie Sands |
| 17th | 4th | Müller's golden lighters | wolf | 26 Sep 1977 | June 24, 1981 GDR 1 |
Mike Vardy | Philip Broadley |
| 18th | 5 | The youth club | Man of Iron | Oct 3, 1977 | October 10, 1979 ZDF |
William Brayne | Michael Chapman |
| 19th | 6th | The stolen coat | Everybody Does It | Oct 10, 1977 | April 16, 1980 GDR 1 |
Ben Bolt | Philip Broadley |
| 20th | 7th | Art shops | Face Value | Oct 17, 1977 | May 13, 1981 GDR 1 |
Mike Vardy | Robert Wales |
| 21st | 8th | Death in the air | Dead on Arrival | Oct 24, 1977 | Oct. 29, 1980 GDR 1 |
Ted Childs | Patrick O'Brian |
| 22nd | 9 | The professor | The professor | Oct 31, 1977 | December 19, 1979 ZDF |
Ted Childs | Roger Marshall |
| 23 | 10 | Female cunning | In Hazard | Nov 7, 1977 | May 21, 1980 GDR 1 |
William Brayne | Paul Wheeler |
| 24 | 11 | The young thieves | Gold Plated Delinquents | Nov 14, 1977 | November 7, 1979 ZDF |
Tom Clegg | Roger Marshall |
| 25th | 12 | Danger to Diane | Diane | Nov 21, 1977 | 29 Aug 1979 ZDF |
Mike Vardy | Philip Broadley |
Season 4
| No. ( total ) |
No. ( St. ) |
German title | Original title | First broadcast VK | German language first broadcast (D) | Director | script |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26th | 1 | - | Doctor Hoffmann's Children | Jan. 16, 1991 | - | Anthony Simmons | Jonathan Hales |
| 27 | 2 | - | Dangerous Games | Jan. 23, 1991 | - | Jim Goddard | Don Shaw |
| 28 | 3 | - | A Sudden Silence | Jan. 30, 1991 | - | Herbert Wise | Keith Dewhurst |
| 29 | 4th | - | The Little Rascals | Feb 6, 1991 | - | Alan Cooke | Peter Buckman |
Season 5
| No. ( total ) |
No. ( St. ) |
German title | Original title | First broadcast VK | German language first broadcast (D) | Director | script |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30th | 1 | - | The Ties That Bind | Feb 5, 1992 | - | Anthony Simmons | Kenneth Ware |
| 31 | 2 | - | Proof of Life | Feb 12, 1992 | - | Tom Clegg | Keith Dewhurst |
| 32 | 3 | - | Still Waters | Feb 19, 1992 | - | Herbert Wise | Stuart Hepburn |