Top 5 Thanksgiving episodes from comedy classics to re-watch this holiday

Thanksgiving hits different when you’ve got the perfect comfort shows lined up, and nothing delivers that cozy holiday chaos like a great sitcom episode. Whether you’re cooking, avoiding cooking, or hiding from relatives in another room with headphones on, comedy classics have been carrying this holiday for decades. The best Thanksgiving episodes feel like a warm hug with a side of mess, blending family drama, food disasters and emotional breakthroughs into something you can watch a hundred times without getting tired.

From iconic sitcoms that defined the era to underappreciated gems that deserve a comeback, these five picks give you the ideal balance of nostalgia and laugh out loud chaos. So grab a plate, settle in, and let your favourite dysfunctional tv families make you feel a little better about your own.

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Friends: The One With All The Thanksgivings

The One with All the Thanksgivings, the eighth episode of Friends season five, it remains one of the absolute best episodes of this holiday on screen. The whole gang gathers at Monica’s apartment, and what starts as Ross complaining about his divorce spiral quickly turns into everyone trying to outdo each other with their most chaotic Thanksgiving memories. Chandler brings up the day his parents announced their divorce, Phoebe insists on sharing her past life trauma as a Civil War nurse who lost an arm, and Joey’s unforgettable turkey stuck on the head incident from 1992 makes a comeback.

Rachel reveals Monica’s actual worst Thanksgiving, and that is when the emotional punch lands. Flashbacks show 1987’s teen Monica overhearing Chandler call her fat, a comment that lingers into the following year when a slimmed down Monica tries to get revenge. Her plan goes sideways when she accidentally drops a knife on Chandler’s toe, sending him to the hospital while she embarrassingly mixes up the toe with a carrot.

The present day payoff is what makes this episode perfect holiday viewing. Monica tries to cheer Chandler up with a turkey on her head, complete with a fez and sunglasses, and he blurts out “I love you” for the first time. It is sweet, messy and exactly the kind of comfort chaos Thanksgiving needs.

Available to stream on: Netflix

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Modern Family: Winner Winner, Turkey Dinner

Winner Winner Turkey Dinner is one of those Modern Family episodes that reminds you why this show completely owned holiday TV. It is Jay’s turn to host Thanksgiving, and he kicks things off with his traditional toast shouting out the family’s big wins. The problem is everyone knows they have all been lying about those wins. Phil, meanwhile, is convinced he is the family disappointment and throws himself into perfecting a magic trick to prove he is not the weak link.

The truth unravels fast. Jay secretly got Joe kicked out of kindergarten. Manny and Luke faked popularity through the Inseam app. Claire only won the Turkey Trot because she cheated without realising. Gloria misread her pedometer. Cam stole a rival coach’s game strategy. And Mitch, in peak Mitch fashion, knocked himself out practicing nunchucks and pretended it was a heroic run in with a burglar. Phil’s magic act seems like another disaster, ending in a near drowning, until he reveals the failure was all part of the trick. The family actually cheers.

What makes this episode the perfect Thanksgiving watch is that everyone arrives pretending to be perfect and ends up exposed, chaotic and still totally lovable. It is memorable, funny and warm, which is basically the holiday itself.

Available to watch on: Peacock

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Gilmore Girls: A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving

A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving from Gilmore Girls season 3 is the kind of holiday chaos that feels weirdly comforting. Lorelai and Rory start the day thinking they are attending one Thanksgiving dinner, but by the time everyone weighs in, they somehow end up committed to four. Lane wants them at her family’s Korean style celebration, complete with a deep fried turkey and the kind of loud, loving energy only Mrs. Kim can generate. Luke insists on a stop at the diner for a proper American spread. Sookie and Jackson proudly unveil their deep fried masterpiece. And Emily and Richard expect a formal night at the mansion that absolutely cannot be skipped.

The episode becomes a mad dash across Stars Hollow as the girls try to survive multiple meals, manage everyone’s expectations and avoid rolling into the final dinner like overstuffed parade balloons.

What makes this episode the perfect Thanksgiving rewatch is the way it blends cultures, traditions and complete holiday overload into something warm and funny. It celebrates the reality of Thanksgiving, where plans pile up fast, families collide and somehow the night still ends with laughter. It's peak Gilmore Girls and peak holiday comfort.

Available to stream on: Netflix

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How I Met Your Mother: Slapsgiving

Slapsgiving is peak How I Met Your Mother chaos, mixing heartbreak, holiday stress and one perfectly timed slap. Marshall is counting down to his third victory slap on Barney, complete with a website, while Ted and Robin struggle through their weird post breakup tension. Lily is determined to host the perfect first Thanksgiving as a married couple, even as secrets, awkward hookups and her boyfriend Bob’s “major buzzkill” line threaten to derail dinner. By the end, Ted and Robin rediscover their connection, Marshall earns his triumphant slap and the whole night becomes the kind of messy, warm tradition Thanksgiving was made for.

Available to stream on: Prime Video

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Brooklyn Nine-Nine: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving from Brooklyn Nine-Nine season one is the perfect chaotic holiday watch. Amy hosts dinner hoping Holt will finally mentor her, but her terrifying cooking leaves the squad secretly flushing food down the toilet. Jake, desperate to escape the night, drags Holt into a robbery case at a Chinese casino, only to admit he hates Thanksgiving because his parents were never around. Holt gently reminds him the precinct is his family now. Meanwhile, Boyle refuses to let the holiday collapse and rescues the night with takeout. By the end, Holt mentors Amy, Jake rejoins the group and Boyle Bingo crowns a winner.

Available to stream on: Netflix