Thanksgiving episodes have become a classic and expected TV milestone. Halloween has come and gone, and Christmas is fast approaching. In the meantime, Thanksgiving is already here. However, as a less commercial observance than All Hallows Eve and Yuletide, America's traditional day of thanks is seldom as widely celebrated in popular media.
Except for , few movies or TV specials are centered on Turkey Day, to the point that it seems to be largely overlooked. Weekly television series, on the other hand, have created some remarkably heartwarming and hilarious episodes, and 10 shows, in particular, are essential for Thanksgiving viewing.
is known for its many iconic, hilarious, and heartwarming Thanksgiving episodes, but "Slapsgiving" stands out. Following Marshall and Barney's slapping bet, Marshall names the holiday "Slapsgiving," because he is planning on slapping Barney on that day.
"Slapsgiving" has everything that makes such an while embracing the holiday spirit. Robin and Ted take the first steps to healing their relationship, Lily stresses over Thanksgiving dinner, and Marshall tortures Barney throughout the evening.
The cherry on top of the cake of this amazing episode is Marshall finally slapping Barney and singing "You Just Go Slapped."
As everyone knows, is the perfect show to watch during the Fall season, and its Thanksgiving episodes especially are a staple of the series. During "A Deep-Friend Korean Thanksgiving," Rory and Lorelai accidentally make plans for four different Thanksgiving dinners, and the episode follows them as they try to stuff as much food as they possibly can -- even more than usual.
In fact, they call themselves "The World Champions of Eating."
What makes "A Deep-Friend Korean Thanksgiving" such a terrific episode is that it shows all the chaoticness and ridiculous situations for which is known. Paris is obsessed with finding a soup kitchen that has space for her to volunteer, Jackson is deep-frying anything he finds, and Rory tries to navigate her new relationship with Jess and her recent break-up with Dean.
Will's mom, Viola, flies out to Bel-Air to spend Thanksgiving with her son and immediately butts heads with her sister over parenting. Worried that her son is being overly pampered, Viola argues with Vivian about how the butler, Geoffrey, does all the work around the house, worrying that Will isn't learning to be responsible. Things get messy when Aunt Viv decides to make the kids cook Thanksgiving dinner.
Arguments over disparate parenting philosophies are extremely common when families get together. So, it's no surprise that it would be a major point of conflict between Will's aunt and mother.
Of course, the two sisters work through their problems and manage to save dinner by making the meal themselves, and it's especially because of this feel-good ending that "Talking Turkey" is a perennial favorite.
Trying to put on a live sports news show while also plagued by a mischievous spirit is a serious challenge. That's what happens to , Casey McCall and their production team when their broadcast is beset by technical issues.
Those complications are blamed on the spirit of Thespis -- the first actor in recorded history.
In reality, of course, things just sometimes go wrong, especially when the show's producer, Dana, is spinning out from the pressure of hosting Thanksgiving for her family the next day -- despite not being an experienced cook. The iconic scene of a defrosting turkey plummeting from the rafters onto the news desk is what makes this one of the best Thanksgiving episodes in TV history.
For many families, Thanksgiving is a time of chaos and stress.
's "Three Turkeys" paints a perfect picture of the bedlam the holiday can cause. Patriarch hide from their family to have a secret stay-cation, Claire puts Phil in charge of the turkey while secretly cooking a backup in the garage and Cam and Mitch struggle to get Lily to do what she's told. Things come to a head when everyone descends on Jay and Gloria's house.
Taking dysfunction to hysterical levels is what does best and the Season 6 Thanksgiving episode is no exception. Phil's excitement while using a cooking app that features celebrity chef Nigella Lawson's voice is too good to be missed.
When John-Boy is injured at work, he starts to have difficulty with his eyesight. Not wanting to miss an important exam, he ignores the problem, but it escalates, and he's forced to seek medical treatment to remove a blood clot from behind his eye.
Thanksgiving is a time for many to show gratitude for the things that they have, like their health. When John-Boy's surgery is a success, he finds he has plenty to be thankful for.
He's given even more reason to be grateful when he's allowed to retake the exam to earn the scholarship he needs to afford college. This two-parter is a fantastic reminder to appreciate what's often taken for granted.
Nothing is more traditional at Thanksgiving than family squabbles and know how to portray such strife. When a fight over Lisa's handmade centerpiece and the Thanksgiving Turkey results in the former's destruction, Bart is sent to his room without dinner.
When faced with the choice of apologizing to Lisa or going hungry, Bart goes with a third option and runs away.
Bart's adventures and his interactions with some homeless men at a soup kitchen teach him to be grateful for his family. Upon returning home late, he reconciles with his sister, sincerely apologizing for his recklessness and insensitivity. It's a truly touching Thanksgiving moment not to be missed.
A show centered around a bar may not seem like an obvious choice to create a memorable Thanksgiving episode, but
did just that with "Thanksgiving Orphans." When the denizens of Cheers find themselves without holiday dinner plans, Carla decides to play host at her house since her kids are away. Tempers flare when the turkey takes too long to cook.
As everyone waits impatiently for Norm's gigantic turkey to roast, tensions increase and a food fight ensues. Things escalate quickly and -- as the final scene begins -- everything and everyone is covered in Thanksgiving food. As one of the more raucous Thanksgiving episodes to ever air, "Thanksgiving Orphans" is a delightful take on the family holiday.
Few Thanksgiving shows are as quoted as often as 's "Turkeys Away." When station manager Arthur Carlson decides to take charge of WKRP's Thanksgiving Day promotion, he keeps his plans secret from everyone but sales manager Herb Tarlek. With Les Nessman reporting live, the chaos of the station's turkey giveaway is hilariously described to the viewers as Carlson and Tarlek drop the flightless birds into a strip mall parking lot from a helicopter.
One of the most famous episodes of any TV series, "Turkeys Away" is not to be missed. Les's traumatized commentary during and after the promotion, and Carlson's iconic line, "As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly," make this episode a Thanksgiving classic.
never missed a single Thanksgiving during its entire 10 season run, but "The One with Chandler in a Box" stands out as a truly memorable episode. To get Joey to forgive him for kissing his girlfriend Kathy, Chandler agrees to spend six hours in a large shipping crate to prove how much his friend means to him.
In the meanwhile, Monica invites her ex-boyfriend Richard's more age-appropriate son to the apartment for Thanksgiving dinner -- over everyone's objections --, and Ross fights with Rachel because she exchanged the gifts he gave her while they were dating.
Though he's physically absent for much of the episode, quipped and commented on everyone else's uncomfortable situations from inside the box, to Joey's increasing frustration. The moment when Joey -- seeing that Kathy and Chandler belong together -- decides to forgive his friend and insist that he "go after her," is what truly makes this ' most memorable Thanksgiving episode.
