Huntress

I don't really know why they dropped that short flirtation between Roman and Axel so quickly. I thought they had a lot of chemistry, especially since Axel is so uptight and Roman is the complete opposite. Deniz may be pretty, but he is shallow and so one-dimensional. Meanwhile, Frank-Thomas Mende, who has played Clemens Richter on "Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten" since the show's first episode in May 1992, has stated that he wants to leave the soap "because the magic is gone". This comes only two months after the departure of fellow original cast member Hans Christiani (A.R. Daniel) whose last episode aired this past July. Mende's impending exit would leave Lisa Riecken (Elisabeth Meinhart) as the last remaining original cast member. However, since Riecken's role has been dramatically cut during the past few years, it can be expected that she will probably leave as well in the near future.

I can add two more shows to that list: "90210" and "Gossip Girl" have been cancelled due to extremely low ratings. Since April, both shows have run back to back on Saturday afternoons on ProSieben. When "Gossip Girl" ends its first season on August 15th, 2009, "90210" will also be gone for good. Originally, the second season of "Gossip Girl" was due to start on August 22nd. The remaining six episodes of "90210" will probably remain unaired. I just wish another network, e.g. the RTL group, had aquired the rights to these shows *sigh*. By the way, I updated the cast lists on the first page of this topic.

There's going to be a new homosexual couple on "Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten": Carsten Reimann (Felix Isenbügel) falls in love with his best buddy Lenny Cöster (Alexander Becht). Both guys met during their time in the Army last year. Lenny's struggle with homosexuality has been featured since his arrival in December 2007. Lenny's father Alexander even thought his son was gay, but Lenny always claimed that this wasn't true. Currently he's involved with Emily Höfer who has a rocky past herself (she slept with her half-brother and was a druggie among other things). Carsten (dark hair) and Lenny (blond hair) The last homosexual couple were Paula Rapf (Josephine Schmidt) and Franzi Reuter (Jasmin Weber) from 2007-2008. Franzi died in the 4000th episode during an explosion at the "Fasan" restaurant. She and Emily were stoned at the time and accidentally caused the explosion. Paula left town six months later after she was rejected by her best friend Verena (Susan Sideropoulos).

Huge hit in Europe right now (Iceland #1, Belgium #1, Germany #1, Austria #1, Finland #5, Switzerland #18 etc.): <object width="560" height="340"><param name="movie" value=" name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src=" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="340"></embed></object>

I think it was a mixture of bad timeslots and the shows not being interested enough for the average German audience. Too a large extent, "One Tree Hill" resolves around basketball which is not that popular over here as it in the US. Besides, the first season is rather dull and I gave up on the show after half a season. Strangely enough, the show's still being released on DVD over here with a German audio track (the 5th season was released in April). On television, only a handful of episodes were broadcasted. "Brothers & Sisters" on the other hand presents us a typical American family. Moreover, it features a lot of political topics which may not be that easy to comprehend for foreigners. This is also the reason why "The West Wing" never went on the air here.

Do you mean the most popular primetime soaps that were produced in Germany or the most popular US dramas in Germany? Regarding the first category, I don't think that there have been that many extremely popular ones. "Das Erbe der Guldenburgs" (The Legacy of the Guldenburgs) was the German answer to "Dynasty" or "Dallas" and ran from 1987 to 1990 (39 episodes). But since "Dynasty", "Dallas", "Falcon Crest" and other US primetime soaps were very popular in Germany during that time, the market was supersaturated with shows of that kind and there was no need to produce similar shows. In 2000, RTL launched a primetime spin-off of "GZSZ" called "Großstadtträume" (City Dreams), which was supposed to be more mature than "GZSZ" and featured former characters of "GZSZ". "GST" was cancelled after 7 episodes because of low ratings. In 2005, "Bis in die Spitzen" debuted on Sat1. It was a remake of the British soap "Cutting It". Even though it was a brilliant show and had good ratings, Sat1 pulled the plug on it after its first season. The most popular US primetime soaps in Germany were "Dynasty", "Dallas" and "Falcon Crest" which were also broadcasted during primetime in Germany. In the 90s and early 2000s, most US shows were only being broadcasted during daytime. "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Melrose Place" ran back to back on Saturday afternoons and attracted a rather large audience during their first seasons. During the last few years, more and more US shows have found their way back into the networks' primetime schedules. These days, major hits are "CSI", "CSI: Miami" and "CSI: New York" (with Miami having more viewers than the original CSI), "House", "Grey's Anatomy", "Private Practice", "Desperate Housewives" and "Monk". "Gilmore Girls" and "Sex and the City" were also very popular during their original runs. Some shows have also failed miserably, for example "One Tree Hill", which has already been cancelled twice after only a handful of episodes, or "Brothers & Sisters".

Looks like "Marienhof" will resume airing 2 episodes a day come October since "Eine für alle", which was launched in April 2009, was cancelled and will only run for 100 episodes instead of 200. For years, the 6.50 pm timeslot has been a big problem for the ARD, with many shows failing to reach sufficient ratings. As a temporary solution, "Marienhof" might air between 6.20 and 7.20 pm once again. Before "Eine für alle" debuted, "Marienhof" aired 2 episodes a day for approximately 2 months. This is a rather strange move, considering that a few months ago "Marienhof" was threatened by cancellation as well. While all 3 RTL soaps (GZSZ, UU & AWZ) are still perfoming well, both ARD soaps (MH & VL) have been struggling with declining ratings since 2008.

Marienhof explodes: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQx2dOLsmUo

GZSZ loses one of its original cast members as Hans Christiani has been released from this contract. Christiani has played A.R. Daniel since the show's 9th episode in May 1992. In recent years, Daniel has rarely had his own storyline, but as the owner of the "Mocca" lounge, he usually gave advice to the younger crowd. Christiani's last episode is scheduled for July 31st, 2009 (episode 4293). Daniel and his significant other Rose (played by Christiani's wife Christiane Reiff) emigrate to the United States. Following Christiani's exit, Frank-Thomas Mende (Clemens Richter) and Lisa Riecken (Elisabeth Meinhart) are the only remaining original cast members. In May, an insider source revealed that more exits are to be expected during the next months.

Actually, I don't mind Celine. Nina Bott may not be the best actress on AWZ, but I loved her during her run as Cora Hinze Moreno on GZSZ (1997-2005). Stella and Lars's story is just a lame remake of Diana and Julian's story, with Jenny in the middle again. The ones I can't stand are Mike, Maximilian, Oliver, and Lena. My favourites are Simone, Richard, Annette, Ingo, and Nina. Roman is okay. Seems like he'll be involved with Axel soon. At least they will share some racy scenes which involves nudity performed by Dennis Grabosch. Poor Nina, once again Roman gets between her and her lover

Some German R'n'B: Cassandra Steen feat. Adel Tawil - Stadt

No, the explosion takes place on June 23rd. (We usually get preview pictures and episode descriptions 6-8 weeks in advance.) While no character dies during or after the explosion, at least four cast members have been let go due to the show's complete overhaul. Katrin Ritt (Yasemin Özgentürk Garcia, 2005-2009) departs on June 9th, Rosetta Pedone (Laura Conti, 2007-2009) on July 8th, and Fabian Baier (Steve Busch, 2004-2009) and Katharina Woschek (Marie Töppers, 2007-2009) say goodbye on July 15th. The future of newcomers Gloria Nefzger (Jule Busch) and Tom Viehöfer (Roman Sander) is unclear. In turn, "GZSZ"-alumni Hendrik Borgmann joins the cast as Dr. Nicolas Stein on June 24th, while newcomers Maria Hönig and Simone Gorholt join the cast as homeless twin sisters Lena and Ruth Horvath on July 29th, 2009.

Preview pics of the "Marienhof" explosion and its aftermath:

New Kelly Rowland music: Tiziano Ferro & Kelly Rowland - Breathe Gentle (Kelly even sings some lines in Italian) David Guetta feat. Kelly Rowland - When Love Takes Over

There have been interviews with some writers and producers, but I wouldn't call them famous because soap operas (and telenovelas) are usually still regarded as being trashy by the general public - even though they are among the most watched programs every day. I know that one writer, Tom Chroust, wrote for VL and then went to GZSZ, only to return to VL last year. He created the famous ChrOlli (Christian & Olli) storyline, but at the same time shelved SuCa (Susanne & Carla) which upset a lot of fans because according to him there was only room for one homosexual couple on the show. "Marienhof"'s new executive producer Simon Müller-Elmau is responsible for the show's upcoming relaunch. Both "Marienhof" and "Verbotene Liebe" have suffered from low demos (below 10% in 18-49) for quite some time now. There are rumors that "Marienhof" wants to copy the general look of "Alles was zählt". On the other hand, "Alles was zählt" has suffered from declining ratings as well ever since lead actress Tanja Szewczenko (Diana Sommer) left the show earlier this year. Her replacement Nadine Rennack (Stella Coretti) has failed to become equally popular. In addition, the recasting of Diana's (and now Stella's) arch nemesis Jenny Steinkamp hasn't worked out, since Silvia Maleen is still loathed by many fans. Christiane Klimt had to leave the show last year due to a nervous breakdown caused by the show's heavy work schedule.

"Marienhof" explodes! In late June, dramatic events will happen on "Marienhof": A gas explosion will be responsible for the collapse of the whole "Marienhof-Galerie". The shopping mall, which is located in the center of the fictional quarter of Cologne, has been the show's central point since its beginning in 1992 and has always been a popular meeting place for the show's characters. The explosion goes hand in hand with a complete relaunch of the daytime drama: Not only will the locations change, there will also be new characters, new lighting and a new opening sequence.

New preview pictures (May 2009): Unter uns Alles was zählt Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten

New preview pictures (January/February 2008): Unter uns Alles was zählt Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten

Some casting news: Alles was zählt Lead actress Tanja Szewczenko (Diana Sommer) departs the show on January 7th, 2009. Birgit Würz (Nadja Roschinski) is also out. Nadine Rennack joins the cast on December 15th, 2008 as Stella Coretti. Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten Tayfun Baydar joins the cast as Tayfun Baydak on December 23rd, 2008. Josephine Schmidt (Paula Rapf) departs the show on January 23rd, 2009. Unter uns Olivia Klemke (Franziska Gellert) makes her final appearance on January 14th, 2009. Marienhof Apparently, the producers decided to fire seven cast members: Nicole Belstler-Boettcher (Sandra Behrens, 1995-), Sven Thiemann (Charly Kolbe, 1997-), Roland Pfaus (Jakob Weidemann, 2005-), Sebastian Reusse (Harry Töppers, 2008-), Ivonne Polizzano (Netty Töppers, 2008-) and Maria Mittler (Aurelia Maldini, 2008-). In addition, Sebastian Schulz will join the cast as Ramon, while former recurring star Rosetta Pedone (Laura Conti) has been offered a contract. The 3500th episode has been filmed on location in Venice, Italy. It will air on January 29th, 2009. Verbotene Liebe Mascha Müller joins the cast as Princess Luise von Waldensteyck and Simone Ritscher joins the cast as Maria Galdi. Both new contract roles will arrive on January 22nd, 2009. Diana Frank (Katja Brandner) departs the show on December 30th, 2008 when her character is killed off.

During this show Britney also won an award for "Best Pop Act - International" Besides, "Womanizer" entered the German singles charts at #4 this week.

Some pictures of upcoming episodes... (November/early December 2008) Unter uns Alles was zählt Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten

No, they are not blood-related. Diana's mother Jutta was married to Oliver's uncle Dieter, but Diana isn't Dieter's biological daughter. Nina and Oliver are cousins, though, since Nina is Dieter's daughter.

Alles was zählt (All That Matters) was launched in September 2006. Following a debut with poor ratings, the show has become a hit for RTL, attracting more than 3 millions viewers every day. The show originally focused on ice-skating sensation Diana Sommer (Tanja Szewczenko), Diana's large circle of friends, her biggest enemy Jenny Steinkamp and Jenny's wealthy and powerful family. Current contract cast Notes: * André Dietz (Ingo) was on recurring status from September 2006 to March 2007. * Sam Eisenstein (Marian) was on recurring status from September 2006 to March 2007. * During her pregnancy, Juliette Greco (Lena) was temporarily replaced by Maria Kempken between January and September 2013. * Ania Niedieck (Isabelle) played a different character, Alicia Silberstein, in 2009. * Jörg Rohde's character Ben Roschinski was previously played by Jan Niklas Berg from 2006 to 2007 and again for a few episodes in 2008. * Kaja Schmidt-Tychsen's character Jenny Steinkamp was previously played by Christiane Klimt on contract from 2006 to 2008, by Silvia Maleen on contract from 2008 to 2010 and by Sophie Lutz for two episodes in 2011. Contract cast by years Original cast Tanja Szewczenko – Diana Sommer (2006-2009, left town) Thorsten Grasshoff – Julian Herzog (2006-2007, died during his wedding to Diana) Christiane Klimt – Jenny Steinkamp #1 (2006-2008, character was recast) Tatjana Clasing – Simone Steinkamp (2006-present) Silvan-Pierre Leirich – Richard Steinkamp (2006-present) Susanne Schlenzig – Jutta Sommer (2006-2007, left town) Armin Dallapicolla – Dieter Sommer (2006-2007, left town) Nathalie Thiede – Nina Sommer (2006-2009, moved to the US) Andreas Seyferth – Lutz Hoffmann (2006-2007, left town) Ulrike Röseberg – Annette Bergmann (2006-present) Stephen Dürr – Mike Hartwig (2006-2009, died in an explosion) Daniel Aichinger – Dr. Axel Schwarz (2006-present) Julian Augustin – Vanessa Steinkamp (2006-2009, 2010-present) Jan Niklas Berg – Ben Roschinski #1 (2006-2007, recurring 2008, character was recast) Dennis Grabosch – Roman Wild (2006-2011, died of cancer) Regine Seidler – Nadja Roschinski #1/#3 (2006-2008, guest 2010, character was recast) André Emanuel Kaminski – Tim Herzog (2006-2007, left town) 2007 additions Sam Eisenstein – Marian Öztürk (2007-present, recurring 2006-2007) André Dietz – Ingo Zadek (2007-present, recurring 2006-2007) Norman Kalle – Dr. Oliver Sommer (2007-2010, moved to Australia with Celine) Juliette Menke – Lena Bergmann (2007-present) Igor Dolgatschew – Deniz Öztürk (2007-present) Francisco Medina – Maximilian von Altenburg (2007-present) 2008 additions Birgit Würz – Nadja Roschinski #2 (2008, left town) Maria Wedig – Juli von Altenburg (2008-2009, left town) Nina Bott – Celine Laffort (2008-2010, moved to Australia with Oliver) Tobias Licht – Lars Berger (2008-2010, left town with Stella) Silvia Maleen – Jenny Steinkamp #2 (2008-2010, disappeared after a plane crash) Nadine Rennack – Stella Coretti (2008-2010, left town with Lars) 2009 additions Jörg Rohde – Ben Roschinski #2 (2009-present) Anna Katharina Samsel – Katja Bergmann (2009-present) 2010 additions Ania Niedieck – Isabelle Reichenbach-Steinkamp (2010-present) Michael N. Kuehl – Florian Wild (2010-present) Heike Trinker – Claudia Bergmann (2010-2011, left town) Christoph Humnig – Tom Reichenbach (2010-2011, left town) Julia Engelmann – Franziska Steinkamp (2010-present) 2011 additions Anna Katharina Fecher – Melanie Wendt (2011-present) Christina Siemoneit – Sarah Wendt (2011-present) Salvatore Greco – Jan Marco Schöler (2011-present) Kaja Schmidt-Tychsen – Jenny Steinkamp #4 (2011-present)

Unter uns (Among Us) was launched in November 1994. Set in Cologne, the show takes place in an apartment building where all of the protagonists live. Over the years, many characters have come and gone. Airing weekdays at 5.30 p.m., the show attracts 1.7 million viewers on average. Current cast members Notes: * Maria Kempken's character Leonie Weidenfeld was previously played by Sarah Stork for a few months in 2013. * Benjamin Kiss's character Henning Frank was previously played by Andreas Zimmermann from 2009 to 2010. * Maja Lehrer (Kimberly) recurred for a short while before being put on contract in August 2014. * Ben Ruedingers's character Till Weigel was previously played by Stephen Dürr from 1994 to 1996. * Alexander Sholti (Sascha) played a different character, Sascha's twin brother Björn Winter, from 2001 to 2008. Contract cast by years Original cast Bodo Frank – Marc Albrecht (1994-1998, left town) Cecilia Kunz – Corinna Weigel, née Bach (1994-1997, guest 1998, moved to the Maldives with Chris) Karin Schröder – Sophie Himmel-Eiler #1 (1994-1995, moved to Vietnam, character was later recast) Milena Dreißig – Antonia Schwarz #1 (1994-1995, character was recast) Ludwig Hollburg – Olaf Schwarz (1994-1995, moved to Vietnam) Tatiani Katrantzi – Jennifer Turner (1994-1998, emigrated to Africa) Janis Rattenni – Anna Weigel #1 (1994-2004, moved to New Zealand, character was later recast) Oliver Bootz – Chris Weigel (1994-1997, moved to the Maldives with Corinna) Petra Blossey – Irene Weigel, née Schwarz (1994-present) Christiane Maybach † – Margot Weigel (1994-2005, died of old age) Stephen Dürr – Till Weigel #1 (1994-1996, moved to the US, character was later recast) Holger Franke – Wolfgang Weigel (1994-2009, died of a heart attack) Sebastian Feicht – Alexander Albrecht (1994-1996, moved to South America) Alexander Osteroth – Joachim Albrecht (1994-1997, became homeless and disappeared) Beate Wanke – Regina Albrecht (1994-1997, died in a car crash) Björn Kegel-Casapietra – Armin Franke (1994-1996, was shot) Sylvia Agnes Muc – Laura Böhme (1994-2001, moved to Paris) Katja Frenzel-Röhl – Melanie Hoffmeister (1994-1995, moved to the US) Lale Karci – Aylin Hoffmeister, née Eray (1994-1998, went on a tour around the world) 1995 additions Isabell Hertel – Ute Kiefer Kern Weigel Fink (1995-present) Nina Azizi – Antonia Schwarz #2 (1995-1997, moved to London) Tillmann Schillinger – Bernd Hoffmeister (1995-1997, drowned in a lake) Marco Girnth – Sven Rusinek (1995-1998, moved to South Africa) Isabel Florido – Lona Dee (1995-2000, returned to Switzerland) Andreas Köss – Lars König (1995-1997, disappeared) 1996 additions None 1997 additions Ralf Komorr – Andreas Sandmann (1997-1999, died in a motorcycle accident) André Dietz – Gregor Sandmann (1997-2000, disappeared) Maurice Karl † – Sebastian Sandmann #1 (1997-1998, character was recast) Eric Benz – Nick Neuhaus (1997-2000, moved to the UK) Imke Brügger – Rebecca Mattern (1997-present) Michael Evans – Tom Foster (1997-2001, returned to the US) Arnold Dammann – Viktor Falkenberg (1997-2000, was killed by a rotor) Claudia Neidig – Claudia Falkenberg (1997-2001, moved to London) Vanessa Glinka – Alexa Falkenberg (1997-1999, moved to London) Verena Zimmermann – Jessica Falkenberg (1997-1999, died in a motorcycle accident) 1998 additions Wolfram Grandezka – Roman Klingenberg (1998-2000, left town) Diana Staehly – Sue Sommerfeld (1998-2000, moved to Italy) Thorsten Feller – Kai Fleming (1998-2000, left town) Sebastian Winkler – Sebastian Sandmann #2 (1998-1999, moved to Scotland) 1999 additions Eve Scheer – Sarah Foster, née Engel (1999-2001, moved to the US with Tom) Sabine Pfeifer – Pauline Pfitzer (1999-2003, disappeared) Ole Tillmann – Jonas Sommerfeld (1999-2001, moved to Italy to live with his sister Sue) 2000 additions Wayne Carpendale – Maximilian Pfitzer (2000-2001, moved to Paris with Laura) Tobias Licht – Gideon Kern (2000-2001, committed suicide after gunning down Rebecca) Milos Vukovic – Paco Weigel (2000-present) Timo Ben Schöfer – Stefan Kramer (2000-2003, moved to the US) Gabriele Weinspach – Helena Kramer, née Lasalle (2000-2003, guest 2003 and 2004, moved to the US) Melanie Wichterich – Vicky Kramer (2000-2004, moved to the US) Ben Ruedinger – Till Weigel (2000-present) Bianca Hein – Meike Wagner (2000-2002, moved to Spain) 2001 additions Alexander Sholti – Björn Winter (2001-2008, was shot) Mario Kristl – David Kramer (2001-2003, moved to the US, character died off-screen) Claudelle Deckert – Eva Wagner Weigel (2001-2006, 2008-present, guest 2007) Christian Kämpfer – Fabian Rose (2001-2002, died in a car crash) Stefan Bockelmann – Malte Winter (2001-present) Petra Gumpold – Belle Rose (2001-2002, died in the aftermath of a car crash) Sarah Bogen – Lili Rose Mattern (2001-present) Jane Hempel – Sophie Himmel-Eiler #2 (2001-2009, moved to another city) 2002 additions Tanja Szewczenko – Kati Jäger, née Ritter (2002-2005, left town) Andreas Büngen – Jan Gräser (2002-2009, left town) Stefan Franz – Rolf Jäger (2002-present) 2003 additions Petra Gumpold – Ariane Sturm, née Minz (2003-2006, guest 2007 and 2008) Kai Noll – Rufus Sturm (2003-present) Nike Martens – Romy Sturm #1 (2003-2005, character was recast) Sven Waasner – René Sturm (2003-2006, died in a plane crash) 2004 additions Finja Martens – Svenja Lindström (2004-2005, returned to Sweden) Henrike Richters – Kimberly Ritter (2004-2006, disappeared) 2005 additions Lars Steinhöfel – Easy Winter (2005-present) Marcel Saibert – Mars Sommer (2005-2010, recurring 2004, left town) Olivia Klemke – Franziska Gellert (2005-2009, left town) Sarah Ulrich – Romy Sturm #2 (2005-2009, moved to Namibia) 2006 additions Arissa Ferkic – Silke Seebach (2006-2008, left town) Annika Peimann – Lara Martensen (2006-2007, was murdered in the courtyard) Kathleen Fiedler – Anna Weigel #2 (2006-2010, character was recast) Yvonne de Bark – Pia Jäger, née Lassner (2006-2009, fled the country with Rolf's daughter after poisoning Irene) Patrick Müller – Tobias Lassner (2006-present) 2007 additions None 2008 additions Anna Julia Kapfelsberger – Charlotte Sommer (2008-2010, moved to Las Vegas) 2009 additions Andreas Zimmermann – Henning Fink #1 (2009-2010, character was recast) Joy Lee Juana Abiola – Micki Fink (2009-present) 2010 additions Tabea Heynig – Britta Schönfeld (2010-present) Marvin Linke – Moritz Schönfeld (2010-present) Birte Blang – Heidi Danne (2010-2011, died in the courtyard as a result from internal bleeding) Benjamin Kiss – Henning Fink #2 (2010-present) Marylu Poolman – Anna Weigel #3 (2010-present) 2011 additions Martin Baden – Nils Hoffmann (2011-present) Bela Klentze – Bela Hoffmann (2011-present) Ela Paul – Bine Kern (2011-present)

Besides "Verbotene Liebe" ("Forbidden Love") and "Marienhof" (1992-2011), there are three other daytime soaps in Germany. Gute Zeiten, Schlechte Zeiten (Good Times, Bad Times) was launched in May 1992. Set in Berlin, the show originally revolved around a circle of friends who had to find their way in life after dropping out of high school before graduation. During the first months, ratings were extremely poor. After a complete make-over, a serial killer storyline and several cast changes, the show finally managed to skyrocket. These days GZSZ is the most watched series in Germany, attracting more than 3 million viewers every day. The most-watched episode to date was #2500 in June 2002, which was seen by 6.7 million people. The show is based on the Australian soap "The Restless Years". There's also a Dutch adaption called "Goede Tijden, Slechte Tijden" which has been on the air since 1990. During their first year of production, both GZSZ and GTST followed the scripts of "The Restless Years" and thus had the same sets of characters. After that, both soaps went their own way and are now completely different from each other. Current contract cast Notes: * Mustafa Alin (Mesut) was on recurring status from May 2011 to January 2014. He was put on contract in January 2014. * Thomas Drechsel (Tuner) was on recurring status from April 2009 to June 2010. He was put on contract in June 2010. * Ulrike Frank (Katrin) was on recurring status from December 2002 to April 2003. She was put on contract in April 2004. Frank played a different character, Tina Zimmermann, for a few episodes in 2000. Tina had previously been played on contract by Sandra Keller from 1992 to 1996. * Elena Garcia Gerlach (Elena) recurred between July and March 2014. She will be on contract as of October 2014. * Clemens Löhr's character Alexander Cöster was previously played by Nik Breidenbach from 2007 to 2009. * Nadine Menz's character Ayla Özgül-Höfer was previously played by Sila Sahin from 2009 to 2014. * Raul Richter's character Dominik was born in 1994. He was SORASED to ca. being 20 years in 2007. Contract actors by years Original cast Matthias Hinze – Peter Becker #1 (1992, character was recast) Frank-Thomas Mende – Clemens Richter (1992-2010, emigrated to Canada) Angela Neumann – Vera Richter (1992-1997, emigrated to Sri Lanka) Andreas Elsholz – Heiko Richter (1992-1996, disappeared after an alleged plane crash) Sandra Keller – Tina Ullrich-Zimmermann #1 (1992-1996, disappeared, returned in 2000 for a couple of episodes as a recast) Lisa Riecken – Elisabeth Meinhart (1992-2010, emigrated to Canada) Claudia Weiske – Elke Opitz-Graf (1992-1997, recurring 1999, fled to Uruguay) Alexander Kiersch – Patrick Graf Sr. (1992-1996, died of a brain tumor) Johannes Baasner – Dr. Frank Ullrich (1992-1993, emigrated to Africa) Natascha Pfeiffer – Marina Geppert (1992-1993, moved to another city with her husband) Andrea Höhne – Claudia Löpelmann #1 (1992, character was recast) Marie-Christine Herriger – Julia Backhoff (1992-1993, moved to another city) Suzanne Ziellenbach – Lilo Gottschick (1992-1993, disappeared) Hans Christiani – A.R. Daniel (1992-2009, went on a world tour) 1992 additions Sali Landricina – Peter Becker #2 (1992-1995, recurring 1995-1996, emigrated to Australia, character was later recast) Matthias Matz – Andrè Holm (1992-1995, emigrated to Italy with his girlfriend) 1993 additions Wolfgang Bahro – Dr. Jo Gerner (1993-present) Saskia Valencia – Saskia Rother (1993-1996, first lesbian character, emigrated to the US with her girlfriend) Mirjam Köfer – Diana Richter (1993, was murdered by a serial killer) Timmo Niesner – Tommy Walter (1993, was murdered by a serial killer) Dirk Meier – Florian May (1993, left town) Ines Victoria – Yasemin Mutlu (1993, was murdered by a serial killer) Udo Thies – Dr. Michael Gundlach (1993-1994, moved to another city) Victoria Sturm – Milla Engel (1993-1996, guest 1998, emigrated to Spain) M.O. Rüdiger – Matthias Zimmermann (1993-1995, emigrated to South America) Hannelore Minkus – Beatrice Zimmermann (1993-1995, emigrated to South America) Alexander Eisenfeld – Oliver Engel (1993-1994, left town to live with his parents) Neelesha Barthel – Manjou Neria (1993-1994, emigrated to the US) 1994 additions Andreas Arnstedt – Lukas Heitz (1994, emigrated to the US) Jan Sosniok – Tom Lehmann (1994-1996, guest 1997 and 1998, emigrated to Spain) Julian Scheunemann – Charlie Fierek (1994-1998, recurring 1993-1994, was shot) Julia & Judith Gerke – Jenny & Jessy Gruber (1994-1996, emigrated to the UK) Irene Neuner – Dr. Rebecca Scheele (1994-1996, emigrated to the US) 1995 additions Raphael Schneider – Andy Lehmann (1995-2000, died from poison) Alexandra Finder – Kim Scheele (1995-1996, guest 1998, emigrated to the US) 1996 additions Rhea Harder – Flo Spira (1996-2002, recurring 2002, disappeared in Africa after losing her memory, returned to Berlin and was reunited with her lover Martin with whom she moved to another city) Maren Thurm – Barbara Wiebe-Graf #2 (1996-1999, character was recast) Nadine Dehmel – Nataly Jäger (1996-2000, moved to another city) Raphael Vogt – Nico Weimershaus (1996-2005, emigrated to the UK) Anne Brendler – Vanessa Moreno (1996-1998, fled to Taiwan after being blackmailed with a porn tape) Daniel Fehlow – Leon Moreno (1996-1999, 2001-present) Ralf Benson – Fabian Moreno (1996-2000, recurring 2003-2004, first gay character, went to prison) Daniel Enzweiler – Jörg Reuter (1996-1998, disappeared after causing a fatal car crash) Kea Könecker – Chrissie Lehmann (1996-1997, was killed in a car crash) Alexandra Neldel – Katja Wettstein (1996-1999, emigrated to Finland) 1997 additions Laurent Daniels – Philip Krüger (1997-2000, disappeared) Torsten Stoll – Frank Richter (1997-1999, guest 1999, followed Vanessa to Taiwan) Tina Bordihn – Sonja Wiebe #1 (1997-1998, character was recast) Alexander Schäfer – Alex Hinze (1997-1999, disappeared) Nina Bott – Cora Hinze (1997-2005, moved to Taiwan) 1998 additions Simone Hanselmann – Anna Meisner/Judith/Susi (1998-1999, was sent to a mental hospital after suffering from schizophrenia) Oliver Petszokat – Ricky Marquardt (1998-1999, moved to another city) Rainer Meifert – Dr. Jan Wittenberg (1998-2000, fled after gunning down Jo Gerner) Tokessa Möller-Martinius – Sonja Wiebe #2 (1998-2002, died in the wreckage after an explosion) 1999 additions Mona Klare – Barbara Wiebe-Graf #3 (1999-2000, recurring 2002, was first sent to prison after kidnapping Cora and Nico's baby daughter, was released and tried to kill her sister Sonja, then fled the country) Tim Sander – Kai Scholl (1999-2002, recurring 1998-1999, died from a heart failure) Jeanette Biedermann – Marie Balzer (1999-2004, moved to Romania) Patrick Harzig – Peter Becker #3 (1999-2002, emigrated to Australia) Jan Hartmann – Chris Bohlstädt (1999-2001, was shot by Inka) Stefanie Julia Möller – Charlotte Bohlstädt (1999-2001, left town after her twin brother's death) Cathrin Vaessen – Franziska Bohlstädt (1999-2000, moved to France) 2000 additions Anna Frenzel-Röhl – Sandra Lemke #1 (2000-2002, character was recast) Hendrik Borgmann – Moritz Demand (2000-2002, left town) Franziska Dilger – Inka Berent (2000-2001, recurring 1999-2000, was sent to prison after murdering Chris Bohlstädt) Mia Aegerter – Xenia di Montalban (2000-2002, 2003, left town after canceling her wedding to Ben Bachmann) Norman Kalle – Martin Wiebe #2 (2000-2002, moved to another city with Flo) Hanne Wolharn – Senta Lemke (2000-2007, died in the aftermath of a plane crash) 2000: Primetime spin-off "Großstadtträume" The show aired mondays at 8.15 pm directly after GZSZ. Originally, Sandra Keller was supposed to star as her GZSZ character Tina Zimmermann, but they had to recast the character with Ulrike Frank because Ms. Keller suddenly left the project. Ulrike Frank appeared in 6 episodes of GZSZ to help the launch of GST. Other former GZSZ contract cast members that starred on GST included Victoria Sturm as Milla Engel and Laurent Daniels as Philip Krüger. Originally, Oliver Petszokat was also supposed to appear as his GZSZ character Ricky Marquardt, but when he too wasn't available, they replaced him with Ina Klink who had recurred on GZSZ for several months in 1999. With all these last minute changes, the new series was doomed from the beginning. Even though it was heavily promoted by RTL, the show had dismal ratings and was canceled after 7 episodes. The unaired episodes also featured a now grown-up Oliver Engel, Milla's younger brother, again played by Alexander Eisenfeld. None of the cast members were ever brought back to GZSZ – only Ulrike Frank was lucky and received the part of Katrin Flemming in 2002. 2001 additions Christin Baechler – Patrizia Bachmann (2001-2003, guest 2007, moved to South Africa) Felix von Jascheroff – John Bachmann (2001-present) 2002 additions Peer Kusmagk – Ben Bachmann (2002-2003, left town) Susan Sideropoulos – Verena Koch (2002-2011, recurring 2001, died in a car crash) Yvonne Catterfeld – Julia Blum (2002-2005, recurring 2001-2002, emigrated to the UK with Nico) Roman Roth – Tim Böcking #1 (2002-2004, character was recast) Klaus-Dieter Klebsch – Hannes Bachmann (2002-2007, died in the aftermath of a plane crash) Maike von Bremen – Sandra Lemke #2 (2002-2008, left town with Marc) Ismail Sahin – Deniz Ergün (2002-2005, died during his wedding to Sandra after falling through a window) Josephine Schmidt – Paula Rapf (2002-2009, emigrated to Canada) 2003 additions Natalie Alison – Isabel Eggert (2003-2006, died after giving birth to her and Tim's son) 2004 additions Robert Lyons – Vincent Buhr (2004-2007, emigrated to Australia) Uta Kargel – Lena Bachmann (2004-2006, quietly left town) Ulrike Frank – Katrin Flemming-Gerner (2004-present, recurring 2002-2003) Oliver Bender – Tim Böcking #2 (2004-2009, guest 2009 and 2010, emigrated to Canada) Anne Menden – Emily Höfer (2004-present) Jörn Schlönvoigt – Philip Höfer (2004-present) 2005 additions Pete Dwojak – Henrik Beck (2005-2009, quietly left town) Katharina Ursinus – Nele Wenzel (2005-2006, emigrated to the US) 2006 additions Arne Stephan – Marc Hansen (2006-2008, left town with Sandra) Jessica Ginkel – Caroline Neustädter (2006-2009, emigrated to Canada with Tim) Jasmin Weber – Franziska Reuter (2006-2008, recurring 2005-2006, died in an explosion) Stefan König – Sebastian Winter (2006-2007, recurring 2005-2006, left town) 2007 additions Nik Breidenbach – Alexander Cöster #1 (2007-2009, character was recast) Kristin Meyer – Iris Cöster (2007-2010, moved to Tokyo) Sarah Tkotsch – Lucy Cöster (2007-2010, moved to Tokyo) Raul Richter – Dominik Gundlach (2007-present) Alexander Becht – Lenny Cöster (2007-2010, moved to another city with his lover Carsten) 2008 additions Janina Uhse – Jasmin Nowak (2008-present) Tayfun Baydar – Tayfun Badak (2008-present) 2009 additions Isabell Horn – Pia Koch (2009-present) Felix Isenbügel – Carsten Reimann (2009-2010, recurring 2008-2009, moved to another city with Lenny) Clemens Löhr – Alexander Cöster #2 (2009-present) Sila Sahin – Ayla Özgül (2009-present) Björn Harras – Patrick Graf, Jr. (2009-present) 2010 additions Lena Ehlers – Dascha Petrova (2010-present) Thomas Drechsel – Max "Tuner" Krüger (2010-present, recurring 2009-2010) Eva Mona Rodekirchen – Maren Seefeld (2010-present) Iris Mareike Steen – Lilly Seefeld (2010-present) Senta Sofia Delliponti – Tanja Seefeld (2010-present) 2011 additions Vincent Krüger – Vince Köpke (2011-present) Jascha Rust – Zacharias Klingenthal (2011-present)