I’m a part of a pop culture-focused Facebook Group and I can’t tell you how much joy I get interacting with others internationally with the same interests as me. I’ll save a long-winded post about how great Facebook Groups are for another day, but today I wanted to share one of the discussions from the group about the best Thanksgiving TV episodes.
My Thanksgiving TV tradition is watching one (or a few) of the Gossip Girl episodes that take place around the holiday. I love the nostalgia of the story lines and it (guiltily) gets me in the holiday spirit. Several others in the Facebook group agreed with me, but also had their own great suggestions about what to watch. A few were shows I’ve never seen and probably won’t jump into for Thanksgiving, but I wanted to do a roundup in case you’re also looking for something to get you into the turkey spirit.
- Bob’s Burgers, multiple Thanksgiving episodes: This is a pop culture blind spot for me, but listen to someone who seems to actually know the order in which to watch the Thanksgiving episodes.
- Friends “The One with All the Thanksgivings” (season 5, episode 8): If I were to show you a gif of Monica dancing with a turkey over her head, you’ll probably immediately remember which episode this one is. The show couldn’t do just one Thanksgiving episode, of course, so read about all 10 if you want a walk down memory lane.
- Gilmore Girls “A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving,” (season 3, episode 9): This is the obvious Thanksgiving episode. Someone else submitted “A-Tisket, A-Tasket” (season 2, episode 13), which I don’t think is indeed Thanksgiving-themed . But, watch them both if you’re a longtime fan!
- Gossip Girl “Blair Waldorf Must Pie” (season 1, episode 9): It’s too hard to choose between the iconic, dramatic GG Thanksgiving episodes, so let’s just start with the one that set the stage for the rest of the series. Want to watch the other four Thanksgiving-themed episodes? Here’s a complete list.
- Happy Endings “More Like Stanksgiving” (season 3, episode 4): Again, a show that’s a blind spot for me, or actually I should say I gave it a chance and it was entertaining but I didn’t watch past season 1. However, if you did watch, I bet the Thanksgiving episode will be perfect for viewing Thursday.
- How I Met Your Mother “Slapsgiving” (season 3, episode 9): This was one of my favorite shows when it was on air, partly because of the long running jokes over its lifespan. The Slap Bet carried on over seasons and came to a head one Thanksgiving – the day after two main characters sleep together.
- The O.C. “The Homecoming” (season 1, episode 11): Another show with multiple Thanksgiving episodes to choose from, but I think the first is heralded as the best. I actually just watched this series for the first time in my late 20s and it was a treat! I need more early 2000s teen shows to binge. But I digress. Watch this series’s Thanksgiving episodes, which Bustle called “even better than Chrismukkah.”
- Will & Grace “Lows in the Mid-Eighties” (season 3, episode 8): Just like every episode, this was a comedic one but also pivotal. I enjoyed reading an interview with the show’s creator on the episode in which Will comes out to Grace. I also liked how 18 years later, with the revival of the show, the coming out was revisited in 2018 in the episode “Who’s Sorry Now?”
P.S. Want a blast from the past from this blog’s Thanksgiving content? Here’s a post from 2015 when Steve and I took outfit photos next to a “for sale” sign. Going to be honest, though, the Old Navy swing dress still holds up as a great Thanksgiving outfit.