Best Thanksgiving TV Show Episodes About Turkey Day

From left: David Schwimmer, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Courteney Cox, Matthew Perry, Jennifer Aniston in 'Friends' Everett Collection

‘Tis the season for Thanksgiving. While many can gather with loved ones or seek a delicious meal, a myriad of television shows offer episodes centered on the holiday to offer laughs and maybe even some drama.

From Friends to Modern Family and New Girl, the Thanksgiving-themed episodes from a number of television shows deliver family conflict, laugh-out-loud moments — remember Friends‘ Monica having a turkey on her head? — and even may cause viewers to shed some tears all while battling the inevitable turkey coma nap.

Below, The Hollywood Reporter takes a look at 26 memorable episodes dedicated to the Thanksgiving holiday.

‘Gilmore Girls,’ “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” (2002)

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The mother-daughter duo successfully fit in four Thanksgiving dinners, but the fun stops when Lorelai (Lauren Graham) finds out that Rory (Alexis Bledel) applied to more colleges than just Harvard.
‘Friends,’ “The One With All the Thanksgivings” (1998)

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With 10 Thanksgiving episodes, Friends mastered the holiday. But this one is especially memorable because Joey (Matt LeBlanc) gets Monica’s (Courteney Cox) turkey stuck on his head — a gag that Rowan Atkinson later noted had first appeared on his show Mr. Bean.
‘Family Guy,’ “Thanksgiving” (2011)

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Joe’s son (Kevin Swanson) unexpectedly appears during Thanksgiving dinner after supposedly going missing in Iraq, but something about his story doesn’t line up.
'Grey’s Anatomy,' "Thanks for the Memories" (2005)

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Izzie (Katherine Heigl) attempts the perfect Thanksgiving dinner, with Burke (Isaiah Washington) to thank. Instead of helping, Cristina (Sandra Oh), Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) and Alex (Justin Chambers) work.
‘Modern Family,’ "Punkin Chunkin" (2011)

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With the family gathered at the Dunphys’ house for Thanksgiving, a disagreement sends them to a football field where Cam (Eric Stonestreet) proves his “punkin chunkin” story.
‘Cheers,’ "Thanksgiving Orphans" (1986)

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The gang attempts the best Thanksgiving ever, but after invited guests never show and an unexpected guest makes an appearance, the plans don’t quite live up to their expectations.
'Full House,’ "The Miracle of Thanksgiving" (1987)

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It’s the Tanners’ first Thanksgiving without Pam, Danny’s wife, and the result is a frozen turkey. Danny (Bob Saget) takes the less-than-perfect moment to teach his girls about the true meaning of the holiday: “Thanksgiving wasn’t about turkeys; it’s about family and about being thankful for what we have.”
‘How I Met Your Mother,’ "Slapsgiving" (2007)

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As Marshall (Jason Segel) and Barney (Neil Patrick Harris) continue their slap bet, Thanksgiving night marks the third one. Ted (Josh Radnor) and Robin (Cobie Smulders) sleep together the night before.
‘Mad Men,’ "The Wheel" (2007)

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Thanksgiving is near as Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) is given a new opportunity in the office, Betty (January Jones) discovers something that causes her to re-evaluate her marriage, and Don (Jon Hamm) chooses not to spend the holiday with Betty’s family.
‘Seinfeld,’ "The Mom and Pop Store" (1995)

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In the sitcom’s holiday special, Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) accidentally takes out one of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade floats.
‘New Girl,' "Thanksgiving" (2011)

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When Jess (Zooey Deschanel) invites Paul (Justin Long), a music teacher at her school, to her Thanksgiving dinner at the loft with the guys, the evening goes awry.
‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine,’ “Thanksgiving” (2013)

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In the freshman comedy’s first Turkey Day episode, Amy’s (Melissa Fumero) Thanksgiving meal at the precinct doesn’t go as perfectly as planned.
‘Parenthood,’ “Happy Thanksgiving” (2010)

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The chaos that family holidays bring is no stranger to Parenthood. In the end, however, the drama emphasizes the deep connection that exists between the families.
‘Raising Hope,’ “Meet the Grandparents” (2010)

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Jimmy (Lucas Neff) wants Hope (Baylie and Rylie Cregut) to experience a traditional Thanksgiving dinner for the first time, instead of his usual routine of ordering pizza. He invites her maternal grandparents (Greg Germann, Valerie Mahaffey) over, only to learn that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
‘The Goldbergs,’ “Stop Arguing and Start Thanking” (2013)

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Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) wants to be appreciated for all her cooking on Thanksgiving, Adam (Sean Giambrone) beats his brother at something for the first time, and Murray (Jeff Garlin) wants Marvin (Dan Fogler) to be more responsible.
‘Boy Meets World,’ “Turkey Day” (1996)

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When Cory (Ben Savage) and Shawn (Rider Strong) attempt to merge their family Thanksgivings, the Matthews find themselves at trailer park for dinner with the Hunters. In spite of the differences between them, the boys’ relationship is only strengthened.
‘The O.C.,’ “The Homecoming” (2003)

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Kristen (Kelly Rowan) invites Caleb (Alan Dale) and Julie (Melinda Clarke) over for Thanksgiving dinner and Seth (Adam Brody) unsuccessfully plays both Summer (Rachel Bilson) and Anna (Samaire Armstrong).
‘This Is Us,' “Pilgrim Rick” (2016)

In the 1980s Thanksgiving, the Pearsons travel six hours to Rebecca’s (Mandy Moore) parents’ home for the holiday, only to run out of gas and have to celebrate in a hotel with convenience store snacks and Police Academy 3. Fast forward to present day and the family, who now have significant others and children of their own, is celebrating with those same traditions.
‘Gossip Girl,' “Blair Waldorf Must Pie” (2007)

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Dan Humphrey (Penn Badgley) invites new girlfriend, Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively), over for Thanksgiving when her family has nowhere to go, unaware of the romantic history between his father and her mother. Elsewhere in NYC, Blair Waldorf (Leighton Meester) has a relapse of her eating disorder when she discovers her father isn’t coming home for the holiday.
‘Friends,' “The One With the Late Thanksgiving” (2003)

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Monica (Courtney Cox) is tricked into making an elaborate Thanksgiving dinner for the group, who end up arriving an hour late after going to a hockey game. Joey’s (Matt LeBlanc) head gets stuck in the door until he breaks it down, ruining the meal, but all is forgiven when Monica gets a phone call that she and Chandler (Matthew Perry) have been selected to adopt a baby.
‘Black-ish,' "Auntsgiving" (2016)

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Pop’s (Laurence Fishburne) sister shows up unexpectedly for Thanksgiving, causing family tension and drama with Ruby (Jenifer Lewis).
‘Everybody Loves Raymond,' "The Bird" (2003)

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A bird hits the family’s home while they are celebrating Thanksgiving, and when Pat (Georgia Engel) kills it, the group gets into a big fight. The argument carries over into the family’s performance of “First Thanksgiving.”
’Gossip Girl,' “The Treasure of Serena Madre” (2009)

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Serena van der Woodsen (Blake Lively) is exposed for her affair with married politician Tripp van der Bilt (Aaron Tveit) during Thanksgiving dinner with her friends and family and decides to run away with him, despite Nate (Chace Crawford) declaring his love for her.
‘The West Wing,' “Shibboleth” (2000)

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President Bartlet (Martin Sheen) must make a decision about granting asylum to Chinese evangelical Christians who arrived by boat on Thanksgiving Day, when press secretary C.J. (Allison Janney) convinces him to pardon two turkeys instead of one.
'Will & Grace,' "Homo for the Holidays" (1999)

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Jack (Sean Hayes) finally comes out to his mother (guest star Veronica Cartwright) during Thanksgiving with the group, and in return she tells him that the man he thought was his father isn’t really his father.
‘The Simpsons,’ "Bart vs. Thanksgiving” (1990)

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After arguing with his family on Thanksgiving, Bart runs away, only to end up on the bad side of town and realize how good he had it at home.