Sky’s Vibe to Revive Van Der Valk

Next month Sky’s second-tier entertainment channel Vibe will premiere the latest ’70s crime show reboot, Van Der Valk.

The original Thames production was loosely based on the Nicolas Freeling novels and sporadically aired on ITV from 1972-77.

A ’90s sequel with the same star, Barry Foster, ran for two seasons.

The show’s theme tune was so popular that it was a #1 UK single in 1973.

According to Variety, “The new iteration will see Van der Valk re-imagined as an unapologetic and street-smart cop in Amsterdam who leads a dynamic team investigating mysterious crimes.”

It stars Marc Warren (Beecham House, Flack) as the titular hero and will air 8.30 Mondays from May 25 in three 90-minute instalments. Here’s the blurb:

Van Der Valk centres on the investigations of detective Piet Van der Valk in and around the city of Amsterdam as he investigates a series of high profile cases. This series Van der Valk and his team are immersed in the worlds of art, politics, addiction, mysticism and the fashion industry.

Van De Valk also stars Maimie McCoy (The Three Musketeers) as Lucienne Hassell, his gutsy and fiercely competent right-hand woman. Luke Allen-Gale (Dominion), Elliot Barnes-Worrell (Jericho), Darrell D’Silva (Strike Back) and Emma Fielding (Les Misérables) complete the team.

Germany’s ARD co-commissioned the series with All3Media International, France Télévisions and NPO Netherlands.

ITV has licensed it for the UK, where it’s expected to air later this year.

Vibe also is picking up the superb SoHo series, Kiri, starring Sarah Lancashire as a troubled social worker  (9.30 Fridays from May 8), and Island Medics, a series about the UK’s most remote hospital, in Shetland’s Gilbert Bain (6.30 Saturdays from May 10).