For Thanksgiving, there are certain shows that were always great at coming up with hilarious, conflict-driven episodes for the holiday. None can beat that annual Peanuts special of course, but here are four other great episodes worth seeking out this Turkey Day.
1. A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
This Peanuts special may not top A Charlie Brown Christmas or It's the Great Pumpkin, but it's often underrated and really just as good as those two. But that may be the case for me because this one features Peppermint Patty as the instigator, who forces poor Charlie Brown to make a Thanksgiving dinner for all his friends. This perennial is always aired on TV Thanksgiving night, so be sure to tune in.
2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer- Season 4, Episode 8 "Pangs"
Am I going to include an episode of Buffy for every one of these holiday specials? Hey, if the occasion warrants it. This happens to be the only Thanksgiving episode the show ever did, and it was one of their funniest and most entertaining, as the ghost of a dead Indian tribe confronts Buffy and her pals on T-Day. It also includes a hilariously tied up Spike, barking snarky one-liners at everyone.
3. The Middle- Season 3, Episode 10 "Thanksgiving III"
A really underrated show that excels at holiday episodes in general (the Halloween and Mother's Day eps could take a run at the Thanksgiving ones), but this particular entry from the third season is easily one of my favorite episodes the show ever did. The Heck family travels to spend the holiday with the grandparents (Marsha Mason and Jerry Van Dyke) and Frankie's passive-aggressive sister Janet (played by the terrific Molly Shannon) shows up to start feuding with everyone. A hilarious episode.
4. Friends- Season 3, Episode 9 "The One With the Football"
This was a show that became famous for its annual Thanksgiving episode, and my choice for their best is probably in the minority, as I know a lot of people love the fourth season one where Chandler spends the day trapped in a box, and the famous eighth season meta-episode where Brad Pitt (then husband of Jennifer Aniston) shows up as the guy who "hated" Rachel in high school. But I really love this earlier one where the gang plays football and it's just the six of them interacting. Ross and Monica are fiercely competitive siblings who haven't yet become total caricatures of themselves (those two suffered the worst from that in the later years) and the chemistry between the cast is at its absolute best.
5. Roseanne- Season 4, Episode 10 "Thanksgiving '91"
Another show that did really good Thanksgiving episodes. This classic from the fourth season is the second episode with Nana Mary (Shelley Winters) where Roseanne and Jackie find out from their mom (Estelle Parsons) that their dad has been having an affair for twenty years. This is also the one where Darlene has started her mopey phase and won't come out of her room. Roseanne in its early years was masterful at treating serious topics in a comedic way and balancing dramatic material with perfectly timed punchlines so it always still felt like comedy (it's also a show that The Middle owes a lot to).
