Halloween and Christmas tend to get all the love when it comes to holiday themed episodes of TV shows, but the Thanksgiving episode is not one to be overlooked. After all, the middle child of holidays shares a common theme with a countless number of classic TV shows: family. Is there any more perfect a backdrop for a story about any kind of family (or lack thereof) than Thanksgiving Day?
But while they may not get the shine they deserve in the eyes of the viewing public, there are plenty of hilarious, heartwarming, poignant, and just plain entertaining Thanksgiving episodes of some of the most beloved shows. And thankfully, many of them are available to watch right now.
7 Roseanne: “Thanksgiving 1991”
Where to Watch: Peacock
Thanksgiving may be a day for togetherness and gratitude, but it also has the potential for plenty of chaos, drama, and total dysfunction, especially if the Conners are the ones celebrating. Their lovably imperfect household has been the setting for a few different classic Thanksgiving episodes, and “Thanksgiving 1991” may very well be the best of the bunch.
Thanksgiving at the Conner house is full of sarcastic remarks, butting heads, semi-plausible threats of violence, and in this particular episode, a revelation about Roseanne’s father’s infidelity. Things just never seem to go right with this family, and that’s what makes them feel so real. Who doesn’t have a story about the holiday from hell?
6 Cheers: “Thanksgiving Orphans”
Where to Watch: Hulu
Families come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes they’re not even blood-related. The season five episode of Cheers entitled “Thanksgiving Orphans” lends a little insight into exactly what a Thanksgiving celebration between a family that isn’t family might look like.
While a vast majority of Cheers takes place in the show’s eponymous bar, this episode ventures outside the tavern’s confines and into the home of Rhea Perlman’s character Carla. That alone makes it noteworthy, but the chaotic Thanksgiving dinner that devolves into a food fight is what makes it a classic.
5 The Wonder Years: “The Ties That Bind”
Where to Watch: Hulu
There can sometimes be a vague sense of sadness underlying Thanksgiving gatherings, most often due to either loved ones who are not there or not-so-loved ones who are. That same vague sense of sadness was a foundational aspect of the coming-of-age masterpiece, The Wonder Years, making it the perfect show for a tearjerker Thanksgiving episode.
“The Ties That Bind” shows Jack Arnold finally getting himself a promotion so that he can provide more for his family, a happy development that comes at a high price: he must now work over Thanksgiving. However, the melancholy doesn’t win in this episode, at least not this time. Instead, viewers are given one of the most poignant moments from a show that’s absolutely full of them.
4 Friends: “The One With The Thanksgiving Flashbacks”
Where to Watch: HBO Max
The holiday season is often a time to reflect not only on the year that has come to pass, but on all the years previous. It’s something that can be done quietly, but on Thanksgiving Day it often happens out loud, and it generally involves reflecting on things some of those at the dinner table would much rather forget. “The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks” deftly delivers that experience through a wacky Friends sitcom lens.
All the friends are absolutely stuffed after Thanksgiving dinner when a newly divorced and recently evicted Ross calls it the worst Thanksgiving ever, prompting everyone else to try and one up him with their most woeful holiday memories. As it turns out, everyone has had a “worst Thanksgiving ever.”
3 All In The Family: “The Little Atheist”
Where to Watch: Amazon or Pluto TV
Few shows have been more lauded for their honest depiction of American family life than All in the Family, so it follows that Archie Bunker and crew wouldn’t have much of a problem posting one of the most memorable Thanksgiving episodes of all time. There’s also no way an All in the Family Thanksgiving dinner was ever going off without a hitch, which of course is the case in "The Little Atheist."
The episode centers around Archie Bunker butting heads once again with his son-in-law, Michael aka Meathead, this time over the sort of religious upbringing that Michael and Archie's daughter Gloria’s unborn child will have. Thanksgiving, of course, is an absolutely terrible time for such a conversation, which is exactly what makes the episode, and the show in general, such a compelling watch. The generational clash it deftly depicts remains relatable and relevant nearly 45 years after the show’s original run.
2 Seinfeld: “The Mom And Pop Store”
Where to Watch: Netflix
Seinfeld was fairly meticulous in its efforts to zig where all other sitcoms had traditionally zagged, so a warm and sentimental Thanksgiving episode was never really in the cards. But that doesn’t mean this one of a kind show didn’t still nail its depiction of the holiday in its own special way.
“The Mom and Pop Store” foregoes the turkey dinner and family drama and instead uses one of the great staples of Thanksgiving, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, as a backdrop. In fantastic Seinfeld fashion, Jerry and Elaine play an outsized role in the parade devolving into chaos, ruining the festivities in a way that only a show made under the mantra of “no hugging, no learning” ever could.
1 The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air: “Talking Turkey”
Where to Watch: HBO Max
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s first Thanksgiving episode, “Talking Turkey,” delves into the unfortunate side effects of the luxurious life Will and his cousins enjoy. In her first appearance, Will’s mother Viola comes to visit for Thanksgiving and finds her son acting a lot more spoiled than he did under her watch. Aunt Viv is bothered by the idea that she’s spoiling her kids, and so she makes them cook Thanksgiving dinner, which of course is an outright disaster of a decision.
This episode sticks out because it’s so low stakes and simple, yet it still manages to pull on the heartstrings and give viewers a strong sense of the season of togetherness. It’s just sort of nice to sit in on a cozy Thanksgiving dinner where the worst thing that happened was that the sweet potatoes got burned.