Thanksgiving
Netflix has plenty of great Thanksgiving TV episodes to watch on Turkey Day.
11 Netflix Thanksgiving TV Episodes To Watch When You're Too Full To Move

There’s plenty to go around.

by Kristen Perrone and Dylan Kickham
Updated: 
Originally Published: 
The CW

When the leaves begin to change colors and you can feel a chill in the air, you know Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and after feasting at tables of plenty, you might need some recovery time before you start picking at the meal's leftovers. Seeing as Turkey Day is the official start of the holiday TV season, what better way to top off your celebrations than with a Netflix marathon? If you need something to do while recovering from your food coma, here are the Netflix Thanksgiving TV episodes to watch after your guests have called it a night.

These picks come from what is currently available on Netflix, so head over to Hulu if you need a "Slapsgiving" fix from How I Met Your Mother or want to make a play for the Geller Cup on Friends. Whether you want to watch a classic sitcom that never passed an opportunity to celebrate a holiday or a drama that became even more poignant during a festive time of the year, Netflix has a solid archive to suit whatever non-edible craving you're experiencing. Ease up on the turkey, grab some dessert, and guard the remote with your life before any relatives can switch on football. If you're trying to stay awake for all the Black Friday sales, simply play the New Girl turkey-themed episodes consecutively and search for any sitcoms with an episode aptly titled "Thanksgiving." That's my idea of a successful holiday.

01

"The Mom & Pop Store" (Seinfeld, Season 6)

NBC

There’s nothing better than a sitcom that’s become so familiar to you, rewatching it feels like you’re hanging out with your friends. For so many people, that’s the feeling Seinfeld gives, which makes it such a cozy Thanksgiving selection. After your feast, press play on the sitcom’s best Thanksgiving episode, Season 6’s “The Mom & Pop Store,” and laugh along at all the hijinks involving an awkward “Thanksgiving Eve” party and the Woody the Woodpecker float in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

02

"A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving" (Gilmore Girls, Season 3)

The WB

Being such popular ladies, Lorelai and Rory find themselves with four different Thanksgiving dinners to hit up before the end of the night. Although it plays out alongside Rory's massive change of heart about attending Harvard, the real appeal of this episode is the quirky charm of each Stars Hollow family's Thanksgiving. Like a good number of us on Thanksgiving, Sookie turns to alcohol to deal with Jackson's family, while the Kims offer the Gilmores tofurkey long before it was considered trendy.

After an awkward dinner with Luke and Jess, the women head to Richard and Emily's, where Rory drops a bombshell about her college applications. What's a holiday without the reveal of a family secret?

03

"Turkey Shoot" (Schitt’s Creek, Season 1)

CBC

Although Schitt’s Creek never technically had a Thanksgiving episode, Season 1’s “Turkey Shoot” is a perfect watch for the holiday. After Stevie witnesses David being unable to swat an insect, she challenges him to take part in Roland’s annual turkey hunt, which of course results in hilarious chaos.

04

"Feast of Feasts" (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Season 1)

Netflix

Keep the little cousins out of the room for this one. While Thanksgiving is coming up in the mortal world, Sabrina and her family are preparing for the Feast of Feasts, a cannibalistic celebration honoring the self-sacrifice of the ancient witch Freya. Sabrina's magical nemesis Prudence is selected as the queen the coven will devour, but Sabrina tries to convince Prudence that offering herself for slaughter isn't what the Dark Lord wants. It's not the most traditional Thanksgiving entertainment, but if you've delayed your Chilling Adventures of Sabrina marathon until you have post-holiday laziness as an excuse to watch, now's the time to zoom through the spooky series.

05

"Thanksgiving" (New Girl, Season 1)

Fox

As New Girl fans know, the show produced a Thanksgiving episode for every season but its shortened final one. Picking a favorite episode can be challenging, so why not start at the very beginning? New Girl celebrated its first Thanksgiving with Jess inviting her crush and colleague, Paul, to the gang's dinner. As a music teacher, Justin Long's Paul is just as quirky as Jess, prompting plenty of holiday-themed songs and unexpected trauma as the night progresses.

06

"Cooperative Escapism in Familial Relations" (Community, Season 4)

NBC

Getting together with your extended family for Thanksgiving isn’t always super fun, and Community totally understood that. In the sitcom’s big Thanksgiving episode, Shirley invites the study group to celebrate the holiday with her in-laws, but once everyone arrives, the group quickly realizes they can’t stand Shirley’s family. They hilariously hide out in Shirley’s garage and make elaborate escape plans, which anyone with an annoying relative will probably totally relate with.

07

"Thanksgiving" (Glee, Season 4)

Fox

Remember when Sarah Jessica Parker was on Glee? Yeah, me neither. Season 4 of the musical series takes place during Rachel and Kurt's time in New York, and while their former classmates use the Thanksgiving break to help the glee club prepare for Sectionals, these two stay in Manhattan for the holiday. To be fair, I wouldn't pass on celebrating anything with SJP either, so it's nice to live vicariously through this episode from one of Glee's silliest years. After all, Carrie Bradshaw wasn't exactly writing odes to the romantic allure of Thanksgiving on SATC, so where else would we see Parker in full turkey mode?

08

"More Like Stanksgiving" (Happy Endings, Season 3)

ABC

Happy Endings is one of the funniest sitcoms there is, so of course its Thanksgiving episode is packed with jokes that will have the whole family cracking up. When the gang meets up at Alex and Dave’s new apartment for a Turkey Day feast, they begin to reminisce about when they all met on a particularly awkward episode of The Real World. As if all the early-2000s throwbacks weren’t fun enough, Dave’s quest to get clams for the dinner leads him on a hilarious misadventure that’s incredibly timely for the holiday.

09

“Thanksgiving in Hawaii" (Sister Sister, Season 3)

The CW

If you’re craving some chaotic Thanksgiving hilarity, you can always turn to Tia and Tamera. Sister Sister’s destination Thanksgiving special was so wild, it had to be split into two episodes. Not only does the whole family find themselves in a Hawaiian timeshare with Ray and Lisa’s exes, but Tia and Tamera end up accidentally drifting out to sea while exploring the island. It’s far from your typical Thanksgiving story, but still full of festivity.

10

“Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" (Dawson’s Creek, Season 3)

The WB

A big family dinner is basically a powderkeg for massive drama, and no show capitalized on a Thanksgiving dinner’s potential to divulge juicy secrets better than Dawson’s Creek. In the ‘90s teen drama’s turbulent Thanksgiving episode, the unexpected arrival of Jen’s mother sets off a domino effect of big reveals and unexpected choices, as the truth about Jen’s half-sister is finally brought to light. If you’re looking for a healthy dose of drama after chowing down on all that turkey, this is the episode for you.

11

“Thanks for the Memories" (Grey’s Anatomy, Season 2)

ABC

Grey’s Anatomy has had quite a few Thanksgiving episodes, but the first one definitely stands out in fans’ memories. The holiday season is particularly tough on the doctors and interns at Seattle Grace, and Izzie’s plans to make a Thanksgiving dinner to cheer everyone up unfortunately seems doomed to fail. Luckily, things take a positive turn in the end, making it a Turkey Day to truly remember for all Grey’s fans.

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