This was from the episode where Opie and his buddies put together
a history club, after Andy clues the boys in on the fun of History. Great show.
Last night was a really good one - one of the Christmas episodes.
There were some prisoners in jail, but Andy wanted Barney to play Santa that night, since it was Christmas Eve. As long as prisoners were there, Barney couldn't leave, so he couldn't play Santa. Andy solved that by letting the prisoners go home to their families on the promise they'd come back after Christmas was over.
Well, then mean old Ben Weaver (the male separated-at-birth twin of the lady who played the Wicked Witch of the East in the Wizard of Oz, I swear to golly) shows up with Sam Muggens in tow, saying he caught Sam moonshining and wants him arrested.
Hilarity ensues after Ben threatens to report Andy to the State if he doesn't lock Sam up. Andy arrests not only Sam, but all of his family - wife and 2 kids - as accessories, too. They go out and get Christmas trees for the office and the Muggens' cell. Aunt Bee brings a Christmas turkey and Andy's favorite "orange dressing," plus all the trimmings.
Old Ben is furious that they seem to be having a party - he stomps off, but sneaks around to the alley to spy on them thru a jail cell window. He sees them having such a warm and homey celebration that he wants to join them, but has to keep up his Scrooge persona - so he tries to steal a park bench from in front of the courthouse.
Andy tells him to bring it back, but Ben insists he should be arrested. Then Ellie (Andy's current GF, Elinor Donahue) tells him to let Ben keep the bench, it's Christmas. Curses, foiled the first time.
Next, Ben parks by a fire hydrant and when Barney gives him a ticket, he tears it up in Barney's face. Barney hauls him in to put him in jail, but Ellie pays his fine, so he won't have to go to jail "on Christmas." Curses, foiled a 2nd time.
The party is in full gear, with Barney dressed as Santa, Aunt Bee serving up plate after plate of Christmas dinner, Andy and Ellie singing carols. Can you imagine a prime time sitcom nowadays having several full minutes of "Away in a Manger" with close-ups on "The little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay ... I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky ..."?
Well, all this festivity is getting to Ben, who is outside spying again and he starts singing the Jesus parts, too. Oops, he knocks over the box he's standing on and makes a commotion outside. Andy thinks it might be Barney/Santa's reindeer, so he goes outside to check.
After quite a long time, Andy returns with old Ben under arrest. He tells the little Cratchitt family ... er, Taylor and Muggens families and assorted guests ... that he had to escort Ben back to his house to pack a suitcase for his jail stay.
Ben opens the suitcase and finds he had mis-packed it. Inside, there are roller skates for Opie, a catcher's glove for the Muggens boy and a baby doll for his sister ... gifts for everyone. And God bless us, one and all!
This was their 11th episode of the first season - and their first Christmas one. It was definitely a keeper!