10 great shows to watch on Thanksgiving

For many, Thanksgiving is a time when families get together, sit in front of the TV, and enjoy the holiday. Though there aren’t many Thanksgiving-themed shows, there are plenty that fit well with the holiday with their own festive episodes or their particular brand of lighthearted entertainment.

For those not interested in watching football this holiday season, these 10 shows available to stream are guaranteed to pair well with Thanksgiving dinner this year.

Need more Thanksgiving recommendations? Then try 10 great movies to watch on Thanksgiving, the 5 great comedy movies to watch on Thanksgiving, the 5 great dramas you should watch on Thanksgiving, the 10 great Amazon Prime Video movies to watch on Thanksgiving, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2024: all confirmed performers.

Friends (1994-2004)

NBC

Among other things, Friends is famous for its many gut-busting and heartwarming Thanksgiving episodes. To celebrate this holiday, Friends has shown Joey sticking his head in a raw turkey, Brad Pitt running the “I Hate Rachel Green Club,” Chandler locking himself in a box, and the gang playing a legendary game of football for the fabled “Geller Cup.”

All in all, this beloved series has several hilarious and memorable Thanksgiving specials that make the most out of their cast and story, and audiences can be thankful they can watch them all on streaming.

Watch Friends on Max, YouTube, Hulu, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube TV, or TBS.

New Girl (2011-2018)

20th Century Studios TV

Like Friends, New Girl has several Thanksgiving episodes in which the main cast gets into all kinds of shenanigans as they try to celebrate the holiday.

There’s one where Jess tries to defrost a turkey in a dryer and finds a dead body, one where she invites her divorced parents in an attempt to get them back together, and another where the gang tries to hunt for Thanksgiving dinner in the woods just like in the days of yore. Each episode delivers a feast full of laughs thanks to the show’s quirky characters and surreal sense of humor.

Watch New Girl on Hulu or Peacock.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-2021)

Fox

The core characters at Brooklyn’s 99th Precinct have always seen each other as a family, so it’s not surprising that they have celebrated many Thanksgivings together. However, they have often done so by engaging in some hilarious and chaotic antics. Brooklyn Nine-Nine fans have seen a live turkey trapping the cast in a bathroom, Terry desperately trying to fill up his stomach with food, and the precinct descending into anarchy during a possible anthrax attack. But there’s no beating Boyle dressing up as Tommy Gobbler at the worst possible moments.

Watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine on Netflix or Peacock.

South Park (1997-present)

Comedy Central

Whenever South Park celebrates the holidays, it goes above and beyond to present a hilarious and ridiculous story that defies logic and expectations, and Thanksgiving is no exception. One time, the show did a three-episode arc in which the characters engage in a bloody, Game of Thrones-esque war over buying an Xbox One or a PlayStation 4 on Black Friday.

Another episode revealed the First Thanksgiving was held by ancient aliens who waged a cosmic war for control of the “stuffing mines.” Even when it’s not on the holidays, South Park is the right place to have a good time.

Watch South Park on Max, Hulu, Philo, The Roku Channel, or YouTube TV.

Cheers (1982-1993)

Paramount

Cheers has always been about a group of people finding a family with each other in a humble Boston bar, making it the perfect accompaniment to any Thanksgiving meal. It’s never not fun to watch the gang at Cheers get together and have all sorts of good times as a family.

Like many other families, the characters don’t always get along, but their not-so-good times make for fantastic holiday entertainment. Who could forget the gang’s legendary Thanksgiving food fight?

Watch Cheers on Pluto TV, Hulu, Paramount+, YouTube TV, Disney+, The Roku Channel, or Amazon Prime Video.

Saturday Night Live (1974-present)

NBC

Throughout its 50 years on the air, Saturday Night Live has celebrated Thanksgiving with a plethora of outrageous sketches. Many of these festive skits poke fun at the trials and tribulations that go with planning and participating in the holiday with family.

Viewers have seen a dysfunctional family united by their love for Adele, Thanksgiving parade floats that come to life, and a baking championship gone horribly wrong. To top it all off, audiences can listen to many classic songs written for the show, most notably Adam Sandler’s super-catchy  Thanksgiving song from “Weekend Update.”

Watch Saturday Night Live on Peacock, NBC, fuboTV, Sling TV, Amazon Prime Video, or YouTube TV.

That ’70s Show (1998-2006)

Fox

The Formans have already treated their friends and neighbors like family as they all regularly pop in and out of their house. As a result, That ’70s Show has an abundance of hilarious and nostalgic episodes for fans to enjoy on Thanksgiving.

The show also has many festive classics that capture the loving spirit of the holidays and harken back to the Thanksgivings that older audiences celebrated in the ’70s. Though Eric and his friends usually find some way to ruin the holiday for everyone with their bone-headed mishaps, they only make the experience more entertaining to viewers.

Watch That ’70s Show on Peacock.

Seinfeld (1989-1998)

There aren’t many Thanksgiving episodes in this series, but that doesn’t detract from its watchability on the holidays. As the definitive “show about” nothing,” Seinfeld is the perfect show to help one relax and enjoy themselves. Jerry and his friends have virtually no shortage of witty and unforgettable episodes in their series that go off the rails in the best possible way.

Specifically, when Kramer sells all of Jerry’s sneakers to a mom-and-pop store, this naturally leads to him accidentally popping a giant Woody Woodpecker float in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

Watch Seinfeld on Netflix or Sling TV.

Modern Family (2009-2020)

ABC

Many people know how challenging spending time with their family on Thanksgiving can be. Every episode of Modern Family takes that experience and cranks it to 11, and the show’s Thanksgiving episodes are somehow even wilder.

Whether it’s the cast switching their turkeys on each other or lying about the holiday activities, the misadventures in this series will entertain audiences and remind them that, despite any quarrels, their families could be a lot worse.

Watch Modern Family on Hulu, Peacock, Sling TV, YouTube TV, or TBS.

Frasier (1993-2004)

NBC

No matter what the episode, Frasier has a warm and witty charm with an emphasis on family, togetherness, and good well-being. Fans of this can find comfort in whatever the day, making it an excellent choice to stream this holiday season.

Its Thanksgiving episodes are especially delightful to watch, as they show Frasier and his peers getting into a fine mess trying to cook dinner or just be around each other. It’s standard sitcom protocol, but Frasier‘s sophisticated humor and well-written stories are a fitting viewing option for any holiday gathering.

Watch Frasier on Pluto TV, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, Paramount+, YouTube, Disney+, or The Roku Channel.