User Reviews

The Streets of Amsterdam are being terrorised by two youths, Henk and Paul, Van Der Valk is on the case, and is having to deal with an angry pastor, who wants a troublesome establishment shut down.

This was a decent episode, perhaps the weakest from this series so far, but still decent, definitely one designed to show the hooligan generation of the time.

I wish they'd given more of an explanation as to why the boys were doing what they did, was it just for the sheer hell of it? I had a sneaking suspicion that they were linked to that rather dour Pastor.

Jon Morrison and Philip Sayer are both very good as the reckless, callous youths, you get the impression that this pair are truly out to cause mayhem. Interesting to know that Henk, Jon Morrison plays Kenny in Vera, who'd have thought.

I quite liked Nigel Stock in this one two, I haven't been a fan so far, here though, he was good.

7/10.

Two young men are causing chaos in Amsterdam. A cigar shop is ransacked and the takings are stolen. The owner is a good friend of Van der Valk.

A local pastor is unhappy with a nearby local youth hostel and club which attracts troublemakers. Van der Valk is happy that there is one spot that troubled young people can go to. It also means that all the rottens apples can be found in one barrel.

However there is no stopping the troublemakers Henk (Jon Morrison) and Paul (Philip Sayer.) They soon acquire a gun and then they fall out with each other.

Made in 1977, it is one of these episodes that highlight the futile lawlessness of the youth of today. Apart from the fact that the actors playing them look too old (one of them was in his 30s). They also use phrases that would had been hip in the 1960s. Not when punk was emerging.

It is certainly not one of the good episodes even though there is a subplot where one of them is connected with the strict pastor.

Actor Jon Morrison who played the frizzy haired thug is now well known as a detective in Vera. Actor Philip Sayer sadly died in 1989 of cancer when he was just on the cusp of stardom. He became a heartthrob in the BBC series Bluebells and that lead to a starring role in the ITV series Floodtide.