The Black Tulip

The city of Haarlem, Netherlands, has set a prize of ƒ100,000 to the person who can grow a black tulip, sparking competition between the country's best gardeners to win the money, honour and fame. Only the city's oldest citizens remember the Tulip Mania thirty years prior, and the citizens throw themselves into the competition. The young and bourgeois Cornelius van Baerle has almost succeeded but is suddenly thrown into the Loevestein prison. There he meets the prison guard's beautiful daughter Rosa, who will be his comfort and help, and eventually become his rescuer.

Directed by —, The Black Tulip leans on a strong ensemble — Simon Ward, Tessa Wyatt, John Cater — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The series landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about action & adventure titles of 1970.