| Genre: | Drama |
| Director: | Jaroslav Hanuš |
| Starring: | Tomáš Töpfer, Kateřina Macháčková, Kateřina Hrachovcová, Jiřina Jirásková |
| Country: | Czech Republic |
| Language: | Czech |
| Num Seasons: | 2 |
| Num Episodes: | 52 |
| Runtime: | 48 minutes |
| Network: | Czech Television |
Život na zámku (English: Life at the Mansion) is a Czech television series from 1995. It was filmed from spring 1994 to October 1998 in Kolín and at Roztěž Castle.[1] The series had audience share 34.4% and was in its time one of the most watched Czech series.[2]
In a small town, the Královy family lives in one apartment - grandmother, father and dentist Přemysl Král, his wife, a grammar school teacher, Marie and their teenage children, daughter Simona and son Otakar. At first, she primarily deals with a complicated housing situation, her grandmother moves in with her neighbor Vaňka, but she soon returns. Otakar is studying medicine, but he turns down an offer to study abroad because of his girlfriend. Otakar quarrels with his parents about this, leaves, interrupts school and has to join the army.
Grandmother and her son Přemysl inherit the castle Temniště, which is located near their town, according to Count Esperek's will. Grandma worked as Count Esperka's cook, and Přemysl Král is his illegitimate son. Přemysl Král has to move out of his practice because the owner's son, also a dentist, claims it. The Královy family moves to Temniště. They want to solve the financial shortage by renting part of the property to some lucrative client, so they refuse the local kindergarten. Before signing the lease agreement with the gallery, it is discovered that the castle does not belong to the Královys. The king meets with the former lover of the primary Bohata, Renáta. The Královs divorce, Marie leaves the gymnasium and moves to her parents in the village. Simona studies journalism and works in Regional papers, during a driving school course she becomes pregnant by a married instructor who told her that he is divorced. Her daughter Marenka is born.
The castle returns to the ownership of the Kings. Marie with her daughter Simona and granddaughter Mařenka get an apartment from Mr. Vaňek. Marie returns to school and becomes close to the former headmaster and competitor Mára. At the end of the 26th episode, she meets her drunken ex-husband Přemysl and returns to him. This part ended the first part of the filming, other parts were filmed from 1997.
Count Esperk's son, Felix, who lives in Switzerland, challenges the Kings' right to inheritance and contests the will. The court assigns the property to Felix. Otakar Král has secretly married and informs his parents that he will remain in the army. Marie and Přemysl get married again and start building a house for the whole family. The king becomes a doctor in the hospital. After the approval, only the Královs remain in the house, later son Otakar moves in with his wife and son Otakar. Simona marries Tonda Nové and after the vicissitudes they fly to England. Marie gets an offer to leave for the Ministry of Education. In the last episode, Grandma marries her former neighbor Vanek.
The series finished second in the TýTý survey, in the category Show of the Year, the series was ranked 2nd in 1997 and 1st in 1999.[3]