About Goede tijden, slechte tijden
Goede tijden, slechte tijden (English: Good Times, Bad Times), almost always shortened to GTST, is the Netherlands' longest-running daily drama and one of the most-watched programmes in Dutch television history. It premiered on 1 October 1990, initially on RTL Veronique before settling into its long home on RTL 4, where it has aired on weekday evenings ever since. Loosely adapted from the Australian series The Restless Years, the soap follows an ever-shifting circle of families, friends, lovers, and rivals living in the fictional town of Meerdijk.
Across thousands of episodes GTST has charted weddings, affairs, business feuds, kidnappings, and reconciliations, becoming a cultural institution and a launchpad for generations of Dutch actors, presenters, and pop acts. The dramatic centre has long been the wealthy and frequently feuding families whose intertwined histories drive the storylines, with the scheming, morally flexible patriarch figure providing the slow-burning conflict that anchors the show. Around the central families orbit a rotating cast of younger residents whose romances and rivalries keep the soap fresh for new viewers.
What has kept GTST on the air for more than three decades is its blend of grounded, relatable Dutch family life and the steady churn of fresh faces and topical storylines. The series leans into contemporary issues alongside the love triangles, family secrets, and business rivalries that define the genre. Long associated with the production hub at Aalsmeer and later other Dutch studios, it remains an evening fixture for millions and a defining title in the history of Dutch popular entertainment.
