Since there aren’t many Thanksgiving-specific movies, get re-acquainted with your favorite TV characters by watching some cherished Thanksgiving episodes from shows like Friends, New Girl, and How I Met Your Mother. They might make you wish for an eventful Thanksgiving dinner or make you glad your family is as functional as it is. Either way, you’re sure to get a few laughs. Pro tip: If you’re charged with time-intensive feast-prep, stream these while cooking to make time fly (or order Thanksgiving dinner this year and watch while you wait).
Friends
“The One Where Underdog Gets Away”
Season 1, Episode 9 Summary: You could spend almost all of Turkey Day watching Friends Thanksgiving episodes—almost every season has one—but why not start with the first, arguably the first Friendsgiving? The gang gets locked out of Monica’s apartment, Underdog escapes the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and Rachel scrounges together money to go on a holiday ski trip with her family—hopefully. Where to watch: HBO Max
“The One with the Football”
Season 3, Episode 9Summary: Post–Thanksgiving dinner, everyone heads outside to play a friendly game of football (despite Ross and Monica’s long-standing ban on football playing), with predictably unfriendly results.Where to watch: HBO Max
“The One with Chandler in a Box”
Season 4, Episode 8Summary: Monica wears an eye patch (and makes questionable romantic decisions) and Chandler spends the day in a box as punishment for wronging Joey in this season-four Thanksgiving episode. Start watching for the laughs; stay for the reconciliation at the end.Where to watch: HBO Max
“The One With All the Thanksgivings”
Season 5, Episode 8Summary: While recovering from food comas, each of the six remembers his or her worst Thanksgiving holidays, and everyone tries to figure out which Thanksgiving was Monica’s least favorite. Lucky for us, this involves many flashbacks, including a shot of Chandler in 1987 with a “Flock of Seagulls” hairstyle, as well as a Thanksgiving Phoebe remembers from 1915, when she was serving in a World War I field hospital—because of course, Phoebe would remember holidays from her past lives.Where to watch: HBO Max
“The One Where Ross Got High”
Season 6, Episode 9 Summary: Geller family secrets (and grudges) come to light when Ross and Monica’s parents come to Thanksgiving dinner at Monica’s apartment—the one she secretly shares with Chandler, who her parents don’t care for. Sibling rivalries, parental disapproval, unconventional desserts: What more does a Thanksgiving episode need? (Speaking of which, is anyone craving some pumpkin trifle sans beef?) Where to watch: HBO Max
“The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs”
Season 7, Episode 8Summary: It’s no “These are my Thanksgiving pants,” but this Friends Thanksgiving episode holds up, with Ross struggling to name all 50 states and Chandler revealing to the group that he doesn’t like dogs—right after Phoebe and Monica bring a dog into the apartment.Where to watch: HBO Max
“The One with the Rumor”
Season 8, Episode 9Summary: Brad Pitt guest stars as a former classmate—and a founding member of the “I hate Rachel Green club”—and Joey breaks out his Thanksgiving pants when he’s charged with eating the 19-pound turkey all on his own in this classic Friends take on a Thanksgiving TV episode.Where to watch: HBO Max
“The One with Rachel’s Other Sister”
Season 9, Episode 8Summary: Monica and Chandler break out their wedding china for Thanksgiving dinner—just as Rachel’s other sister Amy stops by for the holiday, brutal observations in tow.Where to watch: HBO Max
“The One with the Late Thanksgiving”
Season 10, Episode 8Summary: After guilting Monica and Chandler into hosting Thanksgiving dinner, the others arrive an hour late, putting everyone at odds in the final Friends Thanksgiving episode.Where to watch: HBO Max
How I Met Your Mother
“Slapsgiving”
Season 3, Episode 9 Summary: It’s the group’s first Thanksgiving together, and Lilly and Marshall plan to host since it’s also their first Thanksgiving as a married couple. Lilly obsesses over a perfect meal, while Robin and Ted continue to navigate their breakup. Meanwhile, Marshall gives Barney a heads up—the third slap in their ongoing “slap bet” will happen sometime on Thanksgiving. Where to watch: Hulu or Disney+
“Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap”
Season 5, Episode 9Summary: Slapsgiving returns—but this time, Marshall has decided to share the slap and gives the honor to either Ted or Robin, both of whom have good reason to want to slap Barney.Where to watch: Hulu or Disney+
Jane the Virgin
“Chapter Twenty-Eight”
Season 2, Episode 6Summary: Filled with as much drama (and melodrama) as any episode of this telenovela-inspired series, this Thanksgiving episode includes a celebration of family milestones as Jane makes difficult motherhood decisions and celebrates her son’s first Thanksgiving, family in tow. A brief but heartfelt discussion of what each family member is grateful for at the Villanueva family dinner table gives the partial Thanksgiving episode a sweet, thought-provoking scene.Where to watch: Netflix
New Girl
“Thanksgiving”
Season 1, Episode 6 Summary: Jess invites a music teacher she has a crush on to her apartment for Thanksgiving. However, her roommates hadn’t planned to have a major feast—they just want to stick to their tradition, and watch football and drink beer. If you thought your Thanksgiving feast was full of cooking mishaps, Jess’s hilarious-yet-disastrous feast will make you feel much better. Where to watch: Netflix
“Parents”
Season 2, Episode 8Summary: Jess uses Thanksgiving dinner as an opportunity to set up a Parent Trap scenario for her divorced parents (Jamie Lee Curtis and Rob Reiner) in this follow-up to the iconic first New Girl Thanksgiving episode.Where to watch: Netflix
“Last Thanksgiving”
Season 6, Episode 7Summary: Schmidt’s father and Jess’s injured possible love interest join the gang for the final Thanksgiving episode, which has Nick and Schmidt on a booze-fueled escapade with Schmidt’s estranged dad and Jess struggling to give bad news.Where to watch: Netflix
Brooklyn Nine-Nine
“Thanksgiving”
Season 1, Episode 10Summary: The precinct gathers at Amy’s apartment for a Turkey Day feast that no one wants to eat, and Jake and Holt escape on a buddy crime-fighting escapade.Where to watch: Hulu
“Mr. Santiago”
Season 4, Episode 7Summary: Amy hosts Thanksgiving for the precinct again—with her father as a special guest. A vicious live turkey also joins the celebration, thanks to Boyle’s culinary ambitions.Where to watch: Hulu
Gilmore Girls
“A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving”
Season 3, Episode 9Summary: Four Thanksgivings—is that a dream come true, or a stomachache waiting to happen? If anyone can take it, it’s the Gilmores, whose capacity for consuming junk food is unparalleled. They make a mission to stop at four very different, but festive, celebrations—including one at Emily and Richard’s, which is difficult considering Lorelai is not currently speaking to her parents.Where to watch: Netflix
Life in Pieces
“Godparent Turkey Corn Farts”
Season 1, Episode 9Summary: Even if you’ve never watched this piecemeal comedy, you can get on board for the first Thanksgiving episode, which has the family vying to be named godparent(s), bringing a live turkey home, and enjoying some dangerous food.Where to watch: Hulu or Disney+
