‘Van der Valk’s “Freedom in Amsterdam” Begins a Wild Urban Adventure

Van der Valk is back on our screens with a new time, format, and cast changes. Season 3 aired initially as three feature-length episodes in the U.K., the same as Seasons 1 and 2, but due to the PBS schedule, it has been edited to run as six installments, three two-parters. (PBS Passport members can still view the series in its original format.) It’s Based on a series of novels by Nicholas Freeling. The series stars Marc Warren (Beecham House) in the titular role, penned by Chris Murray (Cannes Confidential), directed by Michiel van Jaarsveld (Stellenbosch), and filmed entirely on location in Amsterdam and surrounding areas.

Van der Valk: He’s either very good or very lucky.

Commissaris Piet Van der Valk’s brusque manner and perpetual frown hide a surprising, if rarely shown, empathy and sharp intelligence. He’s not an easy boss, but he acknowledges good work from his crew. However, he’s discomfited when his opponent in an impromptu outdoor chess game turns out to be his new Sergeant Eddie Suleman (Azan Ahmed). Even more embarrassingly, he believed Eddie’s claim that he would win in his next four moves and now isn’t sure whether that was true or a trick him into conceding the game.