Marc Warren returns as Van der Valk for season 4 on ITV1

Marc Warren returns as Commissaris Piet van der Valk in season four of the ITV crime drama, which premiered on ITV1 on 2 August 2026. The broadcast ended a three-year gap since the previous season aired in the UK. The series is a loose remake of the original ITV drama that ran from 1972 to 1992. Created and written by Chris Murray, the reboot first aired in 2020 and is filmed on location in and around Amsterdam. Maimie McCoy also returns for the new season. Warren has described the season as “very moving” and promised “explosions” and “huge car chases”. UK viewers waited 22 months after the US broadcast to see the new episodes, a delay that has drawn attention to the show’s international distribution.

Marc Warren returns as Van der Valk for season 4 on ITV1

Marc Warren reprises the role of Commissaris Piet van der Valk in the fourth season of the ITV crime drama, which began airing in the UK on 2 August 2026. The new series premiered on ITV1 after a three-year gap since the previous season concluded.

Warren leads the cast as the Amsterdam-based detective, a role he has played since the reboot’s debut in 2020. The series, a loose remake of the original ITV programme that ran from 1972 to 1992, was created and written by Chris Murray. Season four brings Warren back alongside Maimie McCoy, who also stars in the new episodes.

The UK broadcast follows a delayed release. According to reports, the fourth season aired in the United States 22 months before its UK premiere. The new season was filmed entirely on location in the Netherlands, primarily in Amsterdam, according to the programme’s production details.

After a three-year hiatus and a delayed UK broadcast, the detective drama returns with new

After a three-year hiatus, Van der Valk season four finally premiered on ITV1 on 2 August 2026, with Marc Warren returning as Commissaris Piet van der Valk — a UK arrival that came 22 months after the same episodes aired in the United States, leaving British fans waiting nearly two years to see the new cases.

The season follows a three-year gap since the previous series aired in the UK, according to reports. Maimie McCoy also stars in season four, according to reports. Marc Warren and Maimie McCoy said the fourth series may be their favourite, according to reports. Marc Warren described season 4 as "very moving" and said it includes "explosions" and "huge car chases", according to reports. The season includes multiple shocking cases for the detective and a storyline involving a past romance, according to reports. The series was filmed entirely on location in and around Amsterdam, according to reports. Maimie McCoy said she had to be hauled out of cold water while filming season four during a Netherlands winter, according to reports.

Season 4 premieres on ITV1 after three-year absence

Marc Warren returned as Commissaris Piet van der Valk when season four of the ITV crime drama premiered on ITV1 on 2 August 2026. The broadcast ended a three-year gap since the previous season aired in the UK.

The fourth season follows the detective as he investigates multiple cases in Amsterdam. According to reports, the season was filmed entirely on location in and around the Dutch capital. Marc Warren has described the new episodes as “very moving” and said they include “explosions” and “huge car chases.” The storyline also involves a past romance, according to sources.

Maimie McCoy, who stars alongside Warren in season four, said she had to be hauled out of cold water while filming during a Netherlands winter. Both Warren and McCoy have said the fourth series may be their favourite, according to reports.

The rebooted series, created and written by Chris Murray, first premiered on ITV in 2020. It is a loose remake of the original Van der Valk series that ran on ITV from 1972 to 1992. The fourth season aired in the United States 22 months before its UK broadcast, meaning British viewers waited significantly longer than American audiences to see the new episodes.

The three-year gap between the UK broadcasts of season three and season four was the longest interval between seasons in the reboot’s history. Season four was produced by ITV and filmed entirely in the Netherlands, primarily in Amsterdam, according to reports. Returning cast members from previous seasons join Warren and McCoy for the new run of episodes.

How the 2020 reboot revived a classic ITV crime drama

The 2020 reboot of Van der Valk was created and written by Chris Murray, who constructed it as a loose remake of the original ITV series that ran from 1972 to 1992. Murray’s version updated the setting and tone while retaining the core premise: a cerebral, unorthodox Amsterdam police commissaris solving complex crimes.

The original Van der Valk, based on Nicolas Freeling’s novels, made a cult hero of the pipe-smoking detective. The 2020 incarnation discarded the pipe but kept the city as a central character. ITV had not attempted a straight continuation; instead, Murray designed a contemporary procedural that could stand apart from its predecessor while acknowledging the lineage.

When the reboot premiered on ITV in 2020, it introduced a new generation of viewers to Piet van der Valk. Marc Warren took the lead role, playing the commissaris as a sharp, slightly eccentric investigator who moves through Amsterdam’s canals and streets with an easy authority. The series was filmed on location in and around the Netherlands capital, a choice that gave the show a distinct visual identity compared to British crime dramas shot on studio lots or backlots.

The 2020 series was not a note-for-note reproduction of the original. Murray’s writing leaned into modern policing, digital forensics, and the multicultural reality of contemporary Amsterdam. The supporting cast was rebuilt around Warren, with Maimie McCoy joining as a key member of the team. The show’s success in the UK and abroad—it was sold to multiple territories, including the United States—convinced ITV to renew it for subsequent seasons.

By the time season four arrived in August 2026, the reboot had established itself as a fixture of ITV’s crime drama slate. The three-year gap between seasons three and four tested audience patience, but the series’ foundation—a proven format, a strong lead, and a distinctive location—remained intact.

Marc Warren and Maimie McCoy return for Amsterdam-filmed series

Marc Warren returns as Commissaris Piet van der Valk in the fourth season of the ITV crime drama. Maimie McCoy also reprises her role as a member of the detective team.

According to reports, the series was filmed entirely on location in the Netherlands, primarily in and around Amsterdam. McCoy told interviewers that during production for season four she had to be hauled out of cold water while filming in a Dutch winter.

Warren and McCoy have said that the fourth series may be their favourite of the run. Warren described the season as “very moving” while also noting it includes “explosions” and “huge car chases”.

The reboot, created and written by Chris Murray, first aired on ITV in 2020. It is a loose remake of the original Van der Valk series that ran on the same network from 1972 to 1992. Season four began airing in the UK on ITV1 on 2 August 2026, following a three-year gap after the previous season. Reports suggest the season had already aired in the United States 22 months before its UK broadcast.

The production marks the latest chapter in a franchise that has spanned more than five decades, with Warren taking over the role of the Amsterdam-based detective from earlier actors who played the character in the original series.

Why UK viewers waited 22 months after the US broadcast

UK viewers who tuned into season four of Van der Valk on 2 August 2026 were watching a story that had already been resolved elsewhere. The fourth series had aired in the United States 22 months earlier, according to reports. That gap—nearly two years between the American broadcast and the UK premiere—is unusual for a British-produced drama and generated considerable online discussion among fans.

The delay meant British audiences had to avoid spoilers for almost two years. Social media posts, review sites and international streaming platforms carried plot details long before ITV1 aired the first episode. The gap also meant that cast interviews and promotional material from the US release were circulating while the UK waited, creating an odd dynamic where the show’s stars were discussing a season domestic viewers had not yet seen.

The reason for the extended gap has not been confirmed. Industry speculation points to international licensing arrangements and ITV’s scheduling strategy, but no official explanation has been given. The 22-month lead time is notably longer than the typical few weeks or months that separate US and UK broadcasts for most British series.

For comparison, the previous season of Van der Valk aired in the UK more than three years before the fourth season’s UK premiere, meaning the total wait for British fans was even longer when combined with the production hiatus. The unusual broadcast pattern led to frustration among some viewers, with online forums carrying complaints about having to navigate a two-year spoiler minefield.

The US broadcast gave American audiences a significant head start, but it also meant that by the time the season reached ITV1, the storylines were no longer new to anyone who had followed international release schedules.

Warren promises 'explosions', 'huge car chases' and a 'very moving' season

Marc Warren has described the fourth season of Van der Valk as “very moving”, while also promising “explosions” and “huge car chases”. The actor, who returns as Commissaris Piet van der Valk, made the comments ahead of the season’s UK premiere on ITV1 on 2 August 2026.

According to Warren, the new episodes contain multiple shocking cases for the detective to unravel. One storyline involves a past romance, though details of the relationship and its connection to the investigation have not been disclosed. The actor’s remarks suggest a season that balances emotional weight with the series’ signature action set pieces.

Maimie McCoy, who also stars in season four, joined Warren in saying the fourth series may be their favourite. McCoy added that she had to be hauled out of cold water while filming during a Netherlands winter, underscoring the physical demands of the production.

The season was filmed entirely on location in and around Amsterdam, according to reports. The UK broadcast follows a three-year gap after the previous season, and a 22-month delay after the season aired in the United States.

The rebooted Van der Valk, created and written by Chris Murray, first premiered on ITV in 2020. It is a loose remake of the original series that ran from 1972 to 1992. Season four marks the longest wait between seasons for UK viewers, who had last seen Warren in the role in 2023.

Further plot details remain under wraps. The season includes multiple cases, but specific episode titles and storylines have not been confirmed. Warren’s comments offer the clearest picture yet: a season that mixes personal stakes, large-scale action, and the Amsterdam setting that has defined the revival.

Filming in a Dutch winter: the challenges behind the long wait

UK viewers waited three years between the third and fourth seasons of Van der Valk. The previous season aired more than three years before the fourth’s UK premiere on 2 August 2026. According to reports, the fourth season had already aired in the United States 22 months earlier, meaning British audiences saw the new episodes nearly two years after their American debut.

The long gap was partly dictated by production logistics. The series is filmed entirely in the Netherlands, primarily in and around Amsterdam. According to reports, season four was shot during a Dutch winter. Maimie McCoy, who stars alongside Marc Warren, said she had to be hauled out of cold water while filming in those conditions. The actor’s account, reported by several outlets, underscores the physical demands of location shooting in the Netherlands’ winter climate.

Marc Warren and Maimie McCoy told reporters that the fourth series may be their favourite. Warren described the season as “very moving” and said it includes “explosions” and “huge car chases”. According to reports, the season also features a storyline involving a past romance and multiple shocking cases for the detective. The three-year hiatus, while long for fans, allowed the production to mount what the cast has described as an ambitious season.

From 1972 to 2026: how Van der Valk evolved across decades

The original Van der Valk ran on ITV for two decades, from 1972 to 1992, with Barry Foster playing the pipe-smoking, thoughtful Commissaris. That series made Amsterdam a character in its own right—canals, narrow streets, and a particular Dutch reserve shaped every episode. When ITV revived the show in 2020, creator and writer Chris Murray faced the task of updating the formula without losing the atmosphere that had kept the original in viewers’ memories for nearly thirty years.

The reboot, starring Marc Warren as Piet van der Valk, kept Amsterdam as its home but shifted the detective’s style. Warren’s van der Valk is younger, more restless, and drives a vintage motorbike through modern traffic. The city itself changed too: the 2020 series films in contemporary Amsterdam, showing glass-walled offices, crowded bike lanes, and the multicultural reality of a 21st-century European capital. The canals remain, but the world around them is faster and more complicated.

For long-time ITV viewers, the connection is direct. The original series ended its run in 1992; the reboot began in 2020, a gap of 28 years that allowed the new show to stand on its own while acknowledging its predecessor. Early episodes included subtle nods—a jazz soundtrack, a reference to the old commissariat building—but the series was never a remake shot-for-shot. Murray wrote new cases, new characters, and a van der Valk who solves crimes with instinct and irritation rather than pipe smoke.

The 2020 series premiered on ITV and has since run four seasons. Season four, which began airing in the UK on 2 August 2026, continues that evolution. Amsterdam remains the backdrop, but the stories have grown darker and more personal. The reboot has survived the three-year gap between seasons and the 22-month delay between its US and UK broadcasts—proof that the franchise still holds an audience.

Van der Valk season 4 airs now on ITV1

Season four of Van der Valk is now airing on ITV1, with episodes released weekly. The series remains a flagship crime drama for the network, occupying the Sunday-night slot that ITV has long reserved for its detective franchises. Audience reaction so far has centred on the show’s return after a prolonged absence, with many viewers noting the shift in tone that Marc Warren and Maimie McCoy have described as the most emotionally resonant season yet.

Early reviews and social-media responses highlight the production’s ambition. The season was shot entirely on location in and around Amsterdam, according to reports, and includes set pieces that Warren told the press involve “explosions” and “huge car chases.” Both leads have said publicly that the fourth series may be their favourite, a remark that has generated curiosity among long-time followers of the reboot. McCoy also disclosed that filming in a Netherlands winter required her to be hauled out of cold water, underscoring the physical demands of the shoot.

The UK broadcast follows a staggered release pattern that saw the season premiere in the United States 22 months earlier, a delay that ITV has not explained publicly. That gap meant British audiences had already encountered spoilers online, though the network has not commented on whether the lag affected viewership figures.

For now, the focus is on the current run. ITV has not announced a fifth season, and the briefing contains no information about renewal or cancellation. The remaining episodes of season four will continue to air on ITV1, with the series available on ITVX after broadcast. The show’s position as a staple of ITV’s crime slate remains unchanged, sustained by the dual appeal of Warren’s performance and the Amsterdam setting that distinguishes it from other dramas in the network’s roster.

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