TV’s top cop goes Dutch
We look back to the original Van Der Valk as the crime drama enjoys a modern makeover
THE jaunty theme tune that heralded the start of Van Der Valk alerted viewers to the fact that this was no ordinary crime drama. The action was set in Amsterdam and cynical and moody Dutch detective Commissaris Piet Van der Valk was played by the late British actor Barry Foster.
He once said of his trench coat-wearing character: “He’s a lovely guy to play. A thoughtful, unorthodox cop with a touch of the private eye.”
The Thames Television series began in 1972 and saw the maverick detective and his team called in to deal with everything from murder to kidnapping during the course of the hourlong episodes. Susan Travers, and later Joanna Dunham, appeared as the detective’s wife Arlette in the 70s series with Meg Davies taking over the role in the 90s.
The canals and bridges of Amsterdam set Van Der Valk apart from
VAN DER VALK creator Nicolas Freeling started writing his 1962 novel Love In Amsterdam while serving a three week jail sentence for stealing food from his restaurant job. the normal British crime drama and the series ran throughout the 1970s before being revived in 1991 with a series of two-hour episodes, which saw the detective as a grandfather.
Marc Warren is currently starring in ITV’s modern-day version.
The memorable theme tune, Eye Level, was played by the Simon Park Orchestra and was the first television theme song to reach number one in the UK, spending 24 weeks in the music charts.
Meg Davis and Barry Foster in the 1990 Van Der Valk revival
The instrumental was followed by singer Matt Monro’s vocal version of the record later in 1973 called And You Smiled. The ITV series was watched by millions and famous names who appeared in it over the years included Brian Cox, Bob Hoskins, Celia Imrie and future Yes, Minister stars Paul Eddington and Derek Fowlds, who appeared as characters called Wolf Gebhardt and Johan Kieft.
John Thaw’s daughter Melanie also appeared in a 1991 episode playing a woman called Wilhelmina and Barry Foster once joked: “The trouble it that people often mistake me for someone else.
“They think I’m John Thaw from Inspector Morse or else Jon Pertwee from Doctor Who or Keith Barron.
“In fact, I attribute a good deal of my success to being confused with these people.”