In "The Andy Griffith Show"--which first aired between 1960 and 1968--Andy Griffith is a widowed sheriff living in the fictional town of Mayberry in North Carolina. It was a very popular show which depicted life in small town America in the 1960s. The only Christmas episode that was ever created for the sitcom was titled "A Christmas Story", and it's a modern-day Scrooge story. The plot of the "A Christmas Story" is explained below.It's Christmas time and the town of Mayberry has its own version of Ebenezer Scrooge in the form of department store owner Ben Weaver. When Ben catches Sam Muggins with moonshine on Christmas Eve, he demands that Andy arrest him. Andy and his deputy-sheriff--Barney Fife--try to argue that Sam should at least be allowed to spend Christmas with his family. However, Ben is adamant and he insists that Sam be arrested right away; he threatens to report Andy if Sam is released for the holidays.Since Sam can't go home for Christmas, and Barney will have to stay at the jailhouse and guard the prisoner, therefore missing the festivities at Andy's house, Andy comes up with a plan: they'll take Christmas to the jailhouse. Andy arrests Sam's wife and two children as "accessories before, during, and after the fact", and deputizes his friend Ellie, his young son Opie, and his Aunt Bee to help watch the prisoners.Everyone is having a great time at the jailhouse, trimming the tree, singing carols, eating turkey, and drinking eggnog. Barney even dresses up as Santa Clause. However, Ben- -who keeps spying on them through the windows of the jailhouse--feels miserable that he's missing out on all the Holiday fun. He tries to get himself arrested several times so that he can join in the festivities, but is unsuccessful due to Ellie's misdirected kindness.Andy finally catches on to what Ben is trying to do, and he drums up charges so that he can arrest him. Ben enters the jailhouse with Andy, carrying a big suitcase filed with gifts from his department store for everyone. He pretends to have put the gifts in the suitcase by mistake, and hands them out gruffly. Aunt Bee serves Ben a plate of food and Ellie gives him some eggnog, and Ben is made to feel welcomed. Just as in the story of the Grinch, Ben's heart grew three sizes that day.
No comments:
Post a Comment