Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten

Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten 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.