'Van der Valk' Season 4 Does Exist, Debuts in September

Masterpiece's Van der Valk, ITV's remake of the 1970s era original starring Barry Foster, has never been a significant headliner series. The initial Dutch series was itself an oddity; it was one of the few non-BBC shows from the 1970s that hit big. (The theme song went to Number One on the radio charts and everything.) It only ran two seasons, but its overseas devotees got it brought back twice, both times with entirely new casts, save for Foster. The second time, in the 1990s, brand new American cable channel A&E picked it up, landing the show a cult following in the U.S. as well. 

The new version is basically Masterpiece's version of a cult hit, not a big title like Wolf Hall or Unforgotten, but one that has very devoted fans, who will be happy to know, despite absolutely zero news about filming, or any announcements from ITV, there is a Season 4, and it will debut precisely where it always does, in September. Like last season, the show will not air as a three-episode stand-alone but paired with two other mystery series, the Adrian Dunbar-starrer Ridley Season 2 and the highly anticipated return of Lesley Manville to the detective scene in Moonflower Murders.

While Masterpiece did not provide much information with the date announcement, the trailer does raise some fairly significant questions, including the glaring absence of one team member and the mysterious addition of a new one. Check it out:

The current logline gives no other details:

The team is back and ready to tackle more of Amsterdam's criminal underworld.

I know, so helpful! The trailer very much suggests that the team is not all back. Yes, there's Marc Warren as Piet Van der Valk and Maimie McCoy as his much hotter and more exciting second-in-command, Lucienne Hassell. Darrell D'Silva is still there as Hendrik Davie, drinking his way through more forensic pathology, as is Emma Fielding as boss Julia Dahlman. We also get several scenes with last season's newcomer Azan Ahmed as Sgt Brad de Vries's replacement, Sgt Eddie Suleman. 

But where is Cloovers' replacement, St Citra Li? Django Chan-Reeves is nowhere to be seen. Just as importantly, who is the newcomer (Tankers(?) I think it says when you zoom in?), and why is she so bitter about Van der Valk? Ex-teammate.... or ex-something else? Fans are going to have lots of questions when Season 4 arrives this fall...

Van der Valk Season 4 will debut on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET on most local PBS stations, the PBS app, and the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel, directly following the premieres of Ridley Season 2 at 8 p.m. ET and Moonflower Murders (aka Magpie Murders Season 2) at 9 p.m. ET. All six episodes (which are really three feature-length episodes divided into six installments) will arrive on PBS Passport for members on premiere day, so those who wish to watch the season as initially intended can. As always, check your local listings and streamers.