California Dreams

Jules Kendall's California dream is finally happening - a talent scout named Kai has promised to make her a star, and pop idol Jet Ballentine wants her by his side. There's just one catch: the romance is fake, cooked up by publicists to keep Jet in the headlines, and suddenly Jules is "vegan," dressed in kelp, and too busy for calls from Odyssey. Back home, her friend Buck is heartsick watching a Jules he barely recognizes... and ready to give up on her. Then, on the night of the big charity concert, Jet dumps her onstage in front of twenty thousand people and cancels her one chance to sing. When a voice calls out "I'll sing with her," it's Buck, who has snuck backstage posing as a roadie - and their duet brings down the house. Jules discovers Kai planned the whole scheme for money, her mom breaks off the engagement, and Jules heads home to Odyssey with forty-seven dollars, a wardrobe of elephant boots, and a clearer idea of who she really is.

Found on Best Kept Secrets Album 69 · 6 episodes

The run See every episode

0897 Teach a Man When aspiring filmmakers Jay and Zoe travel to Honduras to teach village kids moviemaking, their rival teaching styles - and Zoe's hunt for the perfect inspiring story - put the mission's real purpose to the test.

1 of 3 0898 The Rydell Revelations When a frantic Morrie Rydell accuses Emily Jones of kidnapping his sister, Whit must sift through Emily's recorded case log to untangle who has really been playing detective - and who has been playing everyone.

2 of 3 0899 The Rydell Revelations When a vanished sister forces Odyssey's cleverest schemer to seek help from the one man he couldn't fool, every game he ever played comes unraveled.

3 of 3 0900 The Rydell Revelations When a trusted caretaker turns out to be far more dangerous than she seems, three gifted kids and a stolen souvenir pull Emily Jones into a high-stakes game of spies, secrets, and rescue.

0901 For a Song When Jules's homemade song about school stress becomes a surprise hit, a jealous rival sets out to turn her newfound fame against her and everyone who trusted her.

1 of 2 0902 California Dreams When an aspiring singer leaves her small town behind for a shot at stardom in California, she discovers the price of fame may be the very self she's trying to share.

2 of 2 0903 California Dreams A small-town girl chasing pop stardom in California discovers that fame's price may be higher than she bargained for.

0904 Jumping Off, Jumping In A ten-year-old daredevil's escalating stunts land him in the ER, and only Mr. Whittaker can uncover what he's really trying to prove.

0905 Auto Response When Connie's car vanishes from sleepy, trusting Odyssey, a detective's investigation stirs up old suspicions - and secrets no one wants to confess.

0906 Unrelatable When a caller accuses radio advice host Connie Kendall of being "unrelatable," her on-air quest to prove him wrong connects her with a mysterious listener whose story hits far closer to home than she ever expected.

0907 The Protector A nine-year-old convinced his protective instinct makes him a superhero goes looking for people to save - and discovers the person who really needs him is closer than he thinks.

0908 The Christmas Bells A pastor's mysterious prompting leads him to an antique shop, where a Victorian music box opens the door to the true story of heartbreak and hope behind a beloved Christmas carol.

0909 Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off When three students land in detention for phones that aren't theirs, they realize someone framed them to get the school's best detectives out of the way - and the plot is unfolding right now.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 9 more roles

9 supporting roles

Coyote Jeff Bottoms Trista Cassandra Scerbo Jan Kendall Louise Barnes Bree Actor Unknown Izzy Danice Cabanela Charity Onstage Announcer Christopher Diehl We Weekly Announcer Actor Unknown Jet Ballentine Shane Brady Marie Gabby Actor Unknown

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Kathy Buchanan Writer Dave Arnold Director · Executive Producer Christopher Diehl Sound Designer Nathan Jones Sound Designer Nathan Hoobler Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 3 min

Jules Kendall's big California dream seems to be coming true. She has moved away from Odyssey with her mother, Jan, whose fiancé Kai is a talent scout who has promised to make Jules a star. Back home, her half-sister Connie and her friend Buck keep calling, but Jules is always too busy to talk, and Jan only passes along notes.

In California, Jules is swept into a meeting with pop star Jet Ballentine and two publicists, Trista and Izzy, who unveil a whiteboard mapping out a fake three-week romance between Jules and Jet. The pretend relationship, they explain, will keep Jet in the entertainment news and launch Jules into the spotlight, ending with the two of them singing Jules's own song as a duet at a huge charity concert - though Trista can never quite remember what the charity is for. Jules worries the whole thing is lying, and she is startled to learn she is now officially "vegan" even though she ate a bacon sandwich that morning. Still, the chance to perform her song for twenty thousand people is too tempting, and she agrees.

The plan works. Paparazzi snap photos of Jules and Jet sharing almond milk lattes at a café, where the two actually hit it off, joking about ham and wondering how anyone milks an almond. Soon Jules is walking red carpets in a dress made of recycled water bottles and kelp, and entertainment shows gush over the adorable new couple. Watching it all from Odyssey, Buck is heartsick. The clothes and the music don't seem like the real Jules, and after too many unanswered calls he tells Connie he's done trying, even though Connie insists Jules still needs them both.

On the night of the charity concert, everything unravels. A magazine article declares that Jet is fading while Jules is stealing the stage - and worse, it insults his famous hair. Furious, Jet walks onstage and tells the crowd he has broken up with Jules, claiming she is too hurt and angry to perform, and cancels their duet to avoid "toxicity." Jules is stunned; this is her one shot, and he is taking it from her in front of everyone. Then a voice cuts in: "I'll sing with her." It's Buck, who has flown to California, slipped backstage by posing as a roadie, and made friends with the sound crew. When the crowd wonders who he is, he calls himself "just a regular guy who thinks this girl is pretty amazing." Together, Buck and Jules perform her song the way she originally wrote it, and the audience loves it.

Backstage, everyone is celebrating - Jules is trending, and Kai's phone is ringing off the hook. But Jules has made up her mind. Singing with Buck was the only part of stardom she actually enjoyed, and she realizes she has been living inside a star Kai invented instead of being herself. "You said go hard or go home. I'm going home," she announces. Then comes a double surprise: the calls pouring in aren't for Jules at all. A leaked photo of her eating ice cream has offended the vegans and sunk her brand - but Kai and Trista think Buck, with his plaid shirt and retro hair, could be the next big thing. Buck flatly turns them down.

As Kai keeps talking, Jules pieces together the truth: he first saw her in a video she sent her mom, which means he planned everything from the start. He never wanted Jan to bring Jules to California to build a family - he wanted a star who could make him money. Jan, heartbroken to learn she and her daughter were both used, breaks off the engagement on the spot and tells Kai goodbye.

Jan needs time to sort out her life, so Jules returns to Odyssey, where Connie is delighted to have her back and Buck is glad too. Jules admits her whole taste of fame earned her just forty-seven dollars after Kai's cut, and she reflects that her mom is miserable because she's always trying to look perfect for everyone else. Connie gently adds that real joy comes from knowing how God sees you. Jules groans that the sermons are starting before Sunday even arrives - but she promises to keep going to church, while Buck and Connie tease that her leftover celebrity wardrobe, elephant boots and all, would be perfect for the worship band.