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 |
6050+ (as of 27 July 2016) [1] |
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.
GZSZ launched several successful careers in the music industry. The first being original cast member Andreas Elsholz. The most successful ones were Jeanette Biedermann and Yvonne Catterfeld, who both left the soap opera at the peak of their careers.
Production
The idea to establish a daily soap opera in Germany first came in late 1991. Production company Grundy UFA adapted the Australian format The Restless Years from Reg Watson. The programme was successfully launched in the Netherlands one year earlier. Production on the German adaption, officially now called Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten, started on 23 February 1992.[2] The first episode aired almost three months later, on 11 May 1992.
The programme was filmed in a studio in Berlin-Tempelhof for the first three years. In October 1995, production of the show moved to the Filmstudio Babelsberg. This required several set changes. In the beginning it wasn't certain where the show was set. However, in its second year it was established that Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten is set in Berlin. The city has since been used to identify with the format; using several skyline settings in an episode.
Rainer Wemcken and Guido Reinhardt have the primary responsibility over the production, with Marie Hölker controlling the day-to-day production and overseeing the writing of the programme. The writing is controlled by a team of writers who are known to shift between the other Grundy UFA soaps Alles was zählt, Verbotene Liebe and Unter uns. Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten uses a darker setting than the other three soap operas with sets appearing in modern, mostly dark, colors.
Cast
Current cast members
Actor | Role | Since |
---|---|---|
Wolfgang Bahro | Prof. Dr. Dr. Hans-Joachim "Jo" Gerner | 1993 |
Daniel Fehlow | Leon Moreno | 1996 |
Felix von Jascheroff | John Bachmann | 2001 |
Ulrike Frank | Katrin Flemming, née Gabriele "Gabi" Galuba | 2002 |
Anne Menden | Emily Badak, née Höfer | 2004 |
Jörn Schlönvoigt | Philip Höfer | 2004 |
Janina Uhse | Jasmin Flemming, accepted, adopted Nowak, née Melanie "Melli" Galuba | 2008 |
Thomas Drechsel | Max "Tuner" Krüger | 2009 |
Clemens Löhr | Alexander Cöster #2 | 2009 |
Eva Mona Rodekirchen | Maren Seefeld | 2010 |
Iris Mareike Steen | Liljane "Lilly" Seefeld | 2010 |
Mustafa Alin | Mesut Yıldız | 2011 |
Merlin Leonhardt | Till "Bommel" Kuhn | 2012 |
Elena García Gerlach | Elena Castillo | 2013 |
Linda Marlen Runge | Andrea "Anni" Brehme | 2013 |
Philipp Christopher | David Brenner | 2014 |
Lea Marlen Woitack | Sophie Lindh | 2014 |
Nadine Menz | Ayla Höfer, née Özgül #2 | 2014 |
Felix van Deventer | Jonas Seefeld | 2014 |
Eric Stehfest | Christian "Chris" Lehmann | 2014 |
Valentina Pahde | Sunny Richter | 2015 |
Joana Schümer | Rosa Lehmann | 2016 |
Thaddäus Meilinger | Felix Lehmann | 2016 |
Past cast members
Actor | Role | In | Out |
---|---|---|---|
Andrea Höhne | Claudia Löpelmann, née Wedemeier #1 | 1992 | 1992 |
Bernhard-Heinrich Herzog | Oswald Löpelmann #1 | 1992 | 1992 |
Dirk Borchardt | Bertram Köhler | 1992 | 1992 |
Viktoria Voigt | Denise Köhler | 1992 | 1992 |
Matthias Hinze | Peter Becker #1 | 1992 | 1992 |
Christiane Christiani | Gerda Becker | 1992 | 1992 |
Suzanne Ziellenbach | Lilo Gottschick | 1992 | 1993 |
Natascha Pfeiffer | Marina Geppert-Richter, née Geppert | 1992 | 1993 |
Thomas Gohlke | Karsten Richter | 1992 | 1993 |
Marie-Christine Herriger | Julia Backhoff | 1992 | 1993 |
Johannes Baasner | Dr. Frank Ulrich | 1992 | 1993 |
Fenja Rühl | Barbara Graf, née Wiebe #1 | 1993 | 1993 |
Stephan Meyer-Kohlhoff | Martin Wiebe #1 | 1993 | 1993 |
Mirjam Köfer | Diana Richter † | 1993 | 1993 |
Timmo Niesner | Tommy Walter † | 1993 | 1993 |
Andrea-Kathrin Loewig | Iris Gebauer-Gundlach, née Gebauer † | 1993 | 1994 |
Marcus Ulbricht | Tobias Gericke † | 1993 | 1994 |
Michael Trischan | Jürgen Borchert | 1993 | 1994 |
Neelesha Barthel | Manjou Neria | 1993 | 1994 |
Andreas Arnstedt | Lukas Haitz | 1994 | 1994 |
M.O. Rüdiger | Matthias Zimmermann | 1993 | 1995 |
Hannelore Minkus | Beatrice Zimmermann | 1993 | 1995 |
Matthias Matz | André Holm | 1992 | 1995 |
Dagmar Sitte | Rita Sahmel | 1994 | 1995 |
Sali Landricina | Peter Becker #2 | 1992 | 1995 |
Udo Thies | Dr. Michael Gundlach | 1993 | 1995 |
Andrea Höhne | Claudia Löpelmann, née Wedemeier #2 † | 1993 | 1995 |
Alexander Kiersch | Patrick Graf † | 1992 | 1996 |
Julia Gerke | Jennifer Gruber Jessica Gruber | 1994 1994 | 1996 1996 |
Victoria Sturm | Camilla "Milla" Engel | 1993 | 1996 |
Alexander Eisenfeld | Oliver Engel | 1994 | 1996 |
Jan Sosniok | Thomas "Tom" Lehmann | 1994 | 1996 |
Andreas Elsholz | Heiko Richter | 1992 | 1996 |
Saskia Valencia | Saskia Rother | 1993 | 1996 |
Mey Lan Chao | Harumi Shimiza | 1993 | 1996 |
Irene Neuner | Dr. Rebecca Scheele | 1994 | 1996 |
Denise Zich | Daniela Zöllner | 1995 | 1996 |
Alexandra Finder | Kim Scheele | 1995 | 1996 |
Sandra Keller | Tina Zimmermann, née Ulrich #1 | 1992 | 1996 |
Claudia Weiske | Elke Opitz-Graf, née Opitz | 1992 | 1997 |
Angela Neumann | Vera Richter | 1992 | 1997 |
Kea Könneker | Christiane "Chrissie" Lehmann † | 1996 | 1997 |
Norbert Hülm | Robert König † | 1995 | 1997 |
Julian Scheunemann | Karl-Heinz "Charlie" Fiereck † | 1993 | 1998 |
Daniel Enzweiler | Jörg Reuter | 1996 | 1998 |
Tina Bordihn | Sonja Wiebe #1 | 1997 | 1998 |
Anne Brendler | Vanessa Richter, adopted Moreno | 1996 | 1998 |
Inka Loewendorf | Astrid Seiter † | 1997 | 1999 |
Torsten Stoll | Frank Richter | 1997 | 1999 |
Mona Klare | Barbara Graf, née Wiebe #2 | 1996 | 1999 |
Alexander Schäfer | Alexander "Alex" Hinze | 1997 | 1999 |
Alexandra Neldel | Katja Wettstein | 1996 | 1999 |
Simone Hanselmann | Anna Meisner | 1998 | 1999 |
Oliver Petszokat | Ricky Marquart | 1998 | 1999 |
Raphael Schneider | Andreas "Andy" Lehmann † | 1995 | 2000 |
Laurent Daniels | Philip Krüger | 1997 | 2000 |
Nadine Dehmel | Nataly Jäger | 1996 | 2000 |
Maren Thurm | Barbara Graf, née Wiebe #3 | 1999 | 2000 |
Cathrin Vaessen | Franziska Bohlstädt | 1999 | 2000 |
Rainer Meifert | Dr. Jan Wittenberg | 1998 | 2000 |
Franziska Dilger | Inka Berent | 1999 | 2001 |
Jan Hartmann | Christopher "Chris" Bohlstädt † | 1999 | 2001 |
Stefanie Julia Möller | Charlotte Bohlstädt | 1999 | 2001 |
Patrick Harzig | Peter Becker #3 | 1999 | 2002 |
Tokessa Möller-Martinius | Sonja Wiebe #2 † | 1998 | 2002 |
Tim Sander | Kai Scholl † | 1999 | 2002 |
Anna Frenzel-Röhl | Sandra Ergün, née Lemke #1 | 1999 | 2002 |
Rhea Harder | Florentine Spirandelli "Flo Spira" di Montalban | 1996 | 2002 |
Norman Kalle | Martin Wiebe #2 | 2000 | 2002 |
Hendrik Borgmann | Moritz Demand | 2000 | 2002 |
Mia Aegerter | Xenia di Montalban | 2000 | 2003 |
Christin Baechler | Patrizia Bachmann, née Biedermann | 2001 | 2003 |
Peer Kusmagk | Ben Bachmann | 2002 | 2003 |
Roman Roth | Tim Böcking #1 | 2002 | 2004 |
Ralf Benson | Fabian Moreno | 1996 | 2004 |
Jeanette Biedermann | Marie Balzer | 1999 | 2004 |
İsmail Şahin | Deniz Ergün † | 2002 | 2005 |
Raphaël Vogt | Dr. Nico Anton Weimershaus | 1996 | 2005 |
Yvonne Catterfeld | Julia Blum | 2001 | 2005 |
Dominic Boeer | Jonas Vossberg | 2003 | 2005 |
Nina Bott | Cora Hinze | 1997 | 2005 |
Uta Kargel | Lena Bachmann | 2004 | 2006 |
Natalie Alison | Isabel Eggert † | 2003 | 2006 |
Katharina Ursinus | Cornelia "Nele" Wenzel | 2005 | 2006 |
Hanne Wolharn | Senta Lemke, née Biedermann † | 2000 | 2007 |
Klaus-Dieter Klebsch | Johannes "Hannes" Bachmann † | 2002 | 2007 |
Stefan König | Sebastian Winter | 2005 | 2007 |
Robert Lyons | Vincent Buhr | 2004 | 2007 |
Jasmin Weber | Franziska "Franzi" Reuter † | 2005 | 2008 |
Maike von Bremen | Sandra Ergün, née Lemke #2 | 2002 | 2008 |
Arne Stephan | Marc Hansen Victor Hansen † | 2006 2006 | 2008 2006 |
Josephine Schmidt | Paula Rapf | 2002 | 2009 |
Pete Dwojak | Henrik Beck | 2005 | 2009 |
Oliver Bender | Tim Böcking #2 | 2004 | 2009 |
Nik Breidenbach | Alexander Cöster #1 | 2007 | 2009 |
Hans Christiani | Agamemnon Rufus "A.R." Daniel | 1992 | 2009 |
Jessica Ginkel | Caroline "Caro" Neustädter | 2006 | 2009 |
Alexander Becht | Leonard "Lenny" Cöster | 2007 | 2010 |
Felix Isenbügel | Carsten Reimann | 2008 | 2010 |
Sarah Tkotsch | Lucy Cöster | 2007 | 2010 |
Frank-Thomas Mende | Clemens Richter | 1992 | 2010 |
Lisa Riecken | Elisabeth Meinhart-Richter, née Meinhart | 1992 | 2010 |
Kristin Meyer | Iris Cöster | 2007 | 2010 |
Susan Sideropoulos | Verena Koch † | 2001 | 2011 |
Lena Ehlers | Dascha Badak, née Petrova | 2010 | 2012 |
Samia Dauenhauer | Jacqueline "Jacky" Krüger | 2012 | 2012 |
Björn Harras | Patrick Gerner, accepted, né Graf † | 2009 | 2012 |
Senta-Sofia Delliponti | Tanja Seefeld | 2011 | 2013 |
Sıla Şahin | Ayla Höfer, née Özgül #1 | 2009 | 2014 |
Raúl Richter | Dominik Gundlach, adopted, né Felix Löpelmann † | 2007 | 2014 |
Jascha Rust | Zacharias "Zac" Klingenthal | 2011 | 2014 |
Isabell Horn | Pia Koch | 2009 | 2015 |
Franziska van der Heide | Mieke "Mieze" Lutze | 2013 | 2015 |
Ramona Dempsey | Nele Lehmann | 2013 | 2015 |
Tayfun Baydar | Tayfun Badak | 2008 | 2016 |
Vincent Krüger | Vincent "Vince" Köpke | 2011 | 2016 |
Rona Özkan | Selma Özgül | 2015 | 2016 |
Spin-off
In 2000, at the peak of the programmes success, RTL wanted to launch a spin-off, called Großstadtträume (English: City Dreams), of the highest-rated soap opera. Actress Sandra Keller who vacated her popular role as Tina Zimmermann four years earlier was set to return to star in the new format. However negotiations between the network and Keller fell through. The network decided to recast the popular role. Ulrike Frank, who just starred in the canceled Mallorca – Suche nach dem Paradies, was cast. The character of Tina shortly returned to Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten with Frank in the role.
Großstadtträume premiered on 8 May 2000. Next to Ulrike Frank as Tina, the show saw the return of Victoria Sturm as Milla Engel. Laurent Daniels, who played Philip Krüger, switched from GZSZ to its spin-off. The programme was about the launch of a lifestyle print magazine, called POOL. It targeted an older viewership well below the age of twenty.
The network ordered 26 episodes. However the show wasn't a success. After the premiere the ratings dropped dramatically and Großstadtträume was canceled after only seven aired episodes. The programme was never aired again since then.
Parody
In the German comedy series Freitag Nacht News, they had a sketch called Schlechte Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten (Bad Times, Bad Times or SZSZ) which was a parody of the soap opera. The sketch featured four men who lived together in an apartment, and suffered from severe depression. In every sketch, they kill each other but often kill themselves. Although three of the characters were unnamed, the fourth person was named Clive, whose face was never seen. He is always shown dead in every sketch, mostly hanging himself.
See also
References
- ↑ Episode List
- ↑ "Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten". UFA (in German). Retrieved 20 June 2013.
External links
- GZSZ official website (German)
- GZSZ-Wiki (German)