It’s Thanksgiving week! One of my favorite times of year. I love the holidays, the time off, the food, the family, everything. People just seem to be happier, mostly. And, of course, there’s all of the holiday TV specials. My wife and I have developed a fun tradition where we watch the holiday episodes of some of our favorite TV shows. And with Netflix and Hulu and various other streaming services, it’s extremely easy to have an all day holiday binge-a-thon. So, without further ado, here’s are some of our favorite Thanksgiving episodes.

Friends - The One with the Football (S3, Ep9)

A fun, innocent after-Thanksgiving game of football turns into a full-fledged sibling brawl with the Gellar Cup is resurrected, and that’s about all you need to know. It’s a great episode in a season when the show really hit its stride.

Friends - The One with Chandler in a Box (S4, Ep8)

It’s hard to decide if this one is my favorite Friends Thanksgiving or season five’s episode. It’s not just funny that Chandler’s in a box during Thanksgiving, but it’s the reason that makes it better. It’s a callback to when Joey was stuck in the entertainment center while the apartment was getting robbed. I enjoy how Chandler’s humor is highlighted while in the box. The interaction between Joey and Chandler is great.

Friends - The One with all the Thanksgivings (S5, Ep8)

Okay, maybe this one is my favorite Friends Thanksgiving. Joey with his head stuck in a turkey makes me laugh every time. The reminiscing over worst Thanksgivings is something I think most people can relate to: getting together with friends and arguing over who’s had it worse. Throwback 1980s Ross and Chandler are fun. It’s just an all around entertaining episode.

Friends - The One with the Rumor (S8, Ep9)

Probably the biggest reason this episode made the list is because of Brad Pitt’s cameo on the episode. Not because of his performance on the episode, but more from the irony of he and Jennifer Anniston married at the time and Pitt playing a character who hates Anniston’s character. Now… well, it kind of makes me chuckle. It does provide an interesting commentary on bullying culture that needs to be heard and understood even now, 16 years after the episode aired.

New Girl - Thanksgiving (S1, Ep6)

Any episode that features a turkey in a dryer is automatically memorable. This is a great example of growing up and trying to do holiday things as an adult… and having everything go awry. All of the awkwardness really makes it a a fun watch.

How I Met Your Mother - Slapsgiving (S3, Ep9)

This is probably my favorite Thanksgiving episode of all time. First of all, it brings in one of the best joke motifs, the Slap Bet. The countdown to the Thanksgiving Day slap is great and adds a lot of comedy. The episode also brings in another of my favorite callback jokes of the series, the saluting of phrases that double as military ranks (“Major Payraise”). Plus, I love the ending where Marshall, who is prone to breaking out in song, concludes the episode with “You Just Got Slapped”.

How I Met Your Mother - Slapsgiving 2: Revenge of the Slap (S5, Ep9)

Again, a classic episode in the series. Lily’s “Your dead to me” stare. The awkwardness of unwanted family. More Slap Bet fiascos. It has everything that made the first Slapsgiving great and adds to it.

The How I Met Your Mother - Blitzgiving (S6, Ep10)

The Blitz! One of my favorite guest stars in the series, Jorge Garcia. The Curse of the Blitz reminds me of legitimate fears I always had about leaving a group early and risking missing something epic happening. The Curse passes on to several cast members and a variety of funny coincidences take place. The LOST reference is pretty great as well.

Home Improvement - Thanksgiving (S7, Ep9)

While this episode doesn’t center around the Thanksgiving meal, it does center around another staple of Thanksgiving, The Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Day game. The family enjoys Thanksgiving in a luxury box at the stadium. Naturally, Tim creates havoc, which turns into a blackout of the stadium. This has a lot of nostalgic memories for me.

Gilmore Girls - A Deep Fried Korean Thanksgiving (S3, Ep9)

This Thanksgiving episode perfectly incorporates all of the insanity that is visiting multiple residences during the holidays. Let’s face it: we get exhausted from all of the driving and eating and visiting, and this episode crams it all into a single day’s marathon. From the Kims’ multicultural interpretation of the holiday to the deep-fried turkey craze to awkward interactions with townsfolk to even more uncomfortable family festivities, this episode has it all. It even culminates in the hilarity of Suki’s drunken acceptance of all things deep fried.

Seinfeld - The Mom and Pop Store (S6, Ep8)

Again, not centered around the Thanksgiving meal, but another classic tradition, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The shows knack for connecting seemingly unconnected plot lines culminates in the beloved Woody Woodpecker float deflating during the parade. The whole part about George buying John Voight’s old convertible LaBaron, while not specifically Thanksgiving, is funny, especially when Kramer ends up being bitten by John Voight himself and George comparing bite marks to a pencil he found in the glove compartment.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

You can’t get through a holiday without some Charlie Brown. While it may not be the caliber of Christmas and Halloween, it still delivers a comical take on the holiday while providing an encouraging message for the season. It stinks the way Charlie Brown’s friends treat him, but I love how he always tries to be the best friend he can.

Honorable Mentions

Still need more episodes? Here are more Thanksgiving episodes that are good watches and make your Thanksgiving Day full of entertainment.

• Friends - The One Where Underdog Gets Away (Season 1, episode 9)
• Friends - The One with the List (Season 2, episode 8)
• Friends - The One Where Ross Got High (Season 6, episode 9)
• Friends - The One Where Chandler Doesn’t Like Dogs (Season 7, episode 8)
• Friends - The One with Rachel’s Other Sister (Season 9, episode 8)
• Friends - The One with the Late Thanksgiving (Season 10, episode 8)
• New Girl - Parents (S2, Ep8)
• New Girl - Thanksgiving III (S3, Ep10)
• How I Met Your Mother - Belly Full of Turkey (S1, Ep9)
• Gilmore Girls - He’s Slippin’ ‘Em Bread… Dig? (S6, Ep10)