What better way to spend Thanksgiving than rewatching some of the most memorable holiday TV episodes? Us Weekly has put together a list of must-watch episodes, which include everything from Marshall Erikson’s epic “Slapsgiving” song on How I Met Your Mother to Friends’ Chandler Bing accidentally blurting out “I love you” to Monica while she’s wearing a turkey on her head.
Keep scrolling for a guide to the most memorable Thanksgiving episodes from hit sitcoms:
‘Full House’: The Miracle of Thanksgiving
Season 1, Episode 9
Full House had an eight-season run but only produced one Thanksgiving-themed episode. In the season 1 episode, the Tanner family tries to celebrate their first Thanksgiving after the death of Danny’s wife, Pam. DJ and Stephanie decide to be in charge of the turkey and the pie to disastrous results, but the chaos teaches the family that the holiday season isn’t about the details — it’s about spending time with your loved ones.
‘New Girl’: Thanksgiving
Season 1, Episode 6
Jess attempts to make Thanksgiving special after inviting her work crush Paul (played by Justin Long) to dinner. The only problem is that Jess has no experience cooking on such short notice, and things go horribly awry very quickly. From cooking a turkey in the dryer to finding a dead body, New Girl brings the humor in this holiday episode.
‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’: Thanksgiving
Season 1, Episode 10
Another example of an infamous Thanksgiving dinner comes from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In the first season, Amy hosts the festivities at her apartment and invites her colleagues from the precinct. Luckily, her horrendous cooking isn’t the worst part of the night, and the gang learns a thing or two about what truly makes Thanksgiving special.
‘Friends’: The One With All the Thanksgivings
Season 5, Episode 8
As the group recall past Thanksgivings, Monica reveals she overheard Chandler call her fat, leading to her epic transformation the following year. She’s also responsible for cutting Chandler’s toe off. She tries to cheer him up by putting a turkey on her head — with sunglasses.
‘Boy Meets World’: Turkey Day
Season 4, Episode 10
The Hunters and the Matthews are forced to sit down together for a holiday meal, realizing that they have very little in common. Ultimately, the parents end up connecting thanks to Shawn and Cory reminding them they were raised to welcome everyone from all walks of life.
‘How I Met Your Mother’: Slapsgiving
Season 3, Episode 9
While Lily tries to have the perfect Thanksgiving dinner, Barney is too worried about the third slap from Marshall — as he should be. Once Marshall finally does it after dinner, he then sings “You Just Got Slapped,” which is guaranteed to get stuck in your head.
‘Gossip Girl’: Blair Waldorf Must Pie
Season 1, Episode 9
Through flashbacks, viewers see that a drunk Serena met Dan for the first time on Thanksgiving Day when she nearly got hit by a cab. In the present, Blair gets to celebrate with both her parents and later has a water fight with Serena and then-boyfriend Nate.
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’: Pangs
Season 4, Episode 8
Buffy tries to have the perfect Thanksgiving, not knowing that Angel has secretly returned to Sunnydale and is basically following her for her own safety. Spike spends the episode tied to a chair and starving. Bonus: Watch Angel’s “I Will Remember You” afterward — it’s a follow-up to this episode, where Buffy visits him in Los Angeles on the spinoff.
‘Friends’: The One With the Rumor
Season 8, Episode 9
In this Thanksgiving episode, the formerly overweight Will (Brad Pitt) joins the group for dinner and reveals that in high school, he and Ross were in “The I Hate Rachel Green Club”.
‘Glee’: Thanksgiving
Season 4, Episode 8
Kurt and Rachel decide to stay in New York City instead of going home for the holiday and are joined by her on-again off-again beau, Brody. However, they also get a surprise visit from Sarah Jessica Parker’s Isabelle Wright and “have a kiki.”
‘Dawson’s Creek’: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
Season 3, Episode 8
This underrated episode is the only time the entire group of friends and their families all sit down around a table together. Things get awkward when Dawson crosses a line with Jen’s mom and Pacey and Jen decide to extend their friendship to add “benefits.” The episode ends with a nice bonfire — even though it would be freezing by a creek in November in Massachusetts.
‘Seinfeld’: The Mom and Pop Store
Season 6, Episode 8
Remember when Bryan Cranston appeared on Seinfeld? This episode focused on George buying a used car he believes Jon Voight once owned. He later finds out the previous owner was not Angelina Jolie’s father but actually someone named John Voight — a friend of Dr. Whatley (Cranston).
