The Honeymooners: This is an expanded version of the March 1953 skit "Alice's Aunt Ethel." In this episode, Ralph comes home from work in a fabulous mood--which lasts only until Alice tells him Aunt Ethel is coming for a visit. The middle sequence of this episode--in which Ralph is trying to sleep on a cot in the kitchen while Alice makes coffee for Aunt Ethel--is "Alice's Aunt Ethel" all over again. When Ralph's scheme to get rid of Aunt Ethel by faking a bad back fails, he concludes that the only way to get rid of her for good is to marry her off to somebody. Freddie Zimmerman, the butcher from Freitag's Meat Market, is chosen as the pigeon and invited over for dinner. Ralph goes all out to ensure that the evening is a success. He sends Aunt Ethel to the beauty parlor and buys her a corsage; he borrows the Nortons' love seat and his pal George's record player and records; he sprays the apartment with perfume, and buys four pounds of chopped meat from Freddie to make sure he's in a good mood. Aunt Ethel and Freddie discover they have something in common: she used to stuff sausages for a living when she lived in Ohio, and Freddie gets his meat from the same meat packer. Three weeks later they're married and Ralph thinks he's finally rid of Aunt Ethel. Not so fast: Freddie lives at the YMCA, and he and Ethel can't move in there, so they barge in on the Kramdens--just until they can find their own place. Ralph goes to live at the YMCA. Running time: 41:24

Starring:

Art Carney, Audrey Meadows, Jackie Gleason, Joyce Randolph

Genre:

Comedy, Family