
Andy Taylor is the widower sheriff of the small, sleepy North Carolina town of Mayberry. Andy and son Opie live with Aunt Bee, who takes care of the family. Andy's deputy is his bumbling but neurotically hilarious cousin, Barney Fife. Among Andy's Mayberry friends is the town's resident barber, Floyd.
Andy lets Barney take over as sheriff for a day when he goes to Raleigh to attend a job interview. By the time he returns, Barney has turned the whole town upside down.
Colonel Harvey, a traveling salesman, arrives at Mayberry and captivates Aunt Bee, who buys Harvey's dubious elixir and invites him for dinner. When Andy and Barney find Aunt Bee clearly drunk, they analyze Harvey's elixir.
Aunt Bee gets the leading role in Mayberry's Centennial Pageant when Clara is suddenly called out of town. However, Aunt Bee is a terrible actress, causing her to get kicked out at her first rehearsal.
Andy unexpectedly has his hands full as The Darlings, a family of musicians from the mountains, arrive in Mayberry to meet a bus due the next day.