Thanksgiving isn’t just about gorging on sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce, it’s also a time to sit back and relax with some classic Thanksgiving-themed movies and TV shows. From Grey’s Anatomy to Orange Is the New Black , here is the best turkey day entertainment available on Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu.
According to Hollywood.com , Netflix has a host of Thanksgiving episodes available to stream. This includes the must-watch Season 5 episode of Friends titled “The One with All the Thanksgivings.”
Friends has a lot of Thanksgiving episodes to pick from, but “The One with All the Thanksgivings” is a classic. Not only does everyone share a sentimental Thanksgiving story from their past, but Chandler is rocking his ’80s haircut while Joey puts his head in a turkey.
Other holiday-themed episodes of Friends include “The One Where Underdog Gets Away,” “The One with the Football,” and “The One with the Late Thanksgiving.”
For a more modern series, How I Met Your Mother’s “Slapsgiving” is a great Thanksgiving-themed installment. The episode features Marshall and Lily’s first holiday since tying the knot, Robin and Ted give their first salute, and Marshall and Barney finally end their slap bet. Another worthy mention is “Blitzgiving” from Season 6.
The new Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life premieres the day after, but for those in need of a quick refresher look no further than “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving.” The fan favorite mother-daughter duo is back as they prepare to attend four Thanksgiving dinners on the same night.
Apart from food and family, Thanksgiving is also a day for some great football. In the spirit of the game, make sure you watch The League’s Thanksgiving inspired episode in Season 3. Sarah Silverman guest stars as Andre’s sister in this hilarious episode that pairs great with the holiday.
Perez Hilton reports another Netflix episode to watch is Bob’s Burgers’ “An Indecent Thanksgiving Proposal.” The installment features Bob and the family taking Thanksgiving to Mr. Fischoeder, who bribes them into allowing Linda and the children to post as his family.
For a more presidential mood, Entertainment Weekly reports that the West Wing’s “Shibboleth” is available to stream on both Netflix and Amazon. The episode is one of the show’s best and features C.J. Cregg pardoning a turkey while President Bartlet is forced to deal with a group of refugees.
Also streaming on Amazon and Hulu, The Mindy Project’s “Thanksgiving” features a difficult holiday for the characters. Mindy is forced to meet the girlfriend of a former flame while Danny can’t make time to celebrate.
What would Thanksgiving be without some Grey’s Anatomy ? Two episodes are worth watching for the holiday season, including “Thanks for the Memories” and “Somebody That I Used to Know.” The latter includes Meredith’s epic Thanksgiving dinner for the entire hospital, which naturally leads to plenty of drama.
When it comes to movies, Time is reporting that classic James Bond flicks , available to stream on Amazon, are perfect Thanksgiving films. These include Sean Connery’s best in Dr. No , Goldfinger , and From Russia with Love . They might be a little dated, but they’re sure to appeal to just about every member of the family.
Speaking of good family movies, Creed is also available on Amazon. The movie stars Sylvester Stallone and Michael B. Jordan and centers on Rocky Balboa’s training efforts with Apollo Creed’s son, Adonis Johnson. If the Rocky franchise is something the family enjoys, then you can also stream Rocky through Rocky V while you’re at it.
If you just want a good series to watch while you loosen up the belt, consider catching up on shows like Stranger Things or Black Mirror , both of which are available on Netflix. They aren’t exactly Thanksgiving themed, but they are some of the most talked about shows online. Also consider Netflix’s new original series, The Crown .
If nostalgia is what you’re after, the International Business Times reports that the 1991 film Dutch is a great one for Thanksgiving . The movie centers on a man trying to score points with his girlfriend by bringing her son home from prep school. The duo quickly runs into trouble as he discovers the boy isn’t a nice kid.
For more laughs with the family, Son in Law will certainly do the trick. The film stars Pauley Shore as Crawl, who gets introduced to his girlfriend’s family over Thanksgiving break. Needless to say, Crawl isn’t exactly used to farm life.
Thanksgiving is also a time that marks the official start of the holiday season. With Christmas right around the corner, why not start the holidays off right with Miracle on 34th Street ? The classic actually begins with the Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York, making it a perfect choice to go along with the turkey and stuffing.
Happy Thanksgiving and happy steaming!
[Featured Image by NBC/Universal]