Thanksgiving is kind of a weird in-between holiday for me. It doesn’t really have the same festive vibes as Halloween or Christmas. Nonetheless, there are actually quite a few classic Thanksgiving TV show episodes that I love. From sitcoms to childhood favorites, here are some episodes you should watch to get in the Turkey Day spirit:
- Friends Season 3, Episode 9: “The One With The Football”
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When thinking of Thanksgiving episodes, this was the first one to come to mind. There are actually a few Friends Thanksgiving episodes, but the season three option is the most memorable to me. In this episode, the friends decide to play a game of football, which rekindles a childhood rivalry between Monica and Ross. Of course, this leads to them taking the game way too seriously. The setting of this episode (a park covered in fall leaves) and the characters’ cozy fits really bring the Thanksgiving vibes. Every time I watch this episode, it makes me wish I was spending the holiday in New York City.
- How I Met Your Mother Season 3, Episode 9: “Slapsgiving”
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How I Met Your Mother is another favorite sitcom of mine. If you aren’t familiar with the show, there is a running joke called the slap bet. The slap bet grants the different characters opportunities to slap each other with no consequences. In this episode, Marshall terrorizes Barney, claiming that he plans to use his slap soon. At the same time, Lily is trying her hardest to make the perfect Thanksgiving dinner, and Robin introduces the group to her new boyfriend (much to Ted’s dismay). You can always expect chaos in episodes involving the slap bet, and this one in particular is hilarious. If you like this episode, the running gag continues in season 5, episode 9: “Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap.”
Laff via GIPHY - Gossip Girl Season 1, Episode 9: Blair Waldorf Must Pie
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If it’s not clear by now, I watch a lot of shows that take place in New York City. Of course, Gossip Girl has a much different vibe than the previous shows. With this episode, we go from the apartments of the previous sitcoms to the Upper East Side with Blair, Nate, Dan and Serena (sorry, Chuck isn’t in this one). Dan invites Serena and her mother to have Thanksgiving dinner at his place not knowing that his father and her mother have a complicated history. Blair struggles with the reality of her father not coming home for the holiday. With the aesthetics and the music, it really does not get any more 2007 than this episode.
- A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
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Though this is technically a television short rather than an episode, I felt obligated to include it. I’m pretty sure I have watched Charlie Brown every Thanksgiving for my entire life. The nostalgia and simplicity just can’t be beat. I will always laugh a little every time I see Snoopy attempt to single handedly cook dinner (aka, pop popcorn and make toast).
Whether you’re spending Thanksgiving around the dinner table, at home or with ramen in your dorm, I hope these episodes can get you in the holiday spirit. Enjoy your time off before finals. Happy Thanksgiving!