11 Best Thanksgiving TV Specials
As the holidays approach, televisions give us Christmas commercials, stores offer us Christmas decorations, the radio plays us Christmas music, and...Thanksgiving gets no love. Well, if you want to get in the turkey day spirit, look no further! These are the best Thanksgiving special episodes TV shows have ever done. Click through for a roundup of the funniest and most heartwarming Thanksgiving moments on your favorite TV shows, from Gossip Girl to Gilmore Girls. Definitely worth watching after the meal wraps up.
1/11Gossip Girl: Season 1, Episode 9: Blair Waldorf Must Pie!
The first Thanksgiving of Gossip Girl is one for the books, let me tell you. When Blair pulls the most Blair of moves and uninvites Serena to her home after a petty fight about Chuck, Dan swoops in to save the day, having her whole family to Brooklyn. On top of family bonding and an awkward Rufus and Lily run-in, the episode flashes back to last year's Thanksgiving, giving viewers a glimpse of a very different Serena van der Woodsen. There's pie, there's fries and there's friendship. What more could you want?
2/11Gilmore Girls: Season 3, Episode 9: A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving
In true Gilmore fashion, Lorelai and Rory take on not one, but four Thanksgiving celebrations in this episode. From Mrs. Kims' Tofurky to Jackson's deep-fried rendition, this food-filled episode will having you feeling full by association for the girls. Additionally, on a sentimental note, this is the ep where Rory reveals she wants to go to Yale. Ah!!
3/11Boy Meets World Season 4, Episode 10: Turkey Day
Anyone who watched Boy Meets World knows that show wasn’t afraid to explore real life situations from time to time. “Turkey Day” wasn’t your usual rainbows and butterflies holiday episode. Instead, it explores interaction amongst folks from different classes. Cory and Shawn win a turkey and stuffing, and decide to combine their respective families for one big dinner. Cory’s family visits Shawn’s at their trailer park, and things don’t go so smoothly. While it’s not cheerful through and through, it’s an episode of a family sitcom that’s shedding a light on social class and that’s an awesome thing to do.
4/11New Girl Season 2, Episode 8: The Parents
Jess’ divorced parents (played by Jamie Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner!!) visit the gang’s apartment for Thanksgiving, and Jess is determined to rekindle their romance. Also Schmidt’s cousin is in town, and he’s played by Rob Riggle so the guest appearances this episode alone make it worth the price of admission.
5/11Master of None Season 2, Episode 8: Thanksgiving
This episode of Master of None will hit you right in the feels. It focuses on Denise (Lena Waithe) grappling with her sexuality over a number of Thanksgiving dinners throughout the years and her relationship with her mother (portrayed by Angela Bassett). The episode is truly a masterpiece, which Lena co-wrote with Aziz Ansari, and ended up nabbing them a 2017 Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series.
6/11The Simpsons Season 2, Episode 7: Bart vs. Thanksgiving
Early Simpsons gems like this are always nice to watch, especially when they’re seasonally appropriate! On this episode, Bart angers his entire family, which is par for the course, but this leads to him running away and realizing that the life he has at home ain’t too shabby.
7/11Modern Family Season 6, Episode 8: Three Turkeys
This episode is only three years old, but is already a Thanksgiving classic. Phil and Luke are responsible for dinner, but Claire has zero faith in them to produce an edible meal, so she secretly prepares a backup turkey. Then Jay and Gloria cancel their plans to leave for the holidays, but don’t tell anyone. When dinner is moved to their house, everything becomes a beautiful, hilarious Thanksgiving disaster.
8/11That 70s Show Season 1, Episode 8: Thanksgiving
Wanna watch some couples drama play out? Eric kisses his sister’s friend who is in town for Thanksgiving and isn’t Donna, so he has to face the consequences of his wrongdoings.
9/11The Office Season 7, Episode 9: WUPHF.com
Fans of The Office know that a Michael & Ryan-filled episode is sure to be epic. This is just one of many glorious episodes of this series, but it happens to take place around Thanksgiving, so you can use it to catapult yourself into the season’s spirit!
10/11Full House Season 1, Episode 9: "The Miracle of Thanksgiving"
Three men raising three daughters is just classic comedy — throw a turkey and some pie into the equation and you've got gold. This episode will also tug on the heart strings though, as it's the girl's first Christmas without their mom. Expect the tears to flow and your belly to hurt from laughing.
11/11Grey's Anatomy Season 2, Episode 9: "Thanks for the Memories"
In this Thanksgiving special, titled "Thanks for the Memories" to remind us all of that one Fall Out Boy song, George is forced to go hunting for a turkey with his brothers, Meredith and Alex hide out at the hospital and Izzie tries to embrace the holiday by cooking up a storm, only for no one to show up to dinner. Tune in for highly relatable quips from Cristina and to watch Dr. Burke help Izzie in the kitchen.
