Television soap opera writer Jack Gable (John Candy), having just discovered his favourite character is to be killed off, is knocked out by the boot lid of his car and propelled into the world of the programme he created. Jack finds himself able to slip out of the world of soap and back to his typewriter, and so attempts to arrange matters to his advantage, planning a heady romance for himself with the show's gorgeous 'bad girl' (Emma Samms).