Van der Valk was a 1972 British television that was based on the characters and atmosphere (but not the plots) of the novels of Nicolas Freeling.

It starred Barry Foster in the title role as Commissaris "Piet" van der Valk - a cynical yet intuitive Dutch detective.

Plot line were mostly based in and around Amsterdam, with drugs, sex and murder the gritty themes of much of van der Valk’s casework.