'Van der Valk's Season 3 Preview Gives Fans a First Look at the New Cast

Van der Valk skipped a year between Seasons 1 and 2 due to pandemic-induced filming delays, airing in September  2020 and September 2022, respectively. However, Season 3 will have no such difficulties, with new episodes arriving right on time for September 2023. The series is even bumping its usual premiere up a tick, moving from a mid-September premiere to arriving the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. Perhaps the new cast members have put a spring in the series step, as Van der Valk's team sheds Cloovers and De Vries for a younger generation to challenge their superiors.

There may be new faces joining the series, but the formula will remain the same. Season 3's adventures, which already aired in June 2023 in the U.K., are titled "Freedom in Amsterdam," "Redemption in Amsterdam," and "Magic in Amsterdam," and each is technically a feature-length mystery story. However, even some of that is changing, as PBS will air the series in six installments, dividing the stories into two-part weekly 45-minute episodes. Also, for the first time, Van der Valk will have an episode penned by someone other than series creator Chris Murray, as Maria Ward (who co-wrote with Murray in Season 2) takes the sole credit for this season's middle adventure.

Check out the PBS first look at Van der Valk Season 3:

Here's Van der Valk's Season 3 synopsis:

For Piet Van der Valk, it’s a new day and a new dawn as he welcomes two new sergeants to the team, the hotshot but impulsive Eddie Suleman and the technical whiz Citra Li.

Marc Warren returns as the titular Van der Valk for the new season, with Maimie McCoy as his right-hand woman Inspecteur Lucienne Hassell, Darrell D'Silva as forensic pathologist Hendrik Davie, and Emma Fielding as big boss Hoofdcommissaris Julia Dahlman. Loes Haverkort also returns as Van der Valk's love interest, Lena Linderman, with Mike Libanon as pub owner Cliff Palache and Peter van Heeringen as pub regular Homeless Frank. Django Chan-Reeves will be introduced as Sergeant Citra Li, and Azan Ahmed as Sergeant Eddie Suleman.

A reminder to Van der Valk fans that the new schedule for fall sees the series move from its previous 9 p.m. ET start time to 10 p.m. ET, directly following Unforgotten Season 5 at 9 p.m. ET. The series premieres Sunday, September 3, 2023, and will run weekly for six installments through October 8. However, members can watch the series as three 90 minutes stories, as originally intended, on PBS Passport beginning on premiere day.