Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten (Good Times, Bad Times) is a German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 television

Television

Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...

 soap opera

Soap opera

A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...

.

In 1990, the first commercial channel in the Netherlands

Netherlands

The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

, RTL 4

RTL 4

RTL 4 is a commercial television station in the Netherlands. It is the most-watched commercial station in the country, popular especially with those aged between 20 and 49. The station has three sister tv channels: RTL 5, RTL 7 and RTL 8...

 had a spectacular ratings success with its soap Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden

Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden

Goede tijden, slechte tijden , also known as GTST, is the longest-running Dutch soap opera, which began on 1 October 1990 on RTL4. The programme was the first daily soap in the Netherlands. The soap is produced by Joop van den Ende and to date over 4,000 episodes have been broadcast...

, a remake of the Australian soap-opera The Restless Years

The Restless Years

The Restless Years is an Australian soap opera which followed the lives of several Sydney school-leavers and young adults. It was produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation for Network Ten. It debuted December 1977 and ran until late 1981. It was not renewed by the network due to declining ratings...

. Like in this Dutch version, the storyline was ported to fit German surroundings and to adapt to the decade that lay between the Australian show and the first episode. The first 230 episodes were taken from the Australian script, but heavily rewritten; since spring 1993 the scripts are original material written in Germany.

Today, the only thing it shares with the Dutch version is the fan-base's abbreviation of the show title to the first four letters of each word. In Germany, the show is referred to as GZSZ, while in the Netherlands GTST. Both titles have the same meaning.

Since its launch on 11 May 1992, Germany's first daily soap has regularly been a hit for the RTL network. For over 19 years now, the show has been number one in its timeslot at 7.40 pm with 4.5 million viewers in average. In 2002 the show reached its peak with over 7 million viewers. Set in Berlin, Germany's capital city, the show is about a group of young people who try to find their way in life. They have to solve problem connected with lovesickness, homosexuality, career choice, debts, disease, drugs or crime.

After Hans Christiani left the show at the end of July 2009, and Frank-Thomas Mende will leave the show in March 2010, Lisa Riecken remains the only actress still on the show who played her part from the beginning on, while Wolfgang Bahro

Wolfgang Bahro

Wolfang Bahro is a German actor.He is best known for playing lawyer Jo Gerner in the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten. He has been portraying this role since 3 February 1993.- Television filmography :...

 debuted in February 1993. Further senior cast includes Daniel Fehlow who is on the show since May 1996, Felix von Jascheroff since July 2001, and Ulrike Frank who plays her current role since December 2002, after having played a smaller role in 2000.

Former stars of the soap include Jeanette Biedermann

Jeanette Biedermann

Jeanette Biedermann , also known by her stage name Jeanette, is a German recording artist, actress and television personality. Born and raised in Berlin, Biedermann began performing as a member of a troupe of acrobats in a children's circus at the age of six...

 and Yvonne Catterfeld

Yvonne Catterfeld

Yvonne Catterfeld is a German singer, actress and TV host.-Biography:Catterfeld was born in Erfurt, Thuringia, then in East Germany, in 1979. At the age of 15 she started playing the piano and the flute, simultaneously taking first dance and vocal lessons...

 who have both launched a career in the music business.

Current cast members

Actor	Role	Duration	Job	Connections	Notable
Frank-Thomas Mende	Clemens Richter Clemens Richter Clemens Richter played by Frank Thomas Mende. He plays with a sequence since at GZSZ.-Family:Clemens' father died. Judge Clemens was married to Vera Richter , but was later divorced...	1992–	German teacher in Canada	Father of Heiko and Tim, husband of Elisabeth, ex-husband of Vera, grandfather of Felix, brother of Karsten and Wilfried, uncle of Diana and Frank Richter, ex-fiance of Carola; one-night-stand with Senta	Spoke the first sentence in the soap
Lisa Riecken	Elisabeth Meinhart	1992–	German teacher in Canada	Clemens' wife, mother of Peter, grandmother of Betty, ex-wife of Daniel and Vincent, ex-girlfriend of Hartmut and Volker
Wolfgang Bahro Wolfgang Bahro Wolfang Bahro is a German actor.He is best known for playing lawyer Jo Gerner in the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten. He has been portraying this role since 3 February 1993.- Television filmography :...	Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim "Jo" Gerner Jo Gerner Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim "Jo" Gerner is a fictional character on the longest-running German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten. The character is portrayed by actor Wolfgang Bahro since its introduction in February 1993...	1993–	Lawyer and co-owner of "Metropolitan Trends	Son of Richard, half-brother of Patrick sr., father of Dominik, Vanessa and Johanna, uncle of Patrick jr., Katrin's husband, former husband of Patricia and Nataly, ex-fiance of Isabell; ex-boyfriend of Rebecca, Barbara and Sonja, affairs with Iris and Senta, one-night stands with Franziska and Anna	Crossover appearance on "Alles was zählt Alles was zählt Alles was zählt is a German television soap opera first broadcast on RTL on September 4, 2006. The original plot revolved around Diana Sommer's dream to become a world class ice skater. She fell in love with Julian Herzog, who signed her at the prestigious Steinkamp Sport and Wellness Center, run... " in episode 924
Daniel Fehlow Daniel Fehlow Daniel Fehlow is a German actor and dubbing.He is best known for playing Leon Moreno in the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten...	Leon Moreno	1996–1998, 1999, 2001–2004, 2005–2007, 2008–2010, 2010–	Owner and cook in the club Mauerwerk	Husband of Verena, brother of Fabian, adoptive brother of Vanessa, ex-husband of Cora, ex-friend of Katrin, Katja and Kim, ex-affair of Flo, Anna, Pedita, Sandra and Daniela, one-night stand with Flo	Breaks: July 1998–January 1999 April 1999–April 2001 August 2004–February 2005 May 2007–September 2007 March–June 2010
Felix von Jascheroff	John Bachmann	2001–	Owner and barkeeper in the club Mauerwerk	Ex-husband of Paula, boyfriend of Pia, son of Patricia and Hannes, brother of Lena and Ben, half-brother of Philip and Emily, cousin of Sandra, nephew of Senta, father of Benjamin, ex-boyfriend of Julia and Caroline, one-night stand with Kathleen
Ulrike Frank Ulrike Frank Ulrike Frank is a German actress.-Filmography:- External links :*...	Katrin Flemming-Gerner, former Flemming, née Gabriele "Gabi" Galuba	2002–2003, 2004–	Owner of Metropolitan Trends	Mother of Johanna and Jasmin, sister of Anna, daughter of Irene, wife of Jo, ex-wife of Marc, ex-girlfriend of Leon, affair with Alexander	Breaks: April 2003-April 2004 July 2010–September 2010 Embodied as early as 2000 as the second actress Tina Zimmermann, but only as supporting actress
Anne Menden	Emily Höfer	2004–	Worker in Mauerwerk, cashier in Spätkauf and trainee at Metropolitan Trends	Daughter of Hannes, half-sister of John, Lena and Ben, twin sister of Philip, ex-girlfriend of Lenny, one-night stand with Tim
Jörn Schlönvoigt Jörn Schlönvoigt Jörn Schlönvoigt is a German actor, singer and designer.Schlönvoigt was born in Berlin. When only eleven years old, Schlönvoigt began to write his own lyrics, before he later bought himself a guitar and founded with sixteen, together with his half brother, his own punk rock band, Cherry Poppers...	Philip Höfer Philip Höfer Philip Höfer is a fictional character on the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten portrayed by actor and singer Jörn Schlönvoigt since December 1, 2004.-Introduction:...	2004–	Worker in the Jeremias Hospital	Son of Hannes, half brother of John, Lena and Ben, twin brother of Emily, husband of Dascha, ex-boyfriend of Franzi and Lucy	In reality, boyfriend of Sıla Şahin Sıla Şahin Sıla Şahin is a Turkish-German actress, best known for her portrayal of Ayla Özgül in the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten.- German Playboy :...  (Ayla) and ex-boyfriend of Sarah Tkotsch (Lucy)
Raúl Richter Raúl Richter Raúl Amadeus Mark Richter is a German television and voice actor well known for his portrayal of Nik Gundlach in the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten....	Dominik "Nik" Gundlach, née Felix Löpelmann	2007–	Carpenter	Son of Jo and Claudia, half-brother of Vanessa and Johanna; ex-fiance of Jasmin, one-night-stands with Lucy and Pia
Janina Uhse	Jasmin Flemming, accepted, adopted Nowak, née Melanie Galuba	2008–	Designer and seamstress in her boutique "prinzesskleid"	Daughter of Katrin, half-sister of Johanna, niece of Anna, granddaughter of Irene, ex-fiancee of Dominik
Tayfun Baydar	Tayfun Badak	2008–	Owner of Spätkauf	Son of Cem, second cousin of Ayla and Kemal, affairs with Verena and Pia, one-night-stand with Dascha
Isabell Horn	Pia Koch	2009–	DJane	Half-sister of Verena; girlfriend of John, ex-affair of Tayfun, one-night stand with Dominik
Thomas Drechsel Thomas Drechsel Thomas Drechsel is a German actor.Drechsel is best known for his portrayal of Max "Tuner" Krüger in the German soap Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten.- Television :* 2008: Anna und die Liebe* 2009: Polizeiruf 110...	Max „Tuner“ Krüger	2009–	Waiter in the Mauerwerk		Supporting role from April 2009 to May 2010
Clemens Löhr	Alexander Cöster #2	2009–	Editor and photographer at Metropolitan Trends	Father of Lenny and Lucy, half-brother of Daniel, ex-husband and current boyfriend of Iris; ex-boyfriend of Anna, ex-affair by Katrin	Second cast of the role, in 2004 he already played a quiz show host
Sıla Şahin Sıla Şahin Sıla Şahin is a Turkish-German actress, best known for her portrayal of Ayla Özgül in the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten.- German Playboy :...	Ayla Özgül	2009–	Physiotherapist in the Jeremias Hospital	Sister of Kemal, second cousin of Tayfun	In reality, girlfriend of Jörn Schlönvoigt Jörn Schlönvoigt Jörn Schlönvoigt is a German actor, singer and designer.Schlönvoigt was born in Berlin. When only eleven years old, Schlönvoigt began to write his own lyrics, before he later bought himself a guitar and founded with sixteen, together with his half brother, his own punk rock band, Cherry Poppers...  (Philip)
Björn Harras	Patrick Graf jr. #2	2009–	Assistant of Jo and law student	Son of Patrick Graf & Elke Opitz-Graf, nephew of Jo Gerner, cousin of Dominik, Vanessa and Johanna	Embodied April 2009 to August 2009 the supporting role of Nils "Driver" Barkhoff
Lena Ehlers	Dascha Badak, née Petrova	2010–	Seamstress by prinzesskleid	wife of Tayfun, ex-wife of Philip	Embodied in 1992 as the first actress, Karin Becker
Eva Mona Rodekirchen	Maren Seefeld	2010–		Mother of Lilly and Tanja
Iris Mareike Steen	Liljane "Lilly" Seefeld	2010–	Student	Daughter of Maren, sister of Tanja
Senta-Sofia Delliponti	Tanja Seefeld	2011–	Student	Daughter of Maren, sister of Lilly
Vincent Krüger	Vince Köpke	2011–		Son of Leon, nephew of Fabian, half-brother of Oskar
Jascha Rust	Zacharias "Zac" Klingenthal	2011–	Student from USA

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 Matthias Hinze Matthias Hinze was a German actor and voice actor.- Filmography :* 1984: Eine Klasse für sich* 1985: Teufels Großmutter as Friedrich* 1988: Nordlichter* 1988: War and Remembrance...	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 Timmo Niesner Timmo Niesner is a German actor and voice actor.-Biography:Timmo Niesner had his breakthrough as a 12-year-old when he appeared on television....	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 Jan Sosniok Jan Sosniok is a German actor.His career began with a role in the German daily soap Gute Zeiten – Schlechte Zeiten...	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 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 Alexandra Neldel - Career :Neldel worked as a dental assistant before she was discovered by the boss of a Berlin casting agency during a polo competition. He helped her audition for daily soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten and Neldel, barely experienced in acting, immediately landed the role of Katja Wettstein...	Katja Wettstein	1996	1999
Simone Hanselmann Simone Hanselmann Simone Hanselmann is a German actress.She started as a model and from 1998 to 1999, she played the role the bulimic schizophrenic model Anna Meisner in the series Gute Zeiten – Schlechte Zeiten.She has worked in movies such as Flashback – Mörderische Ferien and in more television series like...	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 Gerner, née 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 Tim Sander - TV :* 1998–2002: Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten* 2004: 18 – Allein unter Mädchen* 2005–2006: Unter den Linden – Das Haus Gravenhorst* 2006–2007: Verliebt in Berlin-External links:...	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 Mia Aegerter Mia Aegerter is a Swiss pop singer and actress. She grew up in a musical family, her mother being a guitar teacher and her father a drummer for a band. She became excited about music herself, playing guitar in her childhood and writing her own songs...	Xenia di Montalban	2000	2003
Christin Baechler	Patrizia Bachmann, née Biedermann	2001	2003
Peer Kusmagk Peer Kusmagk Peer Kusmagk is a German actor and television host.-Life :After his graduation, he lived for three years in different countries and earned his living by doing odd jobs...	Ben Bachmann	2002	2003
Roman Roth	Tim Böcking #1	2002	2004
Ralf Benson	Fabian Moreno	1996	2004
Jeanette Biedermann Jeanette Biedermann Jeanette Biedermann , also known by her stage name Jeanette, is a German recording artist, actress and television personality. Born and raised in Berlin, Biedermann began performing as a member of a troupe of acrobats in a children's circus at the age of six...	Marie Balzer	1999	2004
İsmail Şahin	Deniz Ergün †	2002	2005
Raphaël Vogt	Dr. Nico Anton Weimershaus	1996	2005
Yvonne Catterfeld Yvonne Catterfeld Yvonne Catterfeld is a German singer, actress and TV host.-Biography:Catterfeld was born in Erfurt, Thuringia, then in East Germany, in 1979. At the age of 15 she started playing the piano and the flute, simultaneously taking first dance and vocal lessons...	Julia Blum	2001	2005
Dominic Boeer	Jonas Vossberg	2003	2005
Nina Bott Nina Bott Nina Bott is a German actress.-Acting:Between August 1997 and September 2005 she played Cora Hinze Moreno on the popular German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten. She then appeared in the period drama Unter den Linden - Das Haus Gravenhorst. Nina Bott then joined the soap opera Alles was...	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 Hanne Wolharn Hanne Bernadine Wolharn is a German actress.She plays Senta Lemke on the German soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten from October 10, 2000 to March 15, 2007...	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 Alexander Becht Alexander Becht is a German actor, mostly known for his role as Lenny Cöster in the popular soap opera Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten....	Leonard "Lenny" Cöster	2007	2010
Felix Isenbügel	Carsten Reimann	2008	2010
Sarah Tkotsch	Lucy Cöster	2007	2010
Kristin Meyer	Iris Cöster	2007	2010
Susan Sideropoulos Susan Sideropoulos Susan Sideropoulos is a German actress and singer.Her father is of Greek descent while her mother is from Israel....	Verena Koch †	2001	2011

External links

• GZSZ Official website
• GZSZ-Wiki