Watching TV with family and friends after stuffing your face full of turkey and mashed potatoes is the best way to spend Thanksgiving.
Here are some of the best television specials from throughout the years that will comfort you this fall.
- “Thanksgiving” – ‘New GIrl”
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“New Girl” is one of the funniest shows to ever exist, and their season one Thanksgiving special holds to that claim.
The main character Jess invites a co-worker that she has a crush on to the gang’s Thanksgiving at the loft. Naturally, everything starts to go horribly wrong.
This special is such a comforting fun time and it spreads laughs throughout the room. It also has a surprising twist ending that you won’t be able to predict.
- “The One with all the Thanksgivings” – “Friends”
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Next is a classic within the Thanksgiving special realm. The eighth episode of season five of “Friends” involves the friend group recalling the worst Thanksgivings they have had.
The image above was a viral meme that became famous even outside of the show’s universe.
In the episode, Monica was trying to make Chandler feel better. So she decided to put the turkey on her head from earlier in the episode and do a little dance.
Overall, this is a well written special with entertaining jokes and important background history that also serves as a catalyst in the next stage of Monica and Chandler’s relationship.
- “Slapsgiving” -“How I Met Your Mother”
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“Slapsgiving” is about a friend group having their first Thanksgiving together. While Ted and Robin navigate their friendship after breaking up, Marshall intimidates Barney with a countdown to the third slap in their famous slap bet.
In the previous season, Barney made a bet to Marshall about Robin’s past. Because he lost the bet, Marshall gets to slap him five times at any time.
With all the joking around in this episode, there is also real growth for Ted and Robin’s relationship after breaking up, making this a great Thanksgiving special filled with love and self-improvement.
- “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” -“GIlmore Girls”
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This “Gilmore Girls” Thanksgiving episode follows the two girls making plans for Thanksgiving. They try and work to attend four different dinners, including a formal party with Emily and Richard.
This episode gives such fall vibes and provides great comedic timing with witty jokes. It also further progresses the storyline of Rory going to college.
It’s such a comfort classic that is the perfect thing to watch after a good meal.
- “Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations” -“Community”
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“Community” is generally an underrated show, and the Thanksgiving episode doesn’t disappoint.
While the main character Jeff spends Thanksgiving with his newly discovered father, Britta tries to play pretend as a therapist. The rest of the crew goes to Shirley’s house for Thanksgiving dinner, but realize they need to escape from Shirley’s dysfunctional family.
I love this episode for multiple reasons: the homage to “Shawshank Redemption” and “Prison Break,” the normalization of broken family dynamics during Thanksgiving and heart-warming concept of chosen family.
This is a must-watch for the holiday season.
Overall, these are some amazing TV shows with incredible Thanksgiving specials. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving break and fall season!