Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten
| Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Serial drama |
| Created by | Reg Watson |
| Based on | The Restless Years |
| Written by | Joscha Valentin |
| Country of origin |
 Germany
|
| Original language(s) |
German
|
| No. of episodes | 6200+ (as of 24 February 2017) |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Marie Hölker Guido Reinhardt Rainer Wemcken |
| Location(s) | Berlin; Potsdam, Germany |
| Running time | 25 minutes (without commercial break) |
| Production company(s) | UFA Serial Drama |
| Release | |
| Original network | RTL |
| Picture format |
1080i (16:9 HDTV) |
| Audio format |
Stereo Dolby Digital 5.1 |
| Original release | 11 May 1992 |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows |
Großstadtträume Hinter Gittern – Der Frauenknast Alles was zählt |
| External links | |
| Official website (German) | |
Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten (English: Good Times, Bad Times) is a long-running German television soap opera, first broadcast on RTL in 1992. The programme concerns the lives of a fictional neighborhood in Germany's capital city Berlin. Over the years the soap opera tends to have an overhaul of young people in their late teens and early twenties, targeting a young viewership.
Based on the Australian format The Restless Years, which first was successfully adapted in the Netherlands as Goede tijden, slechte tijden, the German version took the scripts of the first 230 episodes, even though heavily rewritten, from the original. After the first year, Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten started using original material.
The programme started off with low ratings and was panned by critics. However the network believed in the success of the show and by the autumn of 1993, a serial killer storyline helped to improve the ratings, making GZSZ a success. It not only won its time slot but became also one of the highest-rated programmes, normally ranking in the Top 10 ratings of the day. In 2002, the soap opera reached its peak with over seven million viewers turning in for the 2500th episode.
Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten has tackled with issues like homosexuality, incest, rape, drug addiction, various crimes, breast cancer, bulimia, underage drinking, adoption and mental illnesses.
Frank-Thomas Mende and Lisa Riecken were the last original cast members when leaving the show in 2010. Wolfgang Bahro, who joined the show in February 1993, has become the longest-serving actor on the show since. Other long-serving actors are Daniel Fehlow, who joined the show in 1996 but has since taken several breaks, and Felix von Jascheroff, who's part of the programme since 2001. Ulrike Frank is currently the longest-serving female cast member, being part of the soap opera in her current role since 2002.
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