Thankful for these Thanksgiving Sitcoms!
If you know me, you know Thanksgiving is my favorite day of the year. For me this special day is all about family. Growing up, my mom and dad would host the most outrageous Thanksgivings the city of North Mankato, MN had ever seen.
They were legendary! My brother Mike spent days making the perfect gravy. My brother Scott would make enough stuffed mushrooms to feed, well, North Mankato. My uncle would fish cans of Milwaukee’s best out of the garbage can (true story.) My dad would make sure he had the perfect view of the football game (with the volume on infinity). And, my mom would consume two glasses of wine, just enough to make her slightly goofy. (I can still here my mom’s laugh - HUHHHH-HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!)
One year, the house was so packed we had three people there we didn’t even know. I’ll always remember the last three people leaving that year. My dad thanked them a bunch for coming. As soon as they walked out the door, my dad asked me, “Who the hell are they.” No one knew. After three years of this mystery trio attending the Vaske Thanksgiving, we finally learned their names - Lynn, Lynn, and Linda. (Again, true story.)
In honor of this fantastic day, I present to you the best TV sitcom Thanksgiving episodes. So grab a glass of wine and a deviled egg and enjoy.
jerry Pops woody Woodpecker - Seinfeld
You barely have time to breathe during this episode, so much happens. George buys Jon Voight’s car. Kramer spends the episode trying to save a mom and pop business. Elaine wins a contest allowing Mr. Pitt to be part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. And Jerry worries he’s not invited to Tim Whatley’s annual pre-Thanksgiving Day party. Spoiler alert, Jerry goes to the party and ends up popping the Woody Woodpecker balloon. You can’t make this stuff up. Uh, wait, I guess they did.
The Time We Almost Saw Vera - Cheers
I debated making this the number one Thanksgiving episode. Why? Because just thinking about this makes me laugh. Basically, the gang at Cheers has nowhere to go for Thanksgiving so they all end up at Carla’s house. They fight over the TV. The turkey won’t cook (we’ve all been there.) A big argument erupts which ultimately leads to a food fight. What’s not to love? Another spoiler, Norm’s wife Vera makes her only appearance on the show but her identity is hidden because she’s hit in the face with a pie.
Cheers to Lilith - Frasier
You can’t have Cheers without including Frasier. This episode is like every other Frasier episode, and I love it. Frasier and Lilith want Freddy to get into the best school. They meet with the head of the school on Thanksgiving Day (who does that?) and a series of misunderstandings ensues. Of course Frasier can’t let things go so he and Lilith repeatedly return to the schoolmaster’s home only to make things worse each time.
Ahh the Memories - Friends
This is the first of two Friends appearances. Normally I’m not a big fan of flashback episodes but this one is spectacular. We learn that Rachel had a nose job. We see Chandler and Ross imitate Flock of Seagulls and Crockett and Tubbs (Miami Vice.) We learn why Monica lost a bunch of weight. And we see how Chandler lost a toe.
But let’s face it, Joey and the giant turkey steal the show. I know, Monica did the same thing but Joey started it.
Slap Happy - How I met your mother
How I Met Your Mother’s Slapsgiving episode is a classic. A little backstory, Barney lost a bet to Ted a while back. For punishment, Marshall was allowed to slap Barney five times at any given moment. Marshall continually taunted Barney in this episode, warning him that slap number three was just around the corner. It finally happened. However, this wasn’t the best part of the episode. What had me laughing hysterically was the song Marshall had composed for the occasion. Priceless.
Sheldon Gets Sloshed - Big Bang theory
Who knew Sheldon knew so much about football? I loved this episode because we got to witness two completely different personalities bond - Sheldon and Bernadette’s father. The two connect over football and eventually share beers together. Ultimately Sheldon can’t handle the alcohol and, well, you know.
who’s the guy on the porch? - king of queens
King of Queens had several great Thanksgiving episodes but I chose this one because it hit home. A complete stranger shows up at the Heffernan household on Thanksgiving. We too had complete strangers at the Vaske Thanksgiving. (See the intro.) The other reason I chose this episode is because the stranger on King of Queens was none other than the brilliant Nick Offerman, aka Ron Swanson, of Parks and Recreation.
A bear to watch - the bear
We are going to stray from the comedies here and include quite possibly one of the most intense episodes in recent TV. I’m talking about the Thanksgiving episode in season 2 of The Bear. Why would I include my least favorite episode of that season? Because it was the most important episode of the season. This is quite possibly one of the most difficult 90 minutes of TV you’ll ever encounter. You’ll feel so uncomfortable you’ll want to turn it off. But, later in the season, you’ll know why this show was needed. It explains A LOT. I dare you to watch it. But I’m warning you, you’ll squirm. (Also, note, there is some harsh language.)
This episode also made the cut because of Jamie Lee Curtis and her performance. Wow.
Thanksgiving & Football - Friends
Back to the comedies. I’m the youngest of three brothers. Three highly competitive brothers. That’s why this Friends episode is my favorite. Previously banned from playing football on Thanksgiving, Monica and Ross resume their rivalry, this time bringing their friends along for the ride. It’s boys vs. girls. How are the girls going to beat the boys? This scene is a bit racy but pure fun-ness. (I’m making that a word.)
Flinging Turkeys - everybody loves raymond
Like many of these shows, Everybody has many great Thanksgiving episodes. A close second was the time Debra wanted to cook fish rather than turkey but Ray accidentally put the fish in the dishwasher and ruined it. To this day I still threaten my mother-in-law that we’re going to have fish for Turkey Day. But I chose this episode called Fighting In-Laws because it’s my dad’s favorite. Every year my dad talks about the time Debra flung the turkey into the oven and stormed off. Great stuff.
best thanksgiving show ever - wKRP In Cincinnati
This one really shouldn’t be a surprise. (Unless you’re under 40-years old. Then you’ve probably never heard of WKRP.) This episode hits my funny bone on so many levels. First off, being in television/radio, I’ve experienced the craziness of live productions. They’re unpredictable and never go as planned. Also, the writing in this episode is brilliant. Just listen to Les Nessman describe the scene at the Pinedale Shopping Mall. He’s an artist painting a picture. The second reason this episode takes the top spot is its iconic line, “As God as my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.” These funny words from the frazzled big guy, Arthur Carlson. I dare you to find a more quoted Thanksgiving television line. I watch this episode many times each season.
Bonus - A Blockhead Thanksgiving
Here’s a bonus for you. It’s not part of the list because it’s technically a special and not an episode. But nothing brings back childhood memories quite like Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang. The script is a template. Charlie Brown and his friends are down in the dumps. They’re not sure why they should be thankful. Lucy promises not to pull the football away from Charlie Brown. She does. Then things happen and suddenly, at the end, they’re all thankful. (Where else did I see this? Oh yeah, the Peanuts Christmas special. Also a classic. If a template works, don’t fix it.)
There you have it. My favorite Thanksgiving tv episodes. While our family Thanksgivings are now more low key, it’s still my favorite time of the year. I’m thankful I was able to spend so many wonderful Thanksgivings with my mom and also thankful I get to celebrate even more with my dad, my brothers, my in-laws, Jennifer Vaske, and the rest of my family. Thank you!
Todd Vaske is the president of Agile Video, a video production company in Minneapolis, Minnesota. We love to hear your comments. If you are looking for advice on your next video project, please reach out. If you’re a video production specialist, feel free to connect and talk shop.