Thanksgiving Daycan be a hassle for many different reasons: traveling, family drama, and the pressure a person feels when they are the one hosting the entire event. Having to cook, clean, and entertain for days on end sounds like a lot when all you want to do is sit back, relax, and maybe watch a little television. During the holiday season, plenty of TV shows will run their special Thanksgiving and Christmas episodes to get people in a more festive and lighthearted mood.
While watching thesecomforting Thanksgiving TV episodes, it’s easy to imagine what it would be like to jump into the screen and join the characters during their festive dinners. The food either looks emaculate or everything gets ruined, but there is almost always a fun story to share for years to come. Characters, much like everyone else, may be stressed during the holiday, but in the end, there is a comforting togetherness that surrounds the table.
Whether it’s for the company or the food, check out the 10 TV Thanksgiving dinners you will want to join this year.
10Grey’s Anatomy: Thanks for the Memories (Season 2, Episode 9)
Every friend group seems to have that “mom friend,” who likes to bring everyone together for a good time. This person enjoys planning and hosting, and they try to make everyone happy, though we all know how that rarely works out. Izzie Stevens is that friend inGrey’s Anatomy(at least for the first few seasons), and when it comes to Thanksgiving, in “Thanks for the Memories,” she expects everyone to be in the kitchen before 10am to help cook the traditional dinner.
In the end, everyone either has to leave early or shows up late — except for Preston Burke, who saves the day by stepping up as the head chef. While Izzie is understandably upset when Cristina and George finally arrive, she says everyone should just eat and enjoy their meal. How Burke takes charge in the kitchen makes us believe he would be an excellent cook, and there would be some great conversation at the table, especially after learning that George shot his dad in the butt.
Stream on Netflix
9Friends: The One With the Rumor (Season 8, Episode 9)
Friendsis known for its iconicThanksgiving Day episodes, but out of all the dinners hosted by Monica, there is one that tops them all: “The One with the Rumor.” Joey gets upset the day before Thanksgiving when Monica mentions that she will not be making a turkey, but after some convincing, she agrees to make the traditional bird if Joey leaves nothing leftover.
Monica’s former friend, Will (Brad Pitt), makes an appearance as he is in town for the holiday, but drama quickly ensues when he cannot get over his hatred of Rachel. Will talks about how he and Ross created an “I hate Rachel Green” club, and he even admits that they started a rumor that spread to other schools about Rachel being a hermaphrodite. The food on the table looks delicious, and it’s comical to see Will and Rachel banter while Joey struggles to eat a 19-pound turkey.
Stream on Max
8The Big Bang Theory: The Thanksgiving Decoupling (Season 7, Episode 9)
InThe Big Bang Theoryepisode, “The Thanksgiving Decoupling,” Howard is nervous to spend Thanksgiving Day with his father-in-law, so he invites all of his friends to come over to his mother’s house and act as a buffer when the conversation lags. Little does he know, everyone shows up with their own drama that makes for an even more awkward day. Raj takes over the kitchen, Penny learns that her Vegas wedding was not fake, and Sheldon, surprisingly, is the most normal in front of a televised football game with a beer in his hand.
Between the family drama that occurs between Penny, Leonard, and her not-so-fake husband, Zack, and the bonding moment between Sheldon and Howard’s father-in-law,this emotional episodeis both heartwarming and ridiculous. Anyone would be lucky to sit down at the dinner table and join in on the festive stories.
7Gilmore Girls: A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving (Season 3, Episode 9)
Why settle for one Thanksgiving dinner when you can go to four? InGilmore Girls’s episode, “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving,” Lorelai and Rory are invited to join the Gilmores, Luke and Jess, The Kims, and Sookie on Thanksgiving Day, and they cannot turn anyone down. When Rory points out that the whole day is going to be a hassle, Lorelai assures her that they’ve been planning for this amount of food their whole lives.
Fans would consider themselves lucky to go to any of these Thanksgiving dinners. Mrs. Kim hired Dave Rygalski to play hymns all day while she serves tofu-turkey. Sookie gets drunk while trying not to think about her husband frying up her beautiful turkey. A more traditional meal takes place at Luke’s diner, where allthe Stars Hollow residentscome together to enjoy a good meal. Finally, the Gilmores host a more elegant yet small party at their mansion, but of course, an argument puts a damper on the meal. Overall, a night at the diner or outside at Sookie’s picnic table seems like the cozier and more welcoming options.
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6New Girl: Last Thanksgiving (Season 6, Episode 7)
New Girl’s Jess is no stranger to the kitchen on Thanksgiving Day, but when her clumsiness is paired with her need to make sure everything is perfect, there is almost always some sort of fiasco. In “Last Thanksgiving,” a couple of extra people are added to the festive table; Schmidt’s dad comes by for the first time, and Jess' boyfriend, who she means to break up with, joins the crew. When Nick’s girlfriend bails, he decides he’s going to drink the day away, and Schmidt and his father join him.
There is so much going on in this one apartment that anyone would feel right at home. Jess manages to make a beautiful spread for dinner, Schmidt goes on a mission to make his father happy after a couple shots of whiskey, and arguments arise when secrets come out. In the end, everyone comes together to enjoy the wonderful meal (including the mangled turkey Nick threw against a wall), and it truly seems like the best place to be for the holiday.
Stream on Hulu
5A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
No matter how old you get, the Peanuts gang will always feel like true friends. Inthis particular Thanksgiving special,A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown finds himself throwing an impromptu Thanksgiving Day dinner after Peppermint Patty invites herself and a couple others over to his house for a good holiday meal. Charlie Brown is frantic at first because he expected the day to be relaxing as he only planned to attend dinner at his grandmother’s house, but with the help of Snoopy, Woodstock, and Linus, they manage to pull off a pretty decent dinner made of snack food. Peppermint Patty, however, is not a fan of the menu.
After feelings are hurt and apologies are made, the whole crew gets invited to Charlie Brown’s grandmother’s house for a real traditional meal, and all seems right once again. Whether it be the Friendsgiving filled with finger food or the elegant turkey meal, anyone would be excited to join this group of friends for the holiday.
Stream on Apple TV+
4Full House: The Miracle of Thanksgiving (Season 1, Episode 9)
Holidays can be tough, especially when they are the “firsts” after losing a loved one. In “The Miracle of Thanksgiving” episode ofFull House, Danny wakes up and tells the guys that they have to make the day perfect for his three daughters because it is the first Thanksgiving since their mom passed away. At first, Danny, Joey, and Jesse are at a loss with Danny’s mom getting snowed in and them realizing they have no idea how to cook all the dishes. D.J. and Stephanie then step up and say they will help cook, and the preparation becomes a family event.
Although the turkey comes out looking like it was rolled in some charcoal and the pie gets dropped, the Tanner house still feels like the place to be for Thanksgiving because of the amount of love in the air. Danny and Jesse talk about how hard it’s been since Pam passed away, and they both put things into perspective for the girls and remind them that it’s okay to miss their mom.
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3The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air: Talking Turkey (Season 1, Episode 12)
When Will’s mother comes to visit for Thanksgiving in the “Talking Turkey” episode ofThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, she puts a bug in her sister’s ear that Will and his cousins are spoiled and don’t know the value of hard work. After mulling it over, Aunt Vivian decides to cancel the caterers for the holiday and make the four kids cook the whole meal.
While everything imaginable goes wrong — the turkey is frozen, food gets dropped on the floor, and things come out of the oven completely charred — everyone seems perfectly okay with the evening. The kids learn that throwing together a big meal to impress others is not as easy as it seems, and Aunt Vivian decides that the kids need to have more responsibilities around the house. In the end, the company around the table is what really matters, and Vivian and Viola save the day by finding edible food in the kitchen.
2This is Us: Six Thanksgivings (Season 3, Episode 8)
This Is Usdoes not follow a chronological storyline, so when it comes to showing off Thanksgiving dinner among the family members over the years, there is quite a bit to take in. In “Six Thanksgivings,” the Pearsons have their last Thanksgiving dinner before the kids head off to college. Jack is in Vietnam during the war when Thanksgiving rolls around, but he makes the most of his experience. Then there is the present timeline that splits into three parts where Randall and his family volunteer at a soup kitchen, Kate and Toby are at Randall’s home cooking Thanksgiving dinner, and Rebecca visits Miguel’s family for the first time for the holidays.
Between the drama that ensues,the emotional heart-to-heartshad between family members, and the connection everyone feels in the present timeline after going through their own bit of chaos for the day, this episode feels all too realistic. However, at the end of the day, sitting at the dinner table with everyone telling stories would be a real treat.
1That ’70s Show: Thanksgiving (Season 1, Episode 9)
As much time as Kitty Forman spends in the kitchen,That ’70s Showfans know she is an incredible cook. When it comes to hosting Thanksgiving dinner at her home, in the aptly titled episode “Thanksgiving,” she is a tad stressed due to her very judgmental mother-in-law coming into town, but by the time everyone sits down to eat, Red’s mom is nowhere to be found. Kitty then realizes she forgot to send the kids to the airport to retrieve her. They run out of the house, but come back without her as she decided to go elsewhere for the holiday.
This would be the perfect time to sit down with the Formans for a nice dinner. Kitty is no longer on edge, Red is in a surprisingly good mood, and Eric is in trouble with Donna, meaning Laurie is going to give him grief the whole time they’re at the table. Between the good food and the drama, it would be like having a dinner and show for anyone not involved in the blame game.
