Marc Warren has paid tribute to his Van der Valk co-stars as the ITV detective drama returned for a fourth season on Sunday, August 2.
The actor, who returned to his leading role, said the new series felt bigger and more ambitious than before. "It felt a lot more expensive, a bigger crew, and it's like everything we'd been learning over the three previous years culminated in this series," he said.
A show with a lot of heart
Praising the crew, he added: "We're much more of a family, there's a much tighter bond within us, and also one of the family gets a health problem, and that really unites us - it's got a lot of heart."
Warren continued: "It really touches me, there's something about it, and it's a show with a lot of heart, and as a group of actors, we were lucky to do it."
Coming back together
Van der Valk first debuted on ITV in 2020 as a reimagining of the classic 1970s series featuring Barry Foster, and is adapted from Nicolas Freeling's crime thriller novels. The current season also stars Maimie McCoy as Inspecteur Lucienne Hassell and Azan Ahmed as Sergeant Eddie Suleman.
Co-star Maimie McCoy said returning to the show was always a joy. "Coming back together is always lovely. It's a bit disparate, because Emma Fielding, who plays Dahlman, comes back for the odd day, and I feel like something changes when she arrives, because then everybody is there," she said.
"It's a lovely thing. It always surprises me how you can slot back in very quickly, even though I hadn't seen any of the main cast for over a year. Straight away, it felt like no time had gone on. I think that's a testament to what we've created."
Azan Ahmed echoed that sentiment. "Coming back to the Van der Valk family this season in particular was, very exciting because the family is under threat multiple times," he said.
"You see us get a lot closer and you see a lot more heart. To have that whilst also being a detective show was an incredible experience. It's such a privilege to be able to learn from these actors and these characters."
Season four opener
The opening episode of the new series, set against the backdrop of Amsterdam, kicked off with the murder of a whistleblower who had been under police protection ahead of a court appearance. Van der Valk and his team were tasked with ensuring a second witness reached the courtroom unharmed.
The investigation took a personal turn when Van der Valk learned that the protection officer responsible for the first victim was a former lover. "Fair to say there is no love lost between the two, especially when he suggests she might have been involved in the killing..." the synopsis teases.
Van der Valk continues on Sunday at 8pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
