Green Acres

S01E27: Never Look a Gift Tractor in the Mouth

Lisa wants to surprise Oliver with a new tractor for his birthday. To keep it out of sight, she has it delivered to the Ziffels' farm. The old couple mistakes it as a gift from Mrs. Douglas, leading Doris to think that Fred and Lisa are having a torrid affair.

Overview

Green Acres is an American sitcom starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a rural country farm. Produced by Filmways as a sister show to Petticoat Junction, the series was first broadcast on CBS, from September 15, 1965 to April 27, 1971.

Receiving solid ratings during its six-year run, Green Acres was cancelled in 1971 as part of the "rural purge" by CBS. The sitcom has been in syndication and is available in DVD and VHS releases. In 1997, the two-part episode "A Star Named Arnold is Born" was ranked #59 on TV Guide's 100 Greatest Episodes of All Time.

Episodes

Oliver Buys A Farm

S01E01 Oliver Buys A Farm

September 15, 1965 10.0
New York lawyer Oliver Douglas quits his job at the law firm of Felton, O'Connell, Clay, Blakely, Harmon, Dillion & Pasteur and buys a farm in Hooterville, sight unseen. The locals are astounded that Haney...
Lisa's First Day On the Farm

S01E02 Lisa's First Day On the Farm

September 22, 1965 10.0
Lisa gets her first look at their dilipidated--and empty--farmhouse and is horrified. Oily Mr. Haney, who previously owned the dump, took everything with him, including the bathroom fixtures, and tries to resell them to Oliver....
The Decorator

S01E03 The Decorator

September 29, 1965
Oliver wants to start farming but Lisa demands he have their house redecorated first. Sam Drucker recommends a decorator from Pixley. Kate Bradley tries to tutor Lisa in the kitchen since she doesn't know the...
The Best Laid Plans

S01E04 The Best Laid Plans

October 6, 1965
While Oliver makes plans to get the farm in working order, Lisa travels to New York to pack up their furniture. The Hooterville locals begin gossiping, assuming Lisa left him for good. While she's in...
My Husband, the Rooster Renter

S01E05 My Husband, the Rooster Renter

October 13, 1965 30 min
Mr. Haney rents Bertram the rooster to Oliver for fifty cents a day. Unfortunately, he's a "pecker", not a "crower", so he also gets a chicken named Alice. Oliver then sets about getting a phone...
Furniture, Furniture, Who's Got the Furniture?

S01E06 Furniture, Furniture, Who's Got the Furniture?

October 20, 1965 30 min
Oliver's mother sends the Douglases their furniture from New York, while she also rides down to visit them. While Oliver and Lisa wait for the furniture to arrive, Eunice is stuck with Uncle Joe on...
Neighborliness

S01E07 Neighborliness

October 27, 1965
Oliver is frustrated because, among other problems, his new plow won't arrive in time for planting season. Uncle Joe has a solution that, naturally, benefits him as well. He charges farmers one dollar each to...
Lisa the Helpmate

S01E08 Lisa the Helpmate

November 3, 1965
Oliver has collected soil samples from his farm for the university to analyze. When the samples are accidentally spilled, Oliver's mother siezes the opportunity to get her son off the farm; she mixed the dirt...
You Can't Plug in a 2 with a 6

S01E09 You Can't Plug in a 2 with a 6

November 10, 1965 30 min
It's planting time in Hooterville and Oliver is shocked that the locals make their crop choices based on aches and pains. Back on the farm, Oliver assigns every electrical device a number from one to...
Don't Call Us, We'll Call You

S01E10 Don't Call Us, We'll Call You

November 17, 1965
With their phone still not connected, Oliver asks Mr. Kimball to put some pressure on his mother, who owns the telephone company. Kimball says he and his mother aren't speaking, but Oliver convinces him to...
Parity Begins at Home

S01E11 Parity Begins at Home

November 24, 1965
Oliver wants to plant wheat on all 160 of his acres, but the local agricultural committee says he can only do eight. Incensed, Oliver takes his complaints all the way to Washington. Surprisingly, Haney sides...
Lisa Has a Calf

S01E12 Lisa Has a Calf

December 8, 1965
Fearful that Mr. Haney will lay claim to Eleanor's calf, the Douglases decide to keep the cow's pregnancy a secret. The Hooterville gossips get part of the story right, except they think it's Lisa who's...
The Wedding Anniversary

S01E13 The Wedding Anniversary

December 15, 1965
While Oliver tries to recall how long he's been married to Lisa, she flashes back to last year's anniversary which ended with them in jail. The trouble began when a panicked Oliver found corn bores...
What Happened in Scranton?

S01E14 What Happened in Scranton?

December 22, 1965
Lisa is shocked that Hooterville doesn't have a beauty salon. She calls her mother-in-law who ships out her hair dresser, Claude. (She blackmails him with one word: "Scranton".) Setting up shop on the Cannonball, he...
How to Enlarge a Bedroom

S01E15 How to Enlarge a Bedroom

December 29, 1965
After Lisa delivers an ultimatum, Oliver hires incompetent carpenters Alf and Ralph Monroe to enlarge the tiny bedroom. The Monroes have just begun moving the walls when the building inspector, the father of Eb's girlfriend,...
Give Me Land, Lots Of Land

S01E16 Give Me Land, Lots Of Land

January 5, 1966
Lisa is against buying neighboring property owned by the Watsons until she see their farmhouse. Thinking the house is part of the deal, Lisa sells the Watsons' furniture to Mr. Haney and has their things...
I Didn't Raise My Husband to Be a Fireman

S01E17 I Didn't Raise My Husband to Be a Fireman

January 19, 1966 30 min
Oliver is allowed to join the Hooterville Volunteer Fire Department if he'll play an instrument in their marching band. As Chief Joe Carson explains, they have more parades than fires. Patriotic speeches follow as Oliver...
Lisa Bakes a Cake

S01E18 Lisa Bakes a Cake

January 26, 1966
Oliver's upset that Lisa listed him the new phone directory as an attorney. He fears he'll be flooded with calls wanting his legal advice. Instead, lawyer Douglas becomes cranky when his phone doesn't ring. Meanwhile,...
Sprained Ankle, Country Style

S01E19 Sprained Ankle, Country Style

February 2, 1966 30 min
While fixing the TV antenna, Oliver falls through the roof and sprains his ankle. A parade of Hooterville residents shows up to give their regards while he's off his feet, but instead of sharing the...
The Price of Apples

S01E20 The Price of Apples

February 9, 1966 30 min
Oliver will make considerable more on his apple crop if he gets his to market first. He hires local highschoolers to pick the fruit and uses their old truck to haul them. As the rickety...
What's In a Name?

S01E21 What's In a Name?

February 16, 1966 30 min
Ralph Monroe finds herself smitten with Hank Kimball, but discovers that he won't date a woman with a man's name. She asks Oliver to file court papers to have her name changed to something more...
The Day of Decision

S01E22 The Day of Decision

February 23, 1966 30 min
Lisa agreed to try out Green Acres for six months. Today's the day she decides whether to stay in Hooterville or return to New York. Everyone anxiously awaits her decision. In the meantime, Oliver flashes...
A Pig In a Poke

S01E23 A Pig In a Poke

March 9, 1966 30 min
Oliver is invited to New York to be the guest speaker at a Harvard alumni banquet but he arrives with an unexpected stowaway. Meanwhile, the Ziffels fear that they'll lose Arnold to Mr. Haney, who's...
The Deputy

S01E24 The Deputy

March 16, 1966 30 min
Sam Drucker's off for a two-week vacation to visit his sister, leaving Oliver to take over his duties as deputy sheriff. Complications ensue when Oliver demonstrates how to use a pair of handcuffs to Lisa...
Double Drick

S01E25 Double Drick

March 23, 1966 30 min
Tired of repairing the rickety generator that Haney sold him, Oliver checks on the status of his electricity. Learning that his application was never mailed, Oliver decides to deal with the power company in person....
The Ballad of Molly Turgis

S01E26 The Ballad of Molly Turgis

April 6, 1966
Oliver wants to write a folk song about local legend Molly Turgis, a woman so ugly she was run out of Hooterville. Facts are hard to come by, though, because the mere mention of her...
Never Look a Gift Tractor in the Mouth

S01E27 Never Look a Gift Tractor in the Mouth

April 27, 1966 30 min
Lisa wants to surprise Oliver with a new tractor for his birthday. To keep it out of sight, she has it delivered to the Ziffels' farm. The old couple mistakes it as a gift from...
Send a Boy to College

S01E28 Send a Boy to College

May 4, 1966 30 min
Eb's talent for curing sick animals leads the Douglases to send him to veterinarian school. Unfortunately, his college career is short-lived due to one small oversite.
Horse? What Horse?

S01E29 Horse? What Horse?

May 11, 1966 10.0
Lisa belives that Oliver's beginning to crack under the pressure of running the farm. After Oliver claims to have seen a spotted horse and a zebra, she calls Doc Watson to give him a checkup....
The Rains Came

S01E30 The Rains Came

May 18, 1966
A drought in Hooterville has crops wilting in the fields. Oliver is so desperate, he agrees to pay Haney $350 if he can bring some relief. That's when Haney presents dancing Chief Thundercloud. When the...
Culture

S01E31 Culture

May 25, 1966
The "Every Other Wednesday Afternoon Discussion Club" decides to bring culture to the valley by starting the Hooterville Symphony Orchestra. Oliver calls the women "nuts" for considering such a ridiculous idea. Undeterred, Lisa calls her...
Uncle Ollie

S01E32 Uncle Ollie

June 1, 1966
Oliver's groovy nephew arrives in Hooterville on his motorcycle with long hair, hip lingo and no interest in work. Chuck is excellent with motors, however, and proceeds to "soup up" all the vehicles in the...

Cast

Eddie Albert
Eddie Albert
Oliver Wendell Douglas
Eva Gabor
Eva Gabor
Lisa Douglas
Pat Buttram
Pat Buttram
Tom Lester
Alvy Moore
Alvy Moore
Frank Cady
Frank Cady

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