20 Thanksgiving TV Episodes to Enjoy During the Holiday

20 Thanksgiving TV Episodes to Enjoy During the Holiday (continued):

10. New Girl Season 1 Episode 6, “Thanksgiving”

Few shows so consistently and successfully dominated the Thanksgiving episode game as New Girl. While a close contest, the show’s strongest entry is its first, a significant accomplishment given that the show was still so early in its run.

Yes, the episode hits the normal beats — including turkey roasting gone wrong and at least one secret getting out that’s not supposed to — but there are plenty of details that make this episode stand out from other standard fare.

There’s a dead body, a turkey named Hank, violin playing in the Black Friday Best Buy line, and an accurate showcase of the discomfort and tension that arises when someone new is thrust into your group and your traditions.

A very happy Hanksgiving indeed.

9. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 4 Episode 8, “Pangs”

This episode is a real treat, managing to discuss oppression, shedding light on the origins of Thanksgiving and how it’s evolved and been packaged over time, all while being a tender testimony to how important it is to choose your own family and make your own traditions.

Have I mentioned it also happens to be hilarious?

Anya, a former demon still wrapping her head around the holiday, cuts to the heart of the holiday: “It’s a ritual sacrifice…with pie.” Who can really argue with that?

8. Modern Family Season 6 Episode 8, “Three Turkeys”

Phil, with sous chef Luke, is tasked with turkey duties and true to form, Claire does not trust that Phil can handle it and secretly prepares a backup turkey.

With their travel plans canceled, Gloria and Jay try to hide from their families and avoid letting them know they are in town for the holiday after all, even while the family descends upon their home to use the kitchen.

Gloria is also preparing a turkey at home, which she now has to conceal to avoid detection. Enter Turkey Number Three.

Offering up even more laughs than it does turkeys, a frantic energy runs through this entire farce and it almost feels like a one-act play.

7. Cheers Season 5 Episode 9, “Thanksgiving Orphans”

It can be risky when workplace comedies veer away from their traditional settings but this episode delivers in every way.

Thanksgiving “orphans” with nowhere better to go, Sam, Diane (in full pilgrim garb!), Woody, Cliff, Frasier, and Norm all gather at Carla’s house for Thanksgiving dinner.

The night devolves into complaints about never-ending sports on TV, awkward toasts, frustrations about a turkey that just won’t cook, and general ennui until a food fight finally breaks out. Thanksgiving dinner has never felt so satisfying.

6. The West Wing Season 2 Episode 8, “Shibboleth”

The West Wing is adept at both comedy and drama and this episode has doses of both.

C.J. is saddled with the absurd task of selecting which turkey will be formally pardoned by the president (a ridiculous tradition the White House continues to this day), Chinese refugees seek religious asylum, and in a moving, heartfelt moment, President Bartlet gifts his family heirloom carving knife to his aide, Charlie.

There are additional storylines we cannot even begin to mention, and like so many West Wing episodes before and after it, you’ll laugh, you’ll be challenged, but this time, you’ll also cry about a knife.

5. Gilmore Girls Season 3 Episode 9, “A Korean Deep-Fried Thanksgiving”

Loralei and Rory attend four Thanksgiving dinners. Nothing significant plot-wise happens in this episode so sit back and enjoy the whimsical fun.

Melissa McCarthy does some of her best work as a drunken Sookie watching her husband deep fry a turkey.

This episode also gets credit for the phrase I use to kick off every one of my Thanksgiving holidays: “We’re going to eat. And eat and eat. And eat and eat and eat.”

4. Will and Grace Season 3 Episode 8/9, “Lows in the Mid Eighties”

Will and Grace has a number of excellent Thanksgiving episodes, each with its own dose of dysfunction and chaos, and choosing one is no easy task.

Top honors go to the origin story of how Will and Grace got engaged and Will subsequently ultimately came out; life milestones and revelations are the bread and butter of holiday episodes and this one is aplenty.

Plus, holiday episodes often mean bigger budgets, and this one spares no expense with pitch-perfect vintage clothes/wig-styling and top-notch guest stars Debbie Reynolds and Sara Rue.

3. How I Met Your Mother Season 3 Episode 9, “Slapsgiving”

On the first Thanksgiving, Pilgrims and Native Americans broke bread together and on the first Slapsgiving, Marshall slapped Barney (as part of the infamous Slap Bet) and sang a song about it.

You know the holidays where something so ludicrous happens that you know you’ll be repeating the story for years? That’s what this is: simply legendary.

2. Master of None Season 2 Episode 8, “Thanksgiving”

This episode is the strongest of Master of None’s entire second season and follows best friends Dev and Denise as they spend a series of Thanksgivings together at Denise’s house.

What follows is not simply a peek at a family’s annual holiday, but a close examination of Denise’s gradual coming out process and her family’s evolving response to her sexual identity, even years after her formal reveal.

The result is stunning, as is guest star Angela Bassett’s nuanced performance as Denise’s mother.

A memorable twist on the idea of a special Thanksgiving episode (even the dinner conversations feel more realistic!), this is a must watch.

1. Friends Season 6 Episode 9, “The One Where Ross Got High”

Friends set the bar for Thanksgiving episodes and between big-name guest stars, epic football showdowns, and numerous shenanigans, it is incredibly difficult to single out just one, but someone must make the hard choices.

This series highlight represents the best of what holiday episodes—and Friends—can offer. The chemistry amongst the cast, the snappy dialogue, and beautifully interwoven storylines are all exceptional, masterfully building on each other.

Numerous quotable one-liners (“It tastes like feet! I love Jacques Cousteau!”) push it to the peak of our list.

Kitchen mishaps, secrets revealed, and inappropriate fantasies abound– truly something for everybody — and the last ten minutes are delectable even if Rachel’s English trifle dessert (with peas and meat?) is not.

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There you have it — a television feast! What are your favorite Thanksgiving episodes? Are there any classics that you would add to the list?

Additional contributions by Lauren Busser, Hillary Esquina, Nick Hogan, and Mary Misasi.

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