The Best Thanksgiving Specials

To end week 2, I wanted to take a quick look at my favorite Thanksgiving specials.  These can range from stand alone specials, to Thanksgiving themed episodes of my favorite TV shows, to movies!  I’m just picking and choosing my favorites, and posting them here for your amusement!  Christmas is known for their movies and TV shows and specials…but there’s been some good Thanksgiving ones as well!  Let’s get to it!

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

This has to be the pinnacle of all Thanksgiving Specials.  And, of course, it’s the Peanuts crew who’s up to the task!  Its your traditional Charlie Brown fare…Patty being a bully and forcing Charlie Brown into hosting a Thanksgiving party; Charlie Brown being woefully unprepared to do so, but trying his best; Charlie Brown coming up short of perfection and Patty berating him for it; the apology, and then the conclusion, where Charlie’s grandma invites Charlie Brown and all his friends over to her house for dinner!  My favorite scene might be the very last one.  Snoopy and Woodstock go to the doghouse and cook up their own traditional Thanksgiving meal that includes a turkey complete with all the trimmings.  Over the end credits the two friends each devour dessert: a large piece of pumpkin pie.  They then sit back with contented smiles as Woodstock pats his full stomach.  I mean, it so perfectly encapsulates everything that is great about the holiday!  Definitely the definitive Thanksgiving Holiday Special.

A Winnie the Pooh Thanksgiving

I grew up loving Winnie the Pooh.  By far my favorite childhood cartoon character.  In 1998, they came out with this special, where Pooh and the gang from the Hundred Acre Woods learn the true meaning of Thanksgiving!  Winnie the Pooh and his friends bring food for the big dinner.  Piglet brings haycorns(acorns), Pooh brings honey, Owl brings biscuits, and Tigger brings ice cream.  But when Rabbit informs them that Thanksgiving is a special time of year that should include special items, so Pooh and the gang set off to find those very items.  Of course, in the end, Rabbit calms down, and they all learn that the true meaning of Thanksgiving is getting to spend time with your family and friends.  Very touching, indeed.

The West Wing

The West Wing have had two memorable Thanksgiving episodes.  My favorite is probably Shibboleth, the 8th episode of Season 2.  The press secretary, CJ, has to decide which of the two turkeys that have been dropped off is more photogenic and will therefore be pardoned!  Her handling of the two turkeys is pretty classic.  As is President Jeb Bartlett's rant about how he can't actually pardon turkeys.  Classic!

Also, throughout the episode, President Bartlet sends Charlie on a seemingly never-ending hunt for a new carving knife. Unbeknownst to Charlie, President Bartlet is replacing his own personal knife, which he gives to Charlie. A touching scene in the Oval Office occurs when Charlie receives the knife and asks the President about the markings from the manufacturer — a P.R. — and is told that the knife was made for the Bartlet family by a silversmith named Paul Revere.

Its a very good episode.  The clip above is a cut up of just the turkey scenes, but you should go find the entire episode.  Really, you should just watch the whole series.

The 7th Episode of Season 3 is also a Thanksgiving episode called "The Indians in the Lobby" which has many noteworthy scenes with President Bartlett trying to call the Butterball hotline to discuss the proper way to make stuffing (in the bird or outside of the bird).  Very good...but the season 2 Thanksgiving episode is much better.

The League

The League is a hilarious show that focuses on a group of friends all in a fantasy football league together.  However, the fantasy football is just a background for their interactions and various shenanigans.  It's truly a hilarious show.  Last season they had a Thanksgiving episode.  In this episode we learned about vinegar strokes as well as what guinea pigs may taste like (turkey!).  I can't really say much here without giving it away...just watch, if you dare!  The below clip is the last 5 minutes of the episode...the whole gang is together for Thanksgiving dinner.  Seriously, definitely NSFW...but hilarious!  Mom, you have been warned...

Home Improvement

Home Improvement had numerous Thanksgiving themed episodes:  "A Frozen Moment"; "My Dinner with Wilson"; "The Wood, the Bad and the Hungry"; "Thanksgiving"; and "Thanks, but No Thanks".  The best of these, in my humble opinion, was "Thanksgiving," because it incorporated all three of the Three F's of Thanksgiving!  From the episode synopsis:  "Tim and the family spend Thanksgiving watching the Detroit Lions play a Thanksgiving game from a luxury box. However, Tim takes a tour and manages to black out the entire Pontiac Silverdome. This leaves Jill and the boys to fend for themselves in the box with a Hollywood producer but are thrilled when Rodney Dangerfield drops in."  Sounds like a classic...and, of course, I watch the Lions game every year from Lancaster, so it draws me in immediately!  The video clip below is actually the entirety of all the Thanksgiving episodes...in case you wanted to watch any of them.  Just flip through the playlist to the one you want...or watch them all in order!

The Simpsons

In the long, long history of The Simpsons, the second-season episode "Bart vs. Thanksgiving" is the only one that has a Thanksgiving theme.  In it, Bart accidentally destroys Lisa's carefully-constructed Thanksgiving centerpiece, celebrating women throughout history. Sent to his room without dinner, he escapes and runs to the bad part of Springfield, where he sells his blood and gets food from a shelter.  He's shown on TV, homeless and shivering, where the family sees him.  He eventually makes his way back home and apologizes to Lisa, who is crying on the roof.  A nice, touching story with all the funny Simpsons touches.  People forget how slow-paced and story-oriented the first couple of seasons of The Simpsons was, before they succumbed to "gag-a-minute" disease.  This episode shows the series' gentle side brilliantly.

The clip below is the first few minutes of the episode.  I appreciate the Macy's Parade on TV, with the Bart balloon going by while Homer talks about how they can't make balloons about everything or else the parade will become a farce.  Excellent!

South Park

Another show known for great holiday episodes, especially in its early days, is South Park!  By my count, there have been three Thanksgiving themed episodes:  "Starvin' Marvin", "Helen Keller! The Musical", and "A History Channel Thanksgiving."  The best of these, by far, is "Helen Keller! The Musical."  The school is putting on a Thanksgiving pageant.  The 4th graders and the Kindergardeners are both putting on plays.  Butters' intel from the Kinder play is that it has special effect, and is just incredible!  So the boys set out to outdo them!  They bring in water special effects, pyrotechnics, and even a live, stunt performing turkey as part of their full, two-act musical!  It's quite a performance!  As is the Kinder performance.  Enjoy!

That's about it for me this time around.  If you have time, go back and watch the videos.  Especially the Home Improvement ones.  Definitely quality.  These are my favorites...do you, dear readers, have any favorites from some of your favorite shows?  Let's have em!

Less than a week to go until Thanksgiving!  I don't know about you, but watching all these definitely has me in the Thanksgiving spirit!  Woo hoo!