Sofa So Soft (Script)

FADE IN:

EXT. CLOUD WORLD. DAY.

A beautiful world with clouds for the ground and a pretty pink and orange sunset sky. A sign labelled ‘Warning’ is planted in the soft ground. We can hear Cleo’s father, Niles, speak:

NILES

(VO)

The following film has nothing to do with the time I brought a new sofa from Otto. It is vital that you not watch this episode before watching this, otherwise you’ll be scarred for life. Enjoy the show!

FADE TO BLACK.

FADE IN:

FULL SCREEN - BLUE SKY

The sky is patterned with fluffy white clouds. The clouds begin to slowly form, revealing the title:

OPENING TITLE CREDIT: “SOFA SO SOFT”

Luke, Resus, Cleo and Sybil can be heard sighing softly offscreen.

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. GARDEN. AFTERNOON.

ANGLE - TREES

The leaves blow gently in the breeze.

THE SKY

Some swallows fly overhead.

SYBIL, LUKE, RESUS, CLEO & SIX

Are all lying on their backs looking up at the sky. It is a relaxing moment.

MUSIC: “MUSIC FOR GROWING FLOWERS - PART 5” BY ERLAND COOPER

SYBIL

I wonder what that cloud looks like?

SIX

Hmmmm…looks like a rabbit to me.

Sure enough, there is a rabbit shape in the clouds.

SIX

I can tell, it has a cute little fluffy tail.

SYBIL

(giggles)

Yeah right.

RESUS

That one looks like a dog.

Dig’s shape forms in the sky.

RESUS

(cont’d)

More like Dig, I think.

Dig and Lulu chase each other around the garden. Sybil and her friends giggle over this.

SYBIL

Pets.

LUKE

You don’t know what has gotten into them.

CLEO

While you two are jabbering on about pets…I think that shape in the clouds looks like a kangaroo.

Cleo’s right - a kangaroo cloud shape has formed above them [SFX: BOINGING NOISES]. Next to it is a fountain shape with a lemon shape on top. Luke is the first to spot it:

LUKE

This one looks like a lemonade fountain.

SIX

Lemonade fountain? Really?

LUKE

It has a lemon right on top.

SYBIL

Lemons taste sour. By the way, I think that shape up there looks like a hippo dancing in a tutu.

The image of the hippo dancing in a ballet skirt in the clouds causes all the friends to crack up laughing. At last:

CLEO

(fading out)

Ah, ah, aaaah. Good one, Sybil.

SIX

I wonder who makes all those cloud shapes in the sky?

SYBIL

Bunnies and teddies.

LUKE/RESUS/CLEO/SIX

(in unison)

Bunnies and teddies?

RESUS

I’m not one for believing in these things.

SYBIL
It’s true, Resus, these bunnies and teddies make the shapes in the clouds the same way we make snowmen in Winter days.

RESUS

I’d be better off making snowmen than listening to this cloud rubbish.

CLEO

Come on, Resus, you’re the one with the soft vampire skin.

LUKE

Yeah, Resus, it’s just something my little sister made up.

CLEO

Our little sister.

LUKE

Yeah, right, erm…our little sister.

Resus concerns a minute, and then sighs acceptingly.

RESUS

(Alright, go on then)

Alright, Sybil, I believe you.

SYBIL

Yay!

Luke, Cleo and Six breathe a collective sigh of relief.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. HOUSE - KITCHEN. AFTERNOON.

Luke, Resus, Cleo, Six and Sybil are eating cookies and drinking milk. Niles and the other parents are gathered in the kitchen to hear Sybil’s tall tale.

SYBIL

…and you see, all those bunnies and teddies make those cloud shapes in the sky. I really believe it’ll happen! They do exist, just wait.

MIKE WATSON

And I’m not the only one who believes in these kinds of things.

BELLA NEGATIVE

You always delight us with your stories, Sybil.

SYBIL

Why wouldn’t I? I’m also glad Six came for a sleepover.

SIX

Thank you. If I weren’t here, I wouldn’t be able to hear Sybil’s tale.

NILES

A world in the clouds? I’m fascinated to hear about that.

SYBIL

I already told you, not for the hundredth time at least.

SUE WATSON

At least we don’t talk about that robot and wolf toy you used to own, Luke. It’s all by those standards of terrible times on Scream Street.

(to Sybil)

You know, Luke used to have a teddy bear when he was little.

SYBIL

Really?

SUE WATSON

Yes. His name with Grizzlyfur, and he used to take it to bed with him all the time.

RESUS

And that’s why we always bring teddies to bed.

Everyone laughs over Resus’ sarcasm. I pat Resus on the back, laughing. Niles is even more excited.

NILES

Oh! If we could visit that soft place, we could bounce up and down in the clouds. Almost like a bouncy castle! Come on, Sybil!

Sybil races to Niles and they start bouncing together, laughing happily.

CLEO

Well, there goes Dad.

Resus facepalms, sighing happily.

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. LIVING ROOM. LATER THAT EVENING.

Luke, Resus, Cleo, Sybil, Six and Niles are watching something on the TV. The audio coming from the TV seems to be cute and cheerful. REVEAL:

THE TV

Showing footage from the original 1985 Care Bears Movie.

SYBIL

That’s what I mean, Resus. There are bears and rabbits living up there in the sky.

RESUS

I guess you’re right. For a normal kid born to vampire parents, I’m quite happy with how things have turned out. I seem to quite like this movie.

CLEO

That’s because Sybil likes the Care Bears, Resus.

SYBIL

No no no no, these are some entirely different bears. Yellow bears with love hearts on their tummies.

LUKE

Ripoff.

SYBIL

It’s not a ripoff!

NILES

Calm down, kids, I think Sybil has the right idea. It would be perfect if we could visit that place in the clouds. It would be so soft…

SYBIL

We could see those bunnies and teddies!

RESUS
Again!

LUKE

And maybe we’ll find lemonade fountains.

CLEO

Or marshmallow trees.

RESUS

Or maybe…

(yawns, suddenly tired)

…I’m quite tired myself.

Soon, everyone yawns. Niles switches off the TV, and soon they are all fast asleep. There is silence for a minute. Then, suddenly, the inside of the sofa starts to glow a bright, warm gold. Sybil wakes up, and notices.

SYBIL

Guys, wake up! The sofa, the sofa!

Everyone wakes up and notices the golden light in the sofa.

NILES

EH?!

LUKE

Cool!

RESUS

I wonder where that leads to?

SYBIL

I don’t know, I’d better feel and see.

Sybil places her hand down the back of the sofa. She is feeling far down, and then she pulls her hand out! Some soft, tinkly harp music begins to play, muffled inside the sofa.

NILES

It would be better if you all stayed with me. We’re going to explore this place together.

CLEO

But dad, what about the last time you tried to order a sofa from Otto? All your stuff got-

NILES

(interrupts)

No, no talking about it.

(to the other kids)

Right, everyone hold hands.

SYBIL

That’s what I was going to say.

Everyone nervously holds each other’s hands.

NILES

Okay, Sybil, you do the honours.

SYBIL

Ready? One, two, three, JUMP!

Everyone jumps into the back of the sofa as the golden light envelops the screen.

FADE TO WHITE.

FADE IN:

EXT. SPACE - RAINBOW PATH.

Everyone slides down across the twisting, turning rainbow path, yelling and laughing as they shoot across the vastness of Space. This is just like in the Rupert episode ‘Rupert & Algy’s Misadventure’. This goes on for another minute, until Sybil, who is thoroughly enjoying the ride, sees a giant cloud and a ramp in the distance.

SYBIL

Everyone hold on!!!

LUKE/RESUS/CLEO/SIX/NILES

(screaming)

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

Suddenly, everyone goes over the rainbow ramp towards the cloud.

SYBIL/LUKE/RESUS/CLEO/SIX/NILES

WOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!

They disappear into the clouds, which flash with lightning.

EXT. CLOUD WORLD. A BEAUTIFUL DAY.

Sybil, Luke, Resus, Cleo, Niles and Six fall through the clouds and onto the soft ground below. They bounce a few times and are safely down on the ground. Sybil gets up, and helps everyone up gently.

SYBIL

Where are we?

LUKE

I feel my ears buzz from sliding through Space too long.

SYBIL

Don’t worry, Luke, it’s OK.

RESUS

Perhaps we’re in that world you made up.

SIX

Whatever world we’ve been in before, this one’s beautiful.

CLEO

(feels the ground)

Oooh, and very soft too.

SYBIL

Come on, everyone, feel it for yourself.

Everyone feels the ground. They sigh softly over it.

RESUS

So soft…

NILES

You’re right, it is soft.

SIX

We must be in a Soft World.

Sybil begins to bounce up and down on the cloud. She begins to like it. She is laughing over how bouncy the cloud is.

SYBIL

Wheeeeeeeee!! Come on, guys, this is fun!

NILES

Well, if clouds could give us a safe landing, then it feels quite like a trampoline.

CLEO

(begins to bounce)

You’re right, it’s like standing on a feather bed.

LUKE

A ginormous mattress!

SIX

A cuddly, enormous pillow!

RESUS

Or better yet…

Everyone begins to bounce about on the clouds, laughing and shouting in joy. There are a full few minutes of this. Sometimes, they take each others’ hands, and at one point, Niles bounces with Sybil the same way they bounced in the real world earlier.

CLEO
Woohooo-woo!

Suddenly, Niles rams into Cleo.

CLEO

Ow! Dad!

NILES

Sorry, princess!

Suddenly, they are sent rolling down a cloudy hill. Luke, Resus, Six and Sybil follow behind, and soon they are all rolling down a cloudy hill, yelling and laughing. As soon as they reach the bottom, they all laugh happily. As they get up, Sybil sees something.

SYBIL

Look!

(smirks)

And what did I tell you?

Everyone looks in Sybil’s direction. They realise they are in:

EXT. CLOUD ORCHARD. DAY.

A beautiful, serene orchard filled with orchid trees made out of clouds. Around them, little white rabbits looking similar to Bun Bun from ‘Pibby’ and yellow teddy bears with pink love hearts on them are harvesting orchids and making shapes in the clouds, similar to snowmen being made in Winter.

SYBIL

(quietly)

What did I tell you…

RESUS
I told you they were real.

NILES

Aaaawww, aren’t they cute? I’ll hug them and squeeze them and play with them-

CLEO

(whispers)

No, dad. Remember in those fairy tales where small creatures like fairies would only appear if we kept quiet and still? Well, we have to keep very quiet, and then they might get to notice us.

LUKE

(whispers)

So this is how they make shapes in the clouds?

SYBIL

(whispers)

Mmmm, sure.

Everyone wanders round the orchard. They look around at the bunnies and teddies that are going around collecting orchids and making snow sculptures in the clouds. Suddenly, they hear soft, peaceful music and peer round a tree to see

A SMALL BAND

Consisting of two rabbits and two bears, playing a harp, a xylophone, a violin and a piano. Everyone goes up to the band and sways along to a beautiful musical piece. The piece sounds similar to the ‘Music For Growing Flowers’ piece we heard at the beginning, only done by three other instruments as well. Halfway through this little concert, a loud trumpet fanfare sounds, distracting Sybil and her friends. Everyone races up to a large tree to see

A PARADE OF ANIMALS

Marching across the cloudy ground.

There are two pastel yellow tigers with pastel orange stripes carrying pink flags in their mouths. Following them are two pale blue penguins wearing Santa hats and jingling sleigh bells like they’re in a Christmas parade.