With the tough year that we’ve all had, we deserve to relax with some hot cocoa in front of the TV and watch a feel-good show. Grab some friends or family and do a socially-distanced get together or Zoom party to watch these fun episodes!
“Friends”
“Friends” has blessed us with multiple Thanksgiving specials and it’s hard not to watch all of them every year. My favorite is Season 8, Episode 9: “The One With The Rumor.” Brad Pitt appears as a guest star and if that’s not a reason to watch this episode then I don’t know what is. High school rumors resurface causing drama within the group, while Joey is challenged to eat an entire turkey. Another fun episode is Season 5, Episode 8: “The One With All The Thanksgivings.” This is a flashback episode where each character recalls their worst Thanksgiving experience. It’s a chaotic episode, which includes the iconic look of Monica having a turkey on top of her head.
“Full House”
Everyone knows the Tanner family and seeing them on my screen brings so much nostalgia. The first holiday episode of the series is Season 1, Episode 9: “The Miracle of Thanksgiving,” which shows the coming together of the expanded Tanner family to celebrate Thanksgiving, while grieving the loss of Danny’s wife, Pam. The family experiences havoc while cooking, which only brings them closer together. It emphasizes the fact that you don’t need to go anywhere special for the holidays when you have all that you need at home surrounded by the people you love.
“How I Met Your Mother”
The Slap Bet is an ongoing plotline throughout HIMYM, where the winner of a particular bet slaps the loser’s face as hard as they want. Hence comes Slapsgiving, a made-up holiday that appears in three episodes. Season 3, Episode 9, “Slapsgiving” shows Barney being paranoid the whole time as he awaits being slapped. In Season 5, Episode 9, “Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap,” Ted and Robin argue over who gets to slap Barney. Season 9, Episode 14, “Slapsgiving 3: Slappointment in Slapmarra” reveals the legendary backstory behind the slap bet.
“Modern Family”
The best thing about this series is that most episodes have three storylines that all come together at the end. Season 6, Episode 8: “Three Turkeys” is a true representation of a chaotic family trying to make the most important meal as perfect as it can be. Having no trust in Phil and Luke’s turkey, Claire prepares a secret turkey in case things go awry. Jay and Gloria’s plans get interrupted and Cameron attempts to get Lily to wear a dress to dinner. In Season 8, Episode: “Thanksgiving Jamboree,” Cameron spends all his money on an extravagant jamboree that, of course, includes a classic Thanksgiving football game.
“The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”
Two words: Will Smith. Take him and a funny plot line and turn it into three hilarious Thanksgiving episodes. In Season 1, Episode 12: “Talking Turkey,” the children cook for the adults as chaos occurs in the kitchen. Season 6, Episode 9 & 10: “There’s the Rub” (Part 1 & 2) shows Carlton and Hilary volunteering at a homeless shelter as Philip and Will get massages, which leads to some trouble.
“WKRP in Cincinnati”
A popular sitcom in the 1970s, WKRP is known for having one of the most memorable Thanksgiving episodes of all time. In Season 1, Episode 7, “Turkeys Away,” Mr. Carlson creates a Thanksgiving publicity stunt to make the radio station more popular, which takes a bizarre turn. Live turkeys are dropped from a helicopter, dramatically hitting the floor, as Mr. Carlson recites the infamous line, “As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.”
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