Thanksgiving episodes have been a staple of American television for decades, from the black-and-white sitcoms of the 1950s to the more eclectic offerings of the digital age. But what’s worth your hard-earned free time amid that overwhelming bounty of Turkey Day TV? Here’s our guide to some of the best Thanksgiving episodes available to stream right now, including family-friendly classics and decidedly dark-edged fare. Happy binge-watching, folks!
“Master of None”
The acclaimed comedy typically follows the travails of self-absorbed Dev (Aziz Ansari), but the episode “Thanksgiving” centers on his friend Denise (Lena Waithe) as she struggles to come out to her family over the course of two decades. The frank, keenly observed episode, largely set to a soundtrack of R&B favorites, co-stars Angela Bassett as Denise’s mother. Waithe, who co-wrote the script and based it on her own experiences, became the first African American woman to win an Emmy for comedy series writing in 2017.
Where to stream: Netflix
“The West Wing”
The idealistic political drama has enjoyed a renaissance among liberal viewers in the Trump era, and the Thanksgiving-set episode “Shibboleth” helps explain why. President Jed Bartlet (Martin Sheen), per White House tradition, pardons a turkey while also dealing with a group of asylum-seeking Chinese refugees who claim to be Christian evangelicals fleeing government persecution. The episode, heavy on Aaron Sorkin’s brand of earnest speechifying, culminates in a particularly stirring presidential monologue.
Where to stream: Netflix
Let our news meet your inbox. The news and stories that matters, delivered weekday mornings.
“Fresh Off the Boat”
The popular family sitcom, loosely inspired by the childhood of celebrity chef Eddie Huang and his 2013 autobiography, earned a place in the annals of Thanksgiving classics with “Huangsgiving.” The episode focuses on the hard-driving Jessica (Constance Wu) as she attempts to prepare a Thanksgiving meal that will outdo all the competition, down to the homemade cranberry sauce and impeccable Cornish game hen. But, naturally, the plans go awry.
Where to stream: Hulu
“Friends”
Where to begin? The beloved sitcom treated fans to no less than 10 episodes centered on Thanksgiving, including “The One Where Ross Got High” from the sixth season to “The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks” from the fifth season. (The latter episode features the iconic image of Monica wearing a turkey on her head.) But we are partial to “The One with the Rumor,” guest-starring “Ocean’s Eleven”-era Brad Pitt as a high school chum who co-founded the “I Hate Rachel Green Club” with Ross (David Schwimmer).
Where to stream: Netflix
“The Sopranos”
The darkly comic mob saga offers little by way of warm-and-fuzzy holiday entertainment, but the episode “He Is Risen” nonetheless evokes the autumnal mood of the holiday season. The episode dwells on the budding romance between Meadow (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) and her drug-addled boyfriend as tensions ramp up between Tony (James Gandolfini) and Ralph (Joe Pantoliano). In the most relevant subplot, Tony presses Carmela (Edie Falco) to lie so they can scrap plans to host Ralph for the holiday. Who can’t relate?
Where to stream: HBO Go, HBO Now
“Gilmore Girls”
The sweet-natured dramedy about a motor-mouthed mother (Lauren Graham) and her sharp-witted daughter (Alexis Bledel) finds the pair dropping in on four different Thanksgiving meals in “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving,” including a dinner where the consummate chef Sookie (Melissa McCarthy, pre-Hollywood superstardom) witnesses her husband deep-fry a turkey. The episode, like so much of the series, conjures the pumpkin-spiced scents and simple creature comforts of fall.
Where to stream: Netflix, DirectTV
Honorable mentions, A-Z
“Frasier” (“A Lilith Thanksgiving,” Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu); “How I Met Your Mother” (“Slapsgiving,” Hulu); “The Mindy Project” (“Thanksgiving,” Hulu); “Modern Family” (“Three Turkeys,” Hulu); “The Office” (“WUPHF.com,” Netflix); “Will and Grace” (“Moveable Feast,” Hulu).
