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Private Notes
Teenage twins Sam and Ben Hazelton are abruptly uprooted from their normal, Australian, suburban existence and despatched to Germany for four months to live with some relatives they've only vaguely heard about. To their great surprise, they discover that their hosts are an eccentric family of faded aristocrats who live in an ancient castle in a remote, rural region. It's soon apparent that mayhem and chaos are the order of the day and that only one rule is likely to apply during their stay — always expect the unexpected!
It's quickly apparent to Sam and Ben that although their hosts are aristocrats living in a magnificent castle, money is always in short supply. Castles aren't exactly cheap things to run and it's clear that their uncle Philipp, the Baron who owns the pile, is under severe financial stress. Things aren't helped by the arrival of a new local bank manager, who Philipp knows he must impress if he is to secure a much needed loan, nor by the news that a fraudster is on the prowl and is likely to be targeting the castle's small but valuable collection of relics. It doesn't take long for things to begin to unravel as a case of mistaken identity causes Philipp to wish he'd not bothered to get out of bed that morning.
When Lili calls for some big ideas, Sam and Ben try to oblige.
A rat spooks Philipp and a spook rattles Sam.
Rival family members threaten to take over the castle.
Sophie inspires Ben to look at history through new eyes.
Sam is suddenly an internet singing sensation but Jack and Lucy aren't impressed.
Ben discovers that small towns can harbor big family feuds.
Sophie puts her trust in Ben's outdoor skills — and soon wishes she hadn't.
Lili's plans to impress a group of young aristocrats are thrown into turmoil by the arrival of the sheriff.
Marcus is confused about his feelings for Sam while Sam is just plain confused.
Ben confronts some unique aspects of German culture and Sophie confronts some unique aspects of Ben.
Making a simple song video turns into an extremely complicated Chinese puzzle.
Philipp's grand idea of hosting a Murder Mystery Night becomes a lot more than he bargained for.
A government order to restore an old tower gives Hermann the excuse he needs to take over the castle.
Sam's band gets a new name and Philipp and Lili get an unwanted surprise.
Lili has to make an impossible choice while Ben experiences the weekend from hell.
Ben has a dog day afternoon and Jack's math results threaten to derail his music career.
A trip to a dance party in the city sees Ben's world come crashing down around him.
All the castle's problems seem to be solved when rock star Johnny Brave walks through the gates.
Sam gets an offer she can't refuse but does, while Ben gets an offer he wants to refuse but can't.
Ben discovers that even in a castle with hundreds of rooms, it's not easy to hide two Swedish backpackers.
Lili goes missing, Jack and Lucy get stranded and Sam loses her marbles.
Jack is in love with his classmate Courtney. But because she has problems with the friendship of Jack and Lucy and even believes that Lucy has a crush on Jack, it soon comes to a fight. Sam tries to mediate between her bandmates who do not want to talk anymore. But the only way out seems to be that the three offer Courtney to join the band as well. When auditioning, Jacks girlfriend turns out to be absolutely unmusical - and the torn Jack falls to the ungrateful task to give her a basket.
Ben and Sam uncover some family secrets that will change their lives forever.
Ben's caught in a trap but when Marcus shows him a way out, he's not sure if he can take it.
A year has gone by since we last saw our heroes and life has turned out well for all of them. In fact things couldn't be more perfect. Sam, Jack and Lucy are about to perform their first big concert, Ben and Sophie have found the ideal holiday job at a sports camp and — thanks to Marcus — the castle back in Germany is finally generating the revenue needed to maintain it. But things quickly start to unravel with the surprise arrival in Australia of Lili and the Baron. First Ben gets caught up in a case of mistaken identity and then the Baron is arrested by the Australian police! Lili quickly suspects a set up. But who could be behind these actions? And what can they do about it?
With Philipp awaiting trial and unable to leave Australia, Ben is faced with having to return to Germany to become Baron again — a prospect he's definitely not happy about. He doesn't want to leave Sophie and he's really enjoying his job at the bush camp. But Lili is adamant — there's no other way to save the castle — they must go immediately. Sam isn't happy either. Just when the band's future is looking good, her mother insists that she also go to Germany to help keep Ben out of trouble. Lili's grand plan however looks doomed before it can even start. A bizarre complication arises which throws everything into disarray.
A triumphant Lili arrives back in Germany with Sam and Ben in tow only to find they've been locked out of the castle by Hermann. A family meeting is called at which Ben has to persuade everyone that he's the right person to run the castle — a task that seems impossible. Back in Australia, Philipp is having great difficulty adjusting to his new life at the camp. Even with Sophie's help he manages to fail every task he's given and it looks like the camp supervisor will have no choice but to dismiss him. That's bad enough in itself. Worse though is that he'll then have to spend the next 3 months in a police cell while awaiting trial for a crime he knew nothing about.
Ben begins his baronial duties, the first of which involves judging the local dog show. It should be a simple enough task but Ben soon finds himself completely confused about which dog should get which award. Lili is dismayed. Not only will this cause uproar among the villagers but Hermann will use the failure as proof of Ben's inability to be a good Baron. He'll then have the excuse he needs to get them booted out of the castle. Sam, Jack and Lucy meanwhile are shocked to hear their music being played in television commercials. They're even more appalled to discover they have unwittingly signed away all the rights to their music. Philly B now controls everything they've done!
Sam, Jack and Lucy need to get out of their music contracts with Philly B. but don't know how. Sam enlists the help of Marcus who devises a plan — but it comes with a catch. They'll have to start out all over again and build new musical careers from scratch. And they'll have to say 'goodbye' to all the songs they've created so far. As they weigh this up, a different sort of chaos is unfolding at the camp. Philipp has taken a group of teenagers on a trek through the bush — and now they are all completely lost! That's bad — but even worse is the fact that Philipp is due to check in with the police today and if he fails to arrive, the police will have no choice but to put him back in gaol. An anxious Lili calls Sophie who immediately sets out on horseback to find him. But when Philipp gets lost, he really gets lost and even Sophie's best efforts are unlikely to be enough to save the day.
Lili hires a very fashionable, young, celebrity chef to revamp the castle café. But when Vincent arrives it quickly becomes apparent that he is going to make all their lives a nightmare. He soon has Ben traipsing through the forest spending hours foraging for 'natural forest produce' and Sam and Marcus running all over town looking for obscure, organic foods. When all the kitchen staff leave because they refuse to work with Vincent it's obvious to everyone that Lili's plan is a disaster and the new chef must go. Marcus decides to do some background checking and discovers some surprising facts about Vincent. It looks like they have the ammunition to get rid of him — but will they be able to get Lili to change her mind and agree?
Lili tells Ben that he is to be formally introduced to the town dignitaries at a reception to be held in the gardens of the castle. It's the annual "Family Crest Presentation" and it's important that Ben makes a good impression on the locals, especially as cousin Hermann will be there, watching for any opportunity to discredit him. Ben manages to make his usual quota of mistakes but ultimately is able to charm most of the guests. Until, that is, people suddenly discover that their valuables have disappeared. This can mean only one thing — there's a thief in their midst! What's more, the evidence points to it being none other than Ben himself! How can this be? And what can Marcus, Sam and Lili do to find the valuables and save all their reputations?
The band is at a cross roads. They've lost their inspiration and are struggling to produce good music — to produce any music! Then Sam meets a local musician, Jules, who is very keen to collaborate with her and the band. Jack and Lucy aren't at all receptive to this idea and are adamant that they don't need anyone else in their group. Sam decides to collaborate with Jules anyway — without telling the others. Even though they are half a world away, Jack and Lucy inevitably find out and feel Sam has betrayed them. Naturally Sam doesn't see it like that at all. The tension escalates and it looks like the band has no other choice but to break up.
Ben is approached to appear on a reality TV show about young aristocrats — "Noble Teens". Lili decides it will be great publicity for the castle and at the same time prove to the family how successfully and responsibly they are running things. So when the television crew arrives at the castle to begin filming, Lili stage manages the whole thing. Naturally, she assumes the role of the 'star princess' while making Sam and Marcus play the domestic staff and having Ben follow her every instruction. The TV Producer senses something strange is happening and her suspicions are soon confirmed as she discovers Lili's attempts to outwit them. So the Producer comes up with her own plan to outwit Lili. Who will win the battle of the wits? And what effect will the final show have on the family when they see it on TV?
With Ben in Germany and Sophie in Australia, the physical distance between them has also led to a personal distance as they each explore new interests and activities. The situation is further complicated when they both find themselves attracted to other people. In Australia, Philipp is promoted to camp Entertainment Director and asks Sophie to play guitar for him for a campfire sing-a-long. Sophie is a bit rusty and asks Jack to help with her guitar playing. It soon becomes clear that Jack is smitten by Sophie and it isn't long before Sophie starts to enjoy his company too. At the same time in Germany, Ben gets involved with the local fire brigade as part of his civic duties and finds himself very attracted to Mia, a teenage volunteer fire fighter. Now Ben and Sophie must confront the awkward truth of their situation and work out how to deal with it.
Things are going well with Sam and Jules' music collaboration and Sam decides it's time they performed live in front of an audience. She approaches Ralf, a local café owner to see if they can play in his place. But to her astonishment, she suddenly finds herself caught up in a local feud between Ralf and a rival café owner across the square. As Ralf's is the only café in town that supports musicians, Sam asks Ben for a favour. The feuding owners will put their cases to the local council at a meeting tomorrow and ask the council to decide which one is in the right. Sam asks Ben to use his influence as the Baron and speak at the meeting on behalf of Ralf. Ben agrees but soon discovers that the rival café owner is Mia's uncle. He doesn't want to upset Mia but at the same time he doesn't want to go back on his word to Sam. As a result he tries to steer a middle course and so upsets both of them. Sam realizes she has to take matters into her own hands and find a way to stop the feud. In order to do that though, she must first solve a puzzling mystery.
Sam and Jules' are approached by the assistant of a well-known music producer who hints that her boss might be interested in their band. Jack and Lucy are thrilled and they immediately start working on some new songs. Jack is distracted however by his increasing attachment to Sophie — although he refuses to admit this, even to himself. Lucy tells Jack he needs to call Ben to confess about his feelings for Sophie. Jack agrees — but quickly gets cold feet, terrified that Ben will be upset. Unknown to Jack though, Ben has been increasingly attracted towards local girl, Mia. But Ben becomes so nervous every time he talks to her that he fails miserably to impress her in the way he'd like. Will Jack pluck up the courage to admit to Ben about his feelings for Sophie and can Ben pluck up the courage to tell Mia how he feels about her?
Philipp is thrilled to hear that his trial has been brought forward and — because he's obviously innocent — he's sure he'll therefore be going home very soon. As well, he is approached by a fellow German — Martin Frank — who invites him to be the guest of honour at a German/Australian function. Lili is delighted but Marcus is suspicious and decides to investigate. A background check soon reveals exactly who Martin Frank is and more importantly, that he's an old business associate of cousin Hermann. Could this 'German /Australian function' be a setup designed to trap Philipp and delay his homecoming? Suspecting the worst, Sam gets Jack and Lucy to pose as hired musicians and attend the function. At the same time, Lili and Marcus instruct Sophie to watch Philipp's every move. But are the teenagers' imaginations running out of control? And even if it is a setup, will the efforts of a few teenagers be enough to foil such a sophisticated plan?
It's the annual soccer match between Hasendorf and the neighbouring town of Falkenburg. As the Baron, Ben is expected to be the referee and he finds himself under pressure from both sides before the game even begins. Hasendorf hasn't won in decades and all the locals are keen to see Ben favour their side. As well, Mia is playing and Ben doesn't want to do anything that will upset his friendship with her. To complicate matters, Lili reveals that the coach of Falkenburg is the newly appointed Head of the Tourist Authority and they need him to give their castle favourable publicity on their website. She suggests that it would be very helpful if Ben could therefore be 'sympathetic' to his team. Suddenly, Ben realizes that a small town 'friendly' game has become a battleground for high stakes — and he's in the middle of it. During the game, Ben tries to be even handed and make decisions that alternatively favour one side, then the other. But all that does is antagonize supporters of both sides. Seeing his dilemma, Sam talks to Ben at half time and suggests he try a radically different approach. But will it work?
Lili is excited about an approaching ball that all the country's major aristocrats will be attending. Naturally, the von Hasenburgs must attend also. But when she discovers that Ben is unable to go with her, Lili realizes she needs to find a suitable escort — an aristocratic escort of course. But Lili doesn't know many young aristocrats who would be both suitable and available. Marcus and Sam find a website exclusively devoted to young members of the nobility. They soon discover some potential escorts for Lili and ask them to attend the castle to be interviewed. The initial results are very discouraging but to everyone's surprise, the final interview sees a very charming and intelligent boy — Max — present himself. Lili is delighted and confident she has found her perfect escort to the ball. But as with so much that happens at the Castle, things don't turn out to be what they seem.
Philipp and Sophie have to pass their Level Two Instructor's Certificates in order to continue working and living at the camp. Ever the optimist, Philipp thinks the obstacle course they must traverse will be a breeze. It doesn't take long however for him to discover that it's nowhere near as easy as it looks. It will require all his strength and even more of Sophie's to get him through. Meanwhile at the castle, it's the annual Medieval Fair and Ben, Sam, Marcus and Mia all find themselves roped in by Lili to play various roles on the day. And just as Philipp is struggling in Australia, Lili also struggles to charm an American travel blogger who can potentially give the castle some invaluable publicity if she writes a good review of the day's proceedings. Things plummet even further downhill when Ben accidentally locks himself and Mia in a castle tower. They need to be rescued — but by whom? And how? The fair in Germany is shaping as a disaster and the course in Australia is looking even worse.
Sam has "writer's block" so Jules suggests a trip to a local theme park in the hope that a change of scenery will kick start some inspiration for her. Sam thinks Marcus could also do with a break so she persuades him to come along with his girlfriend, Emma. It'll be a double date for the two sets of friends. But once at the park, it soon becomes clear that Jules and Emma share a real passion for the park's rides while Sam and Marcus aren't nearly as enthused about them. What's more, a really strong, mutual attraction seems to be growing between Jules and Emma. The double-date is in danger of becoming a double-dump! In Australia, Jack and Lucy also go on a double date; — Jack goes with Sophie — but Lucy's mystery partner on the night turns out to be a complete surprise.
A huge opportunity presents itself and Lili's determined to make sure they take it. The von Hasenburg castle has the chance to be the first stop on a new "Castle of Dreams" tourist route which will mean they'll get more tourists and more revenue. But first, Ben must attend the Regional Meeting of Barons where he will have to convince the other Barons that they should agree to this. Ben isn't sure he can pull this off but Lili tells him not to worry. She'll accompany Ben to the meeting. He just has to leave her to do the talking. But during the meeting, Lili finds herself caught up in an emergency and has to leave Ben to manage on his own. To everyone's surprise, Ben pulls it off and wins their castle prime position on the route. But then they discover that he's really been outfoxed by all the other Barons and now they are lumbered with a responsibility they definitely don't want. Having solved one problem, Ben has created a bigger one and now he has to find a solution to it. Needless to say, it won't be easy.
Sam, Jack and Lucy are excited to be asked to audition for one of Germany's biggest music promoters and band managers. The plan is for Sam to be in a studio in Germany which will be linked via satellite to a studio in Australia where Jack and Lucy will play. It's an expensive exercise and they'll only have a fifteen minute window of opportunity so they'll have to be well prepared and ready to go. At the same time, Sophie is asked to ride in a horse orienteering event on behalf of the camp. The two events are scheduled for the same day and Jack finds himself committed to both events. However, as there's a gap of several hours between the two events, Jack is confident there won't be a problem. But Jack has an uncanny ability to encounter problems which no one else would ever be likely to meet. Suddenly the audition is in jeopardy. Sam and Lucy can't believe how badly Jack has let them down — Nor that they are about to blow one of the biggest opportunities to ever come their way.
Hermann arrives unexpectedly to inform Lili that the castle's possessions will be audited — tomorrow! If anything important is found to be missing or broken then the family will have grounds to throw Ben [and Lili and Philipp] out of the castle and therefore Herman can take over. Lili immediately enlists the help of Marcus, Sam and Ben to ensure everything is in order. Fortunately, all is well and the family's heirlooms are all present and intact. But Hermann can always be guaranteed to have a surprise up his sleeve and on the day of the audit, he reveals one. Suddenly, he is in position to take control of everything. Meanwhile Sam's band has impressed the German music producer who now wants to see them all in Germany. This means Jack and Lucy need to quickly raise some money to help pay for their airfares. The only jobs they can find are in a call centre where they have to sell products over the phone. Lucy rises to the occasion with gusto but Jack is far from being a natural salesman. With their departure date looming, it looks like there's no way that he'll be on that plane to Germany.
Sam's thrilled to see her best friends make it to Germany but there's little time for celebration. They have just 3 days to rehearse before their audition for Albert Scheren, the renowned German music producer. But finding a place they can rehearse is harder than finding a needle in a haystack! Even worse, the venue Sam had hoped to use for their actual audition is now unavailable. It looks like the usually reliable Sam has made an absolute mess of things by not properly preparing. At the same time, Ben accompanies Mia on a charity bike ride. But in doing so, he manages in spectacular fashion to disrupt Mia's chances of completing the ride. All her hard work will have been for nothing. Now both twins have caused major problems for themselves and their closest friends. It will take some seriously ingenious problem solving — and luck!- to get them out of the holes they've dug themselves into.
Now that Jack and Lucy have joined Sam in Germany, local music entrepreneur, Albert Scheren is going to put them through their paces to see if he will sign them. The three teenagers look forward to the challenge — until they experience what Scheren has in store for them. It seems that the band he wants them to be is not exactly the band that they want to be. The teenagers decide to confront Scheren with their views and are relieved to see that he agrees. Happily, they assemble the next day, determined to give the performance of their lives. But nothing is straightforward in the commercial music industry and further surprises are in store. Becoming successful musicians is clearly going to be a lot harder than they ever imagined.
When Ben accidently breaks a small castle ornament he sets in motion a train of events that makes him wish he'd just confessed to his mistake at the outset. First, Philipp hears of the accident and is immediately alarmed about the castle's security. So Marcus suggests they should rig up surveillance cameras in all the main rooms. Then Philipp gets an even better idea. Using the internet, he can watch the vision from the cameras in Australia each night after he finishes his work at the Bush Camp. Not only will that provide great security, it will also make him feel more at home because he'll be in touch with the castle 24/7. It sounds a great plan but the teenagers soon realize that Philipp can now see their every move. It's like being constantly spied on and they have hardly any privacy left at all. Somehow, they have to bring this situation to an end — and fast!
Sam is feeling a bit desperate and dateless. What with Lili going out with Max and Ben with Mia, everyone seems to have someone to do things with except her. And to make matters worse, everyone is obviously feeling sorry for her and she's in serious danger of being killed with kindness! When Ben and Mia suggest she partner with Marcus for the annual Fire Brigade Dance Competition, Sam initially refuses. She'd find it way too embarrassing to be partners with an old boyfriend. But the others need a third couple for their team and under pressure, Sam eventually agrees to it. She and Marcus start rehearsing together and it soon becomes obvious that maybe they both still have feelings for each other. But do either of them really want this sort of complication in their lives?
Philipp's trial finally arrives and to everyone's relief, all charges against him are dropped. He is free to go home! But as he leaves the court escorted by the equally jubilant Sophie, Jack and Lucy, a courier presents him with a package — full of foreign money! As if from nowhere, the police suddenly arrive and he quickly finds himself back under arrest again. This nightmare just won't go away. Somehow, Hermann hears of Philipp's new dilemma and offers him a way out. Naturally, it will mean transferring ownership of the castle to him. Philipp is given 24 hours to make his decision. Suspecting foul play, Sam, Ben, Lili and Marcus get on the case and try to find a way to free the Baron. But Hermann is expert at covering his tracks so proving he's behind everything will be far from easy.
With Philipp due back in Germany in 3 days, excited preparations are underway at the castle to welcome him home. Then Hermann announces to Lili that ancient law requires the family to vote on Ben's performance as Baron. And this must occur in 2 days. If Philipp isn't back by then, and the family votes against Ben, Hermann will take ownership of the castle. As Philipp boards his flight from Australia, the teenagers make plans to ensure that everything possible is done to ensure the family are impressed by Ben's smooth running of the castle. They organise an extravagant garden party and invite the Mayor and other local dignitaries — all of whom they know will speak highly of Ben to the family. This will be followed by a magnificent lunch — prepared by one of the best chefs in Lower Saxony. Lili leaves no stone unturned in order to win the family to their cause. But Hermann is equally determined and it's not long before things spiral downwards as he sabotages all the teenagers' good work. This time, it looks like he might win the day after all.
