Everything Elite Daily’s TV & Movies Editor Is Watching Thanksgiving Weekend

Some people say Thanksgiving is all about family, gratitude, or some third boring thing. But for me, the best part of the long holiday weekend is loading up on leftovers, laying on the couch, and mainlining every TV show and movie you want without having to think about work. (Please ignore that my work is TV shows and movies). Whether you’re planning to revisit festive classics, check out that new movie you’ve heard people talking about, or finally catch up on that show you’re still a few episodes behind on, now’s the time to go full couch potato.

As for me, I already know what I’ll be queueing up after Thanksgiving dinner and throughout the weekend. I’ve already seen the two movies in theaters I was interested in (Anora and Wicked — which I’m now imagining how slay that crossover would be), so I’m free to stream my days away... except for one new theatrical release dropping right before Turkey Day.

A few of my favorite shows are airing right now, so I’m taking the opportunity to catch up on them. As well as some new movies and shows I’ve been meaning to get into. And of course, it just wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without revisiting the classics, which is why I’m getting into the holiday spirit with a yearly tradition:

1. Gossip Girl’s Thanksgiving Episodes

No show does Thanksgiving like Gossip Girl. It’s practically a requirement for me to rewatch a handful of the scandalous teen series’ seven Thanksgiving-themed episodes this time of year. You might think there aren’t any great Thanksgiving songs, but thanks to Gossip Girl, Jason Derulo’s “Whatcha Say” has become a Turkey Day anthem in my eyes. You can stream Gossip Girl on Netflix and Max.

2. Our Little Secret

Listen — does Lindsay Lohan’s new Netflix Christmas movie look cheesy and potentially AI-generated? Sure. But I will be tuning in right when it drops on Nov. 27, just like I streamed Falling for Christmas and Irish Wish before it. Not only will I be doing my duty as an avid Lohan supporter, Kristin Chenoweth is also starring in this movie. And after my recent re-obsession with all things Wicked, wherever Kristin’s bubble floats, I will be following.

3. Somebody Somewhere

I’m so ready to laugh/cry at the best show on the air right now over some microwaved turkey and mashed potatoes. The somehow equally hilarious and touching Somebody Somewhere is about to end, with only two episodes left in its third and final season. That’s part of why I think I may be crying through the laughter as its penultimate episode drops on Dec. 1 on HBO and Max. And it’s not just that timing that makes this the perfect watch right now — the series’ wholesome vibes about found family are practically crafted in a lab for Thanksgiving.

4. Gilmore Girls’ Most Iconic Thanksgiving Episode

It’s fall, so you’re probably already in the middle of your annual Gilmore Girls rewatch. I know I am. And the holiday weekend is the perfect time to revisit Season 3, Episode 9: “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving.” Watching Lorelai and Rory run around to four different Thanksgivings is actually a great way to de-stress — hey, I only have to worry about two, that’s not so bad! Plus, each year it’s a reminder of what a terrible idea deep-frying a turkey is. Sorry, Jackson, but I’ll be getting plastered with Sookie while you burn your face off. Gilmore Girls is streaming on Netflix.

5. Queer

This year, I’ll be giving thanks for Luca Guadagnino’s gay-ass movies (complimentary). Queer is releasing in theaters on Nov. 27, just in time to get the whole family together to go see it! OK, the R-rated romance might not be the most family-friendly, Thanksgiving-y choice. But whatever, I’ll be sat to watch Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey hook up in 4K.

6. Bad Sisters Season 2

This is the show I’m most excited to marathon, because I loved the first season so much, but haven’t gotten the chance to start the recently-released second season yet. It was so satisfying to watch four very different sisters come together to exact violent revenge on their fifth sister’s abusive husband. I don’t have any idea where Season 2 of Bad Sisters will go, which is what has me even more thrilled to get the time to watch the four new episodes that are already out on Apple TV+.

7. A Man on the Inside

I love pretty much everything Mike Schur touches — and I’m willing to bet even if you don’t recognize his name, you do too. A former The Office writer, Schur went on to create beloved sitcoms like Parks & Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Good Place. Those are three of my go-to comfort shows, which is why I can’t wait to check out Schur’s new Netflix series A Man on the Inside, which re-teams him with his The Good Place star Ted Danson. All eight episodes of the espionage comedy were already released on Nov. 21, but now I’ve finally got the time to gobble them up.

8. St. Denis Medical

Speaking of feel-good sitcoms, I just discovered a great one. St. Denis Medical premiered earlier in November, but it took me a bit to get around to it. I recently tore through the first three episodes on Peacock, and now I’m chomping at the bit for the next weekly release over the holidays. The medical comedy shares a lot of DNA with one of my other favorite sitcoms, Superstore (they’re both created by Justin Spitzer), and shines some more light on this universe’s comedic MVP, Kaliko Kauahi — she played the breakout joke-machine Sandra on Superstore, and is now the aggrieved nurse administrator Val.

9. Abbott Elementary

At this point, you’re probably already watching Abbott Elementary, right? I’ve also been firmly on the Abbott train ever since the uplifting school-place comedy premiered in 2021, so of course I’m planning on tuning in for the hourlong holiday special coming up on Dec. 4. And as I eagerly await that super-sized episode (and the much-anticipated Always Sunny in Philadelphia crossover that’s coming up), this weekend will be the perfect time to rewatch old favorite eps, and catch up on Season 4 by streaming the latest episodes on Hulu.

10. Happy Endings Rewatch

I am constantly in some phase of a Happy Endings rewatch at all times. The under-appreciated 2011 sitcom is the only show that can go toe-to-toe with 30 Rock when it comes to firing off increasingly zany jokes at a nonstop clip. I often compare it to kinda of a mashup of Friends and 30 Rock — like if Friends leaned into absurdist humor, or if 30 Rock invested a bit more into developing its main characters’ interpersonal relationships.

Anywho, like all great sitcoms, Happy Endings has a Thanksgiving episode. “More Like Stanksgiving” (Season 3, Episode 4) doesn’t have too much to do with the holiday (except for a clever side-story where Dave finds himself cursed to live the plight of the Indigenous people), but I still revisit it each year. It’s streaming on Hulu if you care to join me.