Here’s a list of my top 10 best Thanksgiving television episodes to get right in the Turkey-Day spirit!
New Girl
One of the Thanksgiving episodes that stand out the most from this quirky series is definitely “Thanksgiving IV” Season 4 Episode 9. Schmidt decides the gang needs to spice things up a bit since they’re all single. He introduces the idea of a “Bangs-giving” where they all have to bring someone compatible for someone else. Everything definitely does not go as planned and it’s a hilarious must-watch!
Modern Family
An instant Thanksgiving classic. Phil and Luke are in charge of prepping dinner, but Claire knows nothing ever turns out as planned, so she prepares a back-up Turkey. Jay and Gloria don’t tell anyone of their plans to spend the holidays elsewhere, yet dinner somehow winds up at their house. It winds up being a hilarious disaster, as you could imagine from the most comedic family on television.
Gossip Girl
There’s always drama spewing up on the Upper East Side! It was expected that a dinner with these scandalous members of the Manhattan elite would end up with punches, handcuffs, and scandals. At the end of Season 6, Dan and Serena throw their first thanksgiving together. Secrets come out and it ends with Dan Humphrey getting what he deserves. Definitely a dinner to remember!
How I Met Your Mother
The classic HIMYM Thanksgiving episode is “Slapsgiving,” introducing the official Slap Bet song, “You Just Got Slapped.” It also is the start of Ted and Robin’s salute whenever someone says anything that begins with a military rank, such as “major” or “general.” About 2 years later, “Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of The Slap” made air, and it was just as funny the second time around.
The Mindy Project
Mindy spends Thanksgiving at her best friend’s house, which creates an awkward situation when she finds her former blind date there also. When she first sees him, he slow motion falls down the stairs, which is a not-so-classy grand entrance. Every Mindy episode makes you LOL but this one in particular takes the cake for Season 1.
Parenthood
“Happy Thanksgiving” is an episode about your typical family dinner on Thanksgiving. Finding out future job news, impressing family members, bonding, getting frustrated while making dinner, you name it. The Braverman family is one for laughs and cries, and is a great episode to put you in the best holiday spirit.
Gilmore Girls
The title explains it all for Rory and Lorelei, “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving.” They are trying to fit in four different thanksgiving dinners, but bumps in the road happen on the way of them having their perfect holiday.
Grey’s Anatomy
Everyone’s favorite doctors attempt to have a normal Thanksgiving, but as we know, a normal day for them never happens. In, “Thanks for the Memories,” Meredith winds up escaping to the hospital, George goes hunting to bond with his family, and Izzy tries to make dinner for the crew, but it appears that nobody comes. Watch this episode to see how they all come together!
The Office
In Season 7, Dwight takes on his childhood memories of creating a Hay Festival in the parking lot, definitely capitalizing the Thanksgiving spirit. Lets be real here, any episode of The Office is gold.
Friends
Last but not least, Friends has really captured the BEST thanksgiving episodes throughout the entire 10 years it was on. I highly recommend watching any Friends’ thanksgiving episode for tons of laughs. “The One with the Worst Thanksgivings,” is filled with flashbacks of this friend group’s worst moments every year. I think we all can remember when Monica had the turkey on her head!
Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends, to go home from school and not have to stress over work. So enjoy your time with some hilarious and drama filled thanksgiving television!