It again stars the excellent Marc Warren (previously seen in Mad Dogs and Hustle, to name just two of his successes) as the mercurial Dutch detective Commissaris Simon “Piet” Van Der Valk, first played by the popular Barry Foster in the 1970s.
Filmed entirely in and surround the beautiful city of Amsterdam, the street-smart cop is again joined by his usual team of Inspector Lucienne Hassell (Maimie McCoy), Sergeant Eddie Suleman (Azan Ahmed), pathologist Hendrik Davie (Darrell D’Silva) and Chief Commissaris Julia Dahlman (Emma Fielding).
Marc said: “I love being in Europe and I love working in Europe. I just love the feel of Amsterdam and I’m very happy there. I’ve also been fortunate enough to work in Prague a few times. I still don’t speak any Dutch although I do speak a little bit of Czech. I tried to learn some Dutch but it’s very difficult. Although I have learned to say “sneller en beter”. It means “quicker and better”, which is something they say sometimes if they want another take.”
So, what is it like living and working in Amsterdam?
“Well, I never go out, so I am incredibly boring! My Amsterdam is always the same!”, he joked. “I walk the same routes; I eat in the same places. I just go to this little soup shop. I’m a real creature of habit. I’ve not used my bike this year because I like walking around. And what do I like most about it? I suppose the canals. I lived on the canal this season as well. I was based in the Jordaan, which is towards the west. As long as you know the canals you don’t get lost although you might have to walk a long way round.”
Can you give us a sneaky preview as to what will happen in this season’s three episodes?
“Episode one is about a crime family and one of those members of that crime family being a whistle-blower. It’s about a big explosion, about trying to protect somebody, witness protection. And it also sees Van Der Valk being reintroduced to an old flame,” said Marc. “I was there when they filmed the explosion and saw it with my own eyes. It was a lot bigger than I thought it was going to be, and they made sure that we were all quite a long way back. Episode two is interesting because it’s about a group of environmental campaigners but it also tied in with a missing person – a pop star who had been presumed dead. Episode three is an investigation that involves a medical breakthrough, which ties in with things that the team is going through. We’ve got a billionaire Elon Musk-type character in it. It’s quite flashy. We had some good sets in that one.”
Finally, have you managed to take in any of that famous Amsterdam culture?
“I hit the top of the mountain in episode one of season one when I was standing right in front of Rembrandt’s The Night Watch,” laughed Marc.” I realised that it was all downhill from that point! But I met up with a director from series two, Joram Lürsen, and he took me to the Concertgebouwplein to watch Mozart’s Requiem, which was with a full orchestra and 36-piece choir. That was pretty mind-blowing.”
FANS of the hospital drama CASUALTY (BBC1 and IPlayer) will be delighted to hear that the hit show will be returning on Saturday, 5 September with a blockbuster double-bill to mark its 40th anniversary.
A Beeb spokesperson said: “The gripping, anniversary event centres on a high-stakes, major incident that throws Holby into chaos. Lives hang in the balance and the ED team is pushed to its limits in a tense and emotionally charged story that brings together some of the show’s best beloved characters. As the fallout continues, a major rescue operation unfolds, forcing impossible life-or-death decisions and testing the courage, resilience and leadership of those at the heart of the hospital.”
Just what the doctor ordered! Ouch!
Well, that’s it for now – catch you next week for some more TV chatter – stay safe!
Author: Steve
Editor of Hartlepool Life and author of TV Life