'Cause Chandler in a Box always gets me
November 8, 2010 2:31 PM   Subscribe

What are your favorite Thanksgiving episodes of TV shows?

Chances are that I'll be on my own this Thanksgiving and I'd like to watch as many Thanksgiving-themed tv shows as possible. I've got the Friends series covered, so what else should I watch? Bonus points if they are available online (legally) or through Netflix streaming.
posted by donajo to Media & Arts (30 answers total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 


I like He is Risen, one of the several Sopranos episodes demonstrating the cognitive dissonance between a holiday and the way the Sopranos really live.
posted by bearwife at 2:37 PM on November 8, 2010


Oh, and The Daily Beast has more suggestions (including the Friends episode.)
posted by bearwife at 2:41 PM on November 8, 2010


Best answer: "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly." Not sure if you could find the whole episode online but it's probably on Netflix.
posted by fuse theorem at 2:41 PM on November 8, 2010 [9 favorites]


I've always had a soft spot for "Thanksgiving Orphans," from Cheers.

Also, Mad Men's first season finale, "The Wheel." It's a Thanksgiving episode without the Thanksgiving, but also probably the best episode of the whole series. You don't want to watch it unless you've watched the previous 12 episodes first, though. That sounds like a great Thanksgiving-night project to me!
posted by cirripede at 2:41 PM on November 8, 2010 [4 favorites]


Best answer: I like Shibboleth from the West Wing, mainly because one story line is about the traditional presidential turkey pardon. The turkeys are named Erik and Troy, coincidently the names of myself and one of my best friends. We watch the episode together every November, just in case the other turkey gets pardoned. So far it's Erik 5, Troy 0.
posted by dr. fresh at 2:41 PM on November 8, 2010 [9 favorites]


From The Bob Newhart Show, the episode "Over the River and Through the Woods". This episode has me in stitches everytime. Season 4, episode 11.

Bob reminisces (and pretty much spoils the funniest part of the episode) here. (SLYT)
posted by Gridlock Joe at 2:41 PM on November 8, 2010 [1 favorite]


It's been years, but I remember enjoying the Thanksgiving episode from Northern Exposure. The only clip I'm seeing on YouTube is all perky, but it becomes darker and more interesting.
posted by The corpse in the library at 2:43 PM on November 8, 2010 [1 favorite]


I love The O.C. season 1 episode 11 (that's just a clip). Not sure if that's your sort of thing though. Looks like Hulu only has season 4 but I seem to remember it streaming on Comcast OnDemand and by DVD on Netflix.
posted by Bunglegirl at 2:46 PM on November 8, 2010


Best answer: Slapsgiving! If you're not a regular How I Met Your Mother watcher, I recommend watching Slap Bet first for context (and because it's a great episode). And there's also a Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap.
posted by decathecting at 2:46 PM on November 8, 2010 [6 favorites]


Third Rock From the Sun "Gobble Gobble Dick Dick" (Netflix has the DVD, not streaming - it's Season 2, Disc 2). "It's the apocalapalypse!"
posted by evilmomlady at 2:55 PM on November 8, 2010


Slapsgiving, from Season 3 of How I Met Your Mother! There's even a sequel episode. (Ok, I can't find it online, but it's still great!)
posted by violetish at 2:55 PM on November 8, 2010


I'm a huge fan of the Simpsons episodeBart vs. Thanksgiving!
posted by LittleKnitting at 3:02 PM on November 8, 2010 [2 favorites]




As a newly minted Buffy (well, Spike really) fan, I must second Zed.
posted by CunningLinguist at 3:03 PM on November 8, 2010


Well, it's a movie, not a TV show, but I just love "Home For the Holidays."
posted by dnash at 3:13 PM on November 8, 2010 [1 favorite]


Another movie rec: "Pieces of April."
posted by jenfullmoon at 3:21 PM on November 8, 2010


Maybe your title references the same episode of Friends, but Joey with his head inside the turkey never fails to send me laughing out of control. It's not high concept humor, but damn, it's funny.
posted by Ghidorah at 3:29 PM on November 8, 2010


fuse theorem's WKRP reference is spot on, and the whole episode is on Hulu.
posted by pdb at 4:11 PM on November 8, 2010 [1 favorite]


The Tofu Turkey episode of Everybody Loves Raymond is worth a few chuckles.
posted by Ike_Arumba at 4:17 PM on November 8, 2010


Frasier had one with the parents trying to get the son into a private school and the bird kept vanishing. Niles = genius
posted by Freedomboy at 4:21 PM on November 8, 2010


I quite liked Felicity's Season 1 Thanksgiving episode, and it gets bonus points (IMO) for late 90's WB nostalgia.
posted by litnerd at 4:30 PM on November 8, 2010 [1 favorite]


Giblets for Murray.
posted by thejoshu at 4:40 PM on November 8, 2010


Roseanne was better known for the Halloween episodes, but the 2 or 3 Thanksgiving episodes they did were hysterical
posted by Mchelly at 5:39 PM on November 8, 2010


Boston Legal Thanksgiving
posted by timsteil at 5:58 PM on November 8, 2010


The Butterball Hotline bit in the West Wing S3E08, The Indians in the Lobby always pleases me.
posted by knile at 4:31 AM on November 9, 2010 [1 favorite]



Well, it's a movie, not a TV show, but I just love "Home For the Holidays."

Another movie rec: "Pieces of April."

I love both of these too, but they're a little on the sad side. Just a warning if you're only looking for funny/uplifting.
posted by travertina at 7:56 AM on November 9, 2010


Response by poster: Thanks everyone! These are all best answers.
posted by donajo at 8:42 PM on November 10, 2010


King of the Hill had several good Thanksgiving eps.
posted by Lizzle at 4:35 PM on November 11, 2010


Television Without Pity has ranked its top 10 Thanksgiving episodes here.
posted by Bunglegirl at 6:00 PM on November 23, 2010


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