The Best Thanksgiving TV Specials & Episodes Of The '70s, Ranked By Reviews

Plenty of people have their go-to Christmas flicks they watch every year. Others enjoy a horror movie marathon for Halloween. What about Thanksgiving? Sure, there's the parade, an annual dog show and plenty of football. But when you are baking pies, lounging on the couch after the big meal, or simply getting ready to enjoy a long holiday weekend, what's the best thing to watch on TV? We've got your answer — if you love nostalgic '70s television, that is.

Over the years, there have been plenty of great Thanksgiving TV episodes. Others may opt for popping on one of the Hallmark' Channel's Thanksgiving movies. Yet, you may not have considered taking a journey about 50 years into the past for some holiday-themed TV episodes and specials from a bygone era. There are 1970s specials you've surely seen, no matter how old you are, and there are episodes only folks who were parked in front of the TV back in '72 will likely remember. Either way, there's something on this list for everyone. We've ranked 10 of the best Thanksgiving TV specials and episodes of the '70s based on their reviews. For more information about how we decided our ranking, stay tuned until the end. And don't forget to leave yourself plenty of TV time around the big holiday; this list will last you a while.

It's hard to imagine a cartoon more classic than "Looney Tunes." While 1979 feels like quite a long time ago, at that point, "The Bugs Bunny Show" had premiered just shy of two decades prior. "Bugs Bunny's Thanksgiving Diet" premiered on November 15, 1979, and was comprised of multiple "Looney Tunes" shorts. Interestingly, though, despite being a Thanksgiving special, the shorts weren't Thanksgiving-themed. Consequently, it's not a huge fan-favorite "Looney Tunes" Thanksgiving special, scoring 6.1 out of 10 on IMDb and landing it in last place on our list.

"Happy Days" was a TV staple in the '70s. So, the famous sitcom's Thanksgiving special was basically made for this list. "Happy Days" Season 6, Episode 12 "The First Thanksgiving," aired on November 21, 1978, which was two days ahead of the big holiday. In the episode, Marion Cunningham, played by Marion Ross, feels her family has lost the Thanksgiving plot, totally distracted by football. So, she tells the story of the first Thanksgiving as we watch the beloved characters act it out. The episode currently has a 6.8 out of 10 rating on IMDb.

Arlo Guthrie is a Thanksgiving icon thanks to his '60s classic, "Alice's Restaurant Massacree." And "The Muppets" definitely know how to celebrate the holidays. Thus, there's no better Thanksgiving special than "The Muppet Show" Season 4, Episode 8, "Arlo Guthrie." The episode aired on October 27, 1979. This episode is the only one on the list that doesn't directly address Thanksgiving. Even so, it's become a fan-favorite Thanksgiving episode since it features everyone gathered around the table for a family dinner that feels unquestionably like Turkey Day. This episode garnered a 7.2 out of 10 rating on IMDb.

There's arguably nothing more '70s than "The Brady Bunch." On October 16, 1970, Season 2 Episode 4, "The Un-Underground Movie" hit TVs everywhere. Like many Thanksgiving episodes, this took us on a trip down memory lane to the original Thanksgiving. Greg Brady, played by Barry Williams, recruits the whole family to play Pilgrims in a movie for his history class. With a 7.2 on IMDb, it's technically tied with "The Muppet Show," but the fact that its second season has reviews, in general, on Rotten Tomatoes allowed it to pull ahead in the ranking.

November 23, 1970 marked the premiere of Season 4, Episode 11 of "The Carol Burnett Show," featuring special guest stars Dyan Cannon and Paul Lynde. This episode proved it was special from the start. Episodes typically opened with questions from the audience. This one, on the other hand, kicked things off with a big Thanksgiving musical number. The episode's sketches included plenty of laughs, music, and Pilgrim costumes. At present, the episode has a 7.5 out of 10 rating on IMDb.

Whether you're a '70s television connoiseur or not, you've probably seen No. 5 on our ranking, "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving." Just like "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" made our list of classic TV Halloween episodes, this Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special has been airing annually for decades. It first premiered back in the '70s: on November 20, 1973, to be exact. In it, both Snoopy and Charlie Brown host their own (very different) Thanksgiving get-togethers. "A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving" currently has a 7.7 out of 10 rating on IMDb.

The "Little House on the Prairie" Thanksgiving special was anything but little. The movie-length special, "The Little House Years," aired on November 18, 1979. Set on Thanksgiving in 1882, the episode takes place after the Ingalls and the Kendalls finish Thanksgiving dinner. Laura Ingalls, played by Melissa Gilbert, starts thinking back on old memories. As she looks through her remembrance book, clips of important moments from the show play, recapping the first four seasons of the series. The episode has a score of 8.2 out of 10 on IMDb. 

There are plenty of Thanksgiving episodes about Thanksgiving dinner but very few about post-Thanksgiving dinner food poisoning. Yet, M*A*S*H Season 8, Episode 10, "The Yalu Brick Road," which aired on November 19, 1979, gave fans exactly that. Klinger, played by Jamie Farr, gives the gang salmonella with bad Thanksgiving turkey and the subsequent quest for antibiotics goes awry. With an 8.2 out of 10 on IMDb, this episode tied with those in the No. 4 and 2 slots. This season has 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, though, which made it No. 3 in the ranking. 

While "The Little Atheist" may not sound like the title of a Thanksgiving episode, "All in the Family" Season 6, Episode 11 feels closer to plenty of people's real-life Thanksgiving gatherings than many others on this list. The episode, which premiered on November 24, 1975, features Thanksgiving dinner turning into a big argument about whether Gloria, played by Sally Struthers, and Mike's, played by Rob Reiner, baby will be raised Christian. An 8.2 out of 10 on IMDb, plus the season's 88% Rotten Tomatoes rating, landed it in the coveted No. 2 spot.

Fans of '70s television shows likely won't be surprised that "The Waltons" topped this list. Season 2, Episode 10, "The Thanksgiving Story," premiered on November 15, 1973. Prep for Thanksgiving dinner, a holiday school play, and an accident landing one family member in the hospital made this episode a fan-favorite. The episode also won an Emmy Award for Best Writing in Drama. So it's no surprise that it's the best Thanksgiving TV episode of the '70s, thanks to its 8.3 out of 10 IMDb score.

In order to rank the best Thanksgiving TV specials and episodes of the '70s, we narrowed down some of the more famous, well-known shows from the decade and any specials that had a reputation of their own. We narrowed that list down to 10 before ranking the episodes based on their IMDb scores. 

On the occasions where the IMDb scores required a tie-breaker, we checked to see if the episodes had a Rotten Tomatoes score or let the Rotten Tomatoes score of the season the episode came from choose the order. While plenty of people's favorite Thanksgiving episode from the decade surely hasn't made the list and some folks' favorite may be ranked lower than others, this ranking gives a good idea of which episodes are most beloved and which are worth watching for a well-rounded Thanksgiving TV marathon — '70s style.