Holiday episodes are often the most memorable and beloved of many popular sitcoms, but one of the more overlooked holidays is Thanksgiving. While many people their favorite Christmas or Halloween episodes across the sitcom canon, Thanksgiving episodes are often left out of the conversation, even though they often lead to some of the most uproarious conflicts.
Thanksgiving is a time for coming together with family and giving thanks for all that the year has brought. But in the world of sitcoms, Thanksgiving celebrations often result in chaos, characters getting into over-the-top arguments, and in some cases, real live turkeys upstaging the episode's casts.
Updated on November 23rd, 2022 by Danielle Bruncati: Thanksgiving is here again and with it comes on a handful of Thanksgiving-themed holiday sitcom episodes. While ABC's sitcoms like Home Economics and the beloved The Goldbergs already aired their Thanksgiving episodes last week, neither had an episode that seemed to tug on the heartstrings or make the audience laugh the way these iconic Thanksgiving episodes do. From Thanksgiving with friends to chaotic family gatherings with in-laws, there's no shortage of great Thanksgiving sitcom episodes to watch to escape the hectic holiday.
Fresh Off The Boat: "Huangsigivng" (Season 2, Episode 8)
Stream On Hulu
Fresh Off the Boat's first Thanksgiving episode is a hilarious ordeal that set the bar high for the series remaining holiday specials. Determined to prove to her family that she is the master of Thanksgiving, Jessica pulls out all the stops to throw a perfect Thanksgiving. The only problem is she's never done it before. Meanwhile, Louis enlists his younger sons to help get the house ready while Eddie discovers the internet with his cousins.
While Jessica's struggle to cook the perfect turkey is hilarious and relatable, the true masterpiece of this episode is the family dynamics at play. The sister rivalry between Jessica and her sister is alive and well, as is the comradery between cousins as they discover the internet together. Nothing says holidays like spending time with family, which is exactly what this episode is all about.
The Middle: "Thanksgiving III" (Season 3, Episode 10)
Stream On HBO Max
What's supposed to be a carefree Thanksgiving at her parent's house turns into a chaotic one when The Middle's Hecks arrive at Pat and Tag's to find Frankie's sister and her family have already arrived. While Frankie and her sister fall into bickering habits, Mike bonds with Axel while trying to avoid Tag, Brick gets into a feud with his cousin, and Sue finally gets a seat at the women's gossip table.
This is the perfect Thanksgiving episode to watch from one of the most underrated sitcoms because its relatable for anyone who has had to spend the holidays with their in-laws and adult siblings. Despite all the chaos that ensues, the Hecks manage to have an okay Thanksgiving, which is all anyone can really ask for.
Modern Family: "Winner Winner Turkey Dinner" (Season 9, Episode 7)
Stream On Peacock & Hulu
Over Modern Family's eleven season, they aired several Thanksgiving episodes but a fan favorite remains the season 9, "Winner Winner Turkey Dinner" episode. The episode centers on Jay's annual Thanksgiving toast, where he celebrates the most victorious family member, except this year, everyone has something to celebrate so he toasts them all. Of course, that's not entirely true, and it's soon revealed that everyone's successes were either liars or the product of cheating.
What makes this episode a Thanksgiving classic is how eclectic it is. From Claire bringing attention to the Turkey Trot tradition to football games and magic tricks gone wrong, its full of all the usual chaos with the added bonus of a holiday special.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine: "Mr. Santiago" (Season 4, Episode 7)
Stream On Peacock
Brooklyn Nine-Nine's fourth season episode, "Mr. Santiago" stands out as one of the greatest of them all. The episode includes a tense first meeting between Jake and his future father-in-law, Jimmy Smits' formidable Mr. Santiago. The episode also finds Adrian Pimento recruiting Captain Holt into gambling on the National Dog Show, while gang scrambles to know what to do when their expected Thanksgiving turkey is, in fact, a live and incredibly volatile one.
The episode combines some of the best Thanksgiving scenarios together, which is why it's such a great episode to watch. It's easy to relate to Jake's anxieties about meeting his father-in-law, and everyone knows the struggle of cooking a Thanksgiving turkey when they've never done it before.
Friends: "The One With The Football" (Season 3, Episode 9)
Stream On HBO Max
More than any other sitcom in television history, the NBC series Friends has become renowned for its many, many Thanksgiving episodes. The gang's Thanksgiving starts off normally enough until a brief conversation about football derails the whole day's plans. Soon, the infamous rivalry between siblings Monica and Ross resurfaces and leads to an impulsive, incredibly competitive game of football, with teams being drawn and fierce, never-ending competition for the famed Geller Cup.
Nothing says Thanksgiving like a competitive game of sibling football. Though turkey might to be the center piece of this episode, the Thanksgiving energy felt because of the nature of rivalry that often arises during the holidays.
The Goldbergs: "In Conclusion, Thanksgiving" (Season 3, Episode 8)
Stream On Hulu
The Goldbergs hit its stride in its season 3 Thanksgiving episode when the family was finally graced with the presence of Murrary's father, affectionately dubbed "pop-pop." Meanwhile, Pops busies himself with finding a replacement for his annual Thanksgiving toast, which ends with a not-so-friendly competition between Erica and Barry.
Like all The Goldbergs episodes, it's hilarity and chaos until a heartfelt resolution occurs in the third act. Its also an easily relatable episode as Bev becomes determined to prove she is a good cook to Pop-Pop and the kids have to learn what Pops toast actually means beyond being in control of the dinner table. It might not be the best episode of the season, but it is a memorable holiday episode.
Everybody Loves Raymond: "The Bird" (Season 8, Episode 9)
Stream On Peacock
During its nine-season run, the hit CBS sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond had many Thanksgiving episodes. The eighth season episode "The Bird" finds the Barone and McDougall clans coming together to celebrate Thanksgiving at the McDougall home in Connecticut.
The already fractious relationship between the in-laws is only worsened when a bird flies directly into the home, and Pat puts the bird out of its misery by killing it. The tension reaches its hilarious climax through a particularly tense reenactment of the first Thanksgiving, with the Barones as Native Americans and McDougalls as pilgrims.
New Girl: "Thanksgiving IV" (Season 4, Episode 9)
Stream On Netflix
When the loft gang in New Girl all find themselves single, Schmidt declares they celebrate a new kind of Thanksgiving holiday. No, not Friendsgiving, but rather "Bangsigving." However, deciding to bring plus ones for each other to date for the night proves disastrous when Coach brings the crush Jess is trying to get over.
Nothing says young adult Thanksgiving quite like this New Girl episode. It takes a modern twist on the holiday and reminds everyone that sometimes the best holidays are spent with friends and not blood relatives. Plus, it has some of the most hilarious New Girl scenes in it.
Moesha: "Thanksgiving" (Season 5, Episode 10)
Stream On Netflix
The second Moesha Thanksgiving episode happens to be the fan favorite among fans of the show. The episode begins when Moesha's stepmother Dee gets sick on Thanksgiving, rendering her unable to cook. Though reluctant, Dee agrees to let Moesha take over the reigns which appear to be going well until Hakeem's mother steps in and tries to take over because she doesn't trust Moesha. There's also a subplot revolving around Dorian's complex emotions about his mother's resurgence in his life.
Watching Moesha step up and fill Dee's shoes is a relatable moment for many, as is the struggle that occurs between her and Hakeem's mother later. It's the reliability that makes this such a memorable and iconic Thanksgiving episode. It also helps that it has a strong emotional core in the subplot as Dorian confronts his feelings of motherly abonnement.
Full House: "The Miracle of Thanksgiving" (Season 1, Episode 9)
Stream On HBO Max
Though Full House had plenty of holiday-themed episodes during its eight-season run, it only produced one Thanksgiving episode - but it's an episode well worth ing for equal parts heart and humor. The first season episode "The Miracle of Thanksgiving" finds the now expanded Tanner family coming together to celebrate their first Thanksgiving after the loss of Pam.
DJ and Stephanie volunteer to make the turkey and the pie, respectively, but the turkey is frozen solid, and then later burned, and Stephanie drops the pie on the floor. Despite the chaos of the day, the family bonds through their experience of cooking and baking together and realize that they can still celebrate holidays in their own way together. It's the perfect episode for families to watch who are trying to figure out what Thanksgiving looks like without a loved one.