The Best Thanksgiving Episodes From Classic TV Shows, Ranked

Though Christmas specials and made-for-TV movies all but dominate the small screen as early as November, Thanksgiving episodes are not to be overlooked. For decades, audiences have watched some of the most iconic television characters of all time take on into the joy, stress, history, and, of course, the food commonly associated with the holiday. Unlike Christmas episodes that tend to be on the more sentimental side, Thanksgiving episodes usually keep it funny with just a dash of heartwarming moments. 

Looking for something to watch to get in the Turkey Day spirit? Well, wouldn't you know, there's a long list of terrific Thanksgiving episodes of shows to choose from, and we've whittled down said list to 15 that are sure to sate your TV-loving appetite. Ready your knife and fork, because we're about to dig into some of the finest Thanksgiving episodes from classic shows dating back to the 1950s, ranked by how well they hit the spot.

"Happy Days" shares the story of the first Thanksgiving as only the classic sitcom could. It begins with everyone gathered at the Cunninghams' home for the holiday. Marion Cunningham (Marion Ross) quickly becomes frustrated that she is the only one cooking while her family is preoccupied watching a football game. Like a reflection of Henry Winkler and Marion Ross' real-life friendship, Fonzie (Henry Winkler) seems like the only one hearing Marion's complaints and offers to help. 

To motivate the rest of the group, Marion retells how Thanksgiving started. All of the characters are reimagined as settlers in America. Most are Pilgrims, and Potsie (Anson Williams) and Ralph (Don Most) are fur trappers. The Pilgrims are at odds with a local Native American tribe, and the one to smooth everything over and bridge the gap between the groups is none other than the Fonz in a very not-of-the-era leather jacket. Needless to say, what the episode lacks in historical accuracy it makes up for classic "Happy Days" hijinks. As of this writing, the episode holds 6.8 stars out of 10 on IMDb.

"Family Ties" is one of the hit '80s sitcoms that holds up today, as it tackles family dynamics that are still relatable. Elements about the Thanksgiving episode "No Nukes Is Good Nukes" may seem a little dated, but many of the familial issues are something audiences can still connect with. Parents Elyse (Meredith Baxter) and Steven (Michael Gross) are planning to attend an anti-nuclear warfare rally while Elyse's parents (Dick Sargent and Priscilla Morrill) cook and watch the kids. 

Alex (Michael J. Fox), Mallory (Justine Bateman), and Jennifer (Tina Yothers) aren't happy that their parents choose to spend the holiday marching for a cause, especially after Steven and Elyse end up behind bars. Although the kids — namely Alex — may not agree with Steven and Elyse's views, they are proud of their parents standing up for what they believe in. At least they got to enjoy the holiday together — even in jail. IMDb reviewers gave the episode 7.1 stars.

Leave it to the Bradys to turn one of the kids' school assignments into a next-level group project. In Season 2 of "The Brady Bunch," Greg Brady decides to make a short movie for a history class about the first Thanksgiving and the struggle of the Pilgrims in America. At first, the family dives in with a little too much gusto; Mike Brady (Robert Reed) jumps in to write the script, Carol Brady (Florence Henderson) takes on the costumes, and so on. Needless to say, there are too many cooks in the Brady kitchen. 

Eventually the Bradys all recognize they should take a step back, put their creative differences aside, and let Greg lead the charge on his project. While the script glosses over grim historical facts and makes some unfortunately problematic character choices, Greg's teacher was impressed with the final product. Viewers gave this episode 7.2 stars on IMDb.

The 1958 Thanksgiving episode "Guest in the House" of "The Donna Reed Show" was one of the sitcom's more serious offerings. While Donna (Donna Reed) and the rest of the Stone family prepare for a fun Thanksgiving holiday, an unexpected guest arrives. Dr. Alex Stone (Carl Betz) treats a young boy at the hospital before the boy sneaks out and finds his way to the Stone house. The family puts together that the troubled David Barker (Charles Herbert) ran away from his military school because he was angry with his strict, absent father, Major Barker (John Bryant). Donna invites David, who is a former patient of Alex's, to stay with the family for the holiday. 

Being with the Stones helps David relax and express how he feels to his father. Donna helps bridge the gap between David and Major Barker. As of this writing, the episode's IMDb score is 7.3 stars.

While "The Simpsons" is better known for the "Treehouse of Horror" Halloween episodes, the animated series sure has some iconic Thanksgiving episodes, too. In "Bart vs. Thanksgiving," Bart's (Nancy Cartwright) usual mischievous behavior ruins the day for everyone. Lisa (Yeardley Smith) spends hours working on a centerpiece for the Thanksgiving table. While trying to present the turkey, Bart carelessly tosses the cornucopia to make room. Of course, the paper centerpiece lands in the fireplace and quickly burns. It breaks Lisa's heart. Marge (Julie Kavner) and Homer (Dan Castellaneta) send Bart to his room, but he decides to avoid the consequences of his actions and runs away. 

Bart finds that life outside of his house is harder than he realized. He can't find food or shelter and ends up at a food kitchen. He's welcomed and fed, yet it makes him understand how good he has it with his family. As he's about to enter his house, Bart imagines everyone mocking him, so he hangs out on the roof instead. Only then does he hear Lisa crying over Bart disappearing. Bart finally realizes the magnitude of his actions and goes back to the family so they can have some Thanksgiving food together. It's a sweet lesson with the plenty of "Simpsons" humor to go around. The episode holds 7.6 stars on IMDb.

"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" showed an idealized version of a middle-class family in the United States during the 1950s. Ozzie and Harriet Nelson played fictionalized versions of themselves along with their real-life children. As one of the iconic TV dads from the '50s and '60s, Ozzie brought the dad charm to the show's Thanksgiving episode. At the start of "The Day After Thanksgiving," the Nelsons rejoice in having had Thanksgiving dinner at a relative's house, meaning no clean up and no leftovers to get through. However, Ozzie and the kids soon realize they actually want more turkey after all. 

Ozzie tries to deny his cravings, but soon it starts to drive him a little mad — so much so, he hits the town searching for turkey. Before things get too out of hand, Harriett gets leftovers from her aunt who hosted the big meal the day before. And just like that, the turkey crisis is solved. The moral of the story? Don't overestimate the power of leftovers. The current IMDb score is 7.6 stars.

On "The Beverly Hillbillies," the Clampetts experience their fair share of culture shock after relocating to Beverly Hills from the Ozarks — and that includes their first California Thanksgiving. In "Elly's First Date," Granny (Irene Ryan) and Jethro (Max Baer Jr.) must navigate the supermarket ahead of the holiday — and yes, chaos ensues.  

More chaos ensues when Sonny Drysdale (Louis Nye), the 30-something stepson of Mr. Drysdale (Raymond Bailey), tries to date the teenaged Elly. They're an ill fit, to say the least, and their first date is anything but smooth (for one thing, when Sonny tries to kiss Elly's hand, she assumes he's trying to bite her like an animal and she throws him to the ground). 

Granny not only chases Sonny out of the house, but wants to start a feud with the Drysdales. However, Jed decides to try to smooth things over by inviting the Drysdales over for Thanksgiving dinner. Good thing they hit the supermarket, eh? It's as the saying goes: Let bite-gones be bite-gones. On IMDb, this episode earned 7.7 stars.

"The Bob Newhart Show" starred comedian Bob Newhart as psychologist Bob Hartley. The show followed him from work to home, with Newhart always delivering his signature deadpan routine while everyone around him kept it silly. "An American Family" was one of the show's entries into the Thanksgiving genre. In the Season 3 episode, Bob's wife Emily (Suzanne Pleshette) works tirelessly to try to make Bob's mother Martha (Martha Scott) happy with her carrying out their family's traditions. However, everything is messed up when Emily's parents, played by John Randolph and Ann Rutherford, suddenly join in the festivities. 

The in-laws fight to the point that neither wants to attend dinner. The adult children have no choice but to get their parents to stop acting like petulant, well, children. Eventually, everyone apologizes so they can enjoy a late holiday dinner together. The IMDb rating for this episode is 8.1 stars.

"3rd Rock from the Sun" brilliantly showed the hilarity and oddity of human behavior through the eyes of a group of aliens who are new to the planet. Dick (John Lithgow), Sally (Kristen Johnston), Harry (French Stewart), and Tommy (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are on Earth to research humans and understand the human condition. In the episode "Gobble, Gobble, Dick, Dick," the aliens experience their first Thanksgiving, and given the chaos and panic shopping leading up to the the day, they assume a catastrophic event is on the horizon.

Eventually, Dick realizes that it's actually supposed to be a day of celebration, and goes on to tell the other aliens that everyone gets the day off — except for Sally, who must cook a feast. They invite over a couple of guests and try to pretend they are experts at celebrating Thanksgiving. 

Throughout the episode, there are a number of moments where normal Thanksgiving traditions are presented in a way where they do seem pretty silly. However, the funniest part might be the over-the-top moment when Harry and their landlord's daughter, Vicki Dubcek (Jan Hooks), go through a kind of mating dance with the leftover food, culminating with Harry putting the turkey carcass on his head to seduce Vicki. It's so hilarious and ridiculous that the episode remains a perfect Thanksgiving treat. Currently, the IMDb score for this episode is 8.1 stars.

 If there is one show that can make foodborne illness funny, it's "M*A*S*H." In "The Yalu Brick Road," Corporal Klinger (Jamie Farr) manages to get turkey into the base for a Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, the turkey is full of salmonella, so everyone who stays for the meal is hit hard. It only leaves Margaret Houlihan (Loretta Swit), Charles Winchester (David Ogden Stiers), and Father Francis Mulcahy (William Christopher) to take care of, and clean up after, very sick soldiers until medicine and medical staff show up. 

Eventually everyone starts to feel better, after many changes of bedpans and sheets, but it sours the festive mood. There can only be so much holiday cheer in a war zone. As of this writing, the episode score on IMDb is 8.2 stars.

The "A Different World" episode "If You Like Pilgrim Coladas" isn't your typical Thanksgiving episode in that it doesn't feature family members gathering around a big dining table and passing around side dishes and butting heads over whose pie is best. Instead, it follows two students who spend the holiday at college and try to make the best of it. 

When Thanksgiving rolls around, Whitley (Jasmine Guy) and Kim (Charnele Brown) are stuck at Hillman College, a fictional HBCU. Whitley is happy to skip family interactions, but Kim is sad to miss her normal Thanksgiving traditions. Instead of having a lonely meal at the school's diner, the duo decides to go out with a fake ID.

After drinking a few holiday-themed piña coladas, the typically buttoned-up Whitley begins singing and dancing at the bar. When an aggressive patron won't leave her alone, Colonel Bradford Taylor (Glynn Turman), a professor, steps in to help. Colonel Taylor later confronts the duo at their dorm and confiscates the fake ID, where he also reveals that the Pilgrim Coladas weren't made with alcohol. The IMDb score is 8.2 out of 10. 

"Cheers" is all about finding family among your friends at the bar where everyone knows your name. The holiday episode "Thanksgiving Orphans" is very on-brand for the beloved sitcom. Most of the gang wind up at Carla's (Rhea Perlman) house for a Thanksgiving potluck. (Only true "Cheers" fans would know that Carla appeared in more episodes than any other female lead.) Norm (George Wendt) brings a turkey, and Sam (Ted Danson) brings dessert. Diane (Shelley Long) thought she'd be spending the day at her professor's house rubbing elbows with esteemed authors, only to realize she had been invited to help out, not as a guest. 

Unfortunately, Norm's turkey isn't cooking as expected, and everyone gets hungrier by the minute. The pinnacle of the episode happens when Norm reveals the turkey still needs more time while they are gathered around a table of side dishes. Emotions bubble over, and the verbal sparring turns into a full-blown food fight. It's holiday mayhem in the best way possible. On IMDb, the episode boasts 8.6 stars.

There sure are some legendary "Bewitched" Halloween episodes, but let us not overlook the series' take on Turkey Day. "Samantha's Thanksgiving to Remember" proves that Darrin (Dick York) can't even get through the holidays without some witchy antics. To be fair, Samantha (Elizabeth Montgomery) originally planned a simple Thanksgiving dinner at home for just herself, Darrin, and their young daughter, Tabatha (Erin Murphy). However, those plans are tossed aside when Sam's forgetful Aunt Clara (Marion Lorne) appears. 

Clara accidentally transports the family and their neighbor Gladys (Sandra Gould) back to the 17th century for the first Thanksgiving. In an interesting twist, the Pilgrims believe Darrin is a witch and put him on trial. After Sam saves him by using logic and pointing out that being different doesn't make someone a witch, the Pilgrims drop the charges. Right after, Clara remembers the spell to get them back home. Everyone has that family member who can mess up the holiday meal, but most faux pas won't involve time travel. The IMDb score currently sits at 8.7 stars.

Re-watching "Friends" Thanksgiving episodes has become part of the holiday tradition for many. While many of them are memorable, "The One With the Rumor" stands out because it features one of the most iconic guest appearances on "Friends." Monica (Courteney Cox) plans for a simple Thanksgiving with the gang, and she also invites an old friend from high school, Will, played by Brad Pitt. It is revealed that Will and Ross (David Schwimmer) had a special "I Hate Rachel" club, of which Rachel (Jennifer Aniston) was unaware. The jokes land better if you recall that at the time of filming, Pitt and Aniston were married. 

However, many punchlines haven't aged well and may read as mean-spirited. The best part of the episode still is Joey (Matt LeBlanc) eating an entire turkey by himself. Even when his pants become too tight, he improvises by changing into Phoebe's (Lisa Kudrow) old maternity pants to make room so he can finish the job. He may have gotten the meat sweats after, but he did it and still had room for pie. Currently, the episode holds an impressive 9.2 stars on IMDb.

"WKRP in Cincinnati" followed a fictional radio station and the ensemble of characters who worked there. The workplace sitcom really knocked it out of the park with the classic Thanksgiving episode, "Turkeys Away." Mr. Carlson (Gordon Jump) feels he must establish his importance at the station even though everything at WKRP is going well without him. He decides on a holiday-themed promotion while keeping everyone in the dark. Narrated by the radio newsman Les Nessman (Richard Sanders), the events that unfold are equally hilarious and disastrous. 

Mr. Carlson releases turkeys from a helicopter over Cincinnati, somehow completely unaware that the birds cannot fly. When the carnage begins, Carlson has the helicopter land, but as Les put it, the surviving turkeys seem to mount a counterattack against the humans. The chaos made the radio station famous, but not the way they intended. The writing and delivery is so well done that all of the action happens off-camera, while audiences feel like they were there. The episode boasts 9.6 stars on IMDb.

To rank these great Thanksgiving episodes from classic TV shows, we relied on IMDb viewer ratings. When two or more episodes had the same score, we factored in how well each episode aged, how unique certain plot points are, and how memorable the episode is overall.