Van Der Valk viewers aren't impressed with drama remake's new theme tune

27 April 2020, 12:10 | Updated: 27 April 2020, 12:41

TV fans who watched the original Van Der Valk series will fondly remember its iconic theme tune 'Eye Level' by the Simon Park Orchestra.

However, viewers who were hoping to hear a burst of the classic tune in the new TV remake of the detective series were not pleased this weekend.

The new version launched off with an investigation into the murder of two political activists in Amsterdam. While the storyline was rather gripping, some fans were tempted to switch off after the first five minutes due the reworking of the '70s intro music.

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While there were still splatterings of the original tune, it wasn't quite up to scratch for many watching on.

Van Der Valk Intro

"The main thing with Van Der Valk *was* the theme tune. The new them is a little weak in comparison," one viewer wrote, while another added: "How can even consider #VanDerValk without THAT theme music? #fail."

"Sticking with it, but so far, so meh with the new #VanDerValk. And not just because of the lack of theme tune. There was the barest hint of the original in it," a third wrote.

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"What were they thinking about messing with the theme tune? Bad start," tweeted another viewer.

Listen to the new version below:

Dutch Detective

The Amsterdam-set drama stars Hustle's Marc Warren as the titular detective Simon ‘Piet’ Van Der Valk, in a three-part series.

The character was originally played in the first five series by actor Barry Foster, who died in 2002.

'Eye Level' was a huge hit in the UK in 1973, topping the charts and selling over a million copies.