In Your Dreams

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.

Strange, unexplained sounds in the castle unnerve everyone. While nobody believes in the supernatural, there seems to be no verifiable source of what causes the sounds – or any of the other strange happenings that start to occur. Torches are extinguished, doors creak shut and then Sam finds herself trapped in a gloomy, castle attic. What’s going on? Adding to the foreboding, the regional health inspector [who has a long-standing grudge against the von Hasenburgs] declares that he’s heard there are rats in the café kitchen. The inspector threatens to close the castle restaurant if the offending rodents aren’t found and exterminated by the time he returns. And he’ll want proof. Once again, the castle inhabitants are under siege on several fronts and once again, there’s no obvious way to deal with any of it.

It’s the annual von Hasenburg family lunch – an important occasion that gathers all the remaining cousins, aunts and uncles of the family to hear Philipp present the annual “State Of The Castle” report. It’s soon clear to the family members however, that the castle and its funding are clearly in trouble. And matters worsen when Philipp fails to produce the treasured family signet ring that’s required to officially sign the annual report. Uncle Herman and his wife, Kiki [who are desperate to occupy the castle themselves] suddenly see a perfect opportunity. They insist that Philipp’s failures mean he must relinquish the title to them and vacate the castle. Observing all this, Lili, Sam and the other teenagers hastily cobble together a plan to demonstrate that Philipp is both capable and deserving of the family’s trust. But – far from making Philip’s position better – they actually manage to make his situation worse. What’s more, they see that Herman’s enmity has been aroused and they’ve made themselves a powerful enemy.

On learning Sophie is compiling a history of the village for a school assignment, Ben promptly develops a profound enthusiasm for history too and happily accompanies her on a fact finding mission for her assignment. But the reclusive old woman they visit proves to be extremely demanding and soon Ben is confronting historical material of a kind he would much prefer to avoid. Sam meantime gets another perspective on what ‘cultural differences’ are all about as she discovers that even small tasks - like buying bread – aren’t quite so simple in a country that has over 300 varieties of the stuff. Between the two of them, Sam and Ben manage to wreak minor havoc as they go about their respective tasks. Hopefully, the local community will survive the impact

When Marcus discovers that he has a video of Sam singing on his camera, he decides to surprise her by editing it and making a present of it to her. But through a series of accidents, the clip ends up being unwittingly posted on a popular internet site. Back in Australia, Jack and Lucy react in dismay. It looks to them as if Sam has gone behind their back, ‘stolen’ both their music and their lyrics and claimed the entire song as her own. Sam protests her innocence. But Jack and Lucy aren’t listening. They feel betrayed by Sam and bluntly tell her that they’re breaking up the band. Sam is both shocked and despondent – not to mention deeply confused. And when Marcus becomes aware of the predicament he’s created he naturally feels responsible and compelled to do something about it. But what?

Ben is happy to find himself befriended by a group of boys at the local school. What Ben doesn’t know however, is that one of the boys is from a family that has been in conflict with the von Hasenburgs for many years. Unwittingly, Ben allows himself to become a dupe for his new found ‘friend’ and is encouraged to take part in what he thinks is a simple end of term prank. But in the small town culture of a foreign country where he’s completely ignorant of local rivalries and politics, he doesn’t anticipate the full ramifications of what appears to him as just a bit of fun. As it turns out, the prank he’s encouraged to play turns out to be a major slight on the von Hasenburg family and subjects them to ridicule in the town. Ben is extremely upset that he’s unwittingly caused his hosts such acute embarrassment and realises he has to do something to right the wrong he’s brought about. But how does a naïve young Australian teenager make amends for a major and very public gaffe he’s caused in a culture he doesn’t really know?

Lili decides to hold a surprise picnic for her parents to celebrate their wedding anniversary. All the arrangements are in place and the only thing still to find is a suitably romantic spot in the nearby forest. Ben volunteers to locate one -with Sophie’s help of course. The two of them set off from the castle, confident they’ll find just the right place in no time at all. Sam meanwhile is disturbed by the fact that Lili appears to be jealous of her blossoming friendship with Marcus. Not that Lili has ever shown the slightest romantic interest in Marcus – but Sam knows that Lili can be very possessive and might give Marcus a hard time if she feels spurned. Sam needs to find a way to so deal with this. She decides that the best way to throw Lili off the scent is to prove that she actually has a boyfriend back in Australia. To that end, Sam enlists the help of a very surprised and not very enthusiastic best friend – Jack. And once Jack gets involved in anything, it’s all downhill from there. While all this goes on, Ben and Sophie become hopelessly lost in the forest and Sophie injures herself. It’s obvious that a number of mini catastrophes is gathering – and they’re all about to come together to create a perfect storm.

Lili is excited about an impending visit to the castle by a group of young aristocrats – the most important of whom is the renowned Prince Karl-Christof von Droste-Schattenberg, whose family runs a very influential magazine called “Kool Kulture”. If Lili can persuade the Prince to feature their castle in the magazine, then it could lead to lots more tourists and therefore lots more money for them. But Lili’s enthusiasm quickly turns to horror when the local Sheriff arrives and starts placing large repossession stickers on items all over the castle signifying that they are to be confiscated in order to repay a debt her father owes. If the young nobles see these stickers, they’ll know that the von Hasenburgs are in serious financial trouble. Not only will this kill any chance of seeing the castle appear in the magazine, it will bring acute shame and embarrassment to Lili and her family. As Lili collapses into a trough of despair, Ben, Sam, Marcus and Sophie gather their collective wits to try and find a way out of the mess. But with the visit of the young aristocrats about to occur that very day, they have very little time to come up with an idea let alone a way of implementing it.

Sam is worried that Marcus seems to be deliberately avoiding her for some reason. She wonders what she’s done wrong that could have caused him to take such offence. Then again, she reflects that all her life she’s never really had much luck with boys – so maybe it’s just in her nature to be a ‘turn off’ for them. Sam’s apprehension turns to dismay however when Marcus officially informs her that he doesn’t want their relationship to continue. Sam is astonished. They don’t actually have ‘a relationship’ – do they? Marcus agrees – but the way things are going they are on the road to having one and he thinks it best to call things off now before their lives get more complicated. Sam reluctantly agrees to this but when you’re living in the same house– even if that house is a very large castle – it’s not that easy for two people to avoid each other. This leads to very awkward moments as the two studiously attempt to stay out of each other’s way. The situation gets worse however when Lili instructs Sam and Marcus to play the historical roles of young lovers in the film she’s making of the castle’s history. In no time at all, Marcus and Sam’s agreement is put to the test. At least it does lead to a resolution of the tension between them – but not in a way that either of them could have possibly expected.

Ben fails to turn up for a picnic date with Sophie and she is naturally upset. But after Ben apologises profusely and explains why he didn’t get there, Sophie forgives him and suggests dinner at her house instead. And anyway, it’s time Ben met her family. She’s told them all about him and they’re keen to meet him. Ben is flattered [“If she invites me home then that must mean she really likes me!”]. Sophie impresses upon him the need to turn up punctually [her dad is a stickler for things like this] and gives him her address. Ben assures her that he’ll be there at the precise time and on his best behaviour. Aware that he needs to make a good impression, Ben seeks some tips from Sam and Lili about the best ways to impress a girl’s family in general and German customs in particular. Then, having armed himself with good advice and dressed especially well for the occasion, he sets out in eager anticipation. From that moment on, things go downhill fast. In spite of his best intentions, Ben somehow manages to turn what should be a triumph into an unmitigated disaster. At the end of the evening, he can’t see how Sophie will ever want to speak with him again.

Marcus - by now an enthusiastic fan of Sam, Jack and Lucy's music - receives news that the band video he’d secretly entered in a regional radio station talent quest has been accepted into the competition. Sheepishly admitting his actions to Sam, he is delighted to find that she’s thrilled. There is a catch however - the band is required to record another song video for delivery to the radio station within 48 hours. The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the castle is booked that day for a wedding ceremony and Sam - along with everyone else - is needed to help out. Ever the optimist, Sam attempts to combine setting tables, preparing food, serving and clearing with rehearsals of the song she’s planning to sing for the video. But the wedding drags on and Sam can’t get a moment to shoot her part of the clip. At the same time, back in Sydney, Jack and Lucy find they have very little time to record their parts let alone play the instrumentals and mix the track. They adopt some desperate measures but suddenly find themselves in the hands of the local police! Their downcast spirits are made worse by the thought that they've blown their opportunity to help Sam and have missed out on being able to enter the competition.

Philipp has a bright idea: the castle will host Murder Mystery Nights to raise revenue! Sam, Ben and the others are less than enthused – especially when they discover that they all have to play roles in the drama. But Philipp assures them that they have nothing to worry about. He's invited a renowned actor friend to play the main role. He'll do most of the work and ensure that the rest of them are carried safely through the performance. Local dignitaries including the Mayor and members of the Regional Tourism Board have accepted invitations to the performance so they can’t back out –The Show Must Go On! The Big Night soon arrives and the VIPs assemble. The performance gets underway but after a promising start, things soon begin to go haywire. Not the least of the problems is the fact that the renowned actor has suddenly gone missing and unless he can be found, the whole evening will collapse into a shambles. Things become even more worrying though when real blood is found in a castle corridor. It looks like fiction has become fact and foul play has actually occurred in real life. There’s only one thing to do – the authorities must be called. Philipp’s Murder Mystery Night has turned out to be much more than he or anyone else has bargained for.

Grim news hits the von Hasenburgs when the National Heritage authorities order that one of the castle towers must be restored to its original condition. To do this will cost a small fortune but if Philipp doesn’t comply, the castle will lose its heritage classification and Tourist Board support. It's a dreadful dilemma; - if they restore the tower they'll go broke and if they don't restore the tower they'll go broke. When cousin Herman and wife Kiki hear about this they descend on the castle with a magnanimous offer: Herman will pay for the restoration. But as with all Herman’s proposals – there’s a hook. In return for his generosity, Philipp must give Herman the castle and allow him to become Head Of The Family. Sadly, Philipp can see no alternative but to accept Herman’s offer. Lili of course is devastated and when Marcus and Sam fail in a desperate attempt to thwart Herman’s scheme, it seems that the situation is doomed and Herman and Kiki will win the day.

Sam is delighted to learn that the band’s video clip has made the State Finals of the Song Competition and excitedly informs Jack and Lucy. But there’s a catch: the band must perform ‘live’ on stage in front of a jury which means that Jack and Lucy will have to come to Germany. This is fine in theory but in practice there are some formidable obstacles to overcome, not the least of which are how they’ll pay for the trip, get parental permission and talk their school into allowing them time off from classes. At the same time, the mood in the castle suddenly deteriorates because a large delivery of tee-shirts, hats and other merchandise displaying the family name and crest has just arrived and Lili is aghast. Philipp had thought he was getting the bargain of a lifetime by buying a stack of cheap merchandise to sell to tourists at a vast profit. But the merchandise isn’t exactly what he ordered – in fact Lili thinks it is destined to be a major embarrassment to the family and must be destroyed immediately. It looks like yet another of Philipp’s grand ideas has wasted a large amount of money that they can ill afford to lose.

Lili has a dilemma. On the one hand she’s thrilled about the prospect of going with her mother to a glamorous Fashion Launch in Berlin. On the other hand the date clashes with the Summer Ball. Not only is the Summer Ball the highlight of the social calendar for Germany's young aristocrats but also Prince Karl-Christof has asked Lili to accompany him and she is desperately keen to do so. Lili doesn’t want to disappoint her mother but nor does she want to be disappointed herself. While Sam tries to help Lili wrestle with her problem, Ben finds himself going on a camping and fishing weekend with Philipp. But when it comes to the great outdoors, it’s soon very evident that both Ben and Philipp would be far better off staying indoors and their adventure quickly degenerates into the weekend from hell.

Jack fails a school maths exam and must re-sit. As a consequence his parents issue an ultimatum: if he fails again, he’ll have to stop playing in the band with Sam and Lucy and focus purely on his schoolwork. This in turn will mean that they’ll miss the National Final of the Song Competition in Germany. Sam enlists Marcus to help out by giving Jack personalised maths tutoring over the internet. But Jack proves to be a less than ideal student and the prospects of him passing the exam look increasingly hopeless. Meanwhile Philipp has decided to ingratiate himself with the local Mayor by offering to mind her dog for a few days. The dog soon proves to be too much for Philipp to handle so he delegates the minding duty to Ben. Inevitably, the dog creates chaos around the castle with one of his stunts in particular posing a calamitous threat to Jack’s ability to pass his exam.

Lili decides to take Sam and Ben on a tour of Hamburg, one of Germany’s larger cities. An added incentive is that they’ll be able to attend a dance party being thrown by Prince Karl-Christof. Ben is especially delighted because Sophie is spending the week there with her aunt and it'll be a great chance for him to surprise her with an unexpected visit. But once in Hamburg, things fail to go according to plan and soon Ben is separated from the others, loses a valuable family trophy that Lili has entrusted him to care for and discovers that Sophie is hanging out with another boy. As his world collapses around him, Ben – as only he can - proceeds to find ways that ensure his situation goes from bad to worse. He’ll need a minor miracle - or an awful lot of luck – to get himself out of the hole he digs for himself.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that the castle is in urgent need of repair. Roof tiles are falling, walls are crumbling, even the cafe’s coffee machine explodes. Things have become so bad that the local council is threatening severe fines - possibly even closure - unless proper safety measures are put in place. All of which are way beyond Philipp’s financial means. The situation is desperate. A solution appears however in the form of Rock music legend, Johnny Brave who offers to buy the castle in order to turn it into a golf and country club. What’s more, he’ll allow Philipp and Lili to still live in it rent free. Philipp thinks they have no option but to accept – especially as Johnny offers them a fortune large enough to solve all their money problems forever. But Lili is fiercely opposed to giving up the family heritage so she decides to take matters into her own hands. Unfortunately her actions backfire and rather than deterring Johnny from buying the castle, he ends up offering Philipp even more money – an offer Philipp can’t possibly refuse. It looks as if all is lost and after many centuries, the castle will move out of the hands of the von Hasenburg family. But ever the optimist, Ben comes up with an idea to stop the sale. But like all Ben’s ideas, it’s so far out of left field that no one believes it could possibly work. No one except Ben, that is.