For 15 years the German series Verbotene Liebe (Forbidden Love) has captured the fascination of Euro-audiences with its relationship based storylines that put American soap operas to shame with its complexity and diversity.

Now, thanks to the Internet sensation of its same-sex relationship and soon-to-air all male wedding, Verbotene Liebe just might make its away across the Atlantic to Americans via a U.S. adaptation.

"We were immediately drawn to their story for its honest approach and admired the fact that it was not weighed down by sensationalism or stereotype," said JP Sarni, director of development with aid + abet Films. "It is simply what we are calling `a good, old-fashioned (gay) love story."

Sarni is one of two executive producers for the project-in-development tentatively titled Christian and Olli, after the gay couple whose lengthy romance in the original is finally due to climax in television's first aired gay marriage this September.

"Verbotene Liebe came to the attention of aid + abet Films the same way it did to much of its U.S. audience - because of the efforts of that obsessive and dedicated subtitler only known as 'ichglotzutube' or 'Nanna'," Sarni said.

Via You Tube this popular program has reached a far greater audience than most other European serials could ever hope to.

"When I began to work for Verbotene Liebe, nobody could foresee the success and I didn't expect it either," said Jo Weil the actor who plays Oliver. "When we received the first reactions from abroad me and my colleagues were absolutely thrilled. We got so much support and positive feedback from all different countries - that's an awesome feeling!"

Weil said that the popularity of the series and has had an immense effect on his career. "Before the production started, my popularity abroad was much smaller,although I played a part in Medicopter 117 - a series that was broadcast in 35 countries," Weil said. "But only because of this storyline did I gained mainstream fame. The result was my own column for a British lifestyle magazine, a management in the USA and many awesome trips all over the world."

The folks at aid + abet, which optioned the rights to the Christian and Olli story think the time is right for a broader U.S. audience.

"The late `90s was a booming era for gay characters on American television with shows such as Will & Grace, Queer as Folk and The L Word all attracting major media and audience attention but it has been 10 years since Entertainment Weekly featured their ground-breaking 'Gay Hollywood' cover," Sarni said.

"The cable networks have remained a safe haven for gay characters and the networks have slowly followed suit with current shows such as Glee (FOX), Brothers & Sisters, Modern Family and Desperate Housewives (all ABC), but we have yet to see a major network put a gay story front and center or allow a gay couple to carry a series." A Christian and Olli production could change all of that, but it is still early in the process.

"We are taking great care with the material so our adaptation has the best chance of making it through the Hollywood machine to the overwhelming number of fans the story already has here in the States, and for a whole new audience to discover them," Sarni said. "The show we are developing at aid + abet takes the much loved Christian and Olli story and sets it in contemporary Portland, Oregon. While we are early on in the development process, we have been encouraged by the numerous fans around the globe who have sent us letters and emails of support since we announced the project, and look forward to working with these wonderful characters to create stories which reflect an American perspective on love and relationships, both gay and straight."

Weil recognizes the significance of the story.

"With increasing frequency, I receive mails from people who have a more negative attitude towards gay people, but they tell me that watching Thore (Thore Scholermann, 'Christian') and me play a gay couple has made them reconsider their attitude a bit," he said. "I've heard similar stories quite often now, and I think that's the best we can achieve with our work. Verbotene Liebe is an entertaining series but when we can achieve some people to change their negative attitudes and when we can give hope and energy to others through it, it makes us proud and happy. In the beginning we never thought about that responsibility, but today we are aware of it and handle it with great care.

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