Van der Valk

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.

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.

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.

New to the character, zero expectations, thought Warren created a great character, never lost interest, liked the finale, do not understand the negative reviews.

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.