The Best Thanksgiving Special Episodes For Your Binge-Watching Pleasure

It’s almost turkey day for all of the Americans out there. Not only does that mean special times with family and some sweet Black Friday deals, but it’s also one of the most memorable times for television episodes. That’s right, the Thanksgiving Specials! Though there are a few unique Thanksgiving-themed films, the seasonal episodes from long-running shows are a common hit. Whether you want to binge-watch a few special episodes or watch every Thanksgiving episode from Friends with your family, we’ve compiled a list of some of our favorites.

Our Favorite Thanksgiving Special Episodes

Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Season 1 – “Thanksgiving”

It often takes a show a few tries before nailing a special holiday episode like this. The beloved comedy favorite that follows a group of detectives who are more like family than co-workers managed to hit the nail on the head as early as season one. And while the show has had plenty of other great Thanksgiving episodes, we really like this one.

“Thanksgiving” starts off with the team playing a “Boyle Bingo” game, checking off times when Charles Boyle says something Thanksgiving related. Later, the gang all have to suffer through a pretty awful Thanksgiving dinner, all thanks to Amy Santiago’s cooking. It’s goofy, charming, and full of the typical friendly humor that we love Brooklyn Nine-Nine for. The best part? You can stream it on Netflix right now.

Image via Fox.

The Simpsons, Season 2 – “Bart vs. Thanksgiving”

Back when The Simpsons was still in its prime, the classic comedy series was pushing out some of the most heartwarming family content around the holidays. From classic Christmas episodes to general feel-good stuff, the show knew how to mesh humor with heartwarming. “Bart vs. Thanksgiving” is all about that dysfunctional love that we’ve all grown up watching.

“Bart vs. Thanksgiving” follows Bart after he accidentally destroys Lisa’s Thanksgiving centerpiece. Bart runs off, only to return to his treehouse, finding Lisa in tears. He apologies and the family spends a happy Thanksgiving together. It’s ridiculously simple, but its a reminder of how important family really is around the holidays. The Simpsons has plenty more great holiday content, but this is easily the best Thanksgiving episode. We can thank our Disney+ subscriptions that you can now stream this awesome episode.

Image via Fox.

Friends, Season 6 – “The One Where Ross Got High”

Ah, the yearly Thanksgiving Friends episodes. The series is easily one of the most well-known for their frequent Thanksgiving specials. So, it was a little tough to choose the best. Between this and “The One With Chandler In A Box”, we had to go with this one for its hilarity. It’s full of typical antics from the gang, including some Monica-Ross sibling rivalry. We can’t help but laugh as Chandler tries to win over Monica’s parents, only to find out that they hate him for something that Ross had done years ago.

One of the most memorable things from this episode is Rachel’s infamous “trifle”. Fortunately, this episode is better than her cooking. And Friends is still available for streaming on Netflix for a little bit longer. So, if you want to spend Thanksgiving binge-watching all of the Friends Thanksgiving specials, you certainly won’t be alone.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

This may not be a particular episode, but it obviously has to make our list. Charlie Brown holiday episodes are one of the best ways to make your Thanksgiving a little bit brighter. And, despite coming out in 1973, it still manages to snag some air time each year. Now, we know that you’ve all probably seen this Thanksgiving special at least once before. But, if you’ve forgotten, let’s give you a brief rundown of the pretty simple plot. Charlie Brown finds himself in a predicament of having to make dinner for his friends, despite some lackluster cooking skills. Despite some shenanigans, it all ends up okay in the end. And the best part? Snoopy and Woodstock even get to have a Thanksgiving dinner of their own!

Image via CBS

Whatever You Choose To Do This Thanksgiving, We Know It’ll Be Special

Does your Thanksgiving entail some holiday special episodes? Or maybe you celebrate Friendsgiving and binge-watch your favorites with friends, regardless of whether there is turkey involved. No matter how you spend the upcoming holiday, we hope it’s filled with lots of love and even more food.

Featured image via NBC.

Meghan Hale is the kind of movie lover that has a "must watch" that is a mile long... and growing. When she isn't talking about the latest film and television news she is writing one of her many in-process novels, screaming film trivia at anybody who will listen, and working as a mental health care professional. Follow her on Twitter @meghanrhale for some fun theories and live reactions to all things entertainment.