Paradise Café


Paradise Café is a teen television series that premiered on 6 January 2009 on CBBC Channel and TV2.
It was a co-production between New Zealand's Gibson Group and UK company Initial, a division of Endemol. The first series started on 6 January 2009 and ended on 31 March 2009. The second series premiered in the United Kingdom and New Zealand on 17 January 2011 and the final episode aired on 7 February 2011.

Production

In March 2008, the BBC announced a new 13-part drama series set in New Zealand. The series was filmed in Rarotonga, Cook Islands in mid-2008 and was directed by Danny Mulheron.
The BBC announced in May 2010 that they were currently filming the second series. The character Chloe, played by Amelia Reynolds was written out in the first episode of the second series and a new character, Natasha played by Georgia Fabbish was subsequently introduced. Georgia Fabish had previously played a minor character in the first series. The second series started airing on 17 January 2011 in the United Kingdom and in New Zealand.

Plot

In the ancient times, on Paradise Island, an ancient hero named the Sea Born imprisoned an evil sea ghost called Ragnar in an underwater coral prison along with many other sea ghosts. Ragnar swore revenge against the Sea Born.
The sea ghosts are at the core of the story, and appear in almost every episode. They can be from any country, or period of history, but are the ghosts of people that have died at sea. They can be invisible, appear as human, or be in their "true sea ghost form" with grey skin covered in black blotches, wearing black and white ragged versions of their human clothes. If seen through water their sea ghost form is revealed. This usually happens when they are seen from behind the fish tank in the Paradise Cafe. Any item, such as money or clothes, given away by a sea ghost will turn into sand after a short time away from the ghost.
Centuries later, Megan and Robbo move to Paradise Island along with their father to open up a café there. Robbo quickly befriends Tai, a kind but very clumsy character whilst Megan eventually gets along with a spoilt, rich girl named Abi. A strange girl named Chloe is eager to get to know everyone on the island and it later discovered by the audience that she is a sea ghost spy working for Ragnar. The five kids discover that either Robbo, Tai or Megan is the reincarnation of the Sea Born and Ragnar is looking for them since he needs the Sea Born to escape from the coral prison. Eventually Megan finds out that Chloe is a sea ghost and this infuriates Chloe so she attempts to kill Megan. However, Megan promises not to tell the others and they become best friends making Abi jealous. When Robbo is kidnapped by Ragnar, Chloe is forced to tell everyone that she has been spying for Ragnar all this time. The gang lose all trust in her and it soon transpires that Tai is the reincarnation of the Sea Born. The gang along with Chloe defeat Ragnar.
In the second series, there is no longer any threat to the inhabitants of the café. Although in the series 1 finale Ragnar said he would return, at the start of series 2 it was announced that he had gone. Each episode follows the same pattern: a sea ghost with a problem appears in the café, the kids help him or her, there are some comedic complications, and the ghost returns to the sea. New character Natasha is mistaken for a sea ghost in the first episode of series two, due to her awkward behaviour and unfashionable clothes, so each of the children in turn contrive to "accidentally" throw water at her.

Cast and characters

Series One (2009)

Series Two (2011)