Goede tijden, slechte tijden, also known as GTST, is the longest-running Dutch soap opera, revolving around the lives of the families Alberts, Sanders, De Jong, Van Houten and Bouwhuis. It all takes place in the fictional town of Meerdijk.

A North Holland amateur soccer team (Swiftboys 8) consists of boys who since childhood enjoy the game itself -only gay captain Bram, a lawyer, takes the trouble to spend time on official club business- less then the camaraderie as none has the making of anything resembling a star player, to put it kindly, so they usually end their season by demotion. The point is having fun on the field, in the locker-room, in the canteen, and whenever something happens in one's life one or more of the others are likely to get involved, which also goes for some players' female partners, while male bonding seems only to stimulate their flirtatious lust. The chairman is a cigar-smoking fat rat, who intends to exploit the various teams using his infrastructure, and comes to employ as barmaid ex-con Nadja, a red-hair harpy nevertheless considered sexy by most straight boys.

19 year old babysitter aupair Julie is accused of murder when the bed of the sheltered baby inflames. Is seems as if Julie possesses rare telepathic skills, that she cannot control. Her young lawyer fights for her in court and against the public opinion in Italy, who take her for a witch.

A prisoner is found unconscious in his cell after an attempted suicide. The prison doctor is called to resuscitate the man and so must face an ethical dilemma.