10 Best Thanksgiving TV Episodes of All Time

First up on our list of the best Thanksgiving TV episodes is “Thanksgiving” from Master of None. This unique holiday episode traced Denise’s coming-out story through a series of Thanksgiving dinners from childhood to adulthood.

From awkward teenage years to bringing home her first girlfriend to finally finding true understanding with her mom, the episode truly showed each stage of Denise and her mother’s relationship. Also, notably written by Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe (who based it on her own experiences), the episode moved beyond typical holiday fare.

Instead of the typical holiday-family chaos, this episode used Thanksgiving as a lens to tell a deeply personal story about growth, love, and the long road to acceptance. Ultimately, Denise’s mom finally embraced her daughter’s identity over their shared holiday meal, creating an honest and touching moment.

Next, “The Mom & Pop Store” was a classic Seinfeld episode from season six that mixed a missing sneaker crisis with a Thanksgiving parade disaster.

In this episode, Jerry lost his shoes at a shoe repair shop that suddenly disappeared. Then, George obsessed over whether Jon Voight really owned his new car. And Elaine’s boss, Mr. Pitt, got picked to hold the Woody Woodpecker balloon in the Thanksgiving parade.

And then, everything crashed together at Tim Whatley’s pre-Thanksgiving party. Jerry’s shout to the crowd accidentally popped the balloon. As it was deflating, the giant puppet took down Mr. Pitt in the street. And George never did prove if it was really Jon Voight’s car.

The episode made our list for being pure Seinfeld chaos. Classic holiday mayhem, Seinfeld style.

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Taking a more bizarre turn on our list of Thanksgiving TV episodes was”Turkey in a Can,” one of Bob’s Burgers‘ best episodes.

Bob’s perfect Thanksgiving was continuously sabotaged when someone mysteriously shoved his brined turkey into the toilet each night. His quest to catch the culprit led him to hide backup turkeys, interrogate his family, and make awkward visits to his butcher.

While Bob bought turkey after turkey and popped allergy pills for his sister-in-law’s cats, it turned out he was the toilet turkey terrorist all along. The allergy medication made him sleepwalk, showing his anxiety about Tina growing up too fast by trying to “potty train” the turkeys.

The episode made our list by turning a weird premise into something unexpectedly touching. Overall, the truth behind the turkey toilet crimes gave us a touching father-daughter moment wrapped in the show’s signature weird humor.

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“The Gang Squashes Their Beefs” was the next Thanksgiving TV episode to make our list, coming from season nine of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. The plot was simple but chaotic, typical of It’s Always Sunny.

First, Dennis and Mac decided to host a Thanksgiving dinner for everyone they’d wronged, hoping to settle all their feuds at once. The rest of the episode played out exactly as you’d expect from the Sunny gang: what started as a misguided attempt to make amends turned into a complete disaster. The apartment caught fire during dinner, and in true sociopath fashion, the gang locked all their enemies inside while they escaped.

This episode made our list because it took the traditional “making amends at Thanksgiving” TV trope and twisted it into something darkly hilarious. In the end, this episode perfectly captured both the show’s humor and the nightmare that is forced holiday gatherings.

Another one of the best Thanksgiving TV episodes was The West Wing‘s “Shibboleth“, which gave us a special White House Thanksgiving.

In this episode, C.J. had to handle two rowdy turkeys competing for the presidential pardon. Meanwhile, President Bartlet dealt with Chinese refugees seeking religious freedom. Charlie spent the episode hunting for the perfect carving knife for the President. This simple quest led to one of TV’s most touching holiday moments. Bartlet gave Charlie his own father’s knife. And just like that, the two coworkers became family.

The episode made our list by mixing classic holiday fun with deeper meaning. We had C.J.’s turkey troubles for laughs. And Charlie’s gift for heart. And, of course, a reminder about freedom and gratitude. All while running the country on Thanksgiving.

Next up on our list of Thanksgiving TV episodes is Gilmore Girls‘ “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving.” During this episode, Lorelai and Rory attempted four different Thanksgiving dinners in one day.

At the Kims’, Lane snuck traditional food to Dave (her secret boyfriend posing as a Christian guitar player). At Luke’s, they got his no-nonsense diner Thanksgiving. Sookie watched in horror as Jackson deep-fried her carefully prepared turkey. Then, the night ended at Richard and Emily’s formal dinner, complete with Gilmore family tension.

The episode perfectly captured what Thanksgiving really means: trying to please everyone, juggling family, and creating your own traditions. Plus, it gave us one of TV’s most relatable Thanksgiving struggles: trying to eat way too much food just to make everyone happy.

The Simpsons‘ “Bart vs. Thanksgiving” showed a real holiday family fight. In this Thanksgiving TV episode, Lisa made a centerpiece honoring important women like Georgia O’Keeffe. Bart, on the other hand, burned it in the fireplace. Instead of saying sorry, he ran away.

As the night continued, Bart tried stealing from Mr. Burns, selling his blood for a cookie. He ended up at a homeless shelter, where Kent Brockman found him for the news. Back home, Lisa wrote a sad poem called “Howl of the Unappreciated“.

No perfect family dinner here. Instead, Bart climbed to Lisa’s window later that night. He finally understood he’d hurt her by destroying something special. The episode ended with the whole family making up over late-night turkey sandwiches. Ultimately, proving sometimes the best Thanksgivings are the messy ones.

Another one of the best Thanksgiving TV episodes was “Homo for the Holidays” from Will & Grace. In this episode, Jack finally told his mother he was gay at Thanksgiving dinner. Will’s mother had known for years, but Jack’s mom acted shocked at first.

Between Jack’s big moment and Grace dealing with her usual family stress, the dinner got messy. But everyone still came together with love and support in the end. Jack’s mom voiced out her support to Jack, before revealing that she has a secret of her own, too: the man whom he thought was his father was not.

The episode made our list because it turned a classic “coming out at holiday dinner” story into something special, mixing real and messy emotions with the classic comedy sitcom.

Next up on our list, Friends‘ “The One With All the Thanksgivings” showed exactly why the show dominated 90s TV. The episode took us on a wild ride through the gang’s worst Turkey Day memories.

In this episode, we saw Monica trying to seduce Chandler in 1987, only to accidentally drop a knife and slice off his toe. Then, Joey shoved his head into a raw turkey. And, of course, in the present day, Monica cheered up Chandler by putting a turkey with sunglasses on her head. Again, creating one of the most iconic scenes ever.

The episode made our list for nailing everything that made Friends great. But also, just when audiences thought it was just another comedy episode, Monica’s turkey-head recreation led to Chandler’s first “I love you.”

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Last but not least on our list of the best Thanksgiving TV episodes is “Thanksgiving Orphans,” a true classic from Cheers. This episode from season 5 brought the gang out of the bar and into Carla‘s house for a memorable Thanksgiving dinner.

With nowhere else to go, the Cheers crew gathered at Carla’s for the holiday. What started as a well-intentioned meal quickly spiraled into chaos. Norm‘s turkey refused to cook, tensions rose, and frustrations boiled over. All of this led to the episode climaxing in an epic and messy food fight, allowing the characters to let loose in a way that was rarely seen on the show.

Amongst the countless Thanksgiving episodes out there, this one remains a fan favorite. Even today, it highlights the warmth and humor that made Cheers a television comedy classic.