Will There Be a 'Van der Valk' Season 5? Fans May Have To Wait A While

As our finale recap for Season 4 noted, Van der Valk left its ending wide open at the end of Season 4, dropping large circular hints about Piet and Katlie's history and promising more cases in store for Henrick, at least for the time being. Thus far, it has been safe to assume new seasons of Van der Valk will arrive as sure as the leaves turn and the nights get longer. But will that continue to be the case? The truth is, it might be a while before we can know fo sure.

During Van der Valk's first three seasons, news about filming was always available via the series' various social media outlets: first images from filming, an announcement when production wrapped, first images emerging in early summer as the series aired on ITV ahead of the fall debut on Masterpiece, etc. However, Season 4 spent the entire production cycle radio silent. It was unclear if marketing on the series had been dropped or if there was some sort of hiccup in production, as the production company behind Van der Valk, All3Media International, was bought out in 2023, but the deal closed in May 2024, and still nothing. ITV didn't make a peep about the series when summer came around. 

Instead, Masterpiece launched the first images and Season 4 trailer, leaving U.K. fans asking when Season 4 would show up for them. As of the Season 4 finale airing in the U.S., ITV still hasn't said when the new episodes will debut in the U.K. That may be part of why no renewal announcement has been made as yet.

Van der Valk isn't the only show that used to air first in the U.K. but recently switched to debuting on PBS before its home country. Grantchester Season 8 debuted in January 2024, six months after it streamed and aired in the U.S.; Season 9 (which concluded in August 2024 on PBS) isn't expected to premiere on ITV until early 2025. However, as fans know, Masterpiece makes a major announcement out of Grantchester renewals, filming commencing and wrapping, and cast additions, all of which are announced while the current season of Grantchester is still on the air on PBS.

All3Media didn't just deprive Masterpiece fans of those milestones to celebrate, but the production never announced the major casting changes between Seasons 3 and 4. Fans showed up for the Season 4 premiere and discovered series regulars had *poof* disappeared while new characters had dropped in out of the sky. The hilarious part is that fans like the new characters, and the changes work in the show's favor, chemistry-wise. So why not make an announcement next time?

Viewers may have to wait until July 2025 to know if Piet and Company will return to Masterpiece in September. But I think I speak for most fans when I say I hope the official renewal of Van der Valk Season 5 is announced sooner rather than later.

Van der Valk Seasons 1 through 4 are now available to stream in full on the PBS app, the PBS Masterpiece Prime Video Channel, and PBS Passport. Season 5 has not yet been confirmed.