2016 Thanksgiving Day TV Schedule: Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, NFL Football, ‘A Charlie Brown Thanskgiving,’ More
Thanksgiving Day is quickly approaching, and many people will be out shopping for early Black Friday deals, but there are many others who will be home with friends and family. When you’re home with loved ones and great food, there is some amazing television to watch, so here is your schedule for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade 2016, the Peanuts gang, NFL games, and so much more.
First of all, there is the always enjoyable and famous A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special that you won’t want to miss. Timing is important, and you don’t want to be late for this wonderful family treat, so be aware that A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving airs a day early on Wednesday.
On the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2016, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will air on ABC beginning at 8 p.m. ET and run for half an hour. The second part of the hour will consist of This is America, Charlie Brown: The Mayflower Voyagers, which also runs for 30 minutes.
That same night, there will be a Macy’s 90th Thanksgiving Day Parade Special, which will look at nine decades of the classic floats, balloons, musical performances, and more. Immediately following that special on NBC will be the Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving 2016 special.
Thousands of New Yorkers will be heading out for the 90th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which takes place on Thursday, November 24. It’s going to be cold, and it’s going to be loud, but it’s going to be so much fun as a number of new floats are set to appear along the familiar route, as reported by NYC Trip.
Here is the full schedule for Thursday’s parade.
- Date: Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016
- Time: 9 a.m. ET and ending approximately 12 p.m. ET
- TV Coverage: NBC
- Starting Location: 77th Street and Central Park West
- Final Stop: Macy’s Herald Square
- Anchors: Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, and Matt Lauer of TODAY
- Live Stream: Macy’s Facebook Page or EarthCam
New character balloons this year include second versions of Charlie Brown and Greg Heffley and a brand new entry of the Trolls from DreamWorks. A couple of new novelty balloons will also make their way into the lineup, and they are Trixie the Dog and a second version of Felix the Cat.
Fans heading out to see Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2016 will be happy to see returning favorites such as Paddington Bear, Macy’s Yellow Stars, Ronald McDonald, Mickey Mouse, Artie the Pirate, Thomas the Tank Engine, and many others.
More than 8,000 participants will bring this annual extravaganza to life as they do every year, and more than 50 million viewers will be watching on TV.
If you’re not necessarily into the parade, there are plenty of other things to enjoy on the TV schedule.
For the sports fan, there will be three big games on the slate for Thanksgiving Day and night, and they all hold playoff implications. Each of the games will be staggered, so you’ll be able to watch one after another on this loaded schedule per ESPN.
- Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions – 12:30 p.m. ET on CBS
- Washington Redskins at Dallas Cowboys – 4:30 p.m. ET on FOX
- Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts – 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC
A couple of years ago, the NFL added the third game and made sure to stagger the games so that fans could see all of them in their entirety. Even though the NFL and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are synonymous with the big November holiday, there are other things to watch as well.
CBS will air its Thanksgiving Day Parade beginning at 9 a.m. ET on Thursday as well. It is the 56th annual telecast from New York City and will feature performances from Miranda Lambert, Sting, and the Broadway musicals of School of Rock, The Color Purple, and On Your Feet! per The Boot.
If you’re looking to bring in a Christmas feel a little early, there are plenty of viewing options for that too. Lifetime and the Hallmark Channel are already showing plenty of Christmas movies and TV shows to get you in the spirit. It can help prep you for Freeform’s 25 Days of Christmas beginning on December 1, 2016.
On Thanksgiving evening, the first of Disney’s holiday specials will air on ABC at 8 p.m. ET as The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration runs. Julianne and Derek Hough will host the show, which will feature images from Walt Disney World and a performance by Sofia Carson.
Dog lovers can also enjoy The National Dog Show airing live on NBC at noon ET on Thanksgiving Day.
The 2016 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, NFL games, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and Christmas movies are great ways to enjoy your November holiday. Spend the time with your family and loved ones while taking part in a fantastic Thanksgiving meal and watch some good TV shows on the schedule even if you head out to do some shopping later on.
[Featured Image by Theo Wargo/Getty Images]
