) ▁ ▁Sydney ▁T af ler ▁as ▁Ho of d - comm iss aris ▁H als be ek ▁( Series ▁ 2 ) ▁ ▁Richard ▁H uw ▁as ▁W im ▁Van ▁der ▁V alk ▁( Series ▁ 4 — 5 ) ▁ ▁Dave ▁Carter ▁as ▁Brig . ▁St rib os ▁( Series ▁ 1 — 2 ) ▁ ▁Nat asha ▁Py ne ▁as ▁Jan et ▁( Series ▁ 4 — 5 ) ▁ ▁Alan ▁H aines ▁as ▁Brig . ▁M ert ens ▁( Series ▁ 1 ) ▁ ▁Setting ▁and ▁characters ▁The ▁television ▁series ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁characters ▁and ▁atmosphere , ▁but ▁not ▁the ▁plots , ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁nov els . ▁The ▁stories ▁are ▁mostly ▁based ▁in ▁and ▁around ▁Amsterdam , ▁where ▁Comm iss aris ▁van ▁der ▁V alk ▁is ▁a ▁c yn ical ▁yet ▁intuit ive ▁detect ive . ▁Dru gs , ▁sex ▁and ▁murder ▁are ▁among ▁the ▁g rit ty ▁them es ▁of ▁the ▁case work , ▁contrast ed ▁against ▁pictures que ▁Amsterdam ▁locations . ▁In ▁the ▁opening ▁cred its ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁series ▁ ▁van ▁der ▁V alk ▁is ▁standing ▁on ▁the ▁tower ▁of ▁the ▁West er ker k . ▁ ▁Van ▁der ▁V alk ▁also ▁contrast s ▁with ▁his ▁na ï ve ▁assistant , ▁Ins pect eur ▁Johnny ▁K ro on , ▁played ▁by ▁Michael ▁Lat imer , ▁and ▁his ▁superior , ▁Ho of d - comm iss aris ▁Sam son , ▁who ▁de als ▁with ▁the ▁political ▁fall out ▁of ▁the ▁cases . ▁( Sam son