With Thanksgiving coming up, many people are trying to make this year’s festivities extra special by going back to celebrating the holiday  the pre-pandemic way. Those looking for entertainment this Thanksgiving have more options than one would think. Here are five films and TV shows to enjoy this Thanksgiving: 

Friends

Friends is a classic tv show still watched and loved by millions. Well-known for Thanksgiving-themed episodes, there are two memorable episodes. The first being,  “The One with the Football” from season three episode nine. The episode follows all six friends who decide to play football before having Thanksgiving dinner, leading to many comedic elements while debunking gender stereotypes. In another memorable Thanksgiving episode,  “The One with the Thanksgiving Flashbacks,” Chandler, Ross, and Rachel all go to Monica’s house where viewers see how different each individual is from one another.  Friends is available to stream on HBO Max.

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

The next on the list is a classic Thanksgiving movie  called Planes, Trains And Automobiles. Starring John Candy as Del Griffith and Steve Martin as Neal Page, this movie follows two strangers who decide to travel together to get home in time for Thanksgiving during the busiest time of year. The long road ahead makes these two strangers come across many arguments and obstacles along the way but  in the end, develop a friendship. This is a great movie about kindness and friendship, showing that a little kindness can go a long way. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles is available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Vudu and Apple TV. 

How I Met Your Mother

Another one of the popular comedy series is How I Met Your Mother. This series is about five friends who live in New York City and learn about friendships, breakups and dating. The special Thanksgiving episode called, “Belly Full of Turkey,”  follows Marshall and Lily where they discover the weird quirks of one another.. Lily discovers a strange recipe that Marshall’s family has for Thanksgiving called the “Erikson Seven-Layer Salad,” which consists of foods like gummy bears, Funyuns and 16 cups of mayonnaise. 

Meanwhile, the other three friends Robin, Barney and Ted spend the day volunteering at a homeless shelter, leading to comedic events while raising awareness about homelessness and giving back during the holiday season. How I Met Your Mother is available on Disney+ and Hulu.

Peanuts: “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”

One of the most popular classic animations in America is Peanuts, a show that both adults and children love to watch. In a special episode called “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”, all of the friends gather together for a Thanksgiving feast while Snoopy prepares the feast for everyone. But when the guests sit down for the feast, they realize what Snoopy has given them is not a true Thanksgiving meal, causing many of the guests to become upset. This Peanuts episode is something for the whole family to watch on Thanksgiving. “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving ” is available to stream on Apple TV+.

This is Us

This is Us follows the Pearson family over the years. This series has an inspiring Thanksgiving episode called “Six Thanksgivings” from season three episode eight. In this episode, there is flashback to when the father of the family, Jack, spent Thanksgiving in Vietnam as a soldier during the Vietnam War. Jack sees a Vietnamese family not having enough food and brings the family turkey. While in the present year, one of Jack’s children volunteers at a homeless shelter with his family. This episode of This is Us is incredible because it is all about kindness and forgiving during the time of Thanksgiving. This is Us is available on Hulu.