John Candy and Steve Martin in “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” directed by John Hughes, 1987. (Paramount Pictures/Album/Zuma Press/TNS)
Some entertainment seekers value Thanksgiving-related viewing as much as the holiday meal.
Morning parade appetizers are followed by a football binge.
Some people are simply counting down the days until it’s socially acceptable to watch “Love Actually,” “Die Hard” or other Christmas classics.
Part of the reason is that there are no better movies or TV episodes about Thanksgiving than Thanksgiving in December with better marketing teams. Sure, you could argue that, for example, “Rocky” includes a hellish holiday dinner, so it qualifies, but once Rocky and Apollo fight on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving becomes a distant memory. Masu.
And because some people aren’t doing the work of finding gems in the world of movies and television, all that’s streaming, for viewers to enjoy in the lead up to and on Thanksgiving Day. By the way, those with experience know that most of the best works were on the small screen.
Here are our top 15 Thanksgiving movie and episode recommendations and where you can find them.
15. “Holiday House”
Streaming on Paramount+
Talking Turkey: What it lacks in subtlety, it more than makes up for in the type of family melodrama that will make many people want to skip the festivities. The supporting cast is solid as well, with Holly Hunter being great as always. However, unless you really want to watch a holiday-themed movie with your girlfriend, why not try Broadcasting Her News or Raising Her Arizona instead?
14. “Ma-a-su-ha”
Season 8, Episode 10: “The Brick Road of the Yalu River”
Now streaming on Hulu
Turkey story: Several members of my family have eaten bad turkey at places we had to stop before our final destination. I passed without getting food poisoning. The only person to escape with number 4077 was a salmonella-infected bird procured by Klinger. Have a little laugh about this, and be careful.
13. “Last Waltz”
Stream on Tubi and Freevee
Talking Turkey: What does Martin Scorsese’s documentary about The Band have to do with Thanksgiving? Besides music lovers’ appreciation for a list of the greatest special appearances ever, the San Francisco show , which was held on Thanksgiving after a turkey dinner was served to a crowd of 5,000 people. Try “The Weight” appetizers on YouTube and see if you can get your fill.
12. “Inheritance”
Season 1, Episode 5: “Went to the Market”
Stream with Max
Talking turkey: In hindsight, this early episode turned out to be richer than I ever expected. So much was about to happen in the world of Waystar Royco, and this laid the groundwork for much of it. Logan Roy was visibly depressed while playing the game that gave the episode its title, and the post-holiday dinner game, but he was never in high spirits.
11. “Female Scent”
Now streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV+
Talking Turkey: After a family meal, discuss why this was Al Pacino’s only Oscar win when he had so many other deserving roles (starting with Corleone, Michael, and going from there) We will proceed). Or maybe he just enjoys how his Lt. Col. Frank Slade is fascinated by tangos and Ferraris, yet greatly offends the rest of the world. The new “The Holdovers” is a better depiction of the bond between mentor and mentee, but it’s set at Christmas.
10. “Meeting my mother”
Season 3, Episode 9: “Slap”
Now streaming on Hulu
Talking Turkey: Hosting your first Thanksgiving can be tough. But it’s enough to make Lily want to give up, as her friends and guests are too busy dealing with the aftermath of a breakup or planning her long-awaited slap. Orson Bean, who plays Robin’s “older” boyfriend, and Jason Segel’s post-slap singing are an added bonus.
9. “Cheers”
Season 5, Episode 9: “Thanksgiving Orphans”
Now streaming on Hulu
Talking Turkey: What are the two best food fights ever shown on the big or small screen? John Belushi’s Bluto kicked off the classic in Animal House, and the cast of Cheers made this discovery. It is released in a family celebration. This madness is also reflected in the joke that the gnome’s mysterious wife, Vera, is introduced, but we never see her face.
8. “Friend”
Season 6, Episode 9: “The One Who Got Ross High”
Stream with Max
Talking turkey: No sitcom embraces Thanksgiving as thoroughly as “Friends,” which aired nine Turkey Day-themed episodes this season. Season 3 is popular for its focus on football, but this one is gaining attention as a tribute to the recently departed Matthew Perry. His Chandler is at his best here, trying to convince Monica’s parents.
7. “Gilmore Girls”
Season 3, Episode 9: “Korean Thanksgiving Fried Food”
Streaming on Netflix
Talking turkey: In case you didn’t learn this elsewhere, Melissa McCarthy is very funny. Sure, her Sookie is helped by a great script by Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino, but she accomplishes a lot in a flash. And the talkative mother-daughter duo of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore try to please everyone with a daring Thanksgiving meal.
6. “This Is Us”
Season 1, Episode 8: “Pilgrim Rick”
Now streaming on Hulu
Talking Turkey: Does anyone else see Milo Ventimiglia appearing twice on their bingo cards?His small role in the “Gilmore” festivities was as Super Dad and, in a pinch, as Jack, Pilgrim Rick – Overshadowed by Pearson’s legend. If you’ve ever seen “This Is Us,” you’ll probably cry. But this is a special study of what parents do for and for their children. Some of them become lifelong traditions. Some are painful.
5. “Hannah and her sisters”
Stream with Max
Talking Turkey: If you get past your family’s debate over whether or not to watch Woody Allen’s film, this movie will serve you the same number of Thanksgiving dinners and win the Oscar: three. Michael Caine and Dianne Wiest won for their supporting roles in a cast that also included Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, Carrie Fisher, Max von Sydow, and Allen. For Allen, who won the screenplay award, the story of love and family becomes complicated.
4. “Planes, trains, and cars”
Streaming on Paramount+
Talking Turkey: This is only the second best John Hughes holiday movie (more on that later), but it claims the top spot among Thanksgiving movies. No, it’s not just about “pillows”. Steve Martin and John Candy are a dream-nightmare combination, and this is probably Candy’s best movie. His Del Griffith is more than a stressed-out traveler to handle, but he wears you down with sweetness, honesty, and vulnerability. Don’t miss the scene-stealing rental car showdown between Martin and Edie McClurg. By the way, Hughes’ best holiday movie is not “Home Alone” but “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.”
3. “Cincinnati’s WKRP”
Season 1, Episode 7: “Turkey Absent”
Streaming on Apple TV+
Turkey Story: There’s the public relations flop, and then there’s WKRP’s amazing turkey giveaway in 1978. I’m not going to spoil how the turkey was presented for anyone who somehow missed this over the last 45 years. But when award-winning newspaper reporter Les Nessman exclaims, “Oh, humanity!”, on air, the only reasonable explanation comes from his boss, Arthur Carlson. “I thought turkeys could fly because God is my witness.”
2. “Master of None”
Season 2, Episode 8: “Thanksgiving”
Streaming on Netflix
Talking turkey: Performed and written by Lena Waithe, this showcase is a beautiful family story in which her character, Denise, spends several Thanksgivings with her mother, grandmother, aunt, best friend, and lover. Waithe tells the story of coming out to her mother, played brilliantly by Angela Bassett, and finding the right woman for her, not the woman with a funny name on her Instagram.
1. “West Wing”
Season 2, Episode 8: “Shibboleth”
Stream with Max
Talking turkey: Aaron Sorkin has created three of the best Christmas episodes in TV series history, earning us the title as the ultimate Thanksgiving offering. The A-plot is about refugees arriving by boat in America in search of religious freedom. President Jed Bartlet must deal with the crisis while pardoning turkeys, training delivery drivers, and securing new chisels. Because the chisel made by a silversmith named Paul Revere for his family will soon have a new owner.