Watch these iconic Thanksgiving sitcom specials to brighten your holiday this year
With Thanksgiving being just around the corner, it reminds us all of the many traditions that come with celebrating the holiday.
For me, this includes a long list of TV episodes centered around "Turkey Day." Before you tuck into Thanksgiving dinner this year, queue up some of these beloved Thanksgiving specials.
"Gilmore Girls" – Season 3, Episode 9: "A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving"
This episode is a classic in my household and definitely worth the watch. Mother-daughter duo Lorelai and Rory have four Thanksgiving dinners to attend in one day, and at each dinner, there's some kind of disaster. The usual tension between Lorelai and her parents arises, family-friend Mrs. Kim serves a gross tofurkey and other Stars Hollow natives, Sookie and Kirk, stress over a deep-fried turkey and get a murderous cat (one that they, of course, name Kirk).
It's a classic for any "Gilmore Girls" fans, and a must-watch for anyone that wants to celebrate Thanksgiving in Stars Hollow this year. "Gilmore Girls" is available on Netflix.
"Friends" - Season 6, Episode 9, "The One Where Ross Got High"
In this episode of "Friends," Monica’s parents hate her boyfriend Chandler because of a lie her brother Ross told in college, and Rachel ruins dessert by adding savory ingredients like beef and peas to a traditional sweet English trifle. Siblings Monica and Ross spill each other’s secrets while Rachel discovers the mistake in her dish — and naturally, drama ensues.
It’s the perfect episode to put on in the background of your Friendsgiving dinner, and it's available to stream on HBO Max.
"Modern Family" – Season 6, Episode 8: "Three Turkeys"
Having lied to the family about their whereabouts for Thanksgiving, patriarch Jay and his wife Gloria sneak out of the house and eventually sneak back in pretending to surprise the family. Parents Cam and Mitch are trying to teach Lily a lesson by wearing Gloria’s dresses, while Claire prepares a backup turkey in case her husband Phil fails at preparing their Thanksgiving dinner.
This leads to the kind of classic sitcom mixup that "Modern Family" is known for, and always executes perfectly. If you want to watch it, it's available to stream on Hulu.
"How I Met Your Mother" – Season 3, Episode 9: "Slapsgiving"
"How I Met Your Mother" has been on my watch list for years now, and "Slapsgiving" is definitely a good place to start. In a previous episode, Barney lost a bet to his friend Marshall, who gets to slap him five times as his prize. Marshall sets a timer for the first slap that looms over Thanksgiving dinner as well as Ted and Robin’s breakup drama. Poor Lily just wanted a normal Thanksgiving.
Watch "How I Met Your Mother" on Hulu.
"New Girl" – Season 1, Episode 6: "Thanksgiving"
In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with any "New Girl" Thanksgiving episode, even if the ranking of which is best differs depending on who you ask. But if you ask me, the first Thanksgiving special is the best place to start for fans and newbies alike.
Jess invites a coworker she's been crushing on, Paul, to the apartment's Thanksgiving dinner. Disaster strikes when the turkey won’t thaw and then the group finds a dead body that promptly ruins dinner. Upset that Paul left dinner traumatized, Jess and the others go out on Black Friday, where Paul heart-warmingly surprises her by showing up — fiddle in hand.
It’s sweet and chaotic as the show itself often is, and this episode is available on Netflix.
"Cheers" – Season 5, Episode 9: "Thanksgiving Orphans"
This is yet another episode of "Cheers" that reaffirms my hatred for Diane. Having been invited to an elite professor’s party, Diane worries that the others will be lonely for Thanksgiving. She suggests their friend, Carla, hosts dinner that year for the group without asking Carla first. But when Diane's plans fall through, she joins the gang at Carla’s, and won’t let anyone eat until Norm’s turkey cooks — which just doesn’t happen.
The food goes cold and the meal erupts into a food fight. You can find the disastrous Thanksgiving on "Cheers" streaming on Hulu.
"Brooklyn Nine-Nine" – Season 2, Episode 7: "Lockdown"
After Captain Holt leaves an officer, Jake, in charge for the day, a mysterious package with powder is found — and it forces the precinct to go under lockdown for Thanksgiving. While Jake is optimistic that he can handle the situation, he slowly loses control of the growing mob stuck with them.
It’s a chaotic episode, but a nice change of pace from the typical sit-down Thanksgiving dinner episode. "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" is available on Hulu.
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" – Season 1, Episode 12: "Talking Turkey"
When Will’s mother comes to visit for Thanksgiving, she quickly finds out that the kids are a bit spoiled. Having gotten used to an easier life, Will is dismayed having to do house chores again at her request — making Aunt Vivian begin to worry that Will's mother is right.
In an attempt to prove them not spoiled, Aunt Viv has the kids make a disastrous Thanksgiving meal that ends with burnt rolls and a still-frozen turkey. It’s a fun episode that's worth watching for the catchy, iconic theme song alone.
"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" is streaming on HBO Max.
"The Simpsons" – Season 2, Episode 7: "Bart vs. Thanksgiving"
"The Simpsons" always manages to balance dysfunctional dynamics and heartwarming family moments, which is the perfect fit for Thanksgiving.
All the in-laws come to visit, setting Marge and Homer on edge. After being shunned by the family for destroying his sister Lisa’s centerpiece, Bart runs away and winds up being on the news while at a soup kitchen. In the end, Bart gives a genuine apology, having felt guilt for the first time and learning his lesson — even if he’ll likely forget it by the next episode.
The family antics of "The Simpsons" can be found on Disney+.
While there are many great Thanksgiving specials from many different shows, these hilarious episodes of iconic sitcoms are fun for the whole family to watch while you wait for the turkey to cook, or in your post-pumpkin-pie unwind.
