21 Nostalgic Thanksgiving TV Episodes to Watch Now

Friends

“The One with All the Thanksgivings” (Season 5, Episode 8)

Friends has its own separate list of classic Thanksgiving episode moments, so how do we pick a favorite? While it’s hard to beat Rachel’s (Jennifer Aniston) infamous savory-sweet trifle, we have to give the edge to the episode where viewers get a glimpse into the friends’ past lives as they reflect on their worst memories of the holiday.

From Monica (Courteney Cox) getting called fat by a turkey-hating Chandler (Matthew Perry) to Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) losing her arms in a past life, nothing takes the cake (or pie) more than Chandler losing a toe after Monica accidentally drops a knife on his foot — which results in Monica’s apology and iconic turkey-head dance and Chandler subsequently blurting out, “I love you.”

It’s one of the most heartwarming moments throughout the show’s 10-season run.

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Gossip Girl

“Blair Waldorf Must Pie!” (Season 1, Episode 9)

The award for best Thanksgiving flashback scene goes to … party girl Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively).

By this point on Gossip Girl, audiences had heard about her wild days as a high school sophomore, but nothing drives home the point like getting wasted at a bar after telling your mom you were out getting the pie. We’re thankful Dan (Penn Badgley) was there to save her from being hit by a taxi, even if it meant sacrificing his own pie in the process, and Serena not remembering it.

This season 1 episode served fans plenty of drama to feast on, including Serena and her family spending their holiday with the Humphreys, Blair’s (Leighton Meester) emotional meltdown over her AWOL dad and Nate’s (Chace Crawford) intense family dinner. We barely needed to hear from the voice of Gossip Girl (Kristen Bell) to stir the pot even more.

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Cheers

“Thanksgiving Orphans” (Season 5, Episode 9)

Most big-city dwellers know the feeling of being an orphan on Turkey Day. When Diane (Shelley Long) suggests that Cheers bar regulars — most of whom don’t have any plans — enjoy a potluck dinner in Carla’s (Rhea Perlman) new abode, Norm (the late George Wendt) arrives with a raw turkey, and Diane comes dressed as a pilgrim. Some don’t even show up.

When watching the football game fails to distract from the slow-cooking turkey, their built-up frustrations come to a head at the dinner table, just like a real family, which results in the episode’s classic food-fight scene.

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Peanuts

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

It’s not a holiday binge-watch without a Peanuts TV special, and Thanksgiving is, in our humble opinion, the most special of them all.

Though siblings Charlie (Todd Barbee) and Sally (Hilary Momberger-Powers) Brown already have dinner plans at their grandmother’s house, Peppermint Patty (Christopher DeFaria) invites herself, along with Marcie (Jimmy Ahrens) and Franklin (Robin Reed), over to the Browns’ place for an impromptu gathering.

With Charlie having two separate dinners on his plate, the episode’s core comes from a mischievous Snoopy (Bill Melendez), who conjures up a nontraditional menu consisting of toast, popcorn and jelly beans (then secretly saves the turkey for himself and Woodstock). Is it just us, or are we oddly okay with the original meal?

Watch A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving on Apple TV

Modern Family

“Punkin Chunkin” (Season 3, Episode 9)

The Dunphys once again prove their dedication to being the most competitive family on TV on this special episode of Modern Family. Phil (Ty Burrell) is plagued with thoughts of Claire (Julie Bowen) rejecting his ideas, Jay (Ed O’Neill) criticizes Manny’s (Rico Rodriguez) handmade centerpiece and Mitchell (Jesse Tyler Ferguson) doubts Cameron’s (Eric Stonestreet) grand dinner party stories.

This episode boils down to a heated family dispute that divides them into two teams — the “Realists” vs. the “Dreamers” — as they put Cam’s pumpkin-launching tale to the test. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but don’t worry, Haley (Sarah Hyland) already has that covered by crashing her mom’s car.

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The O.C.

“The Homecoming” (Season 1, Episode 11)

It doesn’t get any better than season 1 of The O.C. From Marissa Cooper’s (Mischa Barton) meltdown in Tijuana, Mexico, on episode 7 to chugging vodka in the bathroom of a charity fashion show on episode 10 — if only our high school lives were so glamorous.

On this episode, we see Seth’s (Adam Brody) relationships with both Summer (Rachel Bilson) and Anna (Samaire Armstrong) burn along with the turkey as he tries to juggle dating the two simultaneously. (Bye, Anna — it’s Seth and Summer forever!) Meanwhile, Marissa tags along with heartthrob Ryan (Benjamin McKenzie) to his hometown in Chino, Calif., where he visits his imprisoned brother, Trey (Bradley Stryker), who asks for his help settling a debt.

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Gilmore Girls

“A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” (Season 3, Episode 9)

After agreeing to four Thanksgiving dinners, Rory (Alexis Bledel) and Lorelai (Lauren Graham) come up with a strategy of “skipping the rolls” to make more eating room for Luke’s (Scott Patterson) personalized plates, Mrs. Kim’s (Emily Kuroda) Tofurkey and Jackson’s (Jackson Douglas) deep-fried turkey (much to the aversion of Melissa McCarthy‘s Sookie) before going to Emily (Kelly Bishop) and Richard’s (Edward Herrmann) for their final meal.

In the world of Gilmore Girls — where it’s eternally autumn — Thanksgiving arrives with all of the show’s cozy charm, as the classic episode also features Kirk’s (Sean Gunn) new cat, Rory and Jess’ (Milo Ventimiglia) honeymoon-like moments and Lane’s (Keiko Agena) first kiss.

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How I Met Your Mother

“Slapsgiving” (Season 3, Episode 9)

This How I Met Your Mother episode launched a hilarious yet painful running joke. After winning a bet with Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) about Robin’s (Cobie Smulders) hidden secret, Marshall (Jason Segel) cashes in on the right to slap the ladies’ man multiple times, with Lily (Alyson Hannigan) stepping in as the slap bet commissioner. Marshall saves his third slap for a grand Turkey Day face-off and continues the holiday ritual in the following years.

“Slapsgiving” also introduces the bittersweet exchange between the recently uncoupled Ted (Josh Radnor) and Robin, who both share a salute when someone drops military ranks into the conversation. After all, Thanksgiving is all about tradition, right?

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Full House

“The Miracle of Thanksgiving” (Season 1, Episode 9)

Audiences’ first Thanksgiving with the Tanner family was as expected — a roller coaster of emotions.

It’s the first holiday spent without his late wife, so Danny (the late Bob Saget) collaborates with Uncle Joey (Dave Coulier) and Uncle Jesse (John Stamos) to prepare an extra-special dinner for his daughters. However, things don’t go as planned when the evening leads to a frozen turkey and a botched pumpkin pie.

Though this Full House episode offers typical late-’80s sitcom hilarity, it’s not without its signature soapy moments, gracefully navigating the theme of grief during the holiday season.

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Everybody Loves Raymond

“No Fat” (Season 3, Episode 10)

We love it when a sitcom serves as a historical insight into the trends of the times, and nothing says “1998” like an entirely fat-free Thanksgiving — including steamed veggies and turkey-molded tofu (cue the laugh track).

The mastermind behind this health-conscious feast in this quintessential Everybody Loves Raymond episode is matriarch Marie (the late Doris Roberts), who is set on whipping up a menu that will promise a longer life for her and her husband, Frank (Peter Boyle). While their guests applaud their newfound nutrition journey, hunger quickly pushes them to consider Robert’s (Brad Garrett) dog, Starsky, as a more appetizing alternative.

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The Sopranos

“He Is Risen” (Season 3, Episode 8)

This season 3 episode of The Sopranos is proof that not even mobsters are immune to petty family holiday drama. From Tony (James Gandolfini) ordering Carmela (Edie Falco) to uninvite Ralphie (Joe Pantoliano) and Rosalie (Sharon Angela) from their festive gathering to Jackie Jr. (Jason Cerbone) making an entrance and asking Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) out in front of everyone, our plates runneth over.

Our favorite moment? Tony hurling food across the table at Janice’s (Aida Turturro) narcoleptic boyfriend Aaron (Turk Pipkin) — whose evangelical beliefs inspire the episode’s title. “He Is Risen” is packed with loads of drama and conflict that reaches far beyond the dinner table.

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Parenthood

“Happy Thanksgiving” (Season 2, Episode 10)

There’s literally no episode of Parenthood that didn’t make us cry, and the holidays are the perfect time to really just let ’em flow.

Each character’s storylines seamlessly intertwine at this Braverman Thanksgiving. Adam’s (Peter Krause) boss, Gordon (William Baldwin) — who’s also dating his sister, Sarah (Graham) — breaks the news of selling the footwear company they work at. Drew (Miles Heizer) is upset with his mom for bringing Gordon, but in reality, he’s missing his absent father. Julia (Erika Christensen) loses her cool after being bombarded by her daughter Sydney’s (Savannah Paige Rae) incessant demands, sparking a poignant confession about her inner struggles as a mother.

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Seinfeld

“The Mom & Pop Store” (Season 6, Episode 8)

Like many episodes of Seinfeld, several storylines occur simultaneously — George (Jason Alexander) buys a car that supposedly belonged to Jon Voight, Kramer (Michael Richards) attempts to get Jerry’s (Jerry Seinfeld) sneakers repaired and Jerry is unsure whether he’s invited to a Thanksgiving party hosted by dentist Tim Whatley (guest star Bryan Cranston).

However, what makes this episode a Thanksgiving classic is Elaine’s (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) storyline, in which we learn that her boss, Mr. Pitt (Ian Abercrombie), has tasked her with winning him a spot to hold the Woody Woodpecker balloon in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

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This Is Us

“Six Thanksgivings” (Season 3, Episode 8)

Throughout the six seasons of This Is Us, the Pearsons had several memorable — and, of course, dramatic — Thanksgivings. The best of the bunch happens on season 3, which depicts the family celebrating the holiday in conventional and unconventional ways across several timelines that span past and present. 

“Six Thanksgivings” treats viewers to fresh insights, from Miguel’s (Jon Huertas) parenting to Jack’s (Ventimiglia) experiences in the Vietnam War to William’s (Ron Cephas Jones) first meeting with boyfriend Jessie (Denis O’Hare). In true This Is Us fashion, the episode culminates in a beautiful montage, emphasizing how Thanksgiving is about connecting with loved ones.

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Glee

“Thanksgiving” (Season 4, Episode 8)

If the chaos of mashing up Scissor Sisters’ “Let’s Have a Kiki” with the show tune “Turkey Lurkey Time” from the musical Promises, Promises doesn’t scream Glee, then you’re in the wrong choir. On this episode, the New Directions alumni return to William McKinley High to lend a helping hand to interim coach Finn (the late Cory Monteith) in prepping the current glee club for Sectionals. Naturally, this reunion stirs up a bubbling pot of unresolved tensions, including yet another clash between Santana (the late Naya Rivera) and Quinn (Dianna Agron). 

Since it’s Glee, “Thanksgiving” takes you on a rollercoaster, going from serious teen issues to a surreal rendition of Psy‘s “Gangnam Style” — ensuring you get a bit of everything on your plate. For the grand finish, Sarah Jessica Parker makes a guest appearance!

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New Girl

“Thanksgiving” (Season 1, Episode 6)

After inviting her crush Paul (Justin Long), a fellow middle-school teacher, over for dinner on what Schmidt (Max Greenfield) dubs the “least sexy holiday of the year,” Jess (Zooey Deschanel) convinces her roommates to cancel their “Dudesgiving” plans of idle football watching and put together a traditional meal for their first Thanksgiving together in the loft. 

However, when their turkey — affectionately named “Hanksgiving” — ends up still being frozen on the big day, the gang uses unconventional measures to defrost it faster, such as hugging it and putting it in the dryer. Amid the pandemonium, this episode of New Girl teaches us that sometimes the best holidays are the ones where everything doesn’t go according to plan.

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The Big Bang Theory

“The Thanksgiving Decoupling” (Season 7, Episode 9)

Team Leonard (Johnny Galecki) heads over to Mrs. Wolowitz’s (Carol Ann Susi) house for Thanksgiving, even though Sheldon (Jim Parsons) protests against it, on this episode of The Big Bang Theory. However, Leonard discovers a turkey-sized bombshell: His girlfriend, Penny (Kaley Cuoco), got married to her ex, Zack (Brian Thomas Smith), in what she thought was a fake Vegas wedding officiated by an Elvis impersonator.

So Penny persuades her simple-minded husband to come over on the holiday to nullify the marriage. The real gag is catching the rare spectacle of drunk Sheldon, who burps the number of pi and throws up on the clown decorations in the bathroom. Bazinga!

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Grey’s Anatomy

“Thanks for the Memories” (Season 2, Episode 9)

Meredith’s (Ellen Pompeo) voiceover is always iconic, but that’s even more true for this holiday-themed episode of Grey’s Anatomy. In the voiceover, she contemplates gratitude, happiness and the struggle of just being human before ending with: “At the end of the day, the fact that we have the courage to still be standing is reason enough to celebrate.”

Plot-wise, Izzie (Katherine Heigl) attempts to make the perfect Thanksgiving meal — with a major assist from Burke’s (Isaiah Washington) culinary skills — while Meredith hides from the holiday at work, Alex (Justin Chambers) is avoiding Izzie’s calls because he failed his medical boards and Cristina (Sandra Oh) laments the lack of alcohol. Meanwhile, George (T.R. Knight) goes turkey hunting with his father and brothers as part of an age-old O’Malley tradition.

In the end, everyone — minus Meredith, who opts for the bar instead — gathers for dinner in a beautiful moment, highlighting the importance of chosen family.

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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air

“Talking Turkey” (Season 1, Episode 12)

On this episode of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, a visit from Will’s (Will Smith) mom, Viola (Vernee Watson), for Thanksgiving creates chaos as she criticizes how the upper-class Banks family runs the household by leaving all the work to Geoffrey (Joseph Marcell), making Vivian (Janet Hubert) feel like a bad mother in the process.

Viola and Vivian have a heart-to-heart conversation later, with Vivian telling Viola how much her comments hurt her, and Viola telling Vivian that if she wasn’t a good mother, she never would have sent Will to live with her family in Bel Air. There’s also a sweet moment Will shares with his mother, a warm embrace showing how much they missed each other, that’s sure to put a smile on your face.

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Friday Night Lights

“Thanksgiving” (Season 4, Episode 13)

This episode isn’t just a Thanksgiving episode for Friday Night Lights; it’s also a season finale. Typical of season finales, the tension is at an all-time high. At the center of this episode is the season-ender football showdown between the West Dillon Panthers, Coach Taylor’s (Kyle Chandler) old team, and the East Dillon Lions, his new team. (Don’t worry, we’re not spoiling who wins.)

Off the field, the ensemble of characters deals with their own issues. Notable side storylines are, Tami (Connie Britton) refusing to apologize for helping a student with an unexpected pregnancy that resulted in an abortion (and deciding to become a guidance counselor), Tim (Taylor Kitsch) taking the fall for taking the fall for running the chop shop with his brother and Matt (Zach Gilford) and Landry (Jesse Plemons) deciding to go to Chicago together. This show proved that interpersonal drama is just as dynamic as any sport.

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Fresh Off the Boat

“Huangsgiving” (Season 2, Episode 8)

Examining various American traditions through the lens of an immigrant family — Taiwanese in this instance — is one of the biggest strengths Fresh Off the Boat showcased during its run. This Thanksgiving episode is no different.

Jessica (Constance Wu) has finally convinced her mother to let her host Thanksgiving dinner instead of her sister Connie (Susan Park). However, things go wrong — as common on sitcoms — when she and Louis’ (Randall Park) sky-high ambitions don’t pan out. Jessica isn’t able to nail the cranberry sauce recipe, Louis’ ready-to-cook Cornish hens arrive alive and, to top it off, the turkey is still frozen. In the end, the sisters have a sweet moment when fetching a turkey fryer, and custody of Thanksgiving is forever handed over to Connie.

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