10 Best Thanksgiving TV Episodes

There's nothing quite like a themed episode of your favourite television show. Acknowledging a real world holiday is a great way of connecting a show to reality, providing instantly relatable scenarios and giving structure to an episode - and that's not to mention how useful they are to the writers tasked with penning season after season of material.

The most common themes are Christmas and Halloween - two holidays instantly recognised around the world, even if they aren't necessarily celebrated (or celebrated in the same ways). But what about Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated primarily in Canada and the United States, originating in the 17th century as a way of recognising an abundant harvest.

With so many of the world's most famous televisions shows being made in the United States, and with Thanksgiving being such a significant part of festive culture, it's not surprising to find it showing up on our screens. Thanksgiving television specials tend to focus on family and togetherness - universal values that everyone can relate to, even if they don't necessarily celebrate the day itself. It's for this reason that Thanksgiving specials are often the most interesting and versatile of themed episodes - as long as they stick to the theme, they can be about anything from personal relationships to rampant consumerism.