Set in Sydney, the story follows Jackie Mullens Joey Kennedy, a teenage barmaid working in her mother’s pub who dreams of becoming a singing star. Her scheming 14-year-old cousin Angus Mullens Ross O'Donovan wants to be her manager, pushing her toward bigger opportunities. At a local club talent night, Jackie captivates the crowd and earns The Wombats as her backing band, while she also starts dating the band’s guitarist, Robbie Ned Lander. The mix of ambition, youth, and romance sets up a volatile musical journey.
In an attempt to catapult Jackie into television fame, Angus contacts the host of a popular show, Terry Lambert, and pitches a sensational stunt: Jackie would walk a tightrope between high-rise buildings, nude. The stunt backfires in reality, but the host sees potential and decides to feature Jackie on the program. On the show, Jackie develops a crush on the suave host, and under his influence, she drops the Wombats, tones down her quirky music and appearance to be more conventional, and ends her relationship with Robbie, who disapproves of the changes. Her TV debut with the new look and sound proves disappointing, and she soon discovers that Terry is not as she believed—he is gay—leaving her humiliated and forced to reassess her choices as she reconnects with Robbie.
Meanwhile, Lou [Dennis Miller], Angus’s deadbeat father, returns and begins dating Pearl [Margo Lee], Jackie’s hardworking mother. The affair dissolves into trouble when Lou disappears with all the money from the pub’s safe, pushing Pearl and the pub toward financial collapse. This moment of crisis adds urgency to Jackie’s ambitions and to the family’s precarious situation.
To save both the pub and Jackie’s singing career, Angus hatches a bold plan: crash The Wow! Show’s New Year’s Eve talent competition at the Sydney Opera House by posing as stage crew and taking over the stage. The plan works, Jackie wins the $25,000 prize, and her rising star power helps rescue the pub from ruin. The finale rings with triumph as fireworks erupt, followed by a cut to black, signaling a new chapter for Jackie and the pub.
The narrative weaves together themes of ambition, resilience, and the costs of fame, all set against a vibrant backdrop of live music, televised spectacle, and a family striving to survive while chasing a dream.
