Thanksgiving: a beautiful holiday that brings friends, family, food, and football together, all in the name of being thankful (and eating yourself into a turkey-and-stuffing coma). But aside from the smells of pumpkin pie warming in the oven and brightly coloured fall leaves that warm our hearts, we can always turn to our favourite TV shows to remind us that the most wonderful time of year is upon us. Even though in Canada we celebrate Thanksgiving in October, American TV networks go to great lengths to incorporate the Thanksgiving special into their seasons in November, and for good reason. Read on to find out why!
Ratings: It’s all just a numbers game The first season of a show is crucial to its survival; every episode must be on point to gain and maintain viewers, otherwise the show could be in danger of being cancelled. A Thanksgiving episode is a great way to gain audience attention, because when TV aligns with what’s going on in the real world, it becomes more relatable. This is especially true with sitcoms that are designed to “reflect the rhythms” of daily life as described by Paste Magazine; it can even keep some far-fetched dramas from becoming too sordid. You’ll notice that the first season of many shows will feature a Thanksgiving special, but they’re not committed to it for every season thereafter. Shows like The Mindy Project, How I Met Your Mother, and even Friends include Thanksgiving episodes. Kinda gimmicky, but we love them anyway.
Character Development: Advancing characters’ relationships by looking into their pasts Because Thanksgiving happens every year, it gives the writers a chance to make the characters reflect on their pasts, outside of the show’s timeline. In turn, this gives audiences more backstory, and the driving force behind a character’s actions. And really, who doesn’t love a good flashback scene? In the Friends episode, The One with All the Thanksgivings, we learn all the reasons why Chandler comes to hate Thanksgiving over the years; this leads to Monica trying to make amends, which then leads to Chandler saying “I love you” to Monica for the first time. And I, for one, am forever grateful for that beautiful, on-screen romance.
Straight Up Drama: Nothing drives us apart like getting together While Thanksgiving episodes are mostly heartwarming and humorous for the sitcom, the drama is an entirely different breed. Shows like Gossip Girl will take full advantage of the holiday to serve up extra helpings of drama, with a side of chaos. You would think that the holidays are meant to bring everyone together, but you would be wrong. With recipes going awry, friendships falling apart, and sworn enemies being forced to sit at the same table, there are likely to be a few daggers being thrown at dinner– proverbial or otherwise.
History Lesson: Coming face-to-face with the truth about Thanksgiving While it’s easy to get caught up in all the celebrations, it’s also important to remember the reason why we celebrate, and the reason we give thanks. Without going too much into the history of the First Peoples in North America, the gothic-horror genre is one that can seem pretty kitschy at times, but often reflects the very real societal issues that bubble below the surface. In Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 4 episode 8, the gang accidentally uncovers a sacred burial ground at a construction site and and disturbs an Indigenous spirit. As the spirit takes on a physical form and wreaks havoc on what was supposed to be a “perfect” Thanksgiving dinner, Buffy and her friends reflect on the violent history of the settler story. For the record: this is episode is not wholly accurate, but is one of the first of its kind to handle these important but sensitive topics.
Social Critique: Keeping it real in an increasingly dramatized world Yes, South Park is an animated exaggeration of the lives of rabble-rousing fourth-graders in a fictional town. But, it is also well known for its exposés of contemporary society through its clever parodies of pop culture. In 2013, South Park filled a 3-episode arc with a Game of Thrones themed Thanksgiving-Black Friday mash-up. Of course, for Americans, Thanksgiving is followed by the infamous Black Friday madness. The grisly rivalries, plot-thickening betrayals and ominous catchphrases of Game of Thrones all lend themselves perfectly to South Park’s critique on the consumer culture that tends to dominate the holiday season.