Marc Warren says he is not ready for Van Der Valk to go, but ITV's ITV van Der Valk replacement is already on the schedule: No Time To Die will take the Sunday night slot on Sunday, August 23, at 8pm. The shift lands a week after Van Der Valk's third and final series four episode airs.
August 16 to August 23
The timing is blunt. Van Der Valk's third and final feature-length series four episode airs on Sunday, August 16, at 8pm on ITV, and No Time To Die follows seven days later in the same slot. For viewers who have been tracking the series after its return earlier this month, the schedule now points straight from one ending to a film that already carries its own finale weight.
Released in 2021, No Time To Die puts Daniel Craig on screen as James Bond for the fifth and final time. The film begins with James Bond enjoying his new tranquil life in Jamaica before an old CIA friend needs his help, and Christoph Waltz and Rami Malek also star. ITV is using a title with a built-in recognition factor to occupy a slot that would otherwise sit open after the series four run.
Marc Warren on series four
Marc Warren plays Commissaris Piet Van Der Valk, and he has made clear he would keep going if the decision were his. He told Radio Times, "It's always had good viewing figures, it's always been very well received... and I'd love to do more of it because it's a treat."
He added, "I can't imagine another job like this coming along." Then he sharpened it further: "So when it's gone, it's gone – and I'm not ready for it to go." That leaves the practical point in place for viewers: there has been no word on a fifth series, even as the lead actor is publicly arguing for one.
Van Der Valk future
The current shape of the schedule tells the story. Van Der Valk returned for season four after a three-year hiatus, and the third episode now closes out that run before No Time To Die takes over on August 23. For anyone following the series week to week, the immediate takeaway is simple: the Sunday-night slot is changing, but the show's future is still unresolved.
